Abrahadabra (album)

Abrahadabra is the eighth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released in 2010. The first single from the album, "Gateways", was released on 20 August in Europe and 24 August in North America.[8] On 14 September a video for "Gateways" was released featuring Djerv front-woman, Agnete Kjølsrud.[9] On 17 September the song "Born Treacherous" was released on Dimmu Borgir's official Myspace for streaming.[10] On 24 September the band announced they would stream Abrahadabra in its entirety, until 7 p.m. EST that evening. This would mark the first official release of all the tracks on the album.[11] The album features drummer Daray and additional keyboards by Gerlioz.

Abrahadabra
Cover art by Joachim Luetke
Studio album by
Dimmu Borgir
Released22 September 2010
StudioDug Out Studios, Uppsala, Sweden; Living Room Studios, Oslo, Norway; Pimp Plaza Recordings, Oslo, Norway; NRK Studios, Oslo, Norway
GenreSymphonic black metal
Length48:56
LabelNuclear Blast
ProducerDimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir chronology
The Invaluable Darkness
(2008)		 Abrahadabra
(2010)		 Eonian
(2018)
Singles from Abrahadabra
  1. "Gateways"
    Released: 20 August 2010
  2. "Dimmu Borgir"
    Released: 3 January 2011
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Absurd History[1]
Allmusic[2]
Metal Hammer(de) [3]
Lords of Metal(8.7/10)[4]
Fury Rocks(8.2/10)[5]
Blabbermouth.net[6]
BW&BK[7]

Track listing

All music & lyrics composed by Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder.[12]

No.TitleLength
1."Xibir" (Instrumental)2:50
2."Born Treacherous"5:02
3."Gateways"5:10
4."Chess with the Abyss"4:08
5."Dimmu Borgir"5:35
6."Ritualist"5:13
7."The Demiurge Molecule"5:29
8."A Jewel Traced Through Coal"5:16
9."Renewal"4:11
10."Endings and Continuations"5:58
Europe Limited edition
No.TitleLength
11."Gateways" (Orchestral version)5:44
Mailorder edition
No.TitleLength
11."DMDR (Dead Men Don't Rape)[13]" (GGFH cover)4:24
12."Perfect Strangers[13]" (Deep Purple cover)5:01
13."Gateways[14]" (Orchestral version)5:44
14."Dimmu Borgir[14]" (Orchestral version)5:35
15."Gateways" (Music video) 
USA Limited edition
No.TitleLength
11."Dimmu Borgir" (Orchestral version)5:35
Japanese Limited edition
No.TitleLength
11."Gateways" (Orchestral version)5:44
12."Perfect Strangers" (Deep Purple cover)5:01
iTunes edition
No.TitleLength
11."Gateways" (Orchestral version)5:44
12."The Demiurge Molecule" (Orchestral version)5:23
13."Gateways" (Music video) 
HOT TOPIC edition
No.TitleLength
11."DMDR (Dead Men Don't Rape)[13]" (GGFH cover)4:24
12."Perfect Strangers[13]" (Deep Purple cover)5:03
13."Gateways" (Music video) 

Production

Abrahadabra was in production for eleven months.[15] Silenoz explained that the growing periods of time between albums was because the band had stopped writing music while touring, which was affecting the quality of the music. He described the new album as having an "eerie and haunting feel to it," adding that the material is "epic," "primal," atmospheric and ambient. A promotional image released with the statement showed Shagrath returning to the keyboards.[16] The album features an ensemble orchestra, the Kringkastingsorkestret (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra), as well as the Schola Cantorum choir, totaling more than 100 musicians and singers.[17]

Gaute Storaas, composer of the orchestral arrangements, released a statement on his role in working on the album. “Their music is epic, thematic and symphonic already from the creation; they are clearly having an orchestral approach to composing. My role in this is sometimes just to transcribe their themes, sometimes to take their ideas, tear them apart and build them back up in ways that are true to the band's intentions. The music must also be both interesting and playable for the musicians, and hopefully, meet the quality standards of the orchestral world.”.[17]

Title and artwork

"Abrahadabra", loosely translated as "I will create as I speak", was created by author Aleister Crowley in his work Liber AL vel Legis, or The Book of the Law. This album is the second in the band's repertoire to deviate from the traditional three-word title. Silenoz explained: "[It made] a lot of sense for us to move on from that. It has served its purpose. We are a band that's all about change and moving forward. An album title consisting of one word goes hand-in-hand with the new material". In addition, Silenoz referenced the changes in the band's "musical and lyrical content", as well as changes in the band's line-up playing a role.[15]

The album cover artwork was designed by Joachim Luetke, who described the artwork's setting as "icy, bleak, wintery, [and] post-industrial". Luetke added that the central figure's mask on the cover is representative of H. P. Lovecraft's Elder Gods. "The mask/face personifies dominion of powers far beyond mankind. The nameless gods witnessed the birth of our universe and they'll watch it implode. To them, the age of mankind is but a blink of an eye".[15]

After the release of the album, the band announced that all future pressings would carry a different album cover.[18]

Musical style

As stated by guitarists, Silenoz and Galder, in an interview with Outune.net, the album presents musical influences reminiscent of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon, with more emphasis on orchestral arrangements.[19]

Lyrical content

The album's lyrics are a notable departure from the usual style that Dimmu Borgir implements. Songs contain subjects that deal with redemption, power, rebirth and astral planes, among other, more vague concepts. Rather than focus on ideas that are often panned as Satanic and offensive, the band has instead opted to use more worldly and open matters. The start of track six contains a backward message: "In Nomine dei Nostri Satanas Luciferi" (English translation: In the name of our God, Satan the Morning Star).

Personnel

Release history
Country Date
Japan 22 September 2010
Germany 24 September 2010
Europe 27 September 2010
Australia 1 October 2010
United States 12 October 2010
India 15 October 2010

Charts
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)[20] 87
Austrian Albums Chart [21] 20
Belgian Albums Chart [22] 41
Croatian Albums Chart [23] 25
Dutch Albums Chart [24] 100
European Top 100 Albums[25] 33
Finnish Albums Chart [26] 8
French Albums Chart [27] 43
German Albums Chart[28] 15
Japanese Albums Chart [29] 282
Norwegian Albums Chart [30] 2
Polish Albums Chart [31] 50
Swedish Albums Chart [32] 17
Swiss Albums Chart [33] 24
UK Albums Chart [34] 117
US Billboard 200 42

References
  1. "Absurd History review". 24 September 2010.
  2. "Allmusic review".
  3. "Metal Hammer review".
  4. "Lords of Metal review".
  5. "Fury Rocks review". Archived from the original on 2016-01-31.
  6. Alisoglu, Scott (6 November 2010). "Dimmu Borgir, "Abrahadabra"". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  7. "BW&BK review". Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  8. "DIMMU BORGIR: New Single To Be Released Next Week". blabbermouth.net. 13 August 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  9. "New Video || Dimmu Borgir- Gateways". Metalcallout.com. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  10. "Dimmu Borgir op MySpace Music – Gratis gestreamde MP3's, foto's en Videoclips". Myspace.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  11. "Dimmu Borgir- Abrahadabra: Entire New Album Streaming". Metal CallOut.
  12. "Dimmu Borgir Abrahadabra Track Listing". EspyRock.com. July 23, 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  13. "BLABBERMOUTH.NET – DIMMU BORGIR: 'Abrahadabra' Exclusive Editions Announced". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  14. "DIMMU BORGIR | Abrahadabra MAILORDER EDITION | Nuclear Blast OnlineShop". Nuclearblast.de. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  15. "Dimmu Borgir: New Album Title, Complete Artwork Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. July 9, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-07-14. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  16. "Dimmu Borgir Working On 'Grand, Huge, Epic And Primal' New Album". Blabbermouth.net. January 31, 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  17. Burkart, Gregory (June 2, 2010). "Dimmu Borgir Reveal New Album Info". Fearnet. Horror Entertainment, LLC. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  18. "Cover change post release". 3 November 2010.
  19. "DIMMU BORGIR Guitarists Discuss 'Abrahadabra' In New Video Interview – Sep. 21, 2010". 2010-09-21. Archived from the original on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  20. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 82.
  21. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  22. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  23. "Top of the Shops – službena tjedna lista prodanih albuma u Hrvatskoj". Hdu-toplista.com. 2010-12-20. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  24. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  25. "Billboard - Music Charts, News, Photos & Video". Billboard.
  26. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  27. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". lescharts.com. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  28. "Album Top 50". MTV. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  29. "ディム・ボガーのCDアルバムランキング、ディム・ボガーのプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  30. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  31. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra – Music Charts". Acharts.us. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  32. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  33. Steffen Hung. "Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  34. Tobias Zywietz. "The Official Zobbel Homepage". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
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