Dimmu Borgir are ironically one of the most controversial bands in black metal, thanks to their more accessible sound and refusal to adhere to the codes and conventions of the genre. Their blending of grand symphonic elements with an ability to craft well-produced, intricate songs has always set them apart, and their latest album Grand Serpent Rising is no exception.
Clocking in at a daunting 72 minutes, Grand Serpent Rising shows a more intense and meandering version of Dimmu Borgir. While the album would benefit from a more concise runtime, that length also allows for a dense, packed experience that rewards repeated listens. There’s all the regular intensity you’d expect from a Dimmu Borgir record, but this time it makes room for more complex arrangements and a finer balance between the symphonic elements and the black metal.
There’s minimal chance this will win over the dissenters, but it will certainly satisfy those who like their Dimmu Burgers thick and juicy. In a vacuum, the longer tracks have a solid sense of pacing, with songs like ‘As Seen in the Unseen’ building tension perfectly. In the context of the full album, though, they can be a touch exhausting. These songs feel fluid on their own, with ‘Ascent’ and ‘Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel’ acting as supreme moments of heaviness without sacrificing accessibility.
Shagrath’s vocals feel the strongest they have in years, his demonic growl fitting the dark, dense sound in a manner very few vocalists outside of black metal could pull off. The more aggressive tracks are still dripping with atmosphere and gorgeous orchestral arrangements that could easily have been isolated and sold individually, with ‘Phantom of the Nemesis’ offering a grim, dark atmosphere accompanied by grinding guitar work and flawless drumming.
It’s strange, because a lot of this album feels overly long, yet it’s difficult to place exactly what you could comfortably cut. The final track, ‘Gjoll’, acts as a much-needed breather and reflective moment, giving the listener time to fully take in the entire oppressive length of Grand Serpent Rising. If your Transylvanian hunger is yet to be satisfied, then get yourself a nice juicy Dimmu Burger. You can do far worse than Grand Serpent Rising, but be prepared for a really dense and heavy meal.
Grand Serpent Rising is available 22nd May via Nuclear Blast.
