Dimmu Borgir – Grand Serpent Rising – Back into Darkness

 




On May 22, 2026, the Norwegian symphonic black metal giants Dimmu Borgir released their 10th studio album via Nuclear Blast. The producer was Fredrik Nordström, who has also been responsible for the sound of some of the band’s most iconic eras.

It has been a long wait, as their previous album was released 8 years ago. That record did not fully convince me at the time, so for me the last truly great and fully relevant album remains Death Cult Armageddon, which, as we all know, dates back many years. This new release brings 13 tracks with a total runtime of 1 hour and 9 minutes, and for me it is finally a much more compelling and enjoyable album.

There has been a significant lineup change in the Dimmu Borgir camp since the last album, as Galder, another long-standing member alongside Shagrath and Silenoz, has left the band. However, I would not consider this a limiting factor. Many fans wondered whether they would still be able to create something on the same level without him, and the answer is clearly yes—more than that.

According to Shagrath, this album draws from every era of Dimmu Borgir’s history. I was especially pleased to hear more Norwegian lyrics again. The first single, Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel, is important not only because of the language choice, but also because it feels like a classic Dimmu Borgir composition. From the beginning, what always set them apart was how different they were from both Norwegian black metal bands and the genre as a whole. They represent a grand, cinematic scale and an atmosphere that could be refined over time, but not endlessly expanded.

The opening track, Tridentium, immediately sets a high standard with its monumental atmosphere. The following track, Ascent, kicks the door in with a fast, aggressive riff and Shagrath’s unmistakable vocals. The symphonic elements are still present, but more restrained than before. In my opinion, the album perfectly balances symphonic grandeur with raw black metal intensity. Greater emphasis is placed on heavy, driving riffs and drums.

The drumming throughout the album is outstanding, with Dariusz “Daray” Brzozowski delivering an exceptional performance—rightfully considered one of the benchmarks of modern extreme metal.

Grand Serpent Rising feels like a record that brings back what made Dimmu Borgir such a defining name in the genre. Across the entire album there is a careful balance between dark riffs, raw sound, and melodic elements. The reduced orchestral presence does not mean abandoning symphonic grandeur, but rather using it in a more controlled and deliberate way.

Some critics argue that the album is too long, but I do not feel that way. I did not find any filler tracks, and the 69-minute runtime does not feel excessive to me. Just because modern albums are often shorter does not mean this one drags.

Gjoll is a perfect closing track, effectively mirroring Tridentium and giving the album a strong sense of closure and symmetry.

Twelve days ago, the latest video for As Seen in the Unseen was released. Like Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel, it was created by the Polish collective Grupa 13. Their visual style is highly recognizable—there is a distinct atmosphere and cinematic quality to their work that is immediately identifiable, even without knowing who directed it.

I recommend this album to anyone who enjoyed earlier eras of Dimmu Borgir. Fans of their classic sound are very unlikely to be disappointed. The band has returned to darkness and created a work that feels like it bridges over 23 years of history, almost continuing the spirit of their 2003-era output.

Tracklist:

  1. Tridentium
  2. Ascent
  3. As Seen in the Unseen
  4. The Qryptfarer
  5. Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
  6. Repository of Divine Transmutation
  7. Slik Minnes en Alkymist
  8. Phantom of the Nemesis
  9. The Exonerated
  10. Recognizant
  11. At the Precipice of Convergence
  12. Shadows of a Thousand Perceptions
  13. Gjoll

Released videos


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oOgpticdu0&list=RD1oOgpticdu0&start_radio=1

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klJcOWTNedA&list=RDklJcOWTNedA&start_radio=1

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1K4gVUQkDU&list=RDx1K4gVUQkDU&start_radio=1

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PATRIARKH - THE PROPHET'S SOURCE 2026 TOUR

Image
  T o my great heartbreak, I only managed to attend one date of the entire The Prophet’s Source tour — the Barcelona show. That hurt even more considering that three of my all-time favorite bands were performing on the same night. Still, at least this much worked out. I’m not particularly fond of Mediterranean cities, but I chose Barcelona because it meant I could escape minus 10 degrees and suddenly find myself in plus 10. Five bands performed that evening. The only one unfamiliar to me was Sanity ; I believe I’ve already seen Halls of Oblivion , probably in Budapest. Sanity caught my attention during soundcheck — they were good. As a symphonic metal band, they stood out from the rest of the lineup in my opinion. It’s not really my genre, but despite that, they weren’t bad at all. Doors opened at 17:30 and Sanity started at 17:50. Unfortunately, very few people arrived that early. That didn’t bother them in the slightest — the drummer sat down and cheerfully greeted everyo...
Read more

Patriarkh - Prophet Ilja

Image
  On January 3, Patriarkh released their latest—and at the same time first—album, Prorok Ilja . This day was not only predestined for an album release, but also for the band’s very first concert: Symphonia Orthodoxia , which took place in Łódź, Poland. This is how an album should be presented—with a full orchestra and a conductor. It was the concert of my life, and even a year later I still maintain that it was the best concert I have ever seen. So where did this band called Patriarkh come from? They are none other than Ex-Batushka—the Batushka led by Bartłomiej Krysiuk. Due to disagreements among the members, last year there were still two versions of Batushka. One was the so-called Original Batushka, and the other consisted of those who grew tired of nothing happening within the Batushka camp and decided to leave. This latter group became the Bartłomiej Krysiuk–led Batushka, now known as Patriarkh. They celebrated their debut album in grand style with a large-scale orches...
Read more

What could be behind – Behemoth – The Shit Ov God

Image
  The Polish extreme/black metal band has released their 13th studio album,  The Shit Ov God , which came out on May 9, 2025, via Nuclear Blast. The title track was already released in January and caused quite a stir with its provocative name. The album contains eight songs and was recorded by Jens Bergen. 1. The Shadow Elite 2. Sowing Salt 3. The Shit Ov God 4. Luciferaeon 5. To Drown The Svn In Wine 6. Nomen Barbarum 7. O Venvs Come! 8. Avgvr (The Dread Vvltvre) Behemoth has received a huge amount of criticism ever since its inception. You can love them or hate them, but it’s generally rare to come across someone who can pass by them without feeling something as a result. And in my opinion, that’s exactly their goal. After all, all publicity is publicity — both negative and positive. Nergal described this album as a condensed embodiment, a declaration of the very essence of Behemoth. He deliberately chose this provocative title. When the song was released in ...
Read more