Dimmu Borgir are back.
Eight years on from the release of Dimmu Borgir’s last album, 2018’s Eonian, the symphonic black-metal veterans have formally announced their much-anticipated tenth studio LP, Grand Serpent Rising.
As previously reported, Dimmu Borgir have been hinting at this next release for a while, having posted semi-cryptic studio pics in late 2024. Last year, in a since-deleted social post from producer Fredrik Nordström (At the Gates, Arch Enemy), it was also revealed that the Norwegian unit wrapped up their recording sessions at Nordström’s Studio Fredman in Sweden. The producer had noted at the time that the sessions had been “fun and also challenging.”
The past couple of days saw the group teasing the arrival of a new video for their song “Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel,” via cinematically moody shots of arcane rituals and an ominously goopy, filled-to-the-brim chalice. Now, the video and song are officially out in the wild, with Dimmu Borgir’s latest involving melodically maleficent riffs, dramatic growls and symphonic bombast. You can check it out up above.
As for the rest of the 13-song Grand Serpent Rising, press materials posit that the platter presents “brutality with striking diversity and symbolic themes of renewal, growth, and transformation.” The central image of the snake reflects legacy and growth, Dimmu Borgir apparently shedding their old skin to become “a renewed creative force.”
“I truly feel we’ve outdone ourselves musically on this album. It’s been a long and demanding process, but seeing how it all came together makes it incredibly rewarding,” vocalist Shagroth further explained in a statement. “Grand Serpent Rising reflects every era of Dimmu Borgir – This album carries echoes of every chapter of Dimmu Borgir’s legacy – I believe our fans will recognize that, and find something within it that truly resonates.”
“Some stuff is more stripped-down, some epic stuff is still there,” guitarist Silenoz added in an interview with Metal Hammer. “We have some modern stuff and some old stuff, as well.”
The rise of the snakemen officially takes place May 22nd, when Nuclear Blast put the album into stores and onto streamers. That said, an exclusive pre-order for the LP on “Gold with Black Marbled” vinyl is up in Revolver’s shop, along with other vinyl variants and CD copies of Grand Serpent Rising.
Grand Serpent Rising tracklisting:
Tridentium
Ascent
As Seen in the Unseen
The Qryptfarer
Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
Repository of Divine Transmutation
Slik Minnes en Alkymist
Phantom of the Nemesis
The Exonerated
Recognizant
At the Precipice of Convergence
Shadows of a Thousand Perceptions
Gjǫll