Artist: Vargrav
Country: Finland
Label: Werewolf Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2026
Three years have passed since Vargrav released their third record ‘The Nighthold’. A time in which things have changed. For the band, who went from a fearsome four to just a core duo of mastermind v-Khaoz and vocalist Werwolf. But also in the Symphonic Black Metal landscape, where it feels as if the storm of rejuvenation of the genre started by Vargrav’s debut ‘Netherstorm’ has died down a little, certainly in terms of quality releases. A time also where my view on the genre has somewhat changed.
I still stand by my exceedingly positive review of ‘The Nighthold’, but I will happily admit that it’s not an album I’ve revisited much since the release. The lengthy nature of the tracks and the album, plus the increased level of complexity of the music make it an album that I haven’t hooked into nearly as much as the stellar ‘Netherstorm’. To a point where the news of the new Vargrav album ‘Dimension: Daemonium‘ only met me with lukewarm enthusiasm.
After spending substantial time with it, I would say I’ve warmed up to the latest Vargrav album. ‘Dimension: Daemonium‘ is an album that fits seamlessly within the discography of the band, blending the perpetual influence of early Emperor with late 90’s Dimmu Borgir. In particular the keys and bombast remind me of ‘Enthrone Darkness Triumphant’ and ‘Spiritual Black Dimensions’ more than on any previous Vargrav records. As a whole, ‘Dimension: Daemonium‘ feels a little bit more stripped down and keyboard-centred, making the array riffs a little bit less dominant and shifting. Instead, the variety is more than ever in pace, incorporating more lower tempo breaks, and in the atmosphere. With it comes a more digestible length of the album, with eight tracks spanning around 42 minutes of material, substantially less than the hour-long ‘The Nighthold’.
All of these changes make ‘Dimension: Daemonium‘ an album that is easier to latch onto. While the “You are not prepared” of the intro is a little bit too pretentious in my book, the overall quality of the tracks is highly consistent and instantly recognisable. The raw guitar sound is slightly obscured behind the whistling keys and relentless drums, and Werwolf’s vocals as always are uniquely spewed forth. In some songs clean vocals join the fray to add to the melancholy or bombast of the song, such as for instance in ‘Ablaze Upon the Nocturnal Realms’. ‘Moonfrost Storms’ is a track where the parallels with Dimmu Borgir are stronger than ever, reminding me of a mix of ‘In Death’s Embrace’ off of ‘Enthrone Darkness Triumphant’ and ‘Dreamside Dominions’ from ‘Spiritual Black Dimensions’. In particular a song like ‘The Gates of my Dimension’ is nothing but excellent, and a showcase of the quality of the band. Consistent between most tracks is a pattern of building up intensity, deconstructing to the essence and reconstructing going on that makes the album an engaging affair. Perhaps outside ‘Bleeding Galaxies’ and ‘Dragons of Nightmare’, two tracks that feel a little bit less eventful.
At the end of the day ‘Dimension: Daemonium‘ is an album like you can expect from Vargrav, perfectly in line with the albums they’ve done before. I prefer it over ‘The Nighthold’, for the more condensed and stripped down nature and emphasis on atmosphere. It makes for another excellent addition to their discography, and they remain on a level of Symphonic Black Metal that few of the revival bands have reached. However, for me it does not come close to the impact of ‘Netherstorm’. Whether such a thing is relevant or can still be expected some eight years after that release gave new life to a genre, that is up to your personal judgement.
