review by: ~Vargscarr~

It's a sad, sad day for Black Metal when Dimmu Borgir bring out an album that's better than a Mayhem one. Has Hell frozen over? Maybe. Although that's admittedly more likely due to the efforts of Immortal than this album.

But however they've done it, Dimmu Borgir have brought out an recording of outstanding musical prowess. I've never exactly *hated* previous Borgir efforts, but they never did much for me either. Too weak in the guitar, too soft in the drum and too synthy by far. In short too mainstream-goth, just like Cradle of Filth. And yet it is the addition of ex-Filth drummer Nick Barker that seems to have been one of the key elements leading to this album's excellence.

This album is Dimmu Borgir's first truly *heavy* album - the drum sound is fantastic; by far the best percussion Barker has ever recorded in terms of technical precision, and by far the best on any Borgir album. In fact the overall production is excellent, although I would perhaps have liked a slightly grittier guitar sound; and the synths are nicely mixed in behind the other instruments so they don't have that weakening effect they might otherwise have done if given a more prominent place in the mix. Best of all, the synths aren't overused - in fact the two instrumental tracks on the album are wonderful compositions utilizing the talents of the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra; so we're treated to the rich, beautiful sound of *real* string instruments rather than the flat, false sound of synthesized violins/chellos etc.

The album also takes a leaf out of Immortal's book regarding the composition of the songs: the use of more trad Heavy Metal riffs as opposed to straight Black Metal riffing, which lends the album a welcome 'back to basics' feel - seemingly to be what Dimmu Borgir needed to ditch the soft end sound they'd developed over previous albums. There are a few notable guitar parts that really stick in your head too, which is always a plus point for me on any album.

However, on track 6 the foul, pestilential beast of New Wave Black Metal rears its technoid head - the song is the worst kind of industrial sampled aural feces vomiting forth from the speakers: distorted vocals accompanied by dance-friendly percussion and guitar. The irony of the lyric "I am pure, I am true" on this particular song won't be lost on many...Fortunately it's easily skippable - the New Wave falseness doesn't flow through the entire album like the vast tape worm that infected the recent Mayhem effort.

The album ends with a cover of a Dee Snyder track, "Burn in Hell," which the band have done an outstanding job of updating; and the use of clean and dirty vocals make it a stand out track on the album as opposed to a mere novelty. Great stuff, and definitely worth a listen if you (like me) had written off Dimmu Borgir as being simply too weak to make anything like this.