After a tremendous Death Cult Armageddon and around four years break, DIMMU BORGIR release their seventh album In Sorte Diaboli, which will hit the stores on April 24th in North America and on Aril 27th in Europe. Even before listening, this album innovates by using a concept theme lyricswise and through the participation of Hellhammer in drums.  
Now, no matter how many times we fall into the trap of asking meaningless questions like 'is this black metal or what?', the point is that these guys seem to have endless inspiration and give to words fury and rage, combined with a dark melodic atmosphere, a whole different meaning. In Sorte Diaboli is DIMMU BORGIR's first concept album, where the story is set in medieval Europe and according to Silenoz has as a main theme a priest's assistant that he just discovers that he has nothing to do with Christianity, he has this awakening and realizes that he has different abilities and different powers and is leans more and more to the dark side. The production of this album is once again an excellent piece of work, having pointed out the great job of Hellhammer in drums, the inspired keyboard harmonies and Shagrath's vocal lines, where his screeches and growls are more evil and menacing than ever before and create an ideal contrast with Vortex's characteristic vocal shade.
In Sorte Diaboli begins with, according to my opinion, the most commercial track The Serpentine Offering, which is also chosen for the first videoclip of this release and slowly unfolds to more heavy and dark elements, never stopping to surprise us with its unique way to combine so many different sounds and styles in such a successful way. I have pointed out tracks like The Conspiracy Unfolds and The Sacrilegious Scorn, as well as the amazing The Sinister Awakening and the The Invaluable Darkness, although I have my reservations concerning the interlude The Fallen Arise, where it might somehow serve the needs of the story of this album, but in my ears sounds completely irrelevant with the whole atmosphere it creates.
DIMMU BORGIR have showed once again what they are capable of, have proved the multidimensional air of their abilities and managed to maintain the high position they gained throughout the years. What more can a metal fan ask..?