Black Metal History Month- Into the Dark Castle : Dimmu Borgir's "Stormblast"

Dimmu Borgir's second album finds the line-up shifting again, this time with Shagrath moving over to lead guitar and Tjodalv taking a seat behind the drums. I think I prefer Shagrath's drumming, or it could be the production of the drums that makes them hold less weight in the mix than on their first album. "The Circle of Brotherhood" has more purpose, and the drums sound better when slowed to a more deliberate pace. "When the Soul is Brought to Hell' finds them locking into a bigger, more epic sound that they would continue to build off on future releases, it's beginning to sound more like the band we know now. Even with the wonky lineup.

Lyrically, things are more overtly satanic, which I can appreciate. "When the Christian Lost His Life" might sound like your average black metal song in 2026, but this came out 30 years ago, when it was not as common. The Title track kind of spills out from the previous song. A low spoken vocals emerges from this song, which is something Shagrath would also carry forward. The main melodypoweringthis song feels like it is also a staple of their legacy. 'Antikrist" has some more folk metal-leaning melodies that remind me of Summoning, but is not their best song.  "Journey of Death" also works from a similar vibe, but with more vocal weirdness and less folk in the background. 

"Winds From a Lonely Grave" is a little more memorable; the riff is at least catchy, and the drums have toned it down a bit. The last song has more of a punk feel; there was a song like this on the first album; it is something I am glad they grew out of. I will give this a 9 as I prefer the previous line-up. Soon enough, they figured things out; this was just a step it took to get where they are today. Thus, Black Metal History.