Dimmu Borgir – Eonian (2018)

Eight years have passed since Dimmu Borgir’s last release and tons of speculation an expectations have been building up to the unleashing of “Eonian”. Without wasting any more time, this release is truly outstanding as it builds on the band’s legacy of uncompromising creativity and musical exploration. In “Eonian” the band features a very raw and evil Black Metal core, reminiscent of the band’s older releases with retaining the grandiose orchestral and symphonic edge the band has been maturing since “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”.

The band makes a bold opening statement with the lush “The Unveiling”, a song filled with incisive Black Metal riffs and dramatic choir arrangements. This song brings us back to where “Abrahadabra” left off, bringing back the lush and complex sound that made that release amazing. The album’s first single “Interdimensional Summit”, unleashes unparalleled catchiness in its chorus section, while delivering killer drum patterns and playful tempo changes. As “ÆTheric” and “Council of Wolves and Snakes” roll by, we are totally intoxicated by the band’s powerful atmosphere and brilliant execution. The creepy wolves sound paired with the throat singing of this later track make up for one hellish experience.

Dimmu Borgir continues to refine their sound while keeping some of the core elements intact, as we can hear in the brilliant complementary guitars on “The Empyrean Phoenix”. Using a full choir and orchestra allows songs like “Lightbringer” and “I Am Sovereign” to be as effective as possible, thanks to such a rich and expansive sound. Showing no signs of rust, Galder and Silenoz unravel superbly catchy and yet evil sounding guitar work throughout this release, in particular on songs like the punishing “Archaic Correspondence”, and as the perfect complement to the super dramatic arrangements of “Alpha Aeon Omega”.

Closing with “Rite of Passage”, the band perfectly concludes a very grandiose release with a very mellow and yet incisive lush piece. Overall, “Eonian” is a mesmerizing release that was well worth the wait, perfectly blending the best of both worlds: lush atmospheric arrangements and pummeling Black Metal foundations. With an amazing production, this release further establishes that Dimmu Borgir is back and stronger than ever.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: May 4th, 2018

Genre: Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal

Country: Norway