DIMMU BORGIR 'Grand Serpent Rising'

DIMMU BORGIR 
Grand Serpent Rising
Nuclear Blast

The label alone known as Norwegian Symphonic Black Metal should be enough to twitch your ears. After all, Black Metal is the unapologetic and boundary-bending genre that has so many facets from bands like DARKTHRONE to MAYHEM to DISSECTION to EMPEROR (and countless others) coming a long way from its “tape recorder in a basement” days to well produced releases that capture every essence. Those names may seem mainstream now to the common Black Metal elitist but these bands are part of the root that this genre has evolved from and serve as a gateway drug to “trve” Black Metal. One of the many great bands to come from the birthplace of Black Metal, Norway (arguably) is DIMMU BORGIR who released a new album, only their 10th in a legacy that has lasted over 30 years. “Grand Serpent Rising”, through their label-home Nuclear Blast and clocking in at just an hour with so much happening, encompassing the essence of Symphonic Metal, yet not quite much of the “Black” in Black Metal.

We will never get an “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” (1997 debut) or again but as one of Nuclear Blast’s most extreme bands who paved the way for many and have pushed the boundaries time and time again, mainstream be damned, the new album has many of the great elements that has helped keep DIMMU BORGIR a respected name. Throughout 13 tracks of melody and aggression, there is so much emotion on this album, slowly bringing you to the environment where this all exists with the opening track ‘Tridentium’, anger and sadness with a couple they released videos for ‘Ascent’ and ‘Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel’, a song sung in Norwegian for which they released a video for that tells a story of  passing on important values though heritage and bloodline.

You get tragedy and perhaps a hint of comedy with songs like ‘As Seen In The Unseen’ and ’Slik Minnes En Alkymist’ (also in Norwegian) which again strays from the Black Metal sound and goes for the more melodic and bit of folk. Then you have the romanticism with ‘Phantom of the Nemesis’, which along with ‘The Qryptfarer’, ‘Recognizant’ and 'Repository Of Divine Transmutation’ is one of my favorite tracks on this album.

8 years since their last album “Eonian” which reflects some inconsistency and fell short by critics, “Grand Serpent Rising” represents in some ways, a new re-awakening and beginning. With original members, vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Silenoz solely remaining, “Grand Serpent Rising” is a culmination of the many eras of DIMMU. With the departure of guitarist Thomas Rune Andersen (aka Galder) to focus on his other project OLD MAN’S Child, DIMMU BORGIR announced Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen would be stepping in as their new guitarist. As Silenoz explains. "DIMMU BORGIR is a leviathan… we are rising once again. While the serpent represents evil to some, for us it symbolizes… renewal, growth, knowledge, and liberation.”

Not all Symphonic Bands have lived up to their name as they simply use what’s known as “backing tracks” to provide this illusion. But DIMMU have proven without a doubt that they live up to that label as evident by their live opus from 2012, which I highly recommend,  at Wacken and the live album release  “Forces Of The Northern Light” (of the same year but released in 2017, through Nuclear Blast). The production on “Grand Serpent Rising” is simply amazing, capturing so many of the hidden and subtle, and not subtle, elements that fills up your entire headspace. Recorded in Gothenburg, credit for this outstanding production goes to producer Fredrik Nordström, who helped forge the great releases "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" and "Death Cult Armageddon". DIMMU BORGIR is a good example of a band that doesn't cling too much to the Black Metal stereotype, making them palatable to non-extremists who perhaps prefer the imagery and look more than the extreme underground itself, serving as an introduction to “trve” Black Metal, DIMMU BORGIR’s concept has held its originality while stretching its boundaries.
 
Looking forward to catching DIMMU BORGIR bring this to life on tour especially here in the states with SUFFOCATION.

4.0 Out Of 5.0