Dimmu Borgir: Review

And finally Review number 3/3 of Review Round-up Edition One.

Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

Grade: 4.0 - Putting the emphasis on Symphonic
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Site(s): http://site.dimmu-borgir.com/ | http://www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir

High Points: High budget, high quality orchestrations.
Low Point: Beyond ridiculous wardrobe choices and no Simen (Vortex) backing vocals.

Shagrath and Silenoz, the two mainstay and remaining original members of Dimmu Borgir have returned, once again with Galder (Old Man's Child) in tow for they're first album release in three years. Abrahadabra is also the first album released by the band since the departure of former bassist and clean vocalist Simen Hestnæs (ICS Vortex).

To give a bit of historical perspective, Dimmu Borgir has been recording albums since the early 90's and Abrahadabra is in fact their ninth studio album. Despite always being a Symphonic Black Metal band, this album also represents the greatest leap forward that the band has made in years, if you take the symphonic aspect into focus. Shagrath has indicated that the choice of using a single word title for the album, rather than their previous standard of three word titles, was a decision used to emphasize the changes they have gone through and a step towards the future.

I used to listen to Dimmu Borgir in high school and was familiar enough with their last three releases, however many have been quick to judge that those three albums showed little growth within the band, in between each as a whole, despite being overall solid pieces of work.

Dimmu Borgir's former keyboardist, Mustis, left the group a year ago alongside Vortex. He claims his main reason for leaving the group was because he did not receive the credit he deserved, since he claimed to have written all the music in the group. Whether you actually believe that claim or not is one thing, but if you compare their last three releases (Puritannical Euprhoric Misanthropia, Death Cult Armageddon and In Sorte Diaboli) versus Abrahadabra, you can definitely see many differences. But these are all for the better.

Why? Despite former orchestrations sounding pretty well done, Dimmu Borgir has hired a professional orchestra and choir to record the orchestral sections of their album, a member tally nearing 100 members in total. This fact, which may seem like a moot point to some - they are after all Symphonic metal - is really what makes or breaks this album. And I can tell you, it definitely makes it.

The orchestrations and vocals throughout the album are for lack of a better word, stellar. Songs like Gateways, Dimmu Borgir, and Endings and Continuations truly shine in that regard. Galder's riffage is also kicking ass and taking names, per usual, as he does often with Old Man's Child.

So what's not so great? People used to the old school style of Dimmu Borgir will be, a bit surprised with the changes, especially if your favorite Dimmu happens to be very early in their career. Vocally the album sounds like the Dimmu of old, with Shagrath at the helm, however any real fan can tell you it's missing the clean vocals of Vortex, which would truly put it one notch higher. No criticism to the clean vocals on the album however, the female clean vocals on Gateway in particular are extremely well done.

Dimmu Borgir will be beginning their North American tour on November 5th with Enslaved, Blood Red Throne and Dawn of Ashes. For the locals, the tour will be passing through Toronto and Montreal on December 12th and 13th respectively.

- J