1234 - Dimmu Borgir Progenies of the Great Apocalypse 2003

Dimmu Borgir unleashed the stunningly impressive "Death Cult Armageddon" in 2003. The CD booklet boasts an artist's rendering of a twisted metal machination surrounded by a sea of skulls and bones, which is a perfect analogy for the trajectory of Dimmu's musical vision -- immense, strange, and jutting in all directions, an imposing and powerful monstrosity that's the concoction of a few brilliantly twisted minds. The song Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse's mixture of film score-worthy orchestral music and black metal runs throughout the entirety of 'Death Cult Armageddon'. Although the symphonic sound is nothing new to metal, only a few bands have the dedication and resources to commission a full-blown orchestra to fulfill their sound, and it is realized beautifully here.