Lucifer light - A review of Dimmu Borgir's Eonian

Dimmu Borgir's Eonian will probably provoke similar reactions as Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus. Both records of these extreme metal pioneers have been released eight years after their previous outputs. Both albums are quite experimental and shift away from the sounds that made these bands popular in the first place. In both cases, this development had been progressive as the previous records had already discovered new soundscapes. Dimmu Borgir's Eoanian doesn't have much to do with black metal anymore, aside of some occult lyrics and one or two cold riffs throughout the album. 

Instead, the band opts for a more epic and symphonic approach with melodic arrangements, majestic choirs and vivid orchestras as heard in the first single ''Interdimensional Summit'' that reminds of a mixture of symphonic metal band Nightwish and industrial rock outfit Deathstars. ''Council of Wolves and Snakes'' keeps this guideline but manages to stand out thanks to some shamanic folk influences in the vocals and instruments. ''Lightbringer'' tells the story of Lucifer with atmospheric piano sounds and mysterious female background chants and reminds of extreme metal bands with a penchant for the gothic scene like Cradle of Filth and would also do any horror movie soundtrack justice. ''I Am Sovereign'' has a smooth sacral penchant that makes think of new age music and might represent the band's most radical departure from its roots.

Not every experiment is successful on this record. The industrial soundscapes of the opener ''The Unveiling'' are odd, the track never really gets to the point and overstays its welcome with a running time of almost six minutes. ''Alpha Aeon Omega'' remains unspectacular and repetitive through more than five minutes and only seems to copy and paste songwriting ideas from the previous tracks. Closing instrumental ''Rite of Passage'' might be a good background song for the credits of a fantasy film but it sounds toothless under these circumstances and ends the record on a forgettable note. This means that Dimmu Borgir starts and ends the album on a weak note but the heart of the record beats with passion, inspiration and energy.

Despite a few flaws, the album as a whole leaves a positive impression. Especially the songs with bombastic choirs, majestic orchestral elements and haunting piano sounds sound fleshed out. They show a band that is more ambitious, creative and intellectual than ever. Being a supporter of the gothic scene and a fan of symphonic metal music, I'm obviously bound to appreciate this record. Fans of old date who were hoping for more sinister black metal material could though be heavily disappointed by this release. It really depends upon your attitude and expectations whether you are going to like this album for what it is or reject it in the first place. I hope Dimmu Borgir doesn't repeat Morbid Angel's mistakes that brought out a boring traditionalist death metal release to appease its upset fans after its more experimental industrial metal record. I hope the band continues to fine-tune its new soundscapes and exploit its potential to the fullest in the near future.

Final rating: 75%