I’ve spent three years waiting in anticipation for Norway’s leading Black Metal export Dimmu Borgir to make their triumphant return to U.S. shores. I decided to make a trek out to Vegas to catch this show in all its glory. Killer lights, monstrous sound and best of all, standing room only so that I could get up close and see the band the way they were meant to be seen. The guys are currently touring in support of their latest release, In Sorte Diaboli, which has been hailed by many to be the Metal album of the year - hands down. Following a successful jaunt on the 2004 edition of Ozzfest’s mainstage, the demand for these guys has been taken to a whole new level and their then new album, Death Cult Armageddon, has since exceeded the 100,000 sales mark; which makes it the highest selling Black Metal band in the U.S. to date. While the guys were on break before beginning work on their next full-length release vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Silenoz, in an effort to tide fans over till the next album, entered the studio to re-record their highly respected masterpiece Stormblåst. Deemed The Invaluable Darkness Tour, Dimmu Borgir have put together an incredible package line-up for this current trek across North America featuring support from three distinctly different heavy music artists. Boston’s Unearth served as direct support while Los Angeles based Devildriver and Canada’s Kataklysm opened the show.

Now for me, the drive to Vegas was about four hours long and I arrived to my hotel only to find that the AC in my room wasn’t working. By the time I got it straightened out I was running a bit behind but still arrived to the venue in time to see the first band - or so I thought. It seems that some moron listed the start time on the HOB website as being 6:00pm when it was actually 5:30pm. After missing the first three songs of Kataklysm’s set and hassling with security for another 10 min., I was finally allowed to shoot the band for one song and got a few semi-decent shots popped off before they were finished. The lighting sucked as usual and the band played pretty much in the dark the whole time. They did however pack a severe punch and really had the crowd worked into a frenzy. Everything was going great until the guitar cut out right in the middle of “Slither”. They ended up playing the song again but never really got the momentum back. I spoke with Maurizio briefly back stage and he wasn’t very happy. All I can say is that even the short set that I saw was worth the four hour drive, and in spite of technical difficulties, Kataklysm brought the Metal in a mighty and powerful way. I can’t wait to see these guys on their next headlining tour where they are sure to have more time and better production.

Devildriver followed and I must say that front man Dez Fafara has come along way since his days with the Nu-metal outfit Coal Chamber. In fact those days are more or less a distant memory when you look and hear what he is bringing to the table these days. Devildriver are a bonafide Metal assault team that knows how to cause damage in a live setting. While trying to get my pics I had to dodge crowd surfers at least once per song. This band is brutal in their delivery and with three albums under their belt (the third due July 31) they have established themselves as mainstays in the larger scope of all things Metal. I was skeptical when they first debuted on the scene but they have definitely paid their dues and I have nothing but respect for them now.

No matter how much I’ve tried I just can’t seem to get into this whole Metalcore attitude that bands like Unearth portray in their music. I love Metal in many forms but this is just not one that I am very fond of. I can take the music alright, the music is far beyond capable of holding my interest especially if it tends to lean more toward the Metal side of things as Unearth choose to do, but the vocals are a different story as they’re somewhere in between and don’t really lock into place in my perception of what sounds good. Truth be told, I really didn’t get much out of their performance. I own the albums and actually like to listen to them with pleasure on occasion but for some reason they just weren’t very appealing to me this run. The best I can figure is that I was so excited about seeing Dimmu that I just wanted them to get off the stage. It was about this time that I was hanging my head over a beer at the bar when guitarist Buz McGrath decided to liven things up a bit by hopping up on to the bar and walking it’s entire length while playing. This of course got my attention right away as he nearly kicked my beer off the counter. Nevertheless I give huge props for his touch of rock star like showmanship. This is an attitude that has been lacking in heavy music for a long time and it totally got my attention back on the band’s performance.

At last the bewitching hour had come, in this case somewhere around 8:00pm, and Dimmu Borgir were in position to unleash hell on the crowd in attendance. When the curtain opened the band stood as giants with their horns raised high; and from the striking of the first chord I knew that this was going to be a momentous performance. Decked out in their black leather spiked garb with the trademark corpse paint in place, they tore through a set of old and new with both conviction and confidence. The stage set up was brilliantly laid out and the lighting worked magic in accentuating their visual dimensions, but it was the magnificent wall of sound that brought everything into focus and the fans to their knees. Bassist/vocalist Vortex and his sonically acute tenor voice were evenly played out in contrast to Shagrath’s demonically charged growls. Guitarists Silenoz and Galder traded licks and riffs with extreme ease and heartfelt passion. New drummer Hellhammer (ex-Mayhem) did a splendid job of beating the skins and was even allowed a solo spotlight portion where he proved his worth to any who may have had doubt as to his precision and ability to get the job done. Last but not least keyboard player Mustis, who although could not be seen from where I was standing, rounded out the symphonic edge that makes the band what they are. Among the song selections that were played were the “Serpentine Offering” from the new CD as well as classic cuts such as “Kings Of The Carnival Creation”, “Sorgens Kammer  -Del II”,  “A Succubus In Rapture” (dedicated to all the females in attendance) as well as selections from, For All Tid, and Spiritual Dark Dimensions, but to my dismay nothing from Death Cult Armageddon. I thought for sure that they’d at least throw in “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse”. Not that it detracted one bit from their performance but it would have been nice to hear something from the album that did so well and ushered in a new chapter for the band. All-in- all it was a very memorable performance and well worth the hassles it took to get there. I did get the word from Galder back stage that when they come back they plan on including more new material, I can’t wait. \m/

-Priest