Interdimensional Summit

Expectation can be the greatest enemy of harmony between a band and its fans, and this adversary gets something akin to a massive steroid injection when upwards of eight years is put between a new offering and its predecessor. Though not the first outfit to take their sweet time breaking an extended period of silence between studio LPs, Dimmu Borgir seem to be taking the dual risk of crossing a stylistic Rubicon in promoting their tenth full length effort Eonian after nearly a decade long hiatus. It has been long stipulated that many of the founding members of the Scandinavian wing of the 2nd wave of black metal have veered so far from the original sound of the early to mid 1990s aesthetic that they have all but abandoned the sub-genre completely, and the promotional single in an EP package Interdimensional Summit may well be the most blatant example of making this point set to music thus far.

Naturally this outfit has always been on the smoother side of the black metal spectrum given their affinity to the symphonic strain of the style pioneered by Emperor, but the priority of instrumentation definitely points towards the symphonic gloss triumphing over the blackened core that has been less and less apparent since the release of Spiritual Black Dimensions. In keeping with this, the massive orchestral pomp and epic choral backdrop racing to the foreground seemed an inevitable consequence, though it has been mixed with a mid-paced grooving approach that many have rightly identified as a Nightwish-like shtick. The principle guitar riff is all but a dead-ringer for something that Emppu Vuorinen would employ on one of said band's darker numbers following the exodus of Tarja from the fold, and even the more dissonant chords that accompany Shagrath's sepulchral mutterings during the verse section have a restrained character to them that fits with the mid-paced marching feel of the song.

Though a sizable departure on many fronts, this EP's title song is not without some degree of precedent in Dimmu's history, and the band seems to have deliberately sought to make that point in their selection of this release's b-side. Presented in a well-captured live offering, "Puritania" presents a token slower and more accessible side of this band's sound that dates back a good 17 years, all but predicting the sort of diabolical symphonic march that Kamelot would employ on their opening song on The Black Halo. It's a cautionary reminder to a number of black metal purists that seem to have their panties in a knot over this release's title song that one needs to go back to the mid 1990s to find this band in anything resembling a low-fi, true black aesthetic. This isn't to say that the resulting mix of sounds found here is lacking in darkness, but it comes across as more of a melodic death meets symphonic power mode of darkness that is more readily associated with mid 2000s Finland rather than mid 1990s Norway.

As with all music, historical precedence and stylistic quirks are secondary concerns when asking oneself whether the song in question is actually entertaining. This question is answered mostly in the affirmative, though its short and predictable structure does work against it to a fair degree when going back for repeated listens. All parties involved pull their weight to a sufficient extent, but the only thing that really stands out and grabs the listener aside from the massive symphonic bombast is Galder's lead guitar work, which has a cool and calculating Iron Maiden sense of melody and flair that mirrors some of the better melodic death solos to come out of the Gothenburg scene. If the upcoming album manages to preserve enough of the machine gun drumming and frenzied abyssal riff work of previous offerings while also giving Galder numerous occasions to work this sort of lead guitar magic, Eonian may prove to be the best offering out of this band since Spiritual Black Dimensions, though this song on its own is more along the lines of making the cut rather than breaking the mold.