Blut aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification (2011)^{Release ID: 2758}

The second part of BAN’s 777 trilogy picks up right from where Sect(s) left off. All the romantic violence and highly intelligent, systematic destruction that Sect(s) mapped out for us now takes a more sardonic and sarcastic slant. Mocking the very foundations that Sect(s) so heartlessly swept away, The Desanctification proceeds to belittle the very basis on which they were ever formed.

Although instantly more accessible than its predecessor, part two of the trilogy seems to have devilish intent behind what I deem to be a false sense of security. Within touching distance of these more rock laden riffs and morbidly soaring melodies are still the grim vocals of Vindsval that occasionally enforce this mocking feeling by spouting almost rap-like passages. Slower picked strings appear to offer some element of Eastern promise on Epitome IX as BAN’s cultural nihilism seems to offer no limit to the range of its scope.

Not for the first time on a BAN record, I get a sense of some dark country and western elements to some of the twisted melodies. One of the real successes of The Desanctification is not only in the scale of its musical depth but also in the density of the horror it manages to create alongside the often benign and even downright catchy elements. Taking the accessible and contrasting it with elements that seek to alienate is one of the groups key attributes and it is done well here.

Playing as some fundamental lesson in dark academia, the album seems to invoke so many different responses in me yet overall feels like a very subtle exercise in complex yet effective communication of the esoteric. Instead of twisting and contorting, tracks remain structurally very solid yet never drift into sterility. Dark as the songs maybe they possess one common trait in the inherent richness of the component parts that are all so well mixed together to create a full sound and very complete feeling album. I have the vinyl box set of the trilogy and so have had the pleasure of listening to this record as part of the whole set. However, as important as it is in terms of the whole trilogy, The Desanctification plays reasonably well in isolation also.

Not one for the bm purists by any means but a triumph of both design and content for any music fan.