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  • Dimmu Borgir Announces Tenth Studio Album, Releases First Single



    photo credit: Stian Andersen



    Norwegian symphonic black metal giants DIMMU BORGIR make their long-awaited return after an eight-year break with their new release, Grand Serpent Rising, due for release on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album delivers thirteen  remarkably diverse tracks that cement the band’s status as one of the most formidable forces in extreme music.

    Vocalist Shagrath says the reflects the past thirty years’ of the band’s history: 


    “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. 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.”


     guitarist Silenoz explains about the meaning behind the album title Even the sheer weight of the album title speaks volumes.

    “Dimmu Borgir is a leviathan of a band on a grand scale and we are rising once again. While the serpent represents evil to some, for us it symbolizes something else: renewal, growth, knowledge, and liberation. Shedding our skin, so to speak. And let’s not forget that February 2026 marks the end of the Year of the Snake, roughly the same moment this album was completed.”



    Grand Serpent Rising was recorded in Gothenburg with acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström, whose legacy with the band includes landmark releases Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon. The collaboration once again captures the band at their most expansive and ferocious, blending orchestral grandeur with unrelenting black metal intensity.

    The band  have unveiled a cinematic video for the track ‘Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel’. Sung in Norwegian, the song reflects  the passing of something essential from one generation to the next.

    Dimmu Borgir was formed over thirty-three years ago in Norway by its remaining members, vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Silenoz. They took their name from an Icelandic volcanic formation that translates to “Dark Cities.” Known as a major influence in the symphonic and black metal scene, they themselves draw inspiration from bands like Celtic Frost, Dethroned, and even Iron Maiden. Over the years, they’ve gone through several lineup changes and have released ten albums, with their latest, “Grand Serpent Rising,” on the horizon.


    Watch the video for ‘Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel’ here:



    Listen to ‘Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel’ here: https://dimmuborgir.bfan.link/ulvgjeld-blodsodel

    Pre-order Grand Serpent Rising here: https://dimmuborgir.bfan.link/grandserpentrising










    In October 2026,: DIMMU BORGIR will team up with fellow Death Metal overlords, BEHEMOTH  on the ‘In League With Satan‘ Co-Headline Tour, storming across Europe . As special guests, the Swedish black metal icons Dark Funeral will probably make this event more terrifying than it already is.


    TOUR DATES
    IN LEAGUE WITH SATAN TOUR 2026


    09 Oct 2026 – Zurich, Switzerland – Halle 622
    10 Oct 2026 – Zwickau, Germany – Sparkassen-Arena Zwickau
    11 Oct 2026 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
    13 Oct 2026 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
    14 Oct 2026 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
    16 Oct 2026 – Paris, France – Zenith
    18 Oct 2026 – Den Bosch, Netherlands – Mainstage
    20 Oct 2026 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
    22 Oct 2026 – Hamburg, Germany – Inselpark Arena
    23 Oct 2026 – Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
    24 Oct 2026 – Brno, Czech Republic – Hala Vodova
    27 Oct 2026 – Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall
    29 Oct 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – B-K
    30 Oct 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – K.B. Hallen


    TICKETS: www.dimmu-borgir.com/tour



    LINE UP:
    Shagrath – vocals
    Silenoz – guitars
    Damage – guitars
    Victor – bass
    Gerlioz – keyboards
    Daray – drums




    DIMMU BORGIR ONLINE:
    https://www.facebook.com/dimmuborgir
    http://www.instagram.com/dimmuborgir
    https://www.youtube.com/user/dimmuborgir
    https://x.com/dimmuborgir
    https://www.dimmu-borgir.com/


  • William Shatner’s Metal Album Will Feature Judas Priest’s Rob Halford

    halford_shatner

    Star Trek actor and pop culture icon William Shatner is dipping his toes into the world of heavy metal at 95 years old and he’s enlisted the assistance of someone 21 years his junior — Rob Halford of Judas Priest.

    Earlier today, it was announced that Halford would be working with the Shat on a reimagined version of the classic Judas Priest song “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.” According to the announcement, the track will feature “Shatner’s unmistakable spoken-word intensity with Halford’s soaring, powerhouse vocals, creating a bold and unexpected take on one of heavy metal’s most enduring tracks.”

    I, for one, can’t wait for the absolutely unhinged Shatner energy this project’s going to have — especially now that Halford’s going to be involved. In a prepared statement, Shatner said he was thrilled to have someone like the “Metal God” involved in his project.

    “I’ve always been drawn to the energy and storytelling of heavy metal. Working with Rob on this track brings that intensity to life in a way that feels both timeless and entirely new.”

    Apparently, the album’s going to have a who’s who of names attached to it. We’re talking the likes of Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne), Ritchie Blackmore, Edgar Froese (Tangerine Dream), Wayne Kramer (MC5), and Henry Rollins (Black Flag, The Rollins Band).

    Likewise, it sounds like Halford is excited to be involved as well. I mean, I would put money on the fact that Halford at least enjoys Star Trek in some capacity, so it would be like working with a hero. But that might be a little projection on my part…

    “One life I’m gonna live it up!’ William Shatner is boldly doing that more than ever, and I am honored to reinforce this message with him – ‘taking flight I said I’ll never get enough!’”

    There’s not a whole lot else to go on about this record. It’s currently in production and it will feature other high-profile collaborations and reworking of classic metal songs.

    If this isn’t the best/worst thing to come out in the metal scene whenever it does, I’ll be shocked.

    The post William Shatner’s Metal Album Will Feature Judas Priest’s Rob Halford appeared first on MetalSucks.

  • Classic Cover: Lipz – “Straight Up” (original by Paula Abdul)

    Swedish glam rockers Lipz have decided to take a trip back to the late 80s for their latest single. The band have just released a beefed-up cover of Paula Abdul’s massive hit “Straight Up”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. If you were expecting a synth-pop dance routine, think again – the band have well … Continue reading Classic Cover: Lipz – “Straight Up” (original by Paula Abdul)
  • OBEY THE SUN: Desert Ritual

    Out 3, April 2026 Via Eclipse Records Words by: Arlena Laessaari Obey The Sun, a Hungarian grunge metal band, is set to drop their latest EP Desert Ritual and it is every bit as headstrong and grungy as their underground reputation suggests. Formed in 2020, the four-piece comprised of vocalist Tamás Orbán-Ducos, guitarist Péter Szmolnik, […]
  • Aggressive Perfector – Come Creeping Fiends Review

    In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

    If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

    “Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

    Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

    Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.


    Rating: 3.5/5.0
    DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Dying Victims
    Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
    Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

    The post Aggressive Perfector – Come Creeping Fiends Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

  • Shadowvale – Shadowvale (Review)

    This is the debut album from UK sludge metallers Shadowvale. After Shadowvale’s revelatory performance at last year’s Mangata Festival, this has been a release to watch out for.  Well, it’s now here, so the question that presents itself is this – was it worth the wait? Have Shadowvale  managed to deliver the goods and live … Continue reading “Shadowvale – Shadowvale (Review)”