The Album Dimmu Wishes They Could Make Again – 92%
Quindorrian, September 27th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2001, CD, Nuclear Blast
Dimmu Borgir has struggled through much of their career to produce a consistent, quality album that pleases both black metal purists and the casual fans alike. In my humble opinion, this record is the closest they have ever come to doing both without also alienating both crowds. One key to that is that this record focuses on guitar riffs and stays consistently extreme. Dimmu did not try to sell out; they did not try to soften the music or make a “hit”. They simply tried to create the best metal album possible and it shows.
The first point of importance is the songwriting. If you carefully research this record, you will find that Shagrath put a lot of effort into this record, being heavily involved in the songwriting. This was also Galder’s first appearance on a Dimmu record, and the immediate difference shows. Galder’s playing and riff-writing ability in Old Man’s Child was well-loved by many, and the infusion of his talent is immediately felt in this record. What sets this record apart from later records is the focus on the guitar playing. It feels like the songs were written on guitar and then the orchestrations were added to compliment those riffs. Later albums feel like quite the opposite where songs were written around the symphonic elements and the guitars were added afterward. This makes the guitars on later albums feel much more simplistic and not as well thought through. The lack of filler material is also apparent as compared to later material. Each song stands on its own, yet, is part of a coherent theme. This makes the album flow well, while also not boring the listener.
Speaking of the songs, there are some truly killer songs on this album. “Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny” has to be one of the most aggressive and precise songs ever devised in black metal, and both guitars compliment each other perfectly to achieve this effect. This song never gets old. I find myself spinning this record just to hear it, especially if I need to supercharge my day! But, the great songs don’t stop there. “Kings of the Carnival Creation” is the next song, and it is also well written and catchy. At one point in the song, all instruments stop except for the guitar, and Galder busts out a killer tremolo sequence. The album continues this way throughout. For example, ICS-Vortex’s vocals come off strong in “Hybrid Stigmata – The Apostasy” and “The Maelstrom Mephisto”. Tons of passion and fire here! Unlike Dimmu’s later albums, this is one album I can spin from beginning to end without getting bored. It is an enjoyable listen, throughout.
One of the things this album gets criticized for by purists is the production. Certainly, this record has some stellar production values. Everything is crisp and clean and mixed and mastered very well. If I were to offer a point of criticism (and this is a strong point) is that it clips really badly. They went for loudness to the point of blowing out the mix and this does slightly harm it, overall. Of course, this album was released during the height of the “loudness war”, so I get it. But, this only fuels the purists arguments even more and does detract from the album’s quality.
In summary, as far as Dimmu Borgir’s legacy, I think this album is 2nd only to Dimmu’s magnum opus, “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”, which is a true BM masterpiece – at least as far as their catalog is concerned. That album and this one are the two Dimmu albums I revisit regularly, which says a lot about the quality of the song-writing in both records and their status as classics. For me, this is the best of the “modern style” Dimmu albums, and purists need to get over it.
rafazardly 