Death Cult Armageddon

Dimmu Borgir

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 2003)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
• ASIN: B0000AN196
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,932 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The band recorded Death Cult Armageddon with a full-blown orchestra, this time with a forty-eight piece orchestra from Prague. Returning with manic axe-man Galder (founder/mastermind of Old Man's Child) and arguably metal's finest skinsman, Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Old Man's Child), both of whom joined the band on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, Dimmu Borgir continue on the path with their all-star line-up towards domination! Nuclear Blast. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something old AND something new, September 8, 2005

By	A. Stutheit "Teyad" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

For their eighth studio album, Dimmu Borgir got a little more creative. They reached into their bag of tricks and pulled out a 48-piece philharmonic orchestra/choir from Prague. They then blended this orchestra in with their sterile black metal. The result was an album which is considered by most to be their best and most creative work to date. The orchestra, which helps to make "Death Cult Armageddon" sound epic and expansive, is sprinkled on, alongside some female backing vocals. Plus, some keyboards are wisely thrown in.

The orchestra really shines on track two, "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse," where some cool piano playing makes an entrance. This song also balances clean singing (which is a rare occurrence) and snarly vocals well. "Blood Hunger Doctrine" combines more crunchy riffs and keyboards, and it ends with a single, cold note from a piano. And after the blistering guitar work and driving drums are over, "Cataclysm Children" turns to piano playing (which actually sounds rather pretty, here). Finally, track nine, "Eradication Instincts Defined," combines peaceful choir singing with violins and a brass horn of some kind.

But if you're looking for some great, old school black metal, it remains in tact here, as well. "Vredesbyrd" has machine gun riffs which almost bob in places. "For the World..." has more propulsive riffs and fast, all over the place drumming, and "Allehelgens Dod I Helveds Rike" features drumming which is so fast, it sounds like it could be a drum machine.

So, "Death Cult Armageddon" is full of fiery riffs, inhumanly talented drumming, and snarly vocals, but it also has some ear candy. The final sound is very full and explosive. Thus, this album is for all types of Dimmu Borgir fans, because if you're looking for something new, "Death Cult Armageddon" brings some innovation to the table; but it also has plenty of head banging worthy material to please old school fans.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Newer stuff keeps on getting better...., December 5, 2005

By	Switchblade Metalman (California, USA) - See all my reviews

Dimmu Borgir is -

Vocal - Shagrath
Guitar - Silenoz
Guitar - Galder
Bass - Vortex
Keyboard - Mustis
Drums - Nicholas Barker

Dimmu Borgir was formed in 1993 by Shagrath and Galder and have not cease to amaze and dazzle fans since then. Dimmu Borgir has yet produced another symphonic metal masterpiece. This time they brought in a 48 piece orchestra from Prague, which includes a full brass section. This new cd features fantastic production, different from many other black metal bands. But there is the contreversy: Does poor production classify you in the black metal subgenre? I didn't think so. These guys are as black as it gets, and their musicianship proves it. Shagrath's voice has improved much, and is more demonic and evil than ever before. I think this cd show's off his best vocals. A downfall is that Vortex's clean singing isn't as exposed on this cd as it is on their previous cd's. When it is sung though, ex: "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse", it is as hauntingly mesmerizing as ever.

"DCA's" songs are also "musically round" on this album, kudos to the orchestra. "Allegiance" starts the cd off with sort of a march like song. It's not like other two minute intros cd's usually have but is a full song instead. "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" is the best song on this album. The intro is filled with breakdown guitars and the orchestra filling it up in the background. "Leper's Among Us" has an intro like I've never seen Dimmu use before, but Galder plays it off well. The most appealing tracks to me are:

"Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" - (love the brass section)
"Vredesbyrd" - (awesome chorus breakdown)
"Blood Hunger Doctine" - (if you listen close, you can hear the French Horns pull off a vibrato in the middle of the song)
"Cataclysm Children" - (awesome rythym once Shagrath starts singing)

Basically, this cd contains "lightening fast demonically possessed" drumming by Nick, wicked vocal solos by Vortex, and intense throat thlash singing by Shagrath. These guys are seriously musically talented, and should be more worldly known.
This is a definite MUST HAVE cd by Dimmu Borgir. PICK IT UP, YOU WON"T REGRET IT!!!!

John

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Death Cult Armagedon, September 15, 2004

By	Rebecca Lyle (Garland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I own every Dimmu Borgir album to date, and this has got to be my favorate. The 48 piece orchestra really helps add to the music by giving it that epic feel. They really did a great job in combining the orchestrated instruments with the band. Also, the keyboarding in this is fantastic, Mustis really has a good idea as to what he is doing. Mr. Barker is the same monster behind the kit, but I feel like he really took the backseat on this album when compared to Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Galder and Silenoz come up with some great riffs, some of which are the heaviest Dimmu Borgir has ever done. Vortex is a great bass player with many fills and an epic singer. Vortex does the clean vocals once again and never fails to amaze. Though I would have liked to have heard a little more of Vortex's singing as it is quite limited on this album. Shagrath is a monster. This album holds my favorate performance from Shagrath, who snarls grimey, misanthropic poetry all throughout. Overall, this is an epic masterpiece for any fan of the neo-black metal genre. Highly recommended.