DIMMU BORGIR have unveiled a brand new single titled “Ascent”, marking the second preview from their upcoming album Grand Serpent Rising.
Eight years after Eonian, the Norwegian symphonic black metal titans return with Grand Serpent Rising, set for release on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album features thirteen tracks, described as both punishing and stylistically diverse, reinforcing the band’s long-standing position at the forefront of extreme metal.
Grand Serpent Rising was recorded in Gothenburg with producer Fredrik Nordström, reuniting the band with a key figure from earlier landmark releases such as Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon.
DIMMU BORGIR frontman Shagrath previously said about the record: “I truly feel we’ve outdone ourselves musically on this album. It’s been a long and demanding process, but seeing how it all came together makes it incredibly rewarding. Grand Serpent Rising reflects every era of DIMMU BORGIR. This album carries echoes of every chapter of DIMMU BORGIR‘s legacy. I believe our fans will recognize that, and find something within it that truly resonates.”
Even the sheer weight of the album title speaks volumes.
“It fits perfectly,” DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz explained. “DIMMU BORGIR is a leviathan of a band on a grand scale and we are rising once again. While the serpent represents evil to some, for us it symbolizes something else: renewal, growth, knowledge, and liberation. Shedding our skin, so to speak. And let’s not forget that February 2026 marks the end of the Year of the Snake, roughly the same moment this album was completed.”
Grand Serpent Rising track listing:
- Tridentium
- Ascent
- The Qryptfarer
- As Seen in the Unseen
- Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
- Repository of Divine Transmutation
- Slik Minnes en Alkymist
- Phantom of the Nemesis
- The Exonerated
- Recognizant
- At the Precipice of Convergence
- Shadows of a Thousand Perceptions
- Gjǫll
Alongside the new single, DIMMU BORGIR have previously also confirmed a major North American tour in support of the upcoming album. The run will feature an intense lineup including HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION, and HULDER on most dates.
The tour kicks off on August 7 in New York City and wraps up on August 23 in Los Angeles, hitting major cities across the US and Canada along the way.
North American tour dates
August 7 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
August 8 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
August 10 – Toronto, ON – History
August 11 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
August 13 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
August 14 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
August 15 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
August 18 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
August 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
August 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo
Looking further ahead, the band will also head out on a major European co-headline run in October 2026 alongside Polish extreme metal giants BEHEMOTH. The tour, titled “In League With Satan”, will also feature Swedish black metal veterans DARK FUNERAL as special guests.
European tour dates
October 9, 2026 – Zurich, Switzerland – Halle 622
October 10, 2026 – Zwickau, Germany – Sparkassen-Arena Zwickau
October 11, 2026 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
October 13, 2026 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
October 14, 2026 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
October 16, 2026 – Paris, France – Zenith
October 18, 2026 – Den Bosch, Netherlands – Mainstage
October 20, 2026 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
October 22, 2026 – Hamburg, Germany – Inselpark Arena
October 23, 2026 – Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
October 24, 2026 – Brno, Czech Republic – Hala Vodova
October 27, 2026 – Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall
October 29, 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – B-K
October 30, 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – K.B. Hallen
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.