Retro 2025 – BLUT AUS NORD

This instalment of our 2025 retrospective series focuses on BLUT AUS NORD and both their immaculate latest full-length "Ethereal Horizons", and the re-release of the band's 2003 classic "The Work Which Transforms God". Over the past months, our retrospective series has revisited releases by BONG-RA, BLOOD ABSCISSION, MÜTTERLEIN, ANFAUGLIR, I.C.E., and GODKILLER - check the news section of our website! With "Ethereal Horizons", we now turn to a band whose catalogue has shaped the trajectory of Black Metal over more than three decades.

On "Ethereal Horizons", BLUT AUS NORD continue their exploration of spherical atmospheres and the horrors which lie beyond. Distinct to its two earthbound and Chthonian predecessors - "Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses" (2022) and "Disharmonium – Nahab" (2023) - "Ethereal Horizons" see French mastermind V. exploring more transcendental realms. The album moves confidently between tension and clarity, dissonance and vast melodic space, maintaining coherence across complex structures and reinforcing BAN's ongoing commitment to evolution. In an interview with Echoes & Dust, V. offered rare insight into the universal conceptual foundation behind his work:

"My work as a composer is directly tied to the cosmos — I can't fully explain how, but the connection is absolutely undeniable. I believe we all have the ability to nurture this bond that links us, in a deeply intimate way, to that vast 'elsewhere'."

This perspective is reflected in "Ethereal Horizons", where the music often feels less grounded in narrative and more connected to space, distance, and scale. Intensifying this experience, Alex Moréan from AVERSIO HUMANITATIS crafted two video clips for singles 'Shadows Breathe First' and 'The Ordeal' which gave visual life to the already vibrant compositions. Check here:

Critical reception highlighted the album's atmosphere and compositional strength:

"Gloriously atmospheric, epic, mystical, and completely idiosyncratic…!" (Metal Hammer Germany)

"Enjoy melodic BLUT AUS NORD while it lasts because we all know Vindsval will take another stylistic detour soon, but I'm sure whatever he does next will also be brilliant and alien — the Frenchmen have had a knack for capturing the incomprehensible." (The Progressive Subway)

"Strap in for a full-on experience that'll fully gratify one's urge for innovative atmospheric Black Metal, delivered masterfully by the resounding leader of the proverbial pack." (Dead Rhetoric)

In addition to media acclaim, "Ethereal Horizons" also ended up on countless best-of-2025 lists and Banger TV featured an in-depth and thoughtful review of "Ethereal Horizons", further underlining the album's resonance (check here)!

The release of "Ethereal Horizons" also coincided with a special reissue of "The Work Which Transforms God", one of the band's most influential works. Originally released in 2003, the album marked a decisive turning point in BLUT AUS NORD's history, redefining their approach to dissonant atmospheres, Industrial soundscapes, and haunting arrangements. Its long-term impact continues to be acknowledged across the Extreme Metal spectrum, as Zachary Ezrin of IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, vividly highlights:

""The Work Which Transforms God" should be titled "The Work Which Transforms Zach". That's how big of an influence this record had on me. Especially as a guitar player, I really was inspired by the warping, bent and twisting chords that can be heard on tracks like 'The Choir of the Dead'. The record stands as one of the pillars of dissonance when this sort of style was not nearly as common or as popular. BLUT AUS NORD are an amazing band that never settle and never write the same album twice."

This testimony, alongside further reflections from musicians and a lengthy interview with Vindsval, is included in the booklet of the reissue, offering deeper insights into the album's enduring legacy and how it was crafted by V. in 2003.

With "Ethereal Horizons", BLUT AUS NORD reaffirm their position as one of the most distinctive and forward-thinking entities within extreme music. Coinciding its release with the more abrasive and industrialised "The Work Which Transforms God" underlines a universal truth: that BLUT AUS NORD never stops- as Vindsval states himself - exploring the vast beyond from different and thought-provoking perspectives!

Listen to "Ethereal Horizons" via Bandcamp and order both the new album and "The Work Which Transforms God" via our EU, US and Bandcamp shops!

While all Debemur Morti releases are available across streaming platforms, nothing compares to the experience of owning the physical edition. These tangible objects preserve the work beyond algorithms and sustain the Art—and the artists—who bring it into being.