Spiritual Black Dimensions

Dimmu Borgir

Nuclear Blast Records, 1999

http://www.dimmu-borgir.com

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/09/1999

Norway's Dimmu Borgir is the premier black metal band in the world. If you asked any disciple of the genre to name the heavyweights of the genre, DB would be mentioned. In addition, like the thrash band Metallica, when the band produces albums that experiment, perhaps expanding the genre, fans scream in outrage.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

As Dimmu Borgir begin their world assault, only recently playing in the United States for the first time, the screams of outrage are likely to echo loudly. Their latest release Spiritual Black Dimensions is to black metal what Metallica's self-titled "black" album was to metal: groundbreaking.

Composition after composition of this 9-track opus proves that this band is for real and lethal. From the opening onslaught of gothic keyboards in "Reptile," the mood is set. The blast beat snare with quick cymbal crashes mixed with the keyboard counter melody set the mood. "Behind The Curtains Of Night Phantasmagoria" follows with a blistering drum intro and an outrageously fast tempo. "Dreamside Dominions" slows the pace slightly but still crashes through the band's dark vision of life.

The band's lyrics are included in the booklet and provide a better glimpse into their dark world. Outspoken Satanists, lyrics like "In circles of dominance, emotional deeps unite/ Fiction and transcendence woven together/ In the essence of purity lies wisdom/ Join the forces/ The spiritual black dimensions" do little to encourage going to church weekly. Luckily, the vocals are decipherable only if you are an experienced listener to the genre and/or you can make out the light font text over a light background.

Dimmu Borgir has long been an underground sensation, featured constantly in zines like Metal Maniacs and practically any metal website. Their new CD is a gigantic step forward and attempts to transcend the gap between black metal and the mainstream audience. KRUI's "Sonic Nightmare," though, is about the only radio show brave enough to play this.

Rating: A

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© 1999 Paul Hanson and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Nuclear Blast Records, and is used for informational purposes only.