[CD] - Dimmu Borgir : In Sorte Diaboli

Dimmu Borgir is without doubt one of my favourite black metal bands, and not being very good at keeping up-to-date with when all my favourite bands release something new, I was certainly pleased when I found out that their new album was only 2 weeks away.

On release day, I decided to go for the big package (since it was only a few bucks more than the puny, standard edition). A nice little hardcover book in regular CD format, containing the audio CD, a DVD and a booklet with the lyrics... as well as a mirror, to read the lyrics in, since they are reversed.... and upside-down. Nice thinking, but not very practical.

The DVD contains the video for the opening track "The serpentine offering" - a fairly well-produced, yet pretty ordinary and predictable story about the evil crusaders coming to christen the peasents.
Fair enough - that's part of the entire black metal gimmick. I do however think I prefer something like Satyricon's videos. With snakes, leather and semi-naked women, because that's not predictable at all......
Apart from the video, there's a making of the video, a Dimmu Borgir player, and some various internet stuff I couldn't be bothered with, but I'm sure the really die-hard fans will love it. And it IS commendable when bands and their labels, do something extra with a release.

So we're finally down to the core - the actual album.
First impression was not as positive as I had hoped for. Maybe I was expecting too much? Maybe I had hoped for something else?
- or maybe I should just let nature run it's course, and let the album grow on me. Because it does. Everytime I listen to it. And thats a good thing. Whenever this happens to me, I end up placing it among my absolute top favourites.

It's not "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia", which is still my favourite Dimmu Borgir album, but it certainly has everything I've come to expect from Dimmu Borgir : blasting riffs, melodic arrangements, ripping drums (although it saddens me a bit that they're no longer played by Reno Kiilerich) and an energy that makes it hard to control various bodily extremeties... which can be a bit of a problem when you're sitting in an office with 7 other people, who do NOT share your musical preference.

Tracks like "The chosen legacy" and "The sinister awakening" are my current favourites, but that can easily change. Still - they're probably the most typical Dimmu tracks on this album, in my oppinion, and maybe that's why they're my favourites. I like reckognizable patterns.

In conclusion, this is an excellent Dimmu Borgir album, and they manage to once again show why they're the kings of black metal. There's few, if any surprises. They know what we wan't, and they don't hesitate to deliver, and they certainly don't get creative like Metallica, and start playing ¤/&/#¤¤%%¤!#" country music....

If it aint broken, don't fix it.
- Dimmu Borgir knows this.

Rating :

London '06 - Imperial War Museum

In 2006 me, Liv, Kamila and Carsten went to London. It was my second time there, and apart from the obvious stops at Virgin Megastore, HMV, Hamleys and Forbidden Planet, we also got to go to market in Camden (which I found rather charming - and where I scored some nice sneakers). But one of the most impressive things, was when me and Carsten took refuge inside Imperial War Museum of London, while the girls were on a final shopping spree.

Apart from a rather disappointing trench experience, and a "bombardment ride" that was a little too guided, it was absolutely amazing. Mostly (for my part anyways) due to the amount of really well preserved machinery.


The 15 inch dual guns outside the museum, are originally from the HMS Ramillies. Eat your heart out, John Holmes.


Willys Jeep. They were all Willy's jeeps. So who was Willy anyways, and what was it with the obsession for jeeps?


My guess is either a flak gun, or a long range cannon. I call it BFG!


Very detailed model of a german battleship.


German Jagdpanther captured. Yeah baby! I wonder why ze zhermans started making tanks without a rotating tower. The Jagdpanther is somewhat similar to the Sturmtiger, though the Sturmtiger has a much shorter, and bigger caliber gun.


Model of Little Boy. The atom bomb dropped by "Enola Gay" over Hiroshima.
- it's not very gay to drop bombs on people..... unless its a very sexy bomb.


Sherman tank (no, SHERMAN not zherman)


A bit unsure about this one (and I can't remember the info) - but it does look a bit like a british Cromwell.
*edit* It's apparently a Churchill Tank (thanks, anonymous)


WW1 tank, produced by Daimler, I believe. Not very practical, but VERY intimidating. Especially in those ancient times like WW1, where you would wage war using large poking devices...


A Daimler Dingo - this one from an Australian tank division. The Dingo was not tracked like most other tanks.


A one-man submarine fitted with a torpedo. If I remember it right, it was used to sneak up on ships in enemy harbours, and deliver the deadly payload up close.

A little of this - a little of that

I've uploaded some new models for sale on both my Turbosquid account and my The3Dstudio account. They're a couple of outdoor lamps I did a few years back for Jacob Jensen Design. Since they're now in production/sale, I've been allowed to sell the models as well.

Totally unrelated, here's a little short film you absolutely have to see. Very nice 3D and live action compositing, and the story is pretty sad, mostly because it applies very much to a great deal of young women today. It's about 25Mb in quicktime format (and the link may shrink....... your browser window)

3D chair viz

A chair I did as a case for a possible client, at 3d-empire.
One of my more successfull attempts with Vray, which I've only been working with for a few months. Still much to learn though, but I already prefer it over Cebas Final Render.
Typical poly-modelling techniques used - low poly cage + meshsmooth.

A must see comic

Alien loves predator
- it is absolutely hilarious... and somewhat ridiculous. But then again, ridiculous only makes it funnier.

Word of the month...

OMINOUS!

- just saying it sounds like distant thunder, and you can't even pronounce it without down-pitching your voice a few octaves.

I love that word. You just KNOW something bad is gonna happen, when the subtitles say "Ominous music playing." Oh the suspense....

And if you don't get the chills from just looking at the overly large, all caps and bold letters forming the very word of terror incarnate, then you sir (or maam), are a stone faced killah!

Tutorial index

... for 3D studio MAX:


- more to come.