Spiritual Black Dimensions

I've listened to Spiritual Black Dimensions for many years, but I think at this point, I must say this is by far the best work the band has ever produced and I think as far as future Dimmu Borgir releases go, I don't think it will ever be dethroned - definitely not, as of 2021! This is the album where they found their niche and it's no wonder that many Dimmu Borgir clones that have emerged over the past two decades typically sound the most like this album. That being said, I find the album doesn't get the attention it deserves within the metal community. People who have hated this band generally tend to think Enthrone Darkness Triumphant and Stormblast are decent albums if they had to pick one. But Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon came out while the internet was getting more popular, hence Dimmu Borgir being able to reach more people (defacto becoming the dreaded term "mainstream"). Spiritual Black Dimensions kind of sits in the limbo state of its timeline, which is a shame because this is the one album where they got everything right and while they've tried to replicate the style here on later albums, they usually came up short because they didn't have all the elements that were in here.

The album works for just a handful of very important reasons:

1) The blended production. In many ways, the sound here might be the most blended out of all Dimmu Borgir releases. This works well for two seasons: it creates an immersive atmosphere that takes you to another world - the uniformity of the sound can you put you in a trance like state that makes you dream off towards being whatever you think the spiritual black dimensions really are. And two) it avoids the common pitfalls associated with really overproduced black metal, where flaws start to become more noticeable. I've always thought Shagrath was an average vocalist but sometimes well produced albums hurts his output; here, he has to really rise above the wall of sound and as an effect, it shows a diverse range from track to track and segment to segment. Mustis' keyboards (which differ from Stian Aarstad's sound on EDT, which seemed to be more piano-based) complement the rhythms of the track well to facilitate that ever-engrossing atmosphere. One might think too much is drowned out and that couldn't be further from the truth. If you listen closely enough, you can figure out the nuances between the different instruments and several members of the lineup here make a strong mark on the album anyway - I'll get to that later. Overlall, Dimmu Borgir found the sweet spot here and it works even better in its favor as each track has a lot of variety and numerous standout parts. This wouldn't be as meaningful if tracks sounded similar and just blended together throughout the whole album.

2) Vortex. He was just a session musician here but he makes his mark. Later albums have him fill a quota, arbitrarily, for one segment of the song and that's it. Here, he's well integrated on the tracks he participates on, working as a good complement to Shagrath's shrieking. He doesn't just show up in one spot in the songs he works on. I look at tracks like "Reptile" and I can't help but imagine scaling a mysterious mountain during dusk with Vortex's haunting vocals guiding me a long. In the track "Dreamside Dominion", he doesn't even steal the show - he usually sings along with Shagrath and it works well. That track in particular is probably one of the most unique Dimmu Borgir tracks, a more melodic, softer experience but the riffs remain nuanced enough to allow for a more rapid pace.

3) Astennu. Their lead guitarist at the time did a great job on Godless Savage Garden, but now he's back in the Spiritual Black Dimensions in full force and has some new tricks up his sleeve. His prowess adds a lot of melody from track to track (think "Dreamside Dominions" again) and many tracks like "Grotesquery Concealed" he shines twice. On that track, his riffs work really well with Mustis' aggressive keyboarding after the first minute of it and he surprises again during the campy part where Shagrath is singing like he's playing the role of Satan. Astennu is probably the wild card here that really elevates this album. This album would not have the impact it did if he was absent and although Dimmu Borgir does do okay with their riffs on later albums, none have that shocking presence like Astennu brings forth with his talents.

4) The Insight and the Catharsis. This epic seven minute track is easily one of the best Dimmu Borgir tracks, which best manifests the previous three paragraphs in its review. Vortex and Astennu shine well and the production allows Mustis to create an atmosphere that is unmatched by anyone else. The track has a few different parts including an incredible climax in the middle that begins with a very soft and "heavenly" piece by Mustis and is met by Shagrath's strong vocals and Astennu's riffing. There's lots of neat surprises here.


So that's it - love it or hate it - Dimmu Borgir is never going to make anything like this again and any band that tries to do this probably won't be successful there either. But thankfully, on this near 50 minute album, there's a lot to like and a lot to go back to over and over. I honestly find the album best to listen to in the summer. It just carries that vibe of being outdoors in warm weather and watching the long dusk turn into night. From here on out, other DImmu Borgir albums may have their strong points (Nick Barker's drumming really makes a handful of the tracks on PEM and DCA) but there's definitely things they get wrong compared to here. Spiritual Black Dimensions is not without its silly parts, but the four reasons I state above really minimize them. The balance they achieve here and lineup is absolutely critical for why this album is so great and I think if you look at this album in that light, you may feel the same way.