Grand Serpent Rising

About

<b>All the symphonic metal majesty and dark pathos of the Norwegian band’s most celebrated efforts.</b> Completed during the Year of the Snake, <i>Grand Serpent Rising</i> is Dimmu Borgir’s first album of new material in nearly a decade. Despite losing guitarist Tom “Galder” Orre in 2024 (he left to resurrect his own band, Old Man’s Child), founding duo Stian “Shagrath” Thoresen (vocals/keys) and Sven “Silenoz” Kopperud (guitars) haven’t lost a step. <i>Grand Serpent</i> has all the symphonic metal majesty and dark pathos of the Norwegian band’s most celebrated efforts, but with a slightly more stripped-down approach than previous outings. The frenzied <b>“Ascent”</b> invokes the ouroboros as a symbol for the circle of life as Silenoz slices off violent riffs and lays down a deadly solo. <b>“The Qryptfarer”</b> kicks off with a spacey prog intro before descending into black-metal hellfire and Victorian piano breaks. <b>“Phantom of the Nemesis”</b> rises from the abyss with an ’80s horror atmosphere that aligns with the band’s <i>Hellraiser</i> sensibility. <b>“The Exonerated”</b> and <b>“Recognizant”</b> are back-to-back slash-and-burn epics featuring impressive drum performances from Dariusz “Daray” Brzozowski. The album is bookended by two cinematic instrumentals, <b>“Tridentium”</b> and <b>“Gjoll,”</b> both of which add a sense of high drama to the proceedings. Lyrically, <i>Grand Serpent</i> explores themes of transformation and ego death. and, as the band says, “shedding the old self in pursuit of one’s true potential.” In a throwback to Dimmu’s early days, lead single <b>“Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel”</b> sees Shagrath performing in the band’s native tongue, a feat he repeats on the rousing <b>“Slik Minnes en Alkymist.”</b> It’s all of a piece for one of Norway’s most prominent metal institutions.

via Apple Music