Anyways, BAN is a french Black Metal outfit consisting of three members: Vindsvall (vocalist, guitars), W.D. Felds (drums, programming, keyboards), and GhÖst (bass guitar). It first started with just Vindsvall, but picked up the other 2 later on. They have became big in the field for their added-later-in-career Industrial touches mixed in with their blend of Black Metal. Now, before I go on, if you haven't heard of that genre basically it's not race specific. It might sound race specific, but the black in the name is actually referring to the symbolism of how that color represents the evil side of things. Basically white = good, referring to the christian religion, whereas black = evil, satanic, occult, blah de blah. It was coined by a band called Venom in the late 70's with their album titled "black metal", and of course it had satanic and occult imagery in the album art. That is how it started, as you can guess. Bands like Celtic Frost and Bathory came out and gave the genre it's sound and look and blossomed from there.
Problem I have with this genre is a mix of reasons:
1. It is usually standard to have horrible production. Now, some bands do it right. Bathory's "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" album is incredible but the production by radio's standards is rubbish. Really fuzzed out,chaotic and lo-fi. But, it is awesome in that, and done right. I can hear all instruments, the songs are written excellently and it is one heavy bastard. But a lot of bands in the genre are either lazy or don't know how to under-produce the sound right. It comes out as either weak, flat or a jumbled mess of sounds. This, I can't stand. I love a rough production, but take a note from the Bathory album I just mentioned, that production was done perfect!
2. The imagery does not offend me. I am an open, easy go guy when it comes to album art and BM is no exception. A lot of bands put one black and white face paint in patterns to "shock" people and to look sort of like a corpse, hence the name "corpse paint". Of course, they also have to put on a show to shock people and get their music across more ears. This ends up with a lot of bands donning ridiculous leather suites and spike wrist-bands, pyrotechnics and shocking stage decorations like for example, impaled pig heads. Now, this doesn't bother me one bit. I like a good stage show like everyone else; I am also a Rammstein fan of course in that regard. Buuuuuttt, the music also has to be good. SO many bands put so much into shock factor that they either look really goofy, or the music suffers REALLY bad. That, I can't stand. Yes, a presence helps, but back it up with excellent songs and songwriting. I mean some of these bands are laughable in presence and put so much into looking "evil" that in the end the music is lackluster and they look like clowns.
3. The riffing style is great, it really is, but the genre is drowning in tremolo-picking. I love a well crafted tremolo pick like the next metal-head but it has to be written really good. Problem? The genre is flooded with bands that can't write great tremolo picking riffs. They can't write good ones to start and they overuse their crappy rendition of the style to death.
Soooo as you can see a BM has to be really good to capture my attention and well, Blut Aus Nord has, and for these reasons:
1. They KNOW how to produce. Every album production is perfect! Every instrument is easily heard, I can tell what riffs are being played, the drum style and the atmosphere is excellent. Each album is easily drenched in an atmosphere that only BAN has really mastered with age, Earlier albums were typical BM lo-fi done right, but with the industrial mixings, they crafted a sound that perfectly mixes BM, industrial and a really friggin creepy atmosphere. It has to be heard to fully understand the genius.
2. The bands imagery is great. They don't perform live, they only have 1 band photo, which is at the bottom of the post and even then their identities are impossible to see. The album art isn't humorously occult or satanic. The albums arts range from icy mountains, to green rocky jagged peaks, to an eye, to a forest setting at dusk, etc. They don't publish the lyrics, so you can interpret meanings for yourself. The bands views are more pagan and take in a mix of religions. For example, one of their albums is about going through Buddhism to achieve enlightenment, and the album is that journey. The band don't care about being outwardly evil, or occult. They prefer a more cryptic and thought provoking look to their imagery, not to turn people away by shock factor. THAT gets respect for them from me, easily.
3. Riff MASTERS, Vindsvall knows how to write excellent music. His riffs are constructed excellently and are easily catchy. The songs are written to keep my attention, and the later industrial elements fit perfect. Even if one riff is a dud, I know another one is coming to easily catch my attention. This band overall are BRILLIANT songwriters!
Really, what more can be said apart from album reviews? An easily respectable band, not resorting to shock factor and imagery to rope in music fans. Nope, all they need to be pinnacles of brilliant BM is their music, which they have let speak for them.
My ears are forever open for your sonic waves of perfection, Blut Aus Nord!
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