Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (2007)

     If it's possible for a band to hit an apex twice in their career, Dimmu Borgir conquered that exact feat with this highly evolved symphonic album "In Sorte Diaboli".

     Though throughout the years, Dimmu have always proven to consistently evolve their sound and production quality, "In Sorte Diaboli" did not come without criticism from long time fans. Many considered the album to be significantly less symphonic than it's predecessors, and it certainly doesn't measure up to the gritty, more lyrically complex albums such as Stormblast or Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. It's not unknown for black metal fans to hiss and jeer at even the thought of a band taking a different creative approach to a new album. However, it's this metalheads humble opinion that the cleaner production quality and more streamlined approach to their songs and their order are what make "In Sorte Diaboli" such a beautiful album.

     One of Dimmu's most revered and most live played songs, The Serpentine Offering come from this album, and it holds a heavier orchestral presence that, from a creative standpoint, sets the tone for the entire album. Although Dimmu certainly took this concept album and attempted to perhaps appeal to a larger, more commercial audience, listening from a place where you can understand the evolution of music and their performers, In Sorte Diaboli is an energetic, memorable album.