Interview: Dimmu Borgir - USA, EU and a refracted nose - STALKER MAGAZINE inside out of rock´n´roll

Dimmu Borgir - USA, EU and a refracted nose

The Northern Gods of Darkness have indeed a faible for surprising their fans. Here you can find out why they re-recorded their Black Metal-milestone „Stormblast“, Silenoz´s expectations regarding the future of the band, and what´s happening in his private life.

Tell us a little bit about the development in the Black Metal Scene.
I do not know. I do not really have much attentions to the Black Metal scene. I know that there are a lot new underground bands, you know.

Especially in Norway?
Yes, a lot of young kids start bands, start to play. But that is Metal in general, not specially Black Metal.

Why do you think is Black Metal so popular in Norway?
It is hard to say. The people who listen to Black Metal in Norway a probably the once that play in bands themselves.

Do you have any experiences with your music in America?
There is not a big market for this type of music. You have to tour a lot but in the States it is very expensive. You can do it in van but that is not very comfortable.

Can you imagine to live in another country, outside of Norway?
Yes, I can imagine myself living in the States actually. It will probably be the best for us as a band, as musicians maybe, not to live in Norway because everything is so expensive. With all the tax and everything it is almost like an economical suicide living in Norway for musicians, at least for people who play Metal music. Things would be better to live in different country where things are cheaper.

Do you want to make some changes in the political situation of Norway?
I would definitely use more of the oil money we have. I do not think that is getting distributed enough. I mean, Norway pays billions of money to other countries, you know? All people in medical care in Norway still suffer, you know? So I think... it is like when you sit on a plane: they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on yourself first before you help the one next to you. I think that is how things should run. Before you start looking at the poor countries, at least take care of your own country first, you know?

What do you think about the E.U.?
Actually when we had the vote in 1994 I was against it. But when we will have a vote now I definitely vote yes, because it makes so much easier, at least for us musicians, you know? Because even for us to go to Sweden only, we need paperwork for equipment and all kind of bullshit. It would made a lot things easier if we be part of the E.U. That is for sure.

Do you have any hobbies?
Yes, play Poker and I do some fishing, I have this from my father because he is like a maniac. He is like out seven times a week. Where I come from there are zillions of lakes around, so you can go to different lake all year around, you know? That is cool.

Can you describe us a normal day? Not a tour day, just a normal day at home.
Get up around ten, I guess, just eat, check e-mail, you know? Then go for the daily walk, because I live close to the woods, so it is very refreshing to walk in the woods. I lost at least six month making music for Dimmu Borgir and a side project band I have. So when you start making music, the time flies by, you know. Even you have a dinner and then it is almost eleven or 12 at night, the day is over. Of course it got with my friends to play Poker at least once the week.

Do you have any ambitions with the band for the future?
Of course we are looking forward to make the next album and of course that is going to be the most important thing next year for us. We probably would not play too much concerts, probably a few, but still we´re concentrated on writing a new great album that we enjoy. That is the biggest ambition right now.

And is there an ambition in your private life?
Yes, I want to get myself a bike, but it is so fucking expensive when you have customs. I probably won´t have that in two years. I use to take day by day, you know? I do not really plan. As a musician you can not really plan a trip or anything like that, until you know that you have money for it, because you can just day by day, you know?

What is you biggest fear?
To die before I have to.

Imagine you can change something on yourself. What would it be?
I would get my eyes fixed because I have very bad visions, you know. One is 7,5, that is really bad. And also my nose has been broken for ten years now, I would actually put that back into place. Generally get back into better shape and try to drink not so much alcohol.

Do you think the band is perfect now or is there something to change?
I guess nothing can be perfect, but we are very close to where we think the way it should be, you know? It works pretty good, so I hope it stays that way, but you can never know. You never now what is around the next corner, but I hope it will stay, you know?

How often do you listen to your own records?
That is very rare. I mean sometimes, if we have a show or something and we play some songs we have not played a long time, then of course I have to put it on and go to the songs in my head and stuff again. But usually I remember pretty good, so it is enough to listen to it once.

What do you think characterises the typical Dimmu Borgir fan?
It is hard to say, because we have so many different die-hard-fans. We have the 70-years old man, you know? And than we have the kids who come with their parents, and we have the usual teenager dedicated to this kind of music. And then we have also the die-hard Black Metal fan that does not want to admit that he likes that music, and then we have… I mean, even at Ozzfest, when we did signing sessions we had fucking transvestites come to the signing boot and ask for an autograph. We have all kinds of different fans, really.

Do you make any charity things?
No, not as a band, but personally I have been bossed by a friend, they want me to produce this kind of beneficial gig, to raise some money for him. If I have time to do it, I help friends, you know? If it was totally unknown for me, I did not do it, but it is a friend, a close friend… , you know?

Let us talk about the new old Album. Why do you have re-released “Stormblast”?
The hope to made us do it. We have always been looking at a chance to re-record it, because the sound of production is not up to what we were looking for that time. We originally had a different producer, who we did not get, and so the album did not come out the way we had hoped for. So we have not able to re-recall it because the contract the album is under, you know? The chance came now, and we took up to do it this summer, so we also can handle it between the next tour. We basically did this for ourselves, because I know there are a lot of fans out there, they look at “Stormblaster” as the milestone in our career, and their favourite album, and they want it re-recorded - and that is fine.

There are just two guys left who founded the band. When a new member came to the band, was it more like a development or more like a new start?
Definitive a development. Every new member in the band made us looking forward, not backward. That is of course a positive thing. But some members in the past, I´m not going to say witch ones, they are like… very into being a member of the band, everything works very good in the beginning, but later on they start to take things for granted, you know? Expect too much. That was for the band very bad, and some of the reasons why we have changed the line-up so many times, you know?

Samira Alinto

Author: Fabian Zühlsdorff, Photos: Christian Zachris, Translation: Klaudia Weber
Date: 2005-11-01

Read comments: Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/kommentar.inc.php on line 8 0 Write comments