Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra

• Country: Norway
• Style: Symphonic black metal
• Label: Nuclear Blast
• Release date: 24 September 2010

More than a hundred musicians appear on Abrahadabra. The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) and the Schola Cantorum choir were brought in, with Gaute Storaas writing the arrangements, and that decision shapes the whole record. The orchestra is not decoration here; in the mix it often sits level with, or above, the guitars.

That is both the strength and the problem. “Gateways” works because the strings and the riff pull in the same direction, and “Born Treacherous” has real bite. But too many songs follow the same template: a grand orchestral opening, a mid-paced verse, a choir swelling into the chorus. The drums sound processed and flat against all that acoustic space, and the band’s own playing frequently gets pushed into the background. “Chess with the Abyss” and “Ritualist” blur together on repeat listens.

Big, expensive, impressive on headphones for a while. Then you notice how little the guitars actually do.

Best tracks:

Born Treacherous
Gateways
Dimmu Borgir

Author’s rating: 6.8/10