Dimmu Borgir

Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir performing at 2008's Tuska Open Air Metal Festival.
Background information
Origin	Oslo, Norway
Genres	Melodic black metal (early) Symphonic black metal (current)
Years active	1993 – present
Labels	No Colours (1993–1994) Cacophonous/Century Media (1995–1997) Nuclear Blast (1997–present)
Associated acts	Old Man's Child, Cradle of Filth, Ov Hell, Carpe Tenebrum, The Kovenant, Mayhem, Arcturus, Chrome Division, Code, Susperia, Dødheimsgard, Nile, Borknagar, Nachtmystium, Ragnarok, Angelcorpse, God Dethroned, Vesania, Vader, Infernal Method
Website	www.dimmu-borgir.com
Members
Shagrath Silenoz Galder Daray
Past members
Brynjard Tristan Stian Aarstad Nagash Tjodalv Astennu Archon Nicholas Barker Hellhammer Mustis ICS Vortex Snowy Shaw

Dimmu Borgir (pronounced /ˌdɪmuː ˈbɔrɡɪər/ in English) is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir. The band has been through numerous line-up changes over the years; guitarist Silenoz and vocalist Shagrath are the only founding members remaining.

Biography

For All Tid and Stormblåst period

Dimmu Borgir started as a black metal band in 1993. Formed by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv, the band released an EP in 1994 entitled Inn i evighetens mørke ("Into the Darkness of Eternity" in English). This short EP sold out within weeks, and the band followed up with the 1994 full length album For all tid ('For all Time' in English) This album featured vocal contributions by Vicotnik of Ved Buens Ende and Dødheimsgard and Aldrahn of Dødheimsgard and Zyklon-B. The initial lineup consisted of Shagrath playing drums with Tjodalv on guitar and Silenoz contributing lead vocals. This line-up changed before the release of Stormblåst (translates to "Storm Blown") on Cacophonous Records in 1996, an album considered by many to be their finest.^[1] It is also the last album which features all lyrics written and sung in Norwegian.

Enthrone Darkness Triumphant period

After Stormblåst, Keyboardist Stian Aarstad left the band due to his obligation to serve in the Norwegian army, thus being unable to participate in the 1996 recording of Devil's Path. That period was also marked by the departure of bassist Brynjard Tristan and the arrival of Nagash. Stian Aarstad returned for the recording of 1997's Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. While on tour to support the album, he had trouble attending rehearsals and being on tour, and was subsequently fired.^[2] Enthrone Darkness Triumphant was a huge success for the band, and was their first release signed to Nuclear Blast, a German record label. The album was recorded in the Abyss Studios, owned by Hypocrisy's frontman Peter Tägtgren.^[3]

Spiritual Black Dimensions and Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia period

After the tour for Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, the band recruited new members Mustis on keyboards and Astennu on lead guitar. Dimmu Borgir's following full-length albums Spiritual Black Dimensions in 1999 and 2001's Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, both met critical acclaim.^[4][5][6] However, another line-up change occurred between the two albums; Nagash quit and was replaced by new bassist/singer ICS Vortex, and Tjodalv left due to his family commitments, and to form the subsequent band Susperia,^[7] only to be replaced with Nicholas Barker, of Cradle of Filth. Astennu was fired from his guitar duties as well.

Death Cult Armageddon and Stormblåst MMV period

Despite regular video play on MTV2 and Fuse TV that their follow-up album would receive, the band has stated that they are not "commercially-oriented," and instead, they 'simply wish to spread their message to more people'.^[8] In 2003, Dimmu Borgir recorded album called Death Cult Armageddon. Album was recorded with Prague Philarmonic Orchestra, conducted by Adam Klemens. All orchestrations was arranged by Gaute Storaas (previously he have arranged the orchestration for Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia album) In 2004, Dimmu Borgir performed on the mainstage at Ozzfest.

In 2005, the band did a complete re-recording of the Stormblåst album, featuring Hellhammer of Mayhem fame as the session drummer. The album also featured a DVD with a live performance from the 2004 Ozzfest tour.

In Sorte Diaboli period

Dimmu Borgir's newest album, In Sorte Diaboli, was released April 24, 2007. A special edition version was released in a boxed case with a DVD, backward-printed lyrics, and a mirror. The album artwork was released on February 14, 2007 on a promotional webpage for the album. This album features the drumming of "Hellhammer" Jan Axel Blomberg of Mayhem. Blomberg left the band in mid tour in 2007 because of a neck injury that resulted in limited movement of his right arm. With the release of this album, Dimmu Borgir became the first black metal band with a number one album in their native country.^[9]

In 2009, members ICS Vortex and Mustis independently announced their departure from Dimmu Borgir. Mustis released a statement claiming his disfavor with the band, stating that he was not properly credited for his writing contributions to the band's music, mentioning possibly taking legal action.^[10]

Dimmu Borgir soon after confirmed the pair's dismissal from the band, releasing a statement explaining why the two were fired.^[11] Shagrath, Silenoz, and Galder wrote, "Funny then, how the new album is halfway finished written already by the rest of us without any of these guys' input, still having all those elements we're known for."^[11]

Abrahadabra

Dimmu Borgir's ninth studio album, Abrahadabra, is scheduled to be released on September 24, 2010 in Germany, September 27, 2010 for the rest of Europe, and October 12, 2010 in North America^[12].Silenoz explained that the growing periods of time between albums was because the band had stopped writing music while touring, which was affecting the quality of the music. He described the new album as having an "eerie and haunting feel to it," adding that the material is "epic," "primal," atmospheric and ambient. A promotional image released with the statement showed Shagrath returning to the keyboards.^[13] The album will feature an ensemble orchestra, the Kringkastingsorkestret (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra), as well as the Schola Cantorum choir, totaling more than 100 musicians and singers.

Gaute Storaas, composer of the orchestral arrangements, released a statement on his role in working on the album. “Their music is epic, thematic and symphonic already from the creation; they are clearly having an orchestral approach to composing. My role in this is sometimes just to transcribe their themes, sometimes to take their ideas, tear them apart and build them back up in ways that are true to the band's intentions. The music must also be both interesting and playable for the musicians, and hopefully, meet the quality standards of the orchestral world.”

On July 8, the band confirmed that they had tapped Swedish multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (Therion, Dream Evil) to replace bassist/clean vocalist ICS Vortex on the band's upcoming album, "Abrahadabra", and world tour.^[14] On August 25 it was announced that Snowy Shaw has left Dimmu Borgir to rejoin Therion.^[15]

Discography

• For all tid (1994)
• Stormblåst (1996)
• Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)
• Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999)
• Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001)
• Death Cult Armageddon (2003)
• Stormblåst MMV (2005)
• In Sorte Diaboli (2007)
• Abrahadabra (2010)

Band Members