Like a raging fire burning out of control, so goes the windswept fury of "Spiritual Black Dimensions," "Dimmu Borgir's" latest and most impressive entry into the black metal market. One of the most anticipated releases of the year, coinciding with that of the equally important release from one of their most stiff competitors, Emperor, "Dimmu Borgir" has met all of the advance hype and expectations laid forth for them. An advanced piece of workmanship here, far beyond those of mere mortal black metal artists, there's a strong dose of reality that sets in when listening to this record. On the one hand, it's brutally heavy, raw and aggressive, yet at the same time highly creative and atmospheric sounding, very much like them, very personal in nature - or their view from the dark side some might say, yet nothing you've heard of before.

Titillating instrumental breakdowns and a churning organ serves to drown out whatever chance an uptempo chorus might've had to surface. All the while, a horde of sinister vocals firmly knock you cold as you sneak a quick look "Behind The Curtains Of Night," and soon enter the malevolent world of the "Dreamside Dominions," which features a guest vocal spot by Borknagar/Arcturus' Simen Hestnaes.

This may be shaping up to be "Dimmu Borgir's" year, since they've just headlined the opening day of the recent two day arch Metal Meltdown that took place in N.J. a few weeks ago, and were unquestionably one of the event's highlights. Still fueled by the eagerness to succeed on their own terms, and bring the black metal genre to the next level of respectability that it's come to deserve in recent years, "Spiritual Black Dimensions" offers no easy way out, nor any overdrawn gothic appeal. When you hear someone speak of "maturity" or "accessibility" that's the first thing that creeps into your mind. Let me put it this way - Paradise Lost! At the same time, it's hard not to envision a twisted presentation of a classically written, demonically inspired, opera that sucks you in and delivers you straight to the fiery depths below, amidst the blood- curdling screams of past victims longing for a return to the safe haven above.

Will listeners find "Dimmu Borgir's" new release similar to spending a day in Hell? Well, maybe not for a whole day, but at least until the music's stopped. There's not a moment that goes by where the music presented here isn't at the least ambitiously intense. From the uproarious opening of "Reptile" (and by the looks of the cover booklet pictorials, "open" is a painfully fitting term of use here), fans will feel an immediate feeling of elation sweep through them as they take a slow, transient walk through eerie corridors, frightful enough to make even the devil himself roll over in bed!

There aren't many black metal artists that can be counted for keeping themselves in with elitist company because there simply isn't enough diversity or musical quality in the core for there to be a large enough number. But Norway's "Dimmu Borgir" have done, and are continuing to do just that, firmly placing themselves right at the top with the likes of the aforementioned Emperor and Cradle of Filth. Look for their upcoming tour of the world which will quite likely bring an abominable end to things as they exist.