Blut Aus Nord

Considering the formidable legacy of development Vindsval and company have already established, it's no wonder the re-release of The Mystical Beast of Rebellion is more than just a reason to reacquaint fans with an older item in the group's catalogue. In fact, this release functions as a continuation of Blut Aus Nord's tradition of reinterpreting their black metal roots with new bonus material, "The Fall Chapter 7." Listening to the preceding six chapters of Mystical finds the band at a key transitional point. Still retaining many of the trappings of traditional, Darkthrone-inspired coldness, the ambience and jarring guitar melodies that have since proven to be central to the group's sound gradually can be heard, murmuring just below the surface. The progression of these unsettling elements comes to chilling fruition on the final part of "Chapter 7," with disjointed riffs and leads yielding to a brutal cessation that ties all the apocalyptic elements of the band's past with those of their present.