01.Xibir
02.Born Treacherous
03.Gateways
04.Chess With The Abyss
05.Dimmu Borgir
06.Ritualist
07.The Demiurge Molecule
08.A Jewel Traced Through Coal
09.Renewal
10.Endings And Continuations
Shagrath (vocals/keyboards/Effects)
Silenoz (Rhythm Guitar)
Galder(Lead Guitar)
Guests :
Snowy Shaw (Bass/Vocals)
Dariusz Brzozowski (Drums)
Agnete Kjølsrud (Vocals Track 3 & 10)
Garm from ULVER (Vocals On Track 10)
Gerlioz (keyboards)
Andy Sneap (Guitar On Track 3 & 9)
Ricky Black (Slide Guitar on track 10)
Orchestration and choir arranged by Gaute Storås and conducted by Rune Halvorsen
Recorded with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Schola Cantorum Choir
"Abrahadabra", loosely translated as "I will create as I speak", was created by author Aleister Crowley in his work, The Book of the Law.
For those who are intrested the five letters in the word are: A, the Crown; B, the Wand; D, the Cup; H, the Sword; R, the Rosy Cross; and refer further to Amoun the Father, Thoth His messenger, and Isis, Horus, Osiris, the divine-human triad.
To the band it represents an album title consisting of one word that goes hand-in-hand with the new material and the changes in musical and lyrical content.
So eleven months in production to create haunting, epic, atmospheric and ambient masterpiece with an array of musicians and a full ensemble orchestra, the Kringkastingsorkestret (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra), and the Schola Cantorum choir, totaling more than 100 musicians and singers.
The intro 'Xibir' is a pure orchestral piece and gives some clue to the maturity of the bands overall concept and the direction in which they wish to take "Symphonic Black metal" forward.
'Born Treacherous' is the perfect mix of "Traditional" Dimmu but it is the orchestration that creates a quite stunning song.
Powerful double peddling and vocal chorus introduces 'Gateways' a full blown mini epic with layered vocals and guest female vocals, awesome riffing and varied timing changes throughout.
At times 'Chess With The Abyss' bares some comparisons with Kamelot's March Of Mephisto, which featured a guest vocal from Shagrath some years back.
It also has that rare quality of being "Catchy"!
A self title song 'Dimmu Borgir', which translates as Dark Cities, also has a very catchy and infectious choral backing and gives us yet another outstanding song.
A ghostly howl, backward vocals and beautiful acoustic guitar lead into a hyper drumbeat and the song 'Ritualist', weird that the speed of the guitar and drums work so well against the slowness of the acoustic instruments.
Stunning vocal delivery from Snowy works well with Shagraths unique style.
A very different feel to 'The Demiurge Molecule' thanks to an out of charachter almost funky drum rhythm, but the song soon settles down into a pounding, slow and doomy song that has Shagrath screaming "I crave perfection", im thinking job done!!!
Creepy horror movie ambience, massive riffs, drums on speed, a middle section of vocal chorus like the Omen soundtrack, yep 'A Jewel Traced Through Coal' has it all amd more.
Have to say the bass really kicks through this one as well.
'Renewal' mixes the extremes of Black Metal with slower breakdowns that seem to "bounce" along.
The vocal presence of Snowy echoes throughout the slightly unusual tempo of the music.
'Endings And Continuations' features a guest vocal from Garm from Ulver, for this final song Dimmu have quite clearly made sure that every element they created for all the other songs appear together just to nail the point home that along with superb mixing and production that they have come of age and redifined a genre forever.
Stu
Rating 10/10
For Fans Of: Therion, Cradle Of Filth, Devil Doll, Apocalyptica
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