Review Summary: Dimmu Bo(red)gir
It’s an asinine observation to consider bm a stagnant genre, betwixt by figures which - whether consciously or not - are trying to challenge the status quo. And then there’s Dimmu, one of the longstanding powerhouses of symphonic bm, yonder we should not disregard their high highs or low lows as they come, but unfortunately this time, the truth is in the latter. How I’ve come to this conclusion let me preface I’ve been a Dimmu fan for years, gotten introduced to them by a friend in highschool and ever since I was captured by their flamboyant style.
Dimmu Borgir started out as a band in Jessheim, 1993. If you know, ICS left the band due to a drama which still isn’t too clear, some speculate it may have been purely inspirational/personal reasons while others mention tensions which build-up over the years of being touring together. Their recent output, while still highly polished and original like their earlier work, hasn’t been as well received as classics for this reason.
The issue with Inspiratio Profanus is two-fold, it presents a growing problem where bands as big as Dimmu can get away with crafting pseudo-albums and release them as collections of mere b-sides and demo work. For any self-respecting metal fan, this is a tough pill to swallow, we don’t
want another collection of the ilk. Yet, here we are.
While a lot of artists have a tendency to avoid dropping albums this way, Dimmu did the opposite here, entertaining us with a nothingburger the likes of which we had never heard before. It’s a shame, since the artwork is really sick but hey - cover album everybody, even a song which we already included in Puritanical for
no ***ing reason at all. This album is a huge disappointment and a blunder fans of the band are best advised to ignore.
