Wiki
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Release Date
22 September 2010
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Length
10 tracks
Abrahadabra is Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir's ninth studio album, released in 2010. The first single from the album, Gateways, was released on August 20 in Europe and August 24 in North America. On September 14, a video for Gateways was released featuring Djerv front-woman, Agnete Kjølsrud. On September 17, the song Born Treacherous was released on Dimmu Borgir's official Myspace for streaming. On September 24, the band announced they would stream Abrahadabra in its entirety, until 7 p.m. EST that evening. This would mark the first official release of all the tracks on the album.
As stated by guitarists, Silenoz and Galder, in an interview with Outune.net, the album presents musical influences reminiscent of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon, with more emphasis on orchestral arrangements. The album's lyrics are a notable departure from the usual style that Dimmu Borgir implements. Songs contain subjects that deal with redemption, power, rebirth and astral planes, among other, more vague concepts. Rather than focus on ideas that are often panned as Satanic and offensive, the band has instead opted to use more worldly and open matters. The start of track six contains a backward message: "In Nomine dei Nostri Satanas Luciferi" (English translation: In the name of our God, Satan the morning star Lucifer).
"Abrahadabra", loosely translated as "I will create as I speak", was created by author Aleister Crowley in his work, Liber AL vel Legis, or The Book of the Law. This album is the second in the band's repertoire to deviate from the traditional three-word title. Silenoz explained, " a lot of sense for us to move on from that. It has served its purpose. We are a band that's all about change and moving forward. An album title consisting of one word goes hand-in-hand with the new material." In addition, Silenoz referenced the changes in the band's "musical and lyrical content", as well as changes in the band's line-up playing a role.
The album cover artwork was designed by Joachim Luetke, who described the artwork's setting as "icy, bleak, wintery, post-industrial". Luetke added that the central figure's mask on the cover is representative of H. P. Lovecraft's Elder Gods. "The mask/face personifies dominion of powers far beyond mankind. The nameless gods witnessed the birth of our universe and they'll watch it implode. To them, the age of mankind is but a blink of an eye." After the release of the album, the band announced that all future pressings would carry a different album cover.
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