Dimmu Borgir entered Sweden's Fredman Studio (At The Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity) in Fall 2000 to record their highly anticipated album, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Once again the band created a masterpiece in aggressive music with outstanding atmosphere and audibly evil songs. The songwriting is at its highest peak making Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia the band's strongest release to date (proven by such standout tracks as 'Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny', 'Kings Of The Carnival Creation', 'The Mealstrom Mephisto' and 'Architecture Of A Genocidal Nature').

As an added bonus, the band recorded various tracks with the Gothenburg symphonic orchestra yielding astonishing conclusions sure to turn heads. The end result is nothing short of perfection from the complex guitar work to the dynamic keyboard tinkering. Drummer Nick Barker blasts through the material with devastating force and fluidity while Hestnaes' bass rumbles supremely below as he adds intelligently lays down well-placed backing vocals for added enhancement.

Vocalist Shagrath pushes himself to an underworldly level never sounding more sinister and ferocious. Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia is not just another Dimmu Borgir release that so many people are expecting to hear by any means. It possesses its own dark emotions and exciting creativity that only a band as experienced as Dimmu Borgir can deliver leaving all other 'top tiered' black metal bands flailing helplessly in their wake.