Dimmu Borgir Grand Serpent Rising
Dimmu Borgir's Grand Serpent Rising returns the band to the towering symphonic black metal they helped define, balancing cinematic orchestration with razor-sharp riffs and ferocious drumming. Across five professional reviews that yield an 81.2/100 consensus score, critics repeatedly point to a confident comeback built
The best song is “Ascent” because its opening riff immediately signals a triumphant return and showcases Silenoz's renewed riff-writing.
The album's core strengths are tightened arrangements, a balance of earthiness and grandeur, and confident, immersive writing.
Best for listeners looking for comeback and return to roots, starting with Ascent and Phantom of the Nemesis.
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Full consensus notes
Dimmu Borgir's Grand Serpent Rising returns the band to the towering symphonic black metal they helped define, balancing cinematic orchestration with razor-sharp riffs and ferocious drumming. Across five professional reviews that yield an 81.2/100 consensus score, critics repeatedly point to a confident comeback built on scope and precision rather than reinvention. For readers asking "is Grand Serpent Rising good?" the consensus leans positive: reviewers praise its clarity, ambition, and several instant standout songs.
Critics consistently single out “Ascent” as the record's kinetic centerpiece, applauding its scything riffs, iconic screams, and immediate charisma; “Phantom of the Nemesis” and “Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel” also emerge as repeatedly praised highlights for their unsettling orchestral textures and melodic heft. Reviewers note the album's grandiosity and length - the 69-minute runtime and complex arrangements reward patience, though some argue a tighter edit might sharpen impact. Across professional reviews, recurring themes include a return to form, the tension between orchestration and raw aggression, and inventive riff work that recalls the band's earlier era.
While a couple of critics flag occasional moments of gothic theatricality or restrained orchestral choices, the prevailing narrative frames Grand Serpent Rising as a triumphant, refined comeback that favors scale and compositional craft. The record's combination of melodic hooks, cinematic arrangements, and punishing rhythms positions it as one of Dimmu Borgir's more assured releases in recent years, and a rewarding listen for those seeking the best songs on Grand Serpent Rising and a clear critical consensus to guide them.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Ascent
5 mentions
"Once ‘Ascent’ hits you with that first riff, you know you're in for an absolute treat."— Sputnik Music
Phantom of the Nemesis
3 mentions
"leap out of the mix to imbue a thunderous dimension missing from Eonian ("The Qryptfarer," "Phantom of the Nemesis")"— Angry Metal Guy
Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
3 mentions
"Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel witnesses the return of their native tongue"— Distored Sound Magazine
Once ‘Ascent’ hits you with that first riff, you know you're in for an absolute treat.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Tridentium
Ascent
As Seen in the Unseen
The Qryptfarer
Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
Repository of Divine Transmutation
Slik Minnes en Alkymist
Phantom of the Nemesis
The Exonerated
Recognizant
At the Precipice of Convergence
Shadows of a Thousand Perceptions
Gjǫll
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
I came into this review as a lifelong fan and Dimmu Borgir's Grand Serpent Rising reads like a triumphant return to form, led by rippers such as “Ascent” and “As Seen in the Unseen”. The record feels like the band reclaiming its early-2000s identity, with Silenoz's creative riffs and bombastic synths restored to glorious effect. The tone is ecstatic but measured, celebrating tight performances and sinister inventiveness that make these the best songs on Grand Serpent Rising. This is not reinvention, it is vindication, and it lands as one of Dimmu's finest efforts in years.
Key Points
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The best song is “Ascent” because its opening riff immediately signals a triumphant return and showcases Silenoz's renewed riff-writing.
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The album's core strength is its restoration of bombastic synths and inventive, sinister riffs that recall Dimmu's early-2000s peak.
Themes
Di
Critic's Take
DIMMU BORGIR return on Grand Serpent Rising with a knowing command of scale and menace, and the best songs — like “Tridentium”, “Ascent” and “The Qryptfarer” — seize attention with dramatic orchestration and infectious intensity. Dan McHugh’s prose is eager and exact; he praises how “Tridentium” grasps the listener from the outset, how “Ascent” bursts with iconic raspy screams and emphatic hooks, and how “The Qryptfarer” twists with unpredictable tempos and proficient piano. The review reads as admiration for a band still refining their signature hallmarks, noting both lavish orchestration and razor-sharp production. For listeners searching for the best tracks on Grand Serpent Rising, these cuts consistently illustrate why the album feels like a confident return.
Key Points
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The best song moments like "Tridentium" captivate with dramatic orchestration and an evocative opening.
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The album’s core strengths are lavish symphonic arrangements, razor-sharp production, and consistent aggressive songwriting.
Themes
Bl
Critic's Take
Dimmu Borgir's Grand Serpent Rising reads like a triumphant reclamation, equal parts calculated grandeur and visceral bite. The review revels in the immediacy of “Ascent”, which erupts with scything riffs and suffocating charisma, and lauds “Phantom of the Nemesis” as a certified album highlight for its florid, unsettling orchestral use. Longer epics such as “The Qryptfarer” and “The Exonerated” are praised for hammering home the band's absurdly sophisticated formula. Overall the critic frames the best tracks on Grand Serpent Rising as potent proof that the band have returned sharper, more earthbound, and devastatingly confident.
Key Points
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The best song is “Ascent” for its eruptive riffs, suffocating charisma, and newfound rawness.
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The album's core strengths are tightened arrangements, a balance of earthiness and grandeur, and confident, immersive writing.
Themes
An
Critic's Take
Dimmu Borgir return on Grand Serpent Rising with a baroque, symphonic black metal triumph that foregrounds lush orchestrations and thunderous drums. The review revels in moments like “The Qryptfarer” and “Phantom of the Nemesis” where Daray's drums and integrated keyboards add palpable heft, and highlights tracks such as “Repository of Divine Transmutation” and “Ascent” for their striking intros and solos. The writer admires the band refining rather than reinventing their sound, praising soaring melodies on “Slik Minnes en Alkymist” and crystalline cleans on “As Seen in the Unseen” as evidence the Serpent still strikes with majesty. While noting the album's 69-minute runtime could be trimmed, the tone remains celebratory: Grand Serpent Rising rewards patience and repeated listens, and is among the band's better-sounding records.
Key Points
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The Qryptfarer stands out for its thunderous drums and mix presence, making it a top track.
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Grand Serpent Rising's core strengths are lush orchestrations, refined arrangements, and melodic guitar work.
Themes
Critic's Take
Never knowingly light on grandiosity, Dimmu Borgir deliver on Grand Serpent Rising with several standout moments, most notably “Tridentium” and “Ascent”. The reviewer's voice lingers on the cinematic sweep of “Tridentium” as an opening scene-setter, then hails the breakneck riffing and frenzied blastbeats that make “Ascent” a thrilling rush. There is admiration for the album's range - from the challenging shifts of “As Seen in the Unseen” to the near-perfect assembly on “Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel”. Caveats arrive in equal measure, as the orchestration is selectively dialled back and tracks like “The Qryptfarer” flirt with gothic campness rather than sustained grandeur.
Key Points
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The best song is the energetic “Ascent” because of its breakneck riffing and frenzied blastbeats.
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Album strengths are ambitious grandiosity and cinematic songwriting, tempered by selective orchestration and occasional overwrought moments.