Louisville vs. Michigan
Texas vs. Kentucky
Dickies Arena, Fort Worth
Saturday, March 28, 2026

With the release several days earlier of the new Dimmu Borgir single “Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel” from their upcoming album Grand Serpent Rising, due in May through Nuclear Blast Records, firing up Death Cult Armageddon was a given as my first listening choice on Saturday.

Coupling the new single and album announcement with news of a co-headlining tour alongside Cradle of Filth, it looked as if several Dimmu Borgir releases would become Saturday’s entrée for my ears.

Death Cult Armageddon served as my appetizer, followed by Stormblåst MMV, a re-recording of their 1996 release. The album helped pass the downtime while I waited for Geno Auriemma’s head coach press conference.

Following the press conference—which included an interesting yet brutally honest opening statement—the Dimmu menu continued to serve my ears.

Forces of the Northern Night, a double CD/DVD/Blu-ray released in 2017, occupied my time until tip-off. It features two recorded performances from 2011 and 2012 in Oslo and Wacken, capturing Dimmu Borgir live with a symphonic orchestra. Hearing the band’s black metal symphonic elements backed by full orchestration is unbelievably impressive. The release is probably one of the better live albums issued since 2010. It is simply that good.

For the Texas vs. Kentucky game, I found myself shooting parts of the first period, then the second and fourth. This allowed more time to edit and get images on the wire much faster once the game concluded.

At some point following the game, Forces of the Northern Night finished playing. As expected, I continued traveling down the Dimmu Borgir road with 2001’s Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. This CD was my introduction to the band after seeing them on tour supporting Cannibal Corpse. It takes a great deal to capture my attention, and from the moment the instrumental introduction of “Fear and Wonder” hit my ears, I was leveled with a force of amazement and astonishment I had rarely experienced from a live band. I was hooked—and the band had not even taken the stage yet.

Once Dimmu Borgir appeared in leather, spikes, and all things associated with gothic metal, I was floored. It takes a lot to blow this live music veteran away, and I can honestly say I was blown away. My concert senses were obliterated. It was just that great.

Needless to say, I was at the CD store the following morning purchasing Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. The album took up residency in my CD player for the next several weeks.

Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia carried me through most of my editing, but I was not completely finished.

I had exhausted my Dimmu Borgir sources on iTunes. I could have used more. Maybe this was a tap on the shoulder suggesting I should add more Dimmu Borgir to my library. More than likely, I will.

I started browsing through everything listed in my iTunes library and decided on Bigelf’s 2008 album Cheat the Gallows to finish out the night. I did not have much editing remaining, and I knew there would be leftover tuneage by the time I wrapped up.

The best way to describe Bigelf’s music is as a blend of progressive rock, progressive metal, and psychedelic rock with a heavy 1970s retro aesthetic. It is very pleasing and enjoyable to the ears.

With only a small amount of work remaining, I made it through just the first three songs: “Gravest Show on Earth,” “Blackball,” and “Money, It’s Pure Evil.”

Unfortunately, Cheat the Gallows is the only Bigelf album currently represented in my iTunes library, though I do have their 2014 release Into the Maelstrom (deluxe edition) on Bandcamp. It was released in Europe, but with some effort, copies can be found in North America on CD. Most available copies are used, but I was fortunate enough to locate a new, sealed copy. I still need to upload it to my computer, even though I already have access to it via Bandcamp. As for the vinyl edition released in Europe—good luck finding it, and expect to spend more than just a few American dollars.