Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars

Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars
Studio album by Blut Aus Nord
Released	February 23, 2009
Genre	Atmospheric black metal, Melodic black metal
Length	59:56
Label	Candlelight Records (CANDLE141CD)
Blut Aus Nord chronology
Odinist: The Destruction of Reason by Illumination (2007) Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars (2009) 777 – Sect(s) (2011)

Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars is the seventh album by French avant-garde black metal band Blut Aus Nord. The album demonstrates more traditional black metal songwriting and structure than previous album MoRT, with critics noting that stylistically this album represents a balance between the band's more experimental work and the band's earlier, more traditional black metal releases.^[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Metal Injection	Very positive[3]
MetalSucks	[4]
Popmatters	8/10[1]

The album was received very positively by critics. Writing for AllMusic, Alex Henderson gave the album 4/5. He described it as "melodic in a dark, brooding, atmospheric way", concluding that "This isn't happy, escapist music; the material is full of gloom and pessimism, but it is well-crafted and nicely executed. Detractors can claim that Dialogue with the Stars is "too artsy" all they want; the bottom line is that from a creative standpoint, Blut Aus Nord get to have the last laugh."^[2]

Stereogum's Brandon Stosuy named the album as the 8th best metal album of 2009, writing that "Memoria Vetusta II does what it promises, creating an hour’s worth of sky-shooting epics (fluid guitar solos, repeating motifs, etc.) that move from fragile and meditative to blistering in a heartbeat and really do feel like they’re talking to the constellations. Endless boogie, for sure."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Acceptance (Aske)"	1:30
2.	"Disciple's Libration (Lost in the Nine Worlds)"	9:06
3.	"The Cosmic Echoes of Non-Matter (Immaterial Voices of the Fathers)"	6:29
4.	"Translucent Body of Air (Sutta Anapanasati)"	2:24
5.	"Antithesis of the Flesh (...And Then Arises a New Essence)"	7:53
6.	"...the Meditant (Dialogue With the Stars)"	10:14
7.	"The Alcove of Angels (Vispassana)"	8:43
8.	"The Formless Sphere (Beyond the Reason)"	9:27
9.	"Elevation"	4:10

Personnel

Blut Aus Nord

• Vindsval - Guitars, vocals
• W.D. Feld - Drums, Keyboards
• GhÖst - Bass

Additional

• David Cragné - Artwork

References

1. Begrand, Adrian (March 17, 2009). "Rise of the Jötunn: In Flames in the 1990s". Retrieved May 1, 2016.
2. Henderson, Alex. "AllMusic Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars". Retrieved May 1, 2016.
3. "BLUT AUS NORD's Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue With the Stars: The Metal Injection Review". February 26, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
4. O'Hagar, Sammy (February 11, 2009). "BLUT AUS NORD PROVE THEY’RE THE GREATEST FRENCHMEN SINCE HENRY IV ON MEMORIA VETUSTA II". Retrieved May 1, 2016.
5. Stosuy, Brandon (December 19, 2009). "Haunting The Chapel: The 30 Best Metal Albums Of 2009 (Plus Dozens Of Guest Lists)". Retrieved May 1, 2016.