I haven’t had what I’d consider a true nightmare in at least a decade. I still have the occasional dream where something happens that makes me upset – perhaps I forget something important, or my car breaks down on the way to a big meeting – but the sort of haunting images that used to cross my mind when I was younger have entirely dissipated. No more shadowy figures standing at the foot of my bed, no more quiet laughter coming from downstairs, no more sitting straight up in bed after some kind of malformed, upright animal charges me in my own bedroom. Generally speaking, most people outgrow those kinds of fears – monsters and ghosts are replaced by adult stressors, and your dreams grow with you by reflecting those concerns.

“That Cannot Be Dreamed” is the closest I’ve come to experiencing that sort of terror again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an exhilarating terror – but still quite spooky. I’m admittedly not the most well-versed in Blut aus Nord’s expansive discography, or even black metal for that matter, but I’ve heard enough of them both to know “That Cannot Be Dreamed” is exceptional. It evokes the sort of hellish imagery that other bands strive for with twice the effort and half the affect – resulting in an eerily powerful blend of avant-garde metal and industrialized dissonance. Despite the visceral, primitive fear that the song invites, it also manages to be majestic, beautiful, and meditative – a masterful display by a band demonstrating its technical prowess while simultaneously flexing its experimental muscles.

Blut aus Nord have blown the gates open with “That Cannot Be Dreamed”, setting the bar very high for their upcoming full-length album. This swirling storm of stunning riffs and unreal drumming is as mesmerizing and addicting as it is ominous. This is a new sort of nightmare, but also one that I can quite easily get behind.

Score: 4/5

Sputnik Singles Chart:

1. Regina Spektor – “Becoming All Alone” (4.3)
2. Yeule – “Too Dead Inside” (3.5)
3. Bad Omens – “Like A Villain” (3.0)
4. Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” (2.5)
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” (2.3)
6. Avril Lavigne – “Bite Me” (2.3)
7. Shinedown – “Planet Zero” (2.2)
8. Weezer – “A Little Bit of Love” (2.0)
9. Grimes – “Shinigami Eyes” (2.0)