A genre born of anger and extremity, Black Metal has always burned with a glorious and uniquely singular spirit. However, with such savage independence at its core, conflict and contradiction have never been too far away. As commonplace amongst its ranks as bizarre names and unintelligible band logos, bitter (and often silly) arguments have raged for decades about which individuals, acts, or sub-genres, are the most – and of course the least – worthy to fly its blackened flag.
Smashing boundaries and disregarding rules through uncompromising individuality are among the basic tenets of Black Metal, yet when Dimmu Borgir forged their own path using those very precepts, a backlash began almost immediately. In a typically Heavy Metal paradox, growth and change are regularly wished for, but often resented when they arrive.
Whether it was because they were relative latecomers to the scene, and therefore regarded as outsiders, whether it was because they didn’t fancy joining in with all that fun church burning and murdery stuff, or whether it was because they almost immediately started challenging the tolerance levels of their own fanbase, the one thing that most Black Metal fans seem to agree on is that – for better or worse – Dimmu Borgir succeeded in fracturing opinion everywhere.
Even during the early stages of their development, it was clear that Dimmu felt exploring ideas outside a rather confining genre was substantially more rewarding than simply churning out annual variations of the same album. However, as well as deservedly opening many much larger doors for the band, it appeared that by doing something as reprehensible as introducing clean vocals and prominently symphonic aspects to their music, they were also scaring some of the more blinkered enthusiasts back into their darkened bedrooms to write nasty things about “$elling out” on the internet.
Yes, of course there’s no point denying the band have ventured far from their misty, under-produced beginnings (they readily acknowledge the distance themselves), but at least the journey to this time and place has been an interesting one. Styles have come and gone along with several seemingly irreplaceable bandmates, but the core members of Shagrath, Silenoz, and Galder have ensured a natural flow and progression into new album Eonian (Nuclear Blast). Here, the trio, joined by drummer Dariusz “Daray” Brzozowski and keyboard player Geir “Gerlioz” Bratland, both of whom performed on the band’s previous album Abrahadabra (Nuclear Blast), openly look to the past while also keeping a firm, unbroken gaze into the future.
The fittingly titled ‘The Unveiling’ lifts the curtain and reveals Dimmu Borgir 2018. Clanging industrial rhythms are followed by traditional Black Metal riffing, a choir, an orchestra, and demonically brooding keyboards. If you’re still hoping for a return to Dimmu Borgir circa 1994, then first single ‘Interdimensional Summit’ released in February should already have warned you it may be time to grab the emergency cord and give it a firm yank because you’re clearly on the wrong train. Huge slashing keyboards, choral vocals that recall Abrahadabra and a chorus which sounds like the band have developed a full-blown addiction to Sisters of Mercy albums ensure this song sits proudly as one of the record’s most immediate attention grabbers.
‘Ætheric’ contains a fierce riff, an insistent choir, and sections which owe a healthy debt of gratitude to Iron Maiden and Nightwish. Second single ‘Council of Wolves and Snakes’ is driven by a compelling serpentine riff, ritualistic drums, and amid the bursts of furious speed, features vocalist Shagrath snarling over ritualistic drums, while ‘The Empyrean Phoenix’ evokes the memory of Abrahadabra‘s self-titled ‘Dimmu Borgir’ and ‘Raabjørn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde’ from their 1994 debut album For All Tid (No Colours).
Although it contains newer elements of their sound, ‘Lightbringer’ is one of the more traditional Dimmu cuts on the record. Mid-paced but packed with double-kick drumming and muscular riffing, the choral elements are still there, just a little more restrained than usual. Conversely, ‘I Am Sovereign’ features the band at their most orchestrally creative, with sweeping middle eastern melodies building to a glorious climax. ‘Archaic Correspondence’ again hearkens back to previous albums but also includes some genuine clean vocals as opposed to choral ones. Penultimate track ‘Alpha Aeon Omega’ features one of the most surprisingly uplifting choruses the band have ever written, and melancholic instrumental, ‘Rite of Passage’ brings the latest chapter of Dimmu Borgir to its imperious conclusion.
From the production to the performances, Eonian is HUGE. A forward thinking, Gothically sculpted cyclopean colossus which will almost certainly be the cause of many more disagreements and disputes in the weeks and months to come. The more things change…
9.5/10
GARY ALCOCK