Tag Archives: symphonic black metal

Reviews, Videos

“The Invaluable Darkness” by Dimmu Borgir

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Artist: Dimmu Borgir
Title: “The Invaluable Darkness”
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 10/14/2008
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Rating: 4.5/5

So you thought it was safe enough to travel bravely back into the “comfort” of light did you? Well let me advise you of you folly as those titans of Norwegian Black Metal Dimmu Borgir stand at the ready to pull you back down into the depths where they rule without question. The new DVD entitled “The Invaluable Darkness” presents them in all their magnificent evil glory onstage during a show in their native Norway as the band toured in support of their most recent studio effort “In Sorte Diaboli”. This is a massive release and delivers to those fans wise enough to know that which is bad for them not one but two DVD’s and a bonus audio CD all wrapped together in a massive package that will prove itself as an ominous addition to ones video library. The first DVD delivers the main concert and it’s a fantastic show that finds the band on target as they pummel the senses with song after incredible song. Had you seen one of the shows for this tour you would vividly recall how the band opened with the dramatic “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse”, a number that usually was kept for the closer but who said Dimmu Borgir needed to follow tradition. From the moment this part of the DVD begins you are enthralled and cannot help but take the dark journey with the band for the rest of way. The concert is broken up into three separate parts and gives you a large portion of the show from Oslo, several songs from Berlin, Germany and then a couple more from England. I guess that they did this to mix it up a little bit, but I would have preferred the full Oslo show, and then the remaining pieces to be presented as bonus footage from other stops on the tour.
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Music, Reviews

“Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” (reloaded) by Dimmu Borgir

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Artist: Dimmu Borgir
Title: “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” (reloaded edition)
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 9/2/2008
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Rating: 4/5

“Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” was the third album for Norway’s Black Metal elite Dimmu Borgir and their first release on Nuclear Blast Records. It was an album that was met with some level of controversy based on how it was musically composed and about the label that the band had chosen to sign onto. Those who considered themselves “truer” to the Black Metal cause felt that with these actions Dimmu had indeed sold out but those who took the time to listen to it learned that the band had simply evolved to the next level of performance and delivery. Initially released in 1997, the album comes to us in 2008 as one of the Nuclear Blast Records “reloaded” editions and as result receives a production upgrade and has additional features built into it. Traditional Black Metal is not music that I would recommend to everyone since it might contain terms and references deemed offensive by certain people but I feel that when it touches upon the Symphonic edge as Dimmu Borgir began to manifest with this album that the demographic is a little easier to expand upon. “EDT” is a fantastic step in a new direction for a band that is destined to become leaders in the Symphonic Black Metal genre and as “Mourning Palace” kicks off the release you are immediately presented with a brooding and dramatic piece that proves this change has promise in the bands style.
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Events, Reviews

Emperor @ B.B. King Blues Club (6/1/2007)

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Emperor is Symphonic Black Metal. Does anything else really need to be said? Perhaps yes, but more on that later. The band was appearing on what were announced as farewell shows and the first time around were missing their member Samoth. This show found him back in the ranks and the group leveling the club with openers Averse Sefira. We were on point for the Metal community and should you like to learn more just scroll past the logo below to be brought to our thoughts and images from the show

Logo - Emperor

Artist: Emperor
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY)
Opener: Averse Sefira
Date: 6/1/2007
Label: Candlelight Records

“Let us all Hail and raise the horns high for the Emperor has returned to guide us into the Darkness of Black Metal once again”. Sorry readers, I honestly felt the need to grab your attention here and given their scope and influence on the Black Metal genre as a whole I am sure that you can agree that Emperor deserves nothing less than words both majestic and grandiose. We are just short of the month and day one year ago where on this very same ground the legions and acolytes to these dark lords stood once before as Emperor made their first appearance in some years. Their absence had seemed like forever but it did make sense since all of the members were now involved in other projects such as solo work and bands like Zyklon. The shows that made it to the states were long sold out and found each venue visited filled to their maximum capacity. It was a great experience to behold as a crowd like this was not easy to get at a show, but we are referring to Emperor. The enthusiasm remained high even though a wrench was tossed into the works as it became clear that their guitarist Samoth would not be able to join these visits based on VISA issues he had encountered. Isahn and company made sure to leave the audience wanting more but the missing guitarist did take something away from the overall sound for that night. In any event it was a memorable show that was talked about for weeks to come on websites and blogs everywhere.
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Events, Reviews

Dimmu Borgir @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (4/26/2007)

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Juggernauts in the Symphonic Black Metal world, Dimmu Borgir had finally returned to NYC. The show would find Kataklysm, Devildriver and Unearth providing support and it was an event to be remembered. We were on point to bring you the full story and take photos of every band. To learn more just scroll past the logo below.

Logo - Dimmu Borgir

Artist: Dimmu Borgir
Venue: Nokia Theatre (New York, NY)
Opener: Kataklysm, Devildriver, Unearth
Date: 4/26/2007
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

“The Invaluable Darkness Tour” would be the title of the event and how fitting this would be to mark the triumphant return of Dimmu Borgir to New York City. We had not seen them since the Ozzfest in 2004 which found them as one of the main stage attractions alongside the original Black Sabbath, Slayer, and a reunited Judas Priest with Rob Halford. This incredible Final Four of Metal made this particular Ozzfest perhaps the best one in years past and to come. As someone who attended this show I felt that it definitely raised the larger public awareness of the incredible music and showmanship that Dimmu possesses. Before the referenced Ozzfest I had only caught Dimmu Borgir once before at the now defunct L’Amour in Brooklyn. This particular show was reinforcing my belief that Metal was indeed back with vengeance for I was in a jam-packed club with about an 800 person capacity and opening the show would be Nevermore, Children Of Bodom and Hypocrisy!!! Yikes, give me more lineups like this one please. After a truly killer and brutalizing set that supported their new album of the time (“Death Cult Armageddon”) I could hardly wait to come back and see what the club would have in store for the Metal faithful next. Sadly, they would close forever only a few weeks after this show but lucky for Metal fans in New York venues like the B.B. King Blues Club and Nokia Theatre would pick up the slack with apparent ease. Tonight, the tour would make a stop at The Nokia Theatre – a great venue for this kind of event with their spacious stage and room for a couple of thousand screaming Metal fans. It would also feature Katakysm, Devildriver and Unearth as support. The mighty Dimmu would be celebrating their newest release on Nuclear Blast Records “In Sorte Diaboli”.
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Music, Reviews

“In Sorte Diaboli” by Dimmu Borgir

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Artist: Dimmu Borgir
Title: “In Sorte Diaboli”
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 4/24/2007
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Rating: 4/5

If you translate the title from its Latin origins, “In Sorte Diaboli” leaves you with the meaning “a faithful connectivity with Satan”, and how appropriate this is as the title of the newest album by Norway’s Dimmu Borgir. This would be the first new recordings by the band in a couple of years as their last effort was a redo of the classic “Stormblast”. The new album also marks the band adventuring for the first time into the concept album and what a concept it is. “In Sorte Diaboli” tells the story of an apprentice Priest living in the times of medieval Europe and the main premise of the tale is that this apprentice for whatever reasons begins to find himself questioning his beliefs and becoming dissatisfied with the doctrines of Christianity. The feelings of doubt and the circumstance around them begins his journey into a darker and more sinister realm of belief. It’s the kind of storyline that really falls right in place with the brand of Metal that Dimmu Borgir excels at delivering in their unique fashion. Fans of the band will find this to be an epic release that is loaded with the expected dramatics and thundering power as one often finds in their music and it all begins right away with “The Serpentine Offering”. This opener sets up the apprentice’s descent into the Dark Side and seems to be sung by the Adversary himself. In the musical sense this as sound a release as anything we loved most about “Death Cult Armageddon” and the redone “Stormblast”.
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