Dimmu Borgir

Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (Nuclear Blast)
by Dave Bone

With all of these insane black/death metal bands coming out of Norway, you wonder what the hell is wrong these people. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music, but why are all these muscians driven to such extremes? Dimmu Borgir are part of this extreme, but don’t expect to see them “doing the dew” or on the X-Games soundtrack. These guys and their facepaint mean business. They’re heavy in a way that blends the sounds of throat-tearing vocals, maniacally riffing guitars, and technicolor dreamcloak keyboards into one “symphonic mass.” Their speed blasts sound like a baseball card taped to the spokes of a Yamaha crotch rocket speeding down the Autobahn.

There needs to be a socio/eco/polictical study done on this surge of bands. I bet the studs, spikes and black leather industry is booming over there and that you can get black metal face paint in grocery stores sponsored by the Emperor.