Dimmu Borgir!

[BlutAusNerd]

15 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I agree regarding the riff variety and all but Spiritual Black Dimensions had Astennu and he is easily the best guitarist the band ever had. So replacing him wasn't an easy task, even with Galder, whom is fairly good. However, I think the guitarwork and riffs on Puritanical work very well within the context of each song and grab my attention more than most of their albums. This may partly be due to PEM's production which highlights the performances of each band member well. I normally don't like the sound overproduced albums but this one has never bothered me that much. Death Cult Armageddon was intentionally produced as if it were a film score or symphony and although it does this well and in a very coherent way, I felt that the guitarwork was less interesting and band performances took a backseat to make way for the orchestra. Understandable, given their desired goal in mind but I didn't like it as much.  

I get the points you're making about Puritanical and Death Cult, but I guess I see it differently. The production doesn't just strip the guitars and drums of their power from sounding so overbearingly digital, those elements would have been lackluster enough on their own IMO. It almost sounds predictable before it even begins, with a bunch of techniques borrowed from the more pop influenced side of metal (European power/melodic death type stuff), and a pretty weak vocal performance. Death Cult would be similar, but it seems like muting all of those elements and letting them support the symphonies and breathe in their own right gives them more life. There's more synergy rather than a flurry of elements trying to grab your attention with cheap tricks. Again, that's just me though.

[Requiem]

Glad I came across this thread. I really love certain Dimmu Borgir albums too, and I like all of them to some degree. Here's my take on it from worst to best: 

 

9. In Sorte Diaboli (2007)

Boring. The first song is pretty happening, but this suffers in the same way that 'DCA' suffers. Paint by numbers riffs with no emotion whatsoever. I almost suspect Paul Allender had a hand in it. The concept is pretty uninspiring too: a religious novice turning his back on religion. Yawn. I love Hellhammer in Mayhem but I don't like him here. Get him out. Glad they changed it up for 'Abrahadabra'. 

8. Stormblast (1996)

Something odd and a bit lame about this album. It's a lame duck album for sure. I can see why they re-recorded it. It really works if you're walking around in a wooded area at night. 

7. Death Cult Armageddon (2004)

This is their most overrated album. The first track is very good, the second 'Progenies of the Great Apocalypse' is genius, but after that it's a really flat album. In fact I find it quite boring and a huge let down after the orgasmic 'Puritanical...'. It's like they blew their load on track two then had nowhere to go, if you'll pardon the crude expression. 

6. Abrahadabra (2010)

This was a breath of fresh air and I'm surprised by all the hate that this album gets. I think the slowed down song structures work really well for the most part and the female singer, Agnete, who replaces Vortex (on a couple of songs at least) sounds really cool, especially on 'Gateways'. I like this album a lot. 

5. For All Tid (1994)

I'm glad Dimmu became more 'mainstream' or whatever you want to call it, because I don't think they were brilliant doing the traditional second wave thing. This is the better album of the first two, and I really like it, but I don't reach for it very often if I want mid-90s black metal. It does have an effective atmosphere though. 

4. Eonian (2018)

This took a while to sink in, but what a triumph. The stunning Jens Bogren production perfectly captures the epic tone of this album. Very choir heavy, which is a good thing in my book, and some stunning tracks, like 'I am Sovereign' and the haunting 'Council of Wolves and Snakes'. Contender for album of the year for me. 

3. Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)

The highlights here are huge. 'Mourning Palace' is an all time metal anthem. The keyboards are brilliant. At times it's a bit samey, but overall this is a classic album from 1997 when black metal really needed to innovate, and I was fine with this. Shagrath sounds amazing on this album. 

2. Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999)

A rougher production, but great, great songs. The inclusion of Vortex here works so well and I can fully understand why they signed him on as a full member. This is a phenomenal album of songs and atmosphere. Mustis's keys are next level. Beautiful cover too. Unfortunately I have this special 'shape' CD version so it won't play in my car.  

1. Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001)

Their masterwork. This is such an exciting album. The sound of the strings still to this day gives me chills. I love the production with the intense Nick Barker drum sound and those huge ICS Vortex chorus/bridge moments. It's the perfect blend of cutting edge, fist pumping, yet with orchestral elements. Even the stellar and unconventional band photos inside the booklet are cool. This blew me away in 2001 and just took everything to the next level. I'll stand by this album until I die. 

[Vampyrique]

^I always enjoy reading your mini-reviews.

As much as I like Paul Allender, I know exactly what you mean! It seems that the only thing more prevalent than his stale, uninspired songwriting (at least regarding his last couple of CoF appearances) was his level of egotism. Remember, as he constantly likes to remind everyone, he wrote everything the band has ever done except Cruelty! How long before he doesn't have a band and wants to rejoin Cradle and take over?  

With Abrahadabra, I think it starts off well but fades. After hearing Gateways, I was really looking forward to this album because I thought the band was going to turn it around. Gateways is an excellent track! I don't know much about the female singer but her performance was great. Do you remember the conspiracy that some people actually believed: that Dimmu had taken old vocal tracks from Simen and used them without his permission, simply changing the pitch to make it sound like a woman, so he wouldn't get credit! I think the choir sounded corny at times but, overall, it's still a good effort despite the fact that I thought it was disappointing. 

 

 

 

[Requiem]

20 minutes ago, Vampyrique said:

^I always enjoy reading your mini-reviews.

As much as I like Paul Allender, I know exactly what you mean! It seems that the only thing more prevalent than his stale, uninspired songwriting (at least regarding his last couple of CoF appearances) was his level of egotism. Remember, as he constantly likes to remind everyone, he wrote everything the band has ever done except Cruelty! How long before he doesn't have a band and wants to rejoin Cradle and take over?  

With Abrahadabra, I think it starts off well but fades. After hearing Gateways, I was really looking forward to this album because I thought the band was going to turn it around. Gateways is an excellent track! I don't know much about the female singer but her performance was great. Do you remember the conspiracy that some people actually believed: that Dimmu had taken old vocal tracks from Simen and used them without his permission, simply changing the pitch to make it sound like a woman, so he wouldn't get credit! I think the choir sounded corny at times but, overall, it's still a good effort despite the fact that I thought it was disappointing. 

 

I think 'Abrahadabra' is probably their least black metal album. It's a totally different beast. I hadn't heard the Vortex conspiracy theory - how hilarious. Agnete's vocal lines sound exactly like Vortex's, so I guess that's where the rumour came from. It's a real mish-mash of an album but for some reason I quite like it. It's been a long time since that album by the way. I wonder what they'll come up with next. 

[BlutAusNerd]

I'm not understanding the Puritanical dickriding that's going on right now, it's easily their worst apart from In Sorte Diaboli as far as I'm concerned (I never bothered with Abrahadabra or whatever it's called). Overblown wanky keyboards mixed with dull chugging guitars does not a masterpiece make IMO.

[Requiem]

3 hours ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I'm not understanding the Puritanical dickriding that's going on right now, it's easily their worst apart from In Sorte Diaboli as far as I'm concerned (I never bothered with Abrahadabra or whatever it's called). Overblown wanky keyboards mixed with dull chugging guitars does not a masterpiece make IMO.

With respect, I don't think any of us would be surprised that you don't like this release as there is really nothing in your well publicised taste and unabashed honesty that would ever suggest you would enjoy the ingredients that make up this album, or the end result. It's just not on your radar, so really extended discussion with you on it, as I have done here, is largely (enjoyably) redundant.

Also, regarding music that you're just not into, I don't think you need to always assert an opinion like this, because we get it. You like things that have a real, authentic, even DIY feel. Not exclusively, but a lot of the time. So how would you ever like an album like this? Obviously at least Vampyrique and I don't consider the keyboards 'wanky', and you can call it 'dickriding' if you like, but we're just taking about music that we really love, which is why we're here in the first place. 

Nevertheless, here is why I like it. 

Firstly, it moves me, which is the most important reason I can give. 

Secondly, the quality of the strings sound. This was really the first major black metal(ish) band to use an orchestra in such an overstated (and public) way, at least that I heard. From the very first rustlings of 'Fear and Wonder' it's a sound that just grabs me and gives me chills. At the time I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then it blasts into the start of 'Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny' with that swinging riff, and the vocal patterns on this song are also just perfect and punchy. It's a real singalong. 

Then you have 'Kings of the Carnival Creation' - cue Vortex coming in with those big smooth vocals. So in three songs we go from haunting strings to rocking swing to epic sing. 

Then midway through the album is the futuristic stomp of 'Puritania'. It's the ultimate palate cleanser. Towards the end of the album is the epic 'Sympozium' with more great Vortex moments (I'm a fan) and then the perfect denouement in 'Perfection or Vanity', another orchestral monument to bookend the work. 

Tying all this together is the stunning production, fabulous musicianship of Nick Barker and precedent setting strings from the mind of Mustis. It just sounds sophisticated to my ears. Throw into the mix the catchy and rocking cover of 'Burn in Hell' with a great Vortex chorus, and you have a world class modern metal album. 

 

[Vampyrique]

^ You summed it up nicely. Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia shows the band at their absolute peak and on so many levels. Their cover of Burn in Hell is outstanding! I wish Dimmu would write more songs that had the kind of huge hooks that PEM has.  

 

 

[Requiem]

Eonian has finally been released, a mere 8 years after the mixed quality of Abrahadabra. The album is still new to me and I've only spun it a few times, but I really like it. They've settled into that Abrahadabra style a lot more comfortably. Purests are going to hate this album, but I guess most of them have always hated Dimmu Borgir.

I think this album is definitely a step up from the previous one. The use of the choir is really effective this time around, and all the parts that would have been sung by Vortex on the early albums are now done by the choirs. It sounds really good, pretty gothic and quite epic. The riffs are ok but they have an annoying tendency to do this slide/hammer-on thing in a lot of their songs which I don't really enjoy. The riffs are probably the worst part of the album, which should be the death knell for the whole project, but there are so many choirs and keyboards that the riffs aren't so important. Sounds weird to put it that way, but the melodies of the songs are led by the keys and vocals.

The song structures are very bits and pieces, with heaps of changes and variety. It's like they're trying to impress people with their cleverness. I've heard in an interview that the studio process wasn't all that much fun, and I can believe it with that style of songwriting and recording. I wish they'd just knuckle down on a great riff and see where it goes instead of fitting 15 short riffs into a single song.

So overall, I really like this album. It's a good inclusion in the Dimmu canon, but it doesn't hold a candle to their classics. In short, it's a much better version of Abrahadabra, but if you didn't like that album you're unlikely to like this one either. I like both, so I'm good with it. 

I should add that the packaging is really beautiful too. The cover is cool, but it's the photos inside of Dimmuborgir, the rocky outcropping in Iceland that are just stunning. Band photos of them in those studded hoodies are theatrical but dorky. 

[Requiem]

Ok, I've been living with 'Eonian' now for at least a fortnight, and I have something to say about it. 

It's brilliant. I am loving this album. Once the style and structures started to sink in I really grew to love it. Here's a bit of an analysis: 

1. The production. It's fabulous basically. Very modern without being plastic. Good old Jens Bogren. The choirs and keys sound incredible, as do the drums. Really great to listen to. I could sit here and listen to the sound all day. 

2. The songwriting. A lot of attention to detail has gone into this. There are some cracking moments, such as the last half of 'I Am Sovereign'. The last half of that track is up there with the best of Dimmu Borgir. Those riffs are simple but so effective. What a great song. They've slowed everything down and given the songs power and space. A vast improvement on most of the material between 'Death Cult Armageddon' (their most overrated album) and 'Abrahadabra'. I mentioned in my last post that was "a better version of 'Abrahadabra' which is really only half the story. It's a vast, vast improvement on every element of that album. 

3. The last half of the album. The last four tracks are all epic works of greatness. 

I accept that this album is not for everyone, but man, it's really hitting a new level for me. It came out the same day as Amorphis' 'Queen of Time' and I'd rather listen to this any day of the week. 

'Eonian' is the fourth best Dimmu Borgir album. I'll have to amend my earlier ranking accordingly. 

[Vampyrique]

I've only given it a couple of listens, and it could simply be a routine case of 'new album syndrome' but it hasn't quite won me over yet. It's a very good album, but it feels like something is missing. Its direction is refreshing in some ways, redolent of some of their earlier work yet not deviating too much from their familiar course. Excellent production indeed. 

[Requiem]

13 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I've only given it a couple of listens, and it could simply be a routine case of 'new album syndrome' but it hasn't quite won me over yet. It's a very good album, but it feels like something is missing. Its direction is refreshing in some ways, redolent of some of their earlier work yet not deviating too much from their familiar course. Excellent production indeed. 

Give it some more listens bro. It took me a while for it to sink in, but now that it’s settled I find it a very special album. 

Interesting side note, the cover artwork is done by the same guy who did Paradise Lost - ‘The Plague Within’, Mayhem - ‘Esotiric Warfare’, Watain and a tonne of others. He’s all the rage right now. Some Eastern European I believe.

I’d look up his name but I’m on my phone and downing pints in a city tavern with 666 dollars in my wallet of doom.