Review DIMMU BORGIR “Grand Serpent Rising”

Looking back over the last few years, or rather decades, Dimmu Borgir have not released an enormous amount of music, and it seems as though the band has found its groove with an eight-year release pattern. Fans had to wait a long time for the latest album, “Eonian”, and now the band has taken the same amount of time to finish work on “Grand Serpent Rising”. So, fans have had to be very patient, but their wait is over.

“Grand Serpent Rising” features 13 songs with a total running time of 69 minutes, which is certainly impressive these days. Having established a satisfactory length for the album, we now need to look at the quality of “Grand Serpent Rising”.

In general, it can be said that the newest studio effort is heavier than its predecessors. This is evident in songs like “Ascent”. This is the second track on the album, following an intro-like opener called “Tridentium”, which creates an eerie vibe. “Tridentium” also demonstrates that the band has not lost any of the cinematic darkness in their sound, acting as a counterpart to the blasting “Ascent”.

A song that combines both aspects is “As Seen in the Unseen”. The symphonic elements are more subtle yet still present. These components provide the album with an added density, which, combined with the powerful production, benefits each of the 13 songs. The sinister intro of “Ulvgjeld – Blodsodel” provides a feeling of discomfort. The first riff is slow and mighty, followed by Shagrath’s haunting scream. When talking about the frontman, it is also necessary to mention the second driving force of Dimmu Borgir. Silenoz is also a founding member and both are central to the band’s songwriting.

“Ulvgjeld – Blodsodel” showcases the duo’s versatile approach, with the piano being a particularly nice addition to this marching black metal hymn with a Nordic folk edge.

Dimmu Borgir’s affinity for melodies is evident in “Slik minnes en alkymist”, which boasts an almost pop-like catchiness. Next is “Phantom of the Nemesis”, which brings the orchestral layer to the fore. Dimmu Borgir holds nothing back when it comes to pathos and bombast. As mentioned earlier, these elements are less prominent, but still present and add to the cinematic vibe of these songs.

Alongside “Ascent”, “The Exonerated” is a hellish milestone of the album. It is a furious track reminiscent of the early 2000s, when albums such as “Death Cult Armageddon” hit the shelves.

The bottom third of the tracklist features songs that can compete with the rest of the album, with one side note. While listening to the album, you may feel it becomes rather lengthy towards the end. Songs such as “At the Precipice of Convergence” and the atmospheric “Gjǫll” are cinematic moments, with the latter being more of an atmospheric outro than a song. However, there is a risk of getting stuck in an infinite loop as new ideas are rare towards the end. There is a certain level of repetitiveness, and you won’t often hear me say this, but less would have been more in this case.

Dimmu Borgir return with “Grand Serpent Rising”, an album that brings an end to eight years of waiting. The band hasn’t lost any of its power and sounds heavier than on previous albums. Their tenth album features thunderous moments like “Ascent”, which combines hoarse screams with hellish growls. Predictability is the only weakness in an album that delivers well-crafted black metal and will live up to fans’ expectations.