Dimmu Borgir

Dimmu Borgir: Enthrone Darkness TriumphantEnthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)
Nuclear Blast

Reviewer Rating: 3.5

Contributed by: TheTommunistThe Tommunist
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on July 23rd 2004Ok, so the last time I wrote a review for a metal album I was at once burned for A) not giving the album enough credit, B) forgetting that this is Punknews.org, and not Metalnews.org, and C) …There was something else, but I forgot what it was. Anywho, following up that review I reviewed something mo.

Ok, so the last time I wrote a review for a metal album I was at once burned for A) not giving the album enough credit, B) forgetting that this is Punknews.org, and not Metalnews.org, and C) …There was something else, but I forgot what it was. Anywho, following up that review I reviewed something more in line with this website, and there was much rejoicing. So to keep things interesting, and to prove that I didn't learn anything, I humbly submit this, a review for the 1997 Dimmu Borgir album, entitled Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, which just happens to be a metal album. A Black Metal album.

Dimmu Borgir is one of the major acts in the Black Metal scene, and this is their first album sung entirely in English, as opposed to Norweigan. The music is what you would come to expect with Black Metal, fast, brutal, and atmospheric. The heavy use of synthesizers, which are some of the most elegant and competent ones I have heard, creates an air of foreboding darkness. In the opening track, Mourning Palace, the synths invoke images of the Palace's dark corridors emanating dismal gloom. That is, of course, until the brutal drums and guitar smashes the atmosphere. Every track crunches by with some damn brutal riffs and pounding drumbeats. Some songs don't let up for five minutes, and some songs calm things down for piano-like interludes.

The lyrics also evoke dark, gloomy imagery, but with a touch of Satanism thrown in for good measure. I counted at least nine specific references to the devil, excluding a horde more of hinted at references. I mean, who else could they be referring to with the song "Tormentor of Christian Souls"? We also have talk of the previously mentioned tormenting of souls, torture, sex, sodomy, screaming, moaning, pain, death, and all the fun stuff that evil seems to thrive on.

The only problem I have with this album is that the songs are quite long, most being over five minutes long. This allows the band to change the songs up a bit, and in some cases, the transitions do not work too well. Still, this is just a slight problem in a few of the middle songs on an otherwise great album. This album comes in a regular version, and in a deluxe edition, which includes a bonus song (in Norweigan) and a bunch of enhanced stuff for your computer, such as scary live pictures, lyrics, a video clip, and more. If this kind of music is your thing, I highly recommend this album. If this kind of music is not your thing, however, I apologize for you reading this far.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

DestroyAllVirtues (November 27, 2007)

I'm suprised there was a review on ANY Dimmu albums..
and I was expecting something a little more mainstream like
"Death Cult Arageddon" or something..
great album nonetheless.
I believe Kings Of The Carnival Creation, and Hybrid Stigmata are on this?
//
Dimmu Borgir laid out the fucking blueprints for black metal.

Anonymous (November 3, 2004)

Fuck all

Anonymous (August 9, 2004)

Even more pathetic than Opeth!

Anonymous (July 27, 2004)

Ok the errors are fixed. It now says Norweigan. Sweet, thanks Punknews.org.

The Tommunist

FortyMinutesWest (July 26, 2004)

What the hell, if Radiohead gets reviewed here, then why not this?

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

"Why the fuck is this on punknews.org?"

Because you touch yourself at night.

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

Why the fuck is this on Punknews.org? Goddamn retards.

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

Swedish..and you call yourself a fan.

I suppose Bad Relgion are Mexican, and Simple Plan from Texas.

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

burn...

eyvert (July 26, 2004)

and this is their first album sung entirely in English, as opposed to Swedish.. haha! so wrong! they are norwegian! im norwegian and have heard many of their cd's... not swedish.. norwegian..

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

not black metal

Anchors (July 25, 2004)

This band is just silly.

Anonymous (July 25, 2004)

I just want to comment that Dimmu Borgir does not sing in Swedish but Norwegian.

Sorry, I'm a nerd like that.

xmidipunkbastardx (July 25, 2004)

"I still say that story about the one dude eating the other dude's brain is BS. how can you prove something like that anyway."

photos exist, dipshit.
read "lords of chaos" and you'll know what's true and what's not.

BSD (July 25, 2004)

GG was an idiot. As another poster pointed out, plenty of un-punk autistic kids and sociopaths pulled off his stageshow in backalleys on a nightly basis.

I respected him up until I read about his animal abbuse. I know it was all a ruse to get people nice and pissed, and I guess it worked. Mission accomplished from beyond the grave. Big deal.

Personally, I tend to be affectionate towards other living things.

GG is nothing without his stageshow. He was a stupid fuck and the world's missing nothing now that the idiot is dead.

-BSD

Anonymous (July 25, 2004)

GG is my favorite artist of all time and I'd say his performance is the most extreme you'll ever find and some lyrics are very out there but the music wasn't anything great. It worked with what he was doing though. He needed the most basic music for his lyrics.

As for this album....I like this band, but I can't sit through an entire album at once. If I listen song by song though, it's fantasitic.

notfeelingcreative (July 24, 2004)

During all the time that I listened to metal I never got into Dimmu Borgir.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Are they part of the Unholy Aryan Fashion Victim Circle?

Seriously, these guys are on TV. I doubt they do the Scando-metal crazy blowyourbrainsoutonstagesoIcaneatthem shit.

-BSD

killyouridols (July 24, 2004)

one time dimmu borgig was playing on a summer festival here.

i fell asleep on the grass during their gig.
that's how boring it was.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

"No i would say the most extreme kind of music is GG Allin. the guy performed naked, beat up audience members, wanked onstage, shit onstage, ate his own shit, injured himself onstage, and in general terrorized the world with his repulsive music and diabolical stage presence"

Every GG Allen song is simple run of the mill punk rock. Everything you just named has nothing to do with playing music. It's performance art at best. Don't get me wrong I think GG allen did some funny stuff, but it has nothing to do with extreme music. Autistic kids do the same stuff you just mentioned everyday and they dont get praised for it. SO FUCK YOU AND YOUR BORING PUNK ROCK POSTURING!

randomdipshit

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Just because music is hard to play doesn't make it better: to everyone who is whining that they don't just play powerchords.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Oops, sorry about that mistake, I dont even know where I got the idea that they were Swedish... My mistake!

- The Tommunist

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

NORGE!!!!!

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

to the reviewer: Why would it be sung in swedish when they're from NORWAY?!

I don't even like this crap, but fuck off dude! You can't even do BAD reviews without fucking up.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

I'm suprised to see such negative comments here. This is one of the best albums I've ever heard, and I'm not a huige fan of black metal. Calling it symphonic is way off the mark. These songs are powerful, fast, and above all, memorable. There's a strong operatic influence on this record which is as close to symphonic as your going to get. If you''re ever interested in trying out some black metal then this or Emperor's 'In The Nightside Ecplise' is an ideal place to start.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Darkthrone was most certainly powerchords. I can barely fathom the idea of metal without powerchords. I love powerchords.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

No i would say the most extreme kind of music is GG Allin. the guy performed naked, beat up audience members, wanked onstage, shit onstage, ate his own shit, injured himself onstage, and in general terrorized the world with his repulsive music and diabolical stage presence.

Yeah yeah i've heard all that shit about Mayhem. crazy shit I know. but come on, they weren't fuckin evil incarnate. they were a couple skids who did too much heroin and it did a fuckjob on their brains... I still say that story about the one dude eating the other dude's brain is BS. how can you prove something like that anyway.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Black Metal is extremly talented. I want to see any of you fucks try writting one of the songs. I'm not saying its good but you dicks really need to shut the fuck up and realize these shit isnt powerchords.

theOneTrueBill (July 24, 2004)

Dimmu is some of the worst shit I've heard. I'm not just saying this. It's down there with Cradle of Filth

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

I myslef am not to big on dimmu but i do listen to a lot of black metal and it is almost without a doubt in my mind the most extream music in existance what other style of bands burn down churches and eat bandmates brains(this did happen).

DavidChicago (July 24, 2004)

Where's the talent? Are you kidding me? You sit at a drum kit for an hour playinig what they do and tell me they're not talented.
Just because they have string arrangements doesn't mean it's 'symphonic'.
Wow, stupid people write comments, inteligent people write reviews. Who would have thought?

Anonymous (July 23, 2004)

All Black Metal Sucks...
Where's The Talent?

BSD (July 23, 2004)

Booooo. Fuck this shittt...

Symphonic black metal sucks.

Listen to Darkthrone and tell me these guys aren't shit...