Review Summary: Another 2026 comeback for the ages!
After an eight year absence, the masters of symphonic black metal are finally back. If you know anything about me, you know that Dimmu Borgir is a band that was extremely instrumental in my foray into black metal music as a young fella. Along with Cradle of Filth, of course, they ushered me into a whole new world of music as I knew it. The first time I heard both
Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and
Death Cult Armageddon, which are still some of my favorite albums of all-time, I was hooked. The bombastic synths mixed with menacing black metal riffage and Shagrath's diabolical vocals entranced me in a way that no band had at that point in my young life. Sadly, their previous two records,
Abrahadabra and
Eonian, were just not up to par with the rest of their stellar discography. Too bland, too sterile and not inventive enough in the riff department especially. When the singles for their brand new album,
Grand Serpent Rising, came out, I was highly optimistic that it would be a return to the form that made them such a great band in the first place….and I couldn't be more excited to report that is exactly the case. Not only is that the case, but it's one of the best albums that they've ever made.
Once ‘Ascent’ hits you with that first riff, you know you're in for an absolute treat. Silenoz is back to writing creative riffs and insane solos a la the band's glory days. The glorious synths are back without sounding boring like they did on the previous two albums. Honestly, I thought that Galder leaving the band after so many years would hurt the product being put out, but to be fair, I think it gave Shagrath and Silenoz the inspiration they needed to put out yet another banger. The riffs are inventive and sinister, the drumming is completely out of control in the best way possible and the synths are absolutely perfect without being overbearing. Take the beginning of ‘As Seen in the Unseen' for example, the keys soar almost joyfully in the background as Shagrath snarls and barks at the listener.
It's so very nice to hear Dimmu going back to their roots so to speak.
Grand Serpent Rising is an ode to the early-2000s era of the band and brings back their true identity, and quite honestly, it's easily their best album since
Death Cult Armageddon. The long layoff clearly inspired Shagrath and Silenoz, and in their now older age, they've gone back to what made them such an amazing band in the first place. I'd place this album up there with some of the best black metal releases of the decade and easily up there with the best albums in Dimmu's entire discography. The boys are back, they're sounding as evil as ever and they're ready to reclaim the throne as the masters of the symphonic black metal genre. They may not be doing anything that they haven't done many times before, but when you have a performance as tight as this, did they really have to? The answer is a resounding “no” and
Grand Serpent Rising is here to take your soul straight to Hell.
