DIMMU BORGIR „Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia”

Being one of my favourite bands, expectations were high, following the release of the highly acclaimed Spiritual Black Dimensions. An ever changing line up has become a thing Dimmu Borgir's fans have gotten used to and it came as no surprise to me to see different faces previously not there. Nicholas Barker (ex Cradle of Filth) has replaced Tjodalf behind the drums for this album. His addition to the band has filled a void, which I have always felt was present due to a weak drum sound. Barker's blast beats and double bass pounding are top notch, proving why he is one of the best in the business. Another bald man joining the lineup is Galder (also in Old Man's Child), taking over the duties previously held by Astennu. For those that haven't heard anything by this band, Dimmu Borgir plays atmospheric/symphonic black metal, similar to Cradle of Filth (yet both bands are quite different).

An element new to this album, not heard on any previous albums, is the use of a full orchestra. Joined by the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra, Dimmu Borgir create some of the most chilling music I have ever heard. Due to the bands world wide success, purists accuse them of not being black metal and call them “sell outs”, but the fact is, this is Dimmu Borgir's heaviest albums. Whether or not it is “true black metal” has become old and tiresome and is irrelevant to the fact that this album kicks ass. Favourite track is “Kings of Carnival Creation” which really showcases the bands diverse abilities. Vortex's (aka Simen, previously of Borknagar) clean vocals are amazing and should be used more often, but other than that, this is a great metal album.

note: 8.5 / 10