I am fascinated. Dimmu Borgir was last heard of when Eonian hit our zine – in 2018. Since then, the RMR Record Detection Squad found no sign of these Norwegians on our mighty radar screen. And it’s not that they weren’t busy. Live albums, compilations, singles, it all continued to appear. Gotta make money for Nuclear Blast’s cavernous coffers. But then, that may just be an erroneous perception on our side. Who knows, right?
So, a few days ago, the RMR crew learned that a new record was in the offing out late May 2026, Grand Serpent Rising. That’s quite some news right there. And sure enough, the band issued a teaser, Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel. A new single that reached this crew as a clip, taking the stale and ubiquitous trope of a metal band in theatrical action to the next level.
Oh, the underlying ritual, full of symbolism, invoking – some ‘thing’ in a dark, abandoned cathedral. Because it isn’t your usual daemon on the menu this time. You get the overly cliché-ed Dark Lord with its wallowing robes. Or is it just the high priest being way in over his head? And in the midst of this, suffocating, alien-like acolytes assisting in the wanton destruction of any and all effigies and baubles that may be available. In contrast, the band members depicted won’t deploy exaggerated theatrics, either. Instead, they become part of that ritual in full progress.
All of the above is proof of a pretty stellar cinematography on display on this blurb. One that, for once, truly moves symbiotically and in tandem with the music at hand. A track that displays trademark Dimmu Borgir fare. But it won’t deny its occasional closeness to other acts such as Moonsorrow and – strangely enough – sounds like a Northern, much less flamboyant version of what Fleshgod Apocalypse tries to achieve further South. The song itself, driven by the terrible clock of death and decay, impressed us with subtle yet tasty symphonics, extended atmospherics, and a heavy Rammstein-esque stomp that never quite leaves the stage.
But ’nuff said. More analysis will surge forth once DB‘s new album is finally out in the open. Meantime, let’s enjoy Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel. A pretty neat cinematographic feat in its own right.
Label: Nuclear Blast | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 26 March 2026