Dimmu Borgir release a new album. Listen to the singles „Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel“ and „Ascent“
Near Iceland's Lake Mývatn lies a landscape that feels like something out of another world. In a place once shaped by flowing lava and rising steam from deep within the earth, bizarre lava pillars and cave labyrinths were formed. It is here that DIMMUBORGIR - the "Dark City" - can be found. According to local mythology, this is where a gateway to hell opens, and the longer one stays, the more they succumb to darkness. After eight years, that infernal maw opens once again to unleash another fallen angel.
Dimmu Borgir will release their tenth studio album Grand Serpent Rising on May 22, 2026. The record was created at Studio Fredman under the supervision of producer Fredrik Nordström and will be released via Nuclear Blast.
Following the departure of guitarist Galder, the album features Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen, who has already toured with the band during "The Chosen Legacy." The band describes the new material as a return to a rawer, more old-school sound.
To make the wait easier, the Norwegians have already released two singles - Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel and the recent Ascent. Both tracks hint at a musical shift: less symphonic grandeur, more rawness and direct darkness. It seems the "classic" symphonic era of Dimmu Borgir may now be a thing of the past.
The current lineup - Shagrath (vocals), Silenoz (guitars), Kjell Åge Karlsen (guitars), Victor Brandt (bass), Gerlioz (keyboards), and Daray (drums) - thus closes the eight-year gap since Eonian.
Dimmu Borgir were formed in 1993 in Oslo by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv. While many bands of that era remained rooted in orthodox black metal, Dimmu Borgir quickly evolved into something more - a phenomenon. Their fusion of extreme metal with symphonic elements helped push the genre forward.
Their first release, Inn I Evighetens Mørke (1994), immediately drew attention with its cold keyboards and sharp riffs, sounding like a soundtrack to the apocalypse. A year later, their debut album For All Tid confirmed the birth of a new form of black metal: dark, atmospheric, and captivating.
A major breakthrough came in 1997 with Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, whose refined arrangements and strong production propelled the band from the underground onto major stages. Subsequent albums like Spiritual Black Dimensions, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, and Death Cult Armageddon only solidified their status. On the latter, they even collaborated with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, giving their music a special resonance, particularly among Czech fans.
Despite numerous lineup changes and long breaks, the band has maintained its status as one of the defining forces of symphonic black metal. After Abrahadabra (2010), a long silence followed, broken only by Eonian in 2018.
With Grand Serpent Rising, Dimmu Borgir stand at the threshold of a new chapter—darker, more direct, yet still guided by a clear vision.
As Shagrath once stated: "We're not here to be likable. Our mission is to evoke images that never fade."
Currently, Shagrath and the band's core—alongside Silenoz—are preparing for a European tour that will also include a stop in the Czech Republic. "DIMMU BORGIR is not a band. It's a ritual," Shagrath emphasized. They were last seen at last year's Brutal Assault and will return this autumn as part of the "In League With Satan" tour alongside Dark Funeral and Behemoth at Hala Vodova. Tickets are available here.
Renata Spotzová