Gateways

I'll start by saying I completely disagree with the majority of the criticism this track has gotten in previous reviews. Let's begin by identifying what exactly this track is and isn't. Is it black metal? Absolutely not. Is it the Dimmu Borgir of 1994 or even 1999? Absolutely not. But it is absolutely a standout track in production, construction, and atmosphere for those who enjoy well executed epic material. I fully believe if Dimmu had released the track without putting their name on it and a listener had no previous exposure to the band's previous endeavors the amount of hate this release has yielded would be significantly diminished.

As for the track itself, I'll set a few things straight. I am not a fan of Shagrath's recent vocals for the most part. The infamous chipmunk vocals drive me insane. Having said that, I feel that as a whole, his performance isn't really that inappropriate for once. Is it a standout performance? No. But it fits the music very well, I think. In the wake of ICS Vortex were given a guest appearance by Agnete Kjølsrud for some clean vocals in the middle and end of the song. The ending vocal part she delivers is outstanding in my opinion. Pop fluff? Sure. Epic and perfectly adhering to the calling of the music? Yes. No one is disputing that this track is accessible and easy to listen to from where I'm standing. It is most definitely the most accessible song the band has ever recorded. Now my argument is...so the fuck what? It has nothing to do with the proper usage of the symphonic elements delivered by the orchestra, the guitar work, or the vocal experimentation the band dabbled in using Agnete.

Although I certainly wouldn't label this black metal, or even close for that matter, I will stand by saying it is a worthy track worth a listen and doesn't warrant the extraneous amount of negative reception it is getting. I'll keep enjoying it.