Black Metal History Month- Into the Dark Castle of Dimmu Borgir's "Abrahadabra"

 

The bar was high for this album, as it meant this new incarnation of the band had to prove themselves after releasing the best album of the year, but without ICS Vortex, whose operatic vocal hooks were now a staple of their sound. They doubled down on the orchestrations with the drummer from Vader and Snowy Shaw on bass, who would also handle most of the clean vocals, though Agnete from Djerv also lent a hand most notably on the lead single "Gateways," which is one of the band's best songs. The opening track, "Born Treacherous," was hooky enough to work and prove they still had it. 

This album showcases Shagrath's best vocal performance, as he was forced to show up and carry more of the melodic weight. He is called to sing a couple of times throughout the album and does so in a low, gothic baritone.I love how crazed Agnete's vocals sound when she flies into "Gateways". The album's hookiest melody comes in as the song builds to its climax at the end. By the time we get to "Chess With the Abyss," it is clear the motto for this album is go big or go home. The orchestral elements are often the center of the songs, but things stay dark and anthemic, which is a unique balance. 

Snowy's voice sometimes almost sounds like Agnete's. "The Ritualist" is a case in point, and fitting that Snowy is on the track since he used to play for King Diamond, and the song reminds me a little of King Diamond. "The Demiurge Molecule" is a great display of songwriting. Darker than it is heavy, and the symphony haunting it does not detract from the tone by romanticizing it. The first song on this album that finds them embracing a more intense speed is "A Jewel Traced Through Coal". They, however, double down with the more aggressive "Renewal," which even then is balanced out by melody and shifts on the verse. The last song finds Snowy Shaw offering his best epic metal vocal to fill the gap left by Vortex, and it works.  While I like both of the covers on this album, they were bonus tracks, so for the purpose of this review not digging into them, but will go ahead and give this one a 10 as they overcame and proved themselves once again. It's underrated and if you like their earlier work is worth a listen.