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Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst review



Reviewer:
8.6

536 users:
8.05
Band: Dimmu Borgir
Album: Stormblåst
Release date: 1996


01. Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen
02. Broderskapets Ring
03. Når Sjelen Hentes Til Helvete
04. Sorgens Kammer
05. Da Den Kristne Satte Livet Til
06. Stormblåst
07. Dødsferd
08. Antikrist
09. Vinder Fra En Ensom Grav
10. Guds Fortapelse - Åpenbaring Av Dommedag

There is quite a mystique involving Dimmu Borgir's second full-length release; a predisposition to accept the album as a rare lost jewel, shaped by the condemnation of the band's posterior inclination. And although Stormblåst does represent one the finest works of the Norwegian group, it remains far from the bleak classic act expected by many. The truth is, underneath all the production arrangements highly devoted to the atmosphere, all cheesy elements that illustrate Dimmu's new direction are present.

Introducing the album, an astonishing melancholic keyboard exhibition, setting the gloomy slow-paced mood of the album and preparing the listener for the versatility of "Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen"; the keyboard, that returns several times throughout (even taking a whole song), is essential for this album's symphonic properties, overlapping the malevolent aspect with melancholy. Even the (not quite) blasting moments have a sentimental value that does not allow the album to draw you into depraved darkness, keeping the listener emotionally active while traveling among many phlegmatic interludes and repetitive segments. "Broderskapets Ring" and the title track were the most well-crafted pieces considering this insistent ambience-building repetitiveness, truly highlights.

What keeps Stormblåst from the claimed masterpiece title is the typical overstrain caused by the not always pleasant path of melodies. During many moments the symphonic elements are pushed too far, verging on cheesiness, as the flutes on "Antikrist" and the chants on "Da Den Kristne Satte Livet Til," wearing out the ambience already symphonically overloaded by the keyboards. Aesthetically, the romantic neoclassical pretension facilitates the whole experience, although unbecoming when in front of the rough cover art, that would more properly depict a rougher album. Something in the vein of the "lone horseman during dawn" of For All Tid would probably suit better the concept and the musical orientation.

For that matter, all the cheese that culminated in Dimmu Borgir's commercial enterprise is here, slickly hid within an unrefined production, but still diffused through the whole album. Of course, given the distinctive proportions, Stormblåst is musically superior in its core, sophisticated due to its history and provides a much deeper experience when compared to the successful successors.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 6
Production: 7

Written by Uirapuru | 05.10.2010




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Guest review by
Windrider
Rating:
9.1
Stormblåst is definetely one of the greatest black metal releases to date. Dimmu Borgir have never released anything else like this. It is the end of the old cold true Norwegian black metal style this band still claims to play. Stormblåst was re-recorded nine years later and that became one of the biggest fails in extreme metal history. The band claimed that in the 1996 version there was the atmosphere missing because of the sloppy production. This leads directly to the question, whether Dimmu Borgir have ever listened to their second album in a silent hour and felt the unique atmosphere they created. This record might be poorly produced, but if there is anything positive about it, it is the atmosphere. The production can also be seen as well fitting to the raw and frostbitten music.

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published 08.01.2011 | Comments (2)

Guest review by
TheH2K
Rating:
8.3
Well, this is the second album of Dimmu Borgir, released in 1996. Musically, this record is a huge step forward, and it seems they worked on their ideas in a proper way.

The album starts with an adapted version of "Sacred Hour" by Magnum and goes on with some melodic ideas that are really catchy. "Broderskapets Ring" is the second one, and is the best track of this album in my opinion: heavy riffs, nice synth, and above all these gloomy and atmospheric clean vocals that really suit the track. What's more, if "Sorgens Kammer" is not the best piano track of metal history then it definitely is among the top three. This adapted version was taken from a track from the Amiga game called "Agony"; what is surprising about this track is when you listen to the original version, it has a melancholic cold mood which has completely moved to "Sorgens Kammer" as well.

Read more ››
published 02.06.2020 | Comments (1)


Comments

Comments: 9   [ 1 ignored ]   Visited by: 150 users
05.10.2010 - 04:50
KwonVerge
Odysseus
I'm happy to have found this album years ago and got to own it, not the vomiting remake that followed Tristan at the back cover sitting on a grave stone or something in the snow with a sword in hand with the corpse paint being actually only white without the black thing makes him even more eerie, krieg stuff good review
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...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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05.10.2010 - 06:11
Rating: 8
CreeperDeath

Lol I love how you don't want to mention the name of the "whole keyboard song". But I think you should have talked about the 2 copied tracks from the Keyboardist, since it played a big part in the controversy of that album. Alt Lys er Svunnet Hen, wich the keyboard intro is a rip-off of Magnum - Sacred Hours, and of course Sorgens Kammer, from the game theme Agony.

But even with those ripoff, I still think it's one of the best album Dimmu made (not the shitty remake...). Favorites songs: Dodsferd, Stormblast and Sorgens Kammer (yea it's rip off but man, so good and better than the original one).

Otherwise, fair review, it could have been a : "THIS ALBUM WAS REAL BLACK FUCK THE NEWERS", wich you haven't did

EDIT: Sorry for my english, I'm learning 3 languages so it fuck me up sometimes
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05.10.2010 - 06:22
Rating: 9
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Written by CreeperDeath on 05.10.2010 at 06:11

Lol I love how you don't want to mention the name of the "whole keyboard song". But I think you should have talked about the 2 copied tracks from the Keyboardist, since it played a big part in the controversy of that album. Alt Lys er Svunnet Hen, wich the keyboard intro is a rip-off of Magnum - Sacred Hours, and of course Sorgens Kammer, from the game theme Agony.


It's not that I didn't want to mention I just don't like the texts full of song titles, the ''quotes'' are annoying when used in excess.

Yeah, I was aware of this ripoffs stories on the keyboard segments, but since Ive never heard the originals, can't really opine on this. Gotta check 'em out. o/


@DerRozz: thanks a lot man o/
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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05.10.2010 - 06:33
Rating: 7
vezzy
Stallmanite
I never could get into this album, perhaps I've never given it a real chance.
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05.10.2010 - 17:45
Rating: 9
Windrider
Raureif
Written by vezzy on 05.10.2010 at 06:33

I never could get into this album, perhaps I've never given it a real chance.


Give it another chance, I know it's hard to get behind the crappy production but once you did it turns out really great, try "Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen" and "Da Den Kristne Satte Livet Til", two great songs, also quite catchy.
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07.10.2010 - 03:49
Rating: 9
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Written by Guest on 07.10.2010 at 01:43

Written by Guest on 05.10.2010 at 19:10

I do think that 6 for originality is a big rape.

Hypnotizing album! & indeed 6 is low for originality.


Im not sure if keyboard loaded black metal and Viking culture thematic were exactly original... even in 1996.

Not to mention the stolen passages...
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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15.10.2010 - 17:00
SKELETOR

Stormblast - abrahadabra who s the best?
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23.10.2010 - 16:18
qecc

@Skeletor

I wouldn't say Stormblåst is comparable to Abrahadabra in the way you're asking. The two albums have barely anything in common. I'd like to call Abrahadabra general Symphonic Metal whereas I'd call Stormblåst Symphonic Black Metal, now of course this is my opinion, but I fail to see any reason to call Abrahadabra anything else.

If you really want to know however, listen to both yourself.
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08.11.2010 - 16:54
Rating: 9
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Maybe not in its entirety and not so exposed, but some songs like ''Vinder Fra En Ensom Grav'' and ''Broderskapets Ring'' seemed to inspired the viking-like atmosphere that I felt, even the lyrics reflected it a little bit.

But well, you're right... instead, the main theme is the good old Anti-Christianity... guess I should reconsider the originality now........
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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