Norway’s Dimmu Borgir have always existed in a unique space within extreme metal. Since emerging from the Norwegian black metal underground in the early 1990s, the band have balanced icy aggression with grand orchestral ambition, creating a sound that transformed black metal into something cinematic and almost operatic. Albums such as Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon elevated them from cult favourites to international metal icons. While purists often debated the band’s increasingly polished approach, Dimmu Borgir never stopped evolving, always pushing for a bigger and more theatrical vision.
Now, after an eight-year silence following 2018’s Eonian, the band return with Grand Serpent Rising, a record that feels both like a triumphant rebirth and a confident summary of everything they have achieved throughout their long career.
What immediately stands out about Grand Serpent Rising is its sense of purpose. This is not an album trying to recreate the past, nor is it an over-produced exercise in symphonic excess. Instead, it feels like they are rediscovering the dark heart that made them compelling in the first place. Guitarist Silenoz described the album as covering “most of our catalogue,” blending old-school ferocity with modern atmosphere, and that description proves remarkably accurate.
The opening combination of “Tridentium” and “Ascent” immediately sets the tone. The ominous intro creates a looming sense of dread before “Ascent” erupts with thunderous drumming, serrated riffs and towering orchestration. It recalls the dramatic intensity of Death Cult Armageddon, but with a rawer edge that prevents the music from becoming overly polished. Shagrath’s vocals sound especially commanding here, delivering venomous lines with the authority of a frontman who has spent decades mastering this style.
The lead single “Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel” is one of the album’s strongest moments and perhaps the clearest example of the band reconnecting with their Scandinavian roots. Sung partly in Norwegian, the track carries an ancient, ritualistic atmosphere that longtime fans will immediately appreciate. The guitars are colder and more direct than on recent releases, while the orchestral arrangements enhance the tension instead of overwhelming it. Fans online have already compared the song favourably to the band’s classic era, praising its balance of aggression and melody.
Another standout is “The Qryptfarer,” a sprawling mid-album epic that combines blast-beat intensity with haunting choirs and progressive shifts in tempo. It demonstrates how comfortably they can move between brutality and grandeur without losing momentum. Meanwhile, “Repository of Divine Transmutation” embraces the band’s more experimental instincts, layering sinister keyboards over relentlessly mechanical rhythms in a way that recalls Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia.
One of the album’s most surprising tracks is “Slik Minnes en Alkymist,” another Norwegian-language piece that channels the spirit of the band’s early material while benefiting from modern production clarity. It is atmospheric, mysterious and deeply immersive, proving that this band can still evoke the eerie magic that originally separated them from many of their peers.
Toward the album’s conclusion, “At the Precipice of Convergence” and “Shadows of a Thousand Perceptions” deliver some of the most cinematic arrangements they have ever recorded. Massive choirs, swirling orchestration and crushing riffs merge into something almost apocalyptic in scale. Yet even at their most symphonic, the songs never lose their core heaviness. That balance is what makes Grand Serpent Rising so successful.
Importantly, this album also represents a turning point for the band. It is their first studio album without longtime guitarist Galder since the late 1990s, and rather than sounding diminished, Dimmu Borgir appear creatively revitalised by the streamlined songwriting process between Shagrath and Silenoz. There is a hunger running through these songs that had occasionally been absent from some of the band’s later work.
For listeners who felt disconnected from Eonian, this album may come as a welcome surprise. There is a renewed emphasis on riffs, atmosphere and memorable songwriting rather than sheer density. At the same time, longtime fans of the grand orchestral side of Dimmu Borgir will still find plenty to enjoy in the album’s sweeping arrangements and dramatic scale.
Ultimately, Grand Serpent Rising is the sound of a legendary band reclaiming its identity without becoming trapped by nostalgia. It is fierce, theatrical, melodic and unapologetically ambitious. More importantly, it feels inspired. After more than three decades, Dimmu Borgir still sound capable of evolving while remaining unmistakably themselves.
Donnie’s Rating: 8.5/10
