Release Date: 28 November 2025
Song Count: 7
Rating: 7.1/10
Description:
This has got to be the record for the shortest amount of time between an album coming out and me reviewing it on this site - it being the exact same day is actually nuts. It does check out with context, given that Blut Aus Nord is a band that has been on my radar for a long time, being one of my favourite black metal bands, and so this announced release has been in high anticipation for me for a while now.
What awaits in this package filled with long and durable tracks is a black metal experience that subverts the genre on its head whilst simultaneously staying true to its key sound and musical philosophies. Songs are often athmospheric and show hints of melodicism, even if it is stifled to an extent with the classic method of repetition and looping themes, and the sinister-sounding metal vocals and growls generally take a back seat as they are sparingly used, leaving the stage for the instruments themselves to shine and take the lead. Though the tracks to have a tendency to drag after a while, it is often combatted with introducing interludes within them or otherwise utilising more than one melody line to switch things up.
Each track (minus one interlude) spans over 6 minutes and follows this artistic pattern, all staying at relatively the same consistent level of quality and sharing a similar sound. Picking out individual songs to listen to after a full initial listen-through does lead to a better experience, as one gets caught less off guard by the sudden shifts between the slower and quieter introductions and interludes and the metal instruments playing at full power. The individual components and melodies that make up the tracks themselves also stick out more over time and grow on the listener.
Overall, while Ethereal Horizons is not the most outstanding piece of black metal music out there, it is certainly worth one's time with its subversive sound and the noticeable amount of care put into it.