ALBUM REVIEW: Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (reissue) – Dimmu Borgir
It’s easy to forget how terrifying Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia was when it first came out. Back in 2001, DIMMU BORGIR’s first masterpiece helped them escape the black metal underground and was often compared to CRADLE OF FILTH. But where Dani Filth’s lads were clearly having fun, DIMMU BORGIR felt like the real deal. They took their blasphemous symphonies seriously and the album art was straight out of Clive Barker’s nightmares. It was as if hell itself had belched them out into the mortal realm and for a generation of metalheads who missed the rise of MAYHEM, DIMMU BORGIR sounded genuinely dangerous.
That isn’t the case any longer. In the decades since, they’ve become an international metal institution with a string of successful tours and albums under their belts. Band leader Shagrath is quite the showman too, and whenever they play live he is clearly fixated on ensuring everyone has a good time. When his contemporaries are drenched in blood and bringing severed pig’s heads onstage, it’s hard to feel scared by a guy who plays alongside a corpse-painted symphony orchestra. You can go to a DIMMU BORGIR show in 2022 and not worry that your skin will blister the next time you visit a church.
However, while their image may have softened, their fifth studio album is still a monumental piece of work. DIMMU BORGIR have made better records, but this was where they first started to demonstrate their greatness. Wisely, this remixed and remastered edition doesn’t mess with it very much. The production has been tightened and the mixes levelled out, but for the most part, this is indistinguishable from the first edition. Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia didn’t need this new coat of paint, but it’s still a really useful engine.
It goes without saying that the likes of Puritania and Hybrid Stigmata now sound bigger and beefier. We could be imagining it, but the symphonic elements seem to be playing a greater role, and the guitars have a forceful tactility that wasn’t always present in the originals. Shagrath’s unholy proclamations are theatrical and entertaining, and the full weight of Satan’s legions is behind him. IndoctriNation is especially hard-hitting, and Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny feels massive.
In fact, the only place this version doesn’t measure up is on the instrumental Perfection Or Vanity. This one was always a foreboding and sinister track, but it loses something here. It’s grandiose and cinematic, but it’s not as intensely dark as the original. They’ve accidentally buffed off too much and while it sounds great, it just isn’t evil anymore. At the opposite end of the spectrum, this re-release also has demo versions of all the principal tracks to enjoy. These are more for the completists; some folks may prefer their scrappy enthusiasm to their shiny big brothers, but they’re definitely an optional extra rather than the main event. They have a certain charm, but there’s not much reason to revisit them.
Ultimately though, Puritanical Euphoric Mistanthropia is one of those rare essential albums. It is a huge achievement and if you have even the slightest interest in black metal, you must check this out if you haven’t already. It’s a classic of dark, symphonic metal, even if it doesn’t make us hide behind the sofa anymore. Oh, and that TWISTED SISTER cover is still freaking awesome.
Rating: 9/10
Puritanical Euphoric Mistanthropia is set for release on October 28th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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