Feature: Four Christian Metal Alternatives to Dimmu Borgir
Black metal was never really meant to be popular. By its very nature, black metal was anti-everything in almost every way possible. Spawning from the schlock theatrics of bands like Venom and Bulldozer, it suddenly became an altogether more serious thing. Bands like Bathory, Sarcofago, Tormentor and the infamous Mayhem began to emerge, and suddenly black metal was no longer just about aesthetics. Anyone remotely familiar with the history of the genre knows what happened next.
But what’s interesting about it all was that, in spite of itself, black metal became a big thing. Even stranger was that the bands who really rose to mainstream stardom, if you will, were the ones that expanded the scope of black metal from being primitive, chaotic and feral into something altogether more grand, incorporating symphonic and classical elements into a sound that one would think would be entirely at odds with such musical chemistry. The standout band, aside from Emperor, in this regard are arguably Dimmu Borgir. Loved by many, loathed by probably more, but their presence is inescapable in black metal’s history.
It is their popularity and their ubiquitousness that made me think of this article in the first place. A lot of metalheads go to my church parish, and I sometimes get asked about Christian alternatives to secular bands. I know that just by saying this, it will garner me a few “See, Christian metal is just the tofu version of the real stuff” style comments, and that’s fine if someone thinks that; I would only respond that they’ve obviously not heard Christian metal before.
But I think there are many out there who really don’t know where to start when it comes to finding bands that align more with their Christian worldview (or at the very least, don’t attack it), and are looking for some solid bands in a similar style to what they liked before.
Back to the point. Dimmu Borgir were at one point, one of the most, if not the most, popular black metal band in the metal mainstream as far as I know, and love them or hate them, they’ve established themselves as giants of the style, even if their relevance nowadays has been superseded by blackened death metal acts like Behemoth and “religious” black metallers Watain.
This isn’t a list that offers nice, squeaky clean Christian alternatives so one can listen to black metal that’s “safe.” It’s a list that offers four alternatives for Christian headbangers who like the style, but importantly, wish to listen to something that aligns more with their faith. With that said, there’s others out there of course, but this short list should get you more than started.
Cerimonial Sacred
Cerimonial Sacred, a two-piece band (plus session members) from Brazil, are the first band to come to mind when I think of a Christian alternative to Dimmu Borgir, without question. Nothing about this band is subtle when it comes to the symphonics, and they have no problem in melding all sorts of orchestral elements into their music in grand proportions. Covered in corpse paint and armour, they definitely bring to mind band photos from the early days of Dimmu Borgir’s career back in the 90’s.
If you’re a fan of Dimmu classics like Stormblast and Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, you will definitely dig the band’s first album, Our War is Only Against Hell. Like Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, it has the manic keyboard fits over blastbeats approach, but it also dives into piano-led classical styles as well that are reminiscent of Stormblast to a degree. Like Stormblast, Cerimonial Sacred aren’t afraid to slow things down sometimes, with songs like “Tears of a Christian Hero” descending into an unnerving groove replete with some of the most unsettling black metal snarls going.
For those who just can’t get enough of what Dimmu Borgir’s been doing since Spiritual Black Dimensions, I introduce you to Cerimonial Sacred’s second full-length, Christ Worshippers. It’s pretty amazing that this band managed to approximate the huge sound of Dimmu Borgir’s later records with what I would assume to be a much smaller budget. Ditching the more raw edges heard on their debut, Christ Worshippers expands into an epic black metal symphony that will have fans of the approach loving every second of it.
Nephesh
Colombian band Nephesh were obviously inspired by the more pretentious side of Dimmu Borgir’s late ’90’s/early 2000’s material, an approach that combined a sense of the post-modern, urban and industrial with black metal’s roots. It was a sound that was praised and hated all at the same time, but it was a sound that vaulted Dimmu Borgir into black metal stardom when they released their controversial record, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Nephesh were obviously listening, and did their own take on the contemporary symphonic metal style that Dimmu Borgir was peddling in the early 2000’s. Inter Armas Silent Leges, their sole full-length record, manages to capture both the grandiosity of Dimmu Borgir’s Spiritual Black Dimensions while incorporating the symphony-driven aggression of albums like Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon.
Crimson Moonlight
Most who know of Crimson Moonlight probably know of them more as a hyper-aggressive, traditional Swedish black metal act more in the vein of Marduk and Skald in Veum than anything remotely resembling symphonic black metal. But their early period demonstrates a marked Dimmu Borger-influence that I would say is pretty hard to ignore.
For those who love Dimmu’s classic Enthrone Darkness Triumphant album, I would highly recommend giving a listen to Eternal Emperor, the band’s first EP. Stylistically in a very similar vein to the former, it also boasts a much less polished production that gives the record a raw edge, something I quite enjoy personally. However, if you’re looking for a sound more similar to Dimmu Borgir’s more aggressive moments on their late ’90’s to early 2000’s period, The Covenant Progress will serve you well with its mixture of symphonics, Swedish hyperblasting, and medieval-esque acoustic moments that will surely bring a smile to the Stormblast fans among you.
Bleakwail
Not a lot of Dimmu Borgir fans, I think, really talk about that band’s early records; I mean, Stormblast and their debut album For All Tid. In comparison with what the band would later go for, stylistically, these albums were incredibly understated, almost low key and slow-paced affairs that eschewed aggression for a much more stately, almost baroque approach to black metal. Though the band would later be maligned as sellouts after the release of the iconic “pop” black metal album, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, these two albums were highly original in their approach to what was otherwise a very raw, iconoclastic and confrontational form of metal. Where several Christian bands, I feel drew some influence from Dimmu Borgir’s later, more established style of the late ’90’s onward, I feel that Bleakwail have something to offer those who are or were fans of Dimmu’s earliest sounds. The slow, almost ponderous pace is maintained on Bleakwail’s Songs of Sorrow EP, an unabashedly doomy, gothic take on the black metal style that manages to capture the almost melancholic tone of early Dimmu Borgir, but gives it more weight and muscle.
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