Abrahadabra

No word can more fairly describe "Abrahadabra" than mediocre. It would probably be unfair to call this album awful but it really is not all that good either which is particularly unfortunate because Dimmu Borgir have proved in the past that they are quite capable of producing truly exceptional albums such as "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" or "Death Cult Armageddon".

It is clear from listening to the album that it has been created very professionally by experienced musicians who know what they are doing and the production also is excellent. Unfortunately this does not save the album from being filled with a majority of tracks which simply do not really stand out in any way apart from the occasional moment. The only song which I can genuinely say I enjoy is "Dimmu Borgir" and "Gateways", the first single of the album, definitely picks up during the second half of the song. But even these two tracks which are actually quite good, pale in comparison to past epics like "Mourning Palace" and "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse". The album is also lacking in the fire and intensity that was present in previous releases, in fact it almost seems as though Dimmu Borgir have begun to mellow which surely cannot be a good sign. The loss of ICS Vortex is also a shame because some of his vocal performances were truly incredible and the guest vocal appearances by Agnete Kjolsrud, Kristoffer Rygg and Snowy Shaw do not really add anything to the album.

Other than the album being very mediocre, the other main criticism I would make of the album is that the orchestra tends to overshadow the band. I am not saying there is anything wrong with the band combining an orchestra with their music and in fact I really like the way the band has utilized orchestras in the past. It can really help to add a powerful atmosphere to the music but I feel that on this relese the orchestra has overshadowed tha band. It is almost as if Dimmu Borgir have lost some of their individuality and simply become a generic symphonic metal band which is a shame.

Obviously this review has been fairly brief and that is because in all honestly there is not very much to say about this album. Most of the songs just tend to pass you by and leave no impact. There are not any terrible songs on the abum but the majority of them are just very average which is disappointing for someone who is a big fan of the band. Hopefully Dimmu Borgir will one day make a return to former greatness but it seems almost certain that "Abrahadabra" is destined not to leave much of a lasting impression in the history of Dimmu Borgir.