Review by adhlactha on May 3, 2020.

Is there something more medieval and darker than the Blut Aus Nord’s album Deus Salutis Meæ, but in a pure sense of modern times? This album is a real joy for those who truly enjoy such mesmerizing and raw darkness. Even with this kind of dissonances and disharmonies, it is logical and complete musical album with no boundaries in extreme music genre. And even with the love of French for innovations (in music as well), Deus Salutis Meæ can’t be counted as one more avant-garde black metal record.

So what is so unique with this record? The band intricately combines the raw black attitude with psychedelic background, but industrial moments visibly add some noise to the record. The dark and creepy introductions (like whole instrumental songs as well) are long enough to prepare you for ultimate heaviness, but even their ambient passages are created to affect you psychologically. And the multiple use of vocal layers intensifies the blackness and eeriness. The screams and whispered emotional shrieks just finish off this total atmosphere of dark destruction. There is no vitality in this record, but still it’s dynamic, even if rhythms vary from almost inactive abstract ambient compositions to energetic and fast black metal fury (like on 'Apostasis') with shrieking guitar solos. There are special effects, and it’s done purposefully to reflect more canonical black metal sound; of course it’s not so raw as for example on Darkthrone’s records, but nonetheless there you won’t find cleanliness on the sound. Frequent stillness almost guides the album on doom metal path, though there is more black metal influence, but the band never chased to fit in musical styles’ rules. Technically the compositional structures are complicated, so that adds the whole abstract progressiveness. Everything is important here – raw sound, noise elements, multiple vocals of Vindsval, disharmonic and atmospheric ambience, because the entire complex creates this hopeless and horrifying atmosphere with no compromises. It’s built on contrasts, so that’s why this record is so deep and emotional (but only in a dark sense).

French extreme music has always progressed in unique and individual pattern, even with Les Légions Noires they created their exceptional black metal (but of course under influence of Norwegian black metal), and now even more bands break the boundaries of style. And Blut Aus Nord on the record Deus Salutis Meæ proved that they are one of the most intriguing and strong members of European experimental extreme community.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 16, 2020.

It was in 1939 when the German Antarctic Expedition discovered Neuschwabenland (New Swabia) and it remains a mystery why the Nazi propaganda did not make a hype about this fact. Maybe the dude with the clubfoot had better things to do, for example f**king Lida Baarova, the nice actress from Czechia. We don’t know it exactly… but speaking of Czechia helps us to get closer to Götterdämmerung. Despite their German name, they originate from Lida’s homeland, and they seem to have a weakness for the aesthetics of the Nazi period. Or am I misled by the artwork with the slogan “Willkommen in Neuschwabenland” and the “Bund Deutscher Mädel”-girl staring at me? And why was the output released on the 1st of September, exactly 81 years after the outbreak of World War II, the ultimate catastrophe?

Of course, all these speculations and open questions are not helpful. So let’s turn the cone of light on the music. Götterdämmerung rush over the icy fields of New Swabia with a breath-taking speed and sometimes they somersault ('Talvisota'). 5% less hysteria would have been a fine thing here. But if we take a close look at the big picture, we realize that there is not much to grumble. Neuschwabenland presents fresh, merciless, rude and mostly absolutely uncompromising thrash. The dudes are not overly influenced by the American pioneers from the eighties and the early material of the German role models such as Kreator or Destruction also does not really shimmer through the nine songs. The first seven songs and the closer are a thrashing bloodlust without a retrospective approach. But the title track stands in sharp contrast to these short, brutal and almost chaotic eruptions.

Suddenly, mesmerizing guitars roll out the red carpet for a narrator who tells the story of, well, the Neuschwabenland expedition in German. He uses almost poetic words, something like “New Swabia, where darkness covers the snowy landscapes… kingdom of eternal ice” and so on, but this remains the only poetic aspect here. Anyway, the narration lies in close proximity to the historic truth and I feel an icy coldness creeping up my back. No doubt, thrash and high velocity should stand shoulder to shoulder, but this mid-paced number is a highlight of the album. This does not mean that the ultra-fast outbursts of energy stand in the shadow of the title track. 'Alfa Tauri' marks a strict, murderous and slicing attack with a brilliant bridge and further tracks advance into very high quality regions. For instance, enjoy the rapid, slightly modern-Sodom-like riffing of 'Trojný Bod' – especially its excellent instrumental parts that have the power to drive me mad.

The album was recorded in April 2020 and I hope (no, I’m sure) the dudes did not celebrate Führer’s birthday during the recording process. Firstly, because nobody should do this, secondly due to the fact that they had a better reason to party. The result of the recordings is a very aggressive, straight-in-your-face sound that fits the band’s musical way of proceeding perfectly, although the guitars dominate over the vocals. Götterdämmerung destroy, destroy and destroy again and in view of the quality of the compositions and of the sound, it’s a joy to witness this act of destruction. I still wonder about the dude’s focus on Germany (not only band name and album title, but also the musician’s sick pseudonyms like “Wunderpepi” or “Brummbär”), but this does not affect the quality of the recommendable album.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 16, 2020.

It was in 1939 when the German Antarctic Expedition discovered Neuschwabenland (New Swabia) and it remains a mystery why the Nazi propaganda did not make a hype about this fact. Maybe the dude with the clubfoot had better things to do, for example f**king Lida Baarova, the nice actress from Czechia. We don’t know it exactly… but speaking of Czechia helps us to get closer to Götterdämmerung. Despite their German name, they originate from Lida’s homeland, and they seem to have a weakness for the aesthetics of the Nazi period. Or am I misled by the artwork with the slogan “Willkommen in Neuschwabenland” and the “Bund Deutscher Mädel”-girl staring at me? And why was the output released on the 1st of September, exactly 81 years after the outbreak of World War II, the ultimate catastrophe?

Of course, all these speculations and open questions are not helpful. So let’s turn the cone of light on the music. Götterdämmerung rush over the icy fields of New Swabia with a breath-taking speed and sometimes they somersault ('Talvisota'). 5% less hysteria would have been a fine thing here. But if we take a close look at the big picture, we realize that there is not much to grumble. Neuschwabenland presents fresh, merciless, rude and mostly absolutely uncompromising thrash. The dudes are not overly influenced by the American pioneers from the eighties and the early material of the German role models such as Kreator or Destruction also does not really shimmer through the nine songs. The first seven songs and the closer are a thrashing bloodlust without a retrospective approach. But the title track stands in sharp contrast to these short, brutal and almost chaotic eruptions.

Suddenly, mesmerizing guitars roll out the red carpet for a narrator who tells the story of, well, the Neuschwabenland expedition in German. He uses almost poetic words, something like “New Swabia, where darkness covers the snowy landscapes… kingdom of eternal ice” and so on, but this remains the only poetic aspect here. Anyway, the narration lies in close proximity to the historic truth and I feel an icy coldness creeping up my back. No doubt, thrash and high velocity should stand shoulder to shoulder, but this mid-paced number is a highlight of the album. This does not mean that the ultra-fast outbursts of energy stand in the shadow of the title track. 'Alfa Tauri' marks a strict, murderous and slicing attack with a brilliant bridge and further tracks advance into very high quality regions. For instance, enjoy the rapid, slightly modern-Sodom-like riffing of 'Trojný Bod' – especially its excellent instrumental parts that have the power to drive me mad.

The album was recorded in April 2020 and I hope (no, I’m sure) the dudes did not celebrate Führer’s birthday during the recording process. Firstly, because nobody should do this, secondly due to the fact that they had a better reason to party. The result of the recordings is a very aggressive, straight-in-your-face sound that fits the band’s musical way of proceeding perfectly, although the guitars dominate over the vocals. Götterdämmerung destroy, destroy and destroy again and in view of the quality of the compositions and of the sound, it’s a joy to witness this act of destruction. I still wonder about the dude’s focus on Germany (not only band name and album title, but also the musician’s sick pseudonyms like “Wunderpepi” or “Brummbär”), but this does not affect the quality of the recommendable album.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10