vikingman369 : 19/20 | Once again I find myself getting into bands just as all their former fans are abandoning them. I'm a big fan of Vortex, and it was upsetting to hear of his departure from the band (as for Mustis, well, I guess you'd have to be a keyboardist/composer to recognize his skill). I felt that the new Dimmu Borgir would be less without him. And it was with bated breath that I waited for news of their latest release...
Then the single for "Gateways" came out...and the fans of Spiritual Black Dimensions began their troll-wars. Then the album came out, and many were wishing that the whole thing was better than that song with the chick who, in their words, sounded like Dani Filth.
At last, the new album was unleashed. And even more hate came because of the new direction the band was taking aesthetically. Just because they wear white doesn't mean they're not black metal anymore. Shagrath still sports his inverted crucifix and Galder and Silenoz still have their pentagrams emblazoned onto their white garb. Possibly the most retarded trolling the band has received in regard to this album is Shagrath's head-gear, which looks like the front of the album. Honestly, have you even read Lovecraft? Silenoz said that the mask on the cover is based on Lovecraft's old gods, who, in his words, see the existence of man as the blink of an eye. This fits in well with the eerie, post-apocalyptic settings of their videos, and one should not be ripping on Shagrath's Ktulu-inspired head-gear.
Okay, now to the album.
After a brief intro, the album picks up with "Spiritual Black Dimensions Treacherous." Apart from an epic chorus chanting, the symphony, Daray's brutal drumming and the audio-byte, which just might be the most evil man himself - no, not Gaahl, Aleister Crowley, this album is Crowley as well as Lovecraft - its a good start to the album.
Now the dreaded single. The chorus' intro to the song is chilling, not to mention the once-again over-dominating symphony and a guitar track that has been, once again, pushed to the back. It's about rebirth - the rebirth of life on earth of the old gods once man has gone, and the rebirth of the most famous black metal band ever. For as much as people want to rip on Agnete Kjølsrud, her part towards the conclusion of the track is perhaps the most hauntingly epic. But wait...this song has satanic connotations. "Be the broken or the breaker" stands out to me as one such line, though there are others, of the satanic connect of this song: obviously, the band is still Dimmu Borgir at heart, even in white clothing.
Track number five. Every band needs a theme song. Black Sabbath has Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell had Heaven and Hell, Iron Maiden has Iron Maiden, etc. "Dimmu Borgir" is almost Viking in its epic feeling. The symphony works wonders along with the chorus and Silenoz's lyrics, which have references to the recent members who were removed ("We'll weed out the weak and their weep", "Talent is worthless unless exercised", etc.). Around 4:10, the song suddenly takes on a feel like a track from In Sorte Diaboli.
Now let's skip down to the tenth track, with the theme of rebirth that has carried through this album coming to its proper "Endings and Continuations." The symphony, of course, takes the lead, Galder and Silenoz just beneath audibility and Daray pounding his way through the "supreme unknown." After a portion that sounds very "old school black metal", the chorus takes up the magic chanting of Aleister Crowley: Abrahadabra (which has nothing to do with Harry Potter, thank you very much...retards). Then, we hear a melodic voice taking up his aria. Garm can put his talent wherever he wants to: he is not limited to just Arcturus or just Ulver, and though he is not a permanent member, his aria is the most epic thing on this album. Agnete Kjølsrud sings a soft, melodic interlude with the band (no screeching, I promise), and a slide guitar solo wails its way into black metal history.
So far I've just spoken of three or four members. Well, now let's get to the bonus track and I'll mention the guest star of this outfit: veteran of Therion, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate...Snowy Shaw. His part has been pretty much throughout the good part of the album, though, for some reason, he chose not to remain with the band. On the second bonus track, a Deep Purple cover (once again proving that Dimmu Borgir is a worthy band, since they can play regular music that is form-based and skillful), we get a chance to hear Snowy Shaw in all of his Dio-impersonating glory. That's how he sounds on "Chess With the Abyss", "Ritualist" and "Renewal." As for the track itself, though it holds no candle before "Burn in Hell" and "Black Metal", I was shocked at how boring and bland the original was in comparison to this.
In conclusion, yes...the symphony does overpower the metal. But that is the risk when playing with a real symphony, as we saw with Metallica's S&M live album. A lot of the tracks that Snowy sings on are very repetitive, except for "Chess With the Abyss" and "Perfect Strangers." Though it might not be the way of narrow-minded, underground "trve kvlt" black metal, the fact that Dimmu Borgir can sing and play about more than just the old Satan-n-spikes shit, and well at that, means that they are a force to be reckoned with. The compositions for the symphony are well done (I'm sorry, Mustis-fans, if I seem too neglectful of him. I'm not much of a keyboardist myself, so I can't comment on how hard it is to compose such masterpieces as he did), and I never thought I'd hear myself say that I like this album even though ICS Vortex isn't on it (you will be missed, though).
I think Dimmu Borgir should have the final say, though...
"People can say what they want, but we don't give a fuck." 2011-03-25 03:51:46
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