After their last two successful albums “Abrahadabra,” and “Eonian” and the remixed version of “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia,” DIMMU BORGIR herald their 30-year legacy by releasing, together for the first time, a collection of their cover songs. “Inspiratio Profanus” features a covers from, TWISTED SISTER, DEEP PURPLE, VENOM and electrifying renditions from the legendary CELTIC FROST, as well as other immensely influential artists. The album has nine songs.

“Black Metal” is first. It’s a relatively simple song that most Metalheads know from VENOM. DIMMU’s take on this trashy Black rocker is accurate and original. “Satan My Master” is one that am not familiar with. It’s a two minute song with another easy flowing riff and straightforward sound, and DIMMU adds their own flavor to the track. “Dead Men Don’t Rape” is another song that I am not familiar with. While many Metalheads were busy digging into these early Metal songs, I was listening to the classics from KISS, MAIDEN, PRIEST, and RUSH. “Nocturnal Fear” is yet another early classic that the band interprets in a linear manner.

“Burn in Hell” is a TWISTED SISTER song that I remember from the 1980’s, perhaps a bit uncharacteristic from most of their inventory. Of course, it fits well with a band like DIMMU BORGIR’s take. The best part is probably the vocals. “Perfect Strangers” is of course a DEEP PURPLE song that you would have to live under a rock not to know. The iconic opening keyboards are matched perfectly, while the vocals are a combination of clean and harsh, giving the song a bit of their own personality. “Metal Heart” is an ACCEPT classic, and I feel that too many Metalheads don’t know enough about this band. It’s a great song, with a great interpretation from DIMMU BORGIR.

“Nocturnal Fear (Celtically Processed)” closes the album. Overall, this was a decent selection of cover songs for the band to process, showing their take on the classics that influenced them. But I felt the selection could have been much better…maybe some KISS, RUSH, PRIEST, or even some different Black Metal bands from back in the day? It was an honest take on these classics, but didn’t show enough flavor or character for me.