Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars is the seventh album by Frenchavant-gardeblack metal band Blut Aus Nord. The album demonstrates more traditional black metal songwriting and structure than previous album MoRT, with critics noting that stylistically this album represents a balance between the band's more experimental work and the band's earlier, more traditional black metal releases.[1]
The album was received very positively by critics. Writing for AllMusic, Alex Henderson gave the album 4/5. He described it as "melodic in a dark, brooding, atmospheric way", concluding that "This isn't happy, escapist music; the material is full of gloom and pessimism, but it is well-crafted and nicely executed. Detractors can claim that Dialogue with the Stars is "too artsy" all they want; the bottom line is that from a creative standpoint, Blut Aus Nord get to have the last laugh."[2]
Stereogum's Brandon Stosuy named the album as the 8th best metal album of 2009, writing that "Memoria Vetusta II does what it promises, creating an hour’s worth of sky-shooting epics (fluid guitar solos, repeating motifs, etc.) that move from fragile and meditative to blistering in a heartbeat and really do feel like they’re talking to the constellations. Endless boogie, for sure."[5]