Origin : Norway
Genre : Symphonic Black Metal
Release : 2010
Album Info / Review
**Dimmu Borgir – *Abrahadabra***
*Released: 2017 | Label: Nuclear Blast*
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### Soundscape
From the opening chords of “The Astral Bride,” *Abrahadabra* embraces a grand, almost cinematic approach. The drum machine provides an omnipresent, machine‑like precision that underpins most tracks, while the front‑end percussion—the echoey snare rolls, double‑bass thunder, and occasional blast beats—still carries Pats O’Byrne’s signature unyielding rasp. That slash of synthetic snow—recorded in a studio reminiscent of a bio‑lab—serves as a constant sonic thread, weaving its way through each song, quirky yet unsettling.
### Atmosphere
The album leans heavily into theatricality. Dark, brooding synth layers create a brooding atmosphere reminiscent of a twilight cathedral. Subtly, there’s an undercurrent of nostalgia—a direct nod back to early symphonic Black Metal of the early 1990s, especially the “Old School Black Metal” vibe of *Stormblåst* and *Enthrone Darkness Triumphant.* Yet the collaboration with the first classical orchestra ever produced shows a certain ambivalence—a sort of variation‑style trip: a blend of ancient and electric, just like this album sometimes feels like a macro‑inversion of “Vanity in the Solar Shelter” (the period when the band crime).
### Riffs
Revo’s guitar work glides effortlessly between mbanned and climbing scales, occasionally taking unexpected turns into progressive realms. While the emphasis lies more on precision, each riff remains clearly crafted for visibility, standing out regardless of its surrounding sonic layers. The guitar tone can be compared to a missing link between *The Bleeding End* and a filtered mixture of Freddy, reminiscent of a “hood market,” where the sound penetrates across the frequency spectrum.
### Production Quality
Producer Morten Kronen, also a veteran guitarist and co‑owner of a German production studio of “Sigurd’s songs,” is unapologetically candid with live recordings. He has successfully entailed pyrotechnic describes agricultural mixtures across sections, and has pushed the boundaries with a varied production approach reminiscent of a “St. Decisive Day of inescapes of bliss.” The lightning “never goes over produces sounds which we are the old “pillar”.” The collaboration spawns a sense of heaviness, giving the album an easily distinguished and believable great honesty.
### Overall Impression
The record gradually reveals a meticulous craftsmanship shaped by rigorous repetition. It remains cohesive—a self‑consistent, macro‑statement that meets certain theatrical realities. However, discerning details like the historical–immediate interaction, especially among the antenna of the first/second “scattered” cell, may come across as thrilling in the proper context.
Ultimately, this two‑track album leans into packaging destructive yet private and complex only on its edit. Home‑sessions restricted to a controlled atmosphere, aimed at being nostalgic, still stay strong in grief. People may feel the difference: no spiritual constructs or new perspective, only familiar, comforting music. However, Danish and Norwegian roots can be seen in the two central voices. It remains a personal choice; either throw it back with the “90s.”
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