Eonian

From the incomprehensible musical incoherence of For all tid to their latest odes to untethered excess, Dimmu Borgir have certainly run the gamut in its entirety - managing to fall flat on their face on both ends, bookmarking a decidedly spotty career with severely diminishing returns on the back end. Abrahadabra felt like the logical endpoint to the lurching bombast that dictated most everything since Death Cult Armageddon. From there, it should be no surprise that Eonian is a (somewhat) more stripped-down affair, eschewing the distracting guest performances and giving the new lineup more than enough time to congeal as an effective unit. The orchestra is dialed back somewhat, and the choirs are extensively used to help fill the gaps, finding some success in tracks like "Alpha Aeon Omega" and "Ætheric." We saw that these guys could dominate such an epic approach on the eponymous cut from the last album, so it isn't as if this is a bad approach on paper.

Eonian has some things going for it. The production is sleek and balanced, giving Galder's average riff construction just enough bite to cut through the symphonic pea soup. Vesania's Daray makes a fine showing here, but feels a bit washed out during the blasting sections. This was a problem on Death Cult Armageddon as well. The approach here certainly stands out in contrast to recent failures, with many songs feeling like b-sides from their oft-maligned 2003 opus. Songs like "Lightbringer" have that "Cataclysm Children" sort of riffing going on in spots, and really come alive during the symphonic oeuvres, which feel more desolate and melodically diverse than the cliche dissonance that would have been omnipresent a decade ago. For example, "Ætheric" has a fist-raising orchestral section near the mid-point that totally makes the song, even if the remainder is average.

The biggest issue here, and where Eonian falls short to even Abrahadabra, is that nothing truly stands out and grabs your throat - be it riff-wise or in complete concept. There are some truly gripping passages on epics like "Alpha Aeon Omega" where you can hear the band attempting to shed what little remains of their black metal carapace, so I have to give Dimmu Borgir some respect for the attempt. I can't help but feel that the choirs were largely wasted due to forced or rushed melodies. Remember "Dimmu Borgir" from the last album? Such a simple note progression made that song. Here, the choirs feel a bit awkward when they take over, being better suited as a adjunct to the riffs, which themselves are just boring beyond belief. Is Galder still holding onto his best riffs for his Old Man's Child project? He hasn't written a killer lick in over a decade.

Eonian is a pleasant listen, and not an album that is an outright embarrassment like the last two were. As such, this one will likely fly under the radar a bit in comparison, perhaps augmented by the huge break in between records. Still, this was the best these guys could manage? Half of the record feels rather pithy, including the two advance singles "Interdimensional Summit" and "Council of Wolves and Snakes." Perhaps this is what many have been unconsciously pining for: a Dimmu Borgir album for people who don't like Dimmu Borgir. Shagrath is largely passive and easy to forget about, tracks are more rousing on a melodic level than before, and very little truly tests the listener's patience. It isn't that bad, to be honest.