NEWS: Dimmu Borgir to break the deathly silence

OVER seven years, deathlike silence has filled the halls of the world‘s biggest black metal forge, Dimmu Borgir, whilst powers have been gathering to resurrect the band right in time for their 25th anniversary.

Now they finally mark their return with a vicious work of art that can be defined as timeless in the truest sense of the word: Eonian.

The song writing core of Dimmu Borgir furthermore consists of charismatic vocalist Shagrath, as well as the string wizards Silenoz and Galder, but other familiar faces also emerge from the darkness; drummer Daray and keyboarder Gerlioz are still part of the team, and Gaute Storaas helped with the choral arrangements for the majestic voices of the Schola Cantrum Choir.

The cover artwork was designed in fascinating detail by Zbigniew M. Bielak (Ghost, Behemoth, Mayhem).

This tenth full-length record will see the light of spring on 4th May and it will contain 10 new tracks, produced by the band itself and engineered by Jens Bogren. Emerging from the dark minds of the three songwriters, Eonian follows a philosophical concept, dealing with the illusion of time:

“Time, when not approaching it from the construct we're used to can't be defined and thus it is illusory”, explains axemaster Silenoz. “There's only an 'eternal now', which the album title is already hinting at. When we travel between the worlds seen and unseen, the perception of time ceases to exist, it has no function. Our energy is our torch and our compass when we make rifts and pierce through the veil - when we go beyond.”

Vocalist Shagrath adds: “Eonian represents the illusion of time, everything that is and always has been. For us, it also marks the 25th anniversary of Dimmu Borgir and the album itself is a tribute to our own history and the Norwegian black metal history.”

On February 23rd, Dimmu Borgir will unveil their first single 'Interdimensional Summit' which will be released as a 7'' vinyl EP, providing a first taste of the upcoming album.

The EP contains the new track 'Interdimensional Summit' as well as 'Puritania (Live In Oslo)' and will be available in red & clear, and gold vinyl colors.

You can pre-order the release HERE:
http://www.nuclearblaststore.co.uk/shop/nuclearblast/products.php?cat=5043

NEWS: Dimmu Borgir orchestrating lie release

OH dear, oh dear…buckle yerself in because those black metal mentalists Dimmu Borgir are releasing some live stuff and threatening to get back in the saddle.

On April 28th, the Norwegian symphonic black metal giants, Dimmu Borgir, will unleash their highly anticipated double-DVD/BluRay ‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ upon mankind.

On this brand new release you can witness two different live shows: The legendary concert in Oslo, showing Dimmu Borgir on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as the entire performance at Wacken Open Air with almost 100 musicians in action.

These monumental live rituals mark the beginning of the band's epic return planned for 2017.

Watch the first trailer for ‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ here and take a look behind the scenes of this ambitious orchestra production: https://youtu.be/Dflre4AOhAU 

And in case you missed the video for 'Mourning Palace (live at Wacken)', you can watch it here:
https://youtu.be/Cg6n3ZhKwt4

Both the show in Oslo and the show at Wacken contain the following live tracks:
01. Xibir (orchestra)
02. Born Treacherous
03. Gateways
04. Dimmu Borgir (orchestra)
05. Dimmu Borgir
06. Chess With The Abyss
07. Ritualist
08. A Jewel Traced Through Coal
09. Eradication Instincts Defined (orchestra)
10. Vredesbyrd
11. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse
12. The Serpentine Offering
13. Fear And Wonder (orchestra)
14. Kings Of The Carnival Creation
15. Puritania
16. Mourning Palace
17. Perfection Or Vanity (orchestra)

Get the physical formats of ‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ here:

‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ Limited Edition 2 Blu-Ray or 2 DVD Digibook

‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ Limited Edition White Vinyl & Deluxe Earbook

Pre-order the live shows now digitally and receive 'Mourning Palace (live in Oslo)' instantly.
Pre-order ‘Forces Of The Northern Night’ Digital Album

This unique combination of elegance and extravagance has long seemed like a natural evolution for fans, but much time, arrangements and commitment were necessary to put this gigantic production into reality and fill the stage with 90 minutes of mind blowing sets per night. The shows guide the fans through classics from the band's discography - from the majestic finisher 'Mourning Palace' to the stomping manifesto 'Puritania' and the haunting 'Gateways'... Norway's DIMMU BORGIR know how to leave nothing behind but pure ashes.

NEWS: Dimmu Borgir set to release double DVD with Norwehian Radio Orchestra and Wacken 2012 set

NORWEGIAN symphonic black metal giants, Dimmu Borgir, finally emerge from the depths of darkness to mark 2017 as the year of their monumental return.

On April 14th  they will finally release their highly anticipated double DVD ‘Forces Of The Northern Night’, which will contain two of the band's live rituals: their legendary show in Oslo, presenting Dimmu Borgir on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as their entire performance at Wacken Open Air 2012 with almost 100 musicians on stage.

Both concerts present a spectacular sound scenario of raging black metal in front of an epic orchestral landscape plus the band's unique visuals.

Their remarkable and atramentous stage show has long seemed like a natural evolution for fans, but much time, arrangements and commitment were necessary to put this gigantic production into reality and fill the stage with 90 minutes of mind blowing aural delight per night.

The shows guide the fans through classics from the band's discography - from the majestic finisher 'Mourning Palace' to the stomping manifesto 'Puritania' and the haunting 'Gateways'... Norway's Dimmu Borgir know how to leave nothing behind but pure ashes.

"For us, this is the pinnacle of our career so far. As a band, we've always used a lot of symphonic elements in our music. But we haven't been able to use a real orchestra.

"We've had to use samples, synthesisers and so on, so this was a huge, awesome experience for us!", said Shagrath.

On April 14th, both concerts plus a bonus documentary feature will be available in many different formats – further details to be revealed soon...

Rock 'n' rollin; heavy fuggin' metal from Chrome Division

THIS is not a side project of Shagrath, this is not death metallers blowing off steam - this is Chrome Division laying waste to preconceptions as they unleash hard partying, heaving slabs of rock and metal on their latest release, Infernal Rock Eternal.

As the band readily admit this is the bastard son of Motorhead, Black Label Society, AC/DC, and the harder US west coast 80s rockers.

For those of you not familiar with Chrome Division, they are made up of an assorted crew of Norwegian reprobates. Shagrath on rhythm guitar is better known to UK audiences as lead anarchic for symphonic death metal act Dimmu Borgir.

The other members are: Shady Blue (from Susperia) on vovals; Kjell Aage Karlsen (from Gromth) on lead guitar; Age Troite (from Shot At Dawn) on bass; and, Tony White (from Old Man's Child).

This is the third album from Chrome Division and by far the most rounded of the releases yet, with more depth to the playing, arrangements and lyrics.

Whereas the début Doomsday Rock 'n' Roll seemed a bit of fun and the second release Booze, Broads and Beelzebub was a little 'sameish', then Infernal Rock Eternal is a smack in your rockin' face.

There maybe an instrumental to open and the BLS flavoured Endless Nights as the second track from there in this is a tremendously fun album, which sees the band in toto amalgamate what seems to be their formative rock and metal influences in a complete package.

While (She's) Hot Tonight and Mistress of Madness conform to the rock 'n' roll stereotypes thereafter there are is a diversity in the tracks from the touching Lady of Perpetual Sorrow through to the 12-bar homage on No Bet For Free's warning about the dangers and evils of Vegas.

The down south Cajun flavour of On The Run Again's opening transmogrifies into a track Cinderella would have killed for when they were at their peak in '87.

Depth in songwriting is revealed on You're Dead Now, a five-minute ode to the recently deceased.

Closing with the punk/hardcore romp of Ol this is a rounded album from a collective that have found their sound developing; a collective that remembers that Chrome Division are a lot of fun, but you really can only enjoy the musical fun when there is a real intent to the music.

Infernal Rock Eternal will unfortunately be overlooked by many in the UK, but they are missing a real rock 'n' roll heavy metal treat - this is already set to be an overlooked contender for album of the year....

Infernal Rock Eternal is out now on Nuclear Blast. We suggest that you buy/pay for a download of it, give it three listens and succumb to its delights.

(PS - the cover art is pretty tasty and may be the basis for many tattooists freehand work in the future!)

Dimmu Borgir competition winners

CONGRATULATIONS to Coleen and Stephen who each won a pair of tickets to "An Evening With Dimmu Borgir" at the Spring and Airbrake on November 28th, courtesy of those kind folks at CDC Leisure.

Thanks to everyone who entered: as always surprised how many devoted lovers of diverse heavy music there are out there...but there's no excuse for the rest of ya to shell out to see the dark evening with Dimmu!

So who are Dimmu Borgir

AFTER posting a little about Dimmu Borgir's upcoming show, and the ticket competition, some of the less dark hearted readers contacted me to learn a little about Borgir.

One could have wittered on endlessly on where Borgir fit into the labyrinthine panoply of black metal, how their symphonic metal has grown in complexity and dexterity, but instead it is easier to copy the blurb about the band...

While you read this, just a reminder that the competition for tickets is still running for their November 28th Spring and Airbrake show. All you need to do to one of two sets of double tickets is answer this question: Name the Borgir concept album about a bishop's apprentice who ends up coming to the dark side? Email your answer here (clue read the blurb if you're not sure).

For those of more hard rock rather than black metal leanings check out the side project Chrome Division...

And here's the blurb:

Founded in 1993 by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv and named after unusually shaped lava fields and rock formations east of Lake Mývatn in Iceland, Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR made their debut into the underground metal scene via unofficial rehearsal cassette tapes in 1993. Inspired by incarnations of black metal from the ‘80s and ‘90s and inspired by the works of classical composers such as Wagner and Dvořák, the band’s music was resplendent in its raw & melodic vocals, somber guitar work, destructive drums, and haunting keyboard melodies. Less than a year later, the band recorded their full-length debut, For All Tid, to wild acclaim. While the band’s reputation gained momentum throughout Scandinavia and the rest of the tape-trading underground world, DIMMU BORGIR focused their energies on recording what would become one of the most essential albums in black metal history, Stormblåst. While sung completely in Norwegian, it catapulted them out of Europe and into international waters. Displaying a marked escalation in their time signatures, DIMMU BORGIR made significant headway in developing a classically influenced sound that would become their intrinsic, defining blueprint.

Following Stormblåst, DIMMU BORGIR recorded their first material featuring English lyrics for the 1996 mini-CD entitled Devil’s Path, which later got them signed to the independent record label Nuclear Blast. Their third full-length album (now considered an all-time classic), Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, was recorded with living legend Peter Tägtgren at the helm in Abyss Studios. After its release, it marked the band’s significant international breakthrough with over 150,000 copies sold and chart entries all over the world. This breakthrough year also included performances at some of the most esteemed European summer gatherings such as Holland’s Dynamo, Germany’s With Full Force and Wacken Open Air festivals, among others.
After their world tour for Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, DIMMU BORGIR went straight back into the Abyss Studios and recorded the Godless Savage Garden mini-CD, which earned them their first Spellemannprisen award nomination (the Norwegian equivalent to the American Grammy award). Fans around the world curiously waited to see what direction the next full-length, Spiritual Black Dimensions, would take. Once again recorded at Abyss Studios with Peter Tägtgren, the album stormed into music stores around the world in 1999 and single-handedly transformed the market for black metal. Those who ever doubted DIMMU BORGIR’s allegiance to extreme music were forced to face reality when the album proved to be their most complex and severe offering.

Sun Tzu said:
“He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy is at ease;
he who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight is weary.”


After Tjodalv resigned from the drum throne in the early stages of their 1999 tour, DIMMU ‘s line-up shifted. The sextet entered Sweden’s Fredman Studio in the fall of 2000 with Fredrik Nordström to record eleven tracks of audible malevolence and exceptional atmospherics which was baptized Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Released in 2001, Puritanical expanded DIMMU’s audience even more, earning them their first Spellemanprisen award and setting the stage for 2003’s mammoth Death Cult Armageddon, which debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #10 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and at #170 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. Death Cult Armageddon – which earned the band another Spellemanprisen award in 2003 – went on to sell over 130,000 records in North America alone. Parts of the orchestral versions of the songs “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” and “Eradication Instincts Defined” were selected for use in the movie trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy. Later, parts from the same tracks could also be heard in the trailer for the movie Stardust starring Robert De Niro. In 2004, DIMMU landed a coveted spot on Ozzfest’s Main Stage with Slayer, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath in addition to later being showcased in the MTV reality series “Battle For Ozzfest.”

After re-recording Stormblåst in 2005 with Peter Tägtgren and session drummer Hellhammer, the latter stayed on to record 2007’s In Sorte Diaboli, DIMMU’s first concept album about a bishop’s apprentice searching his true self who – instead of finding the meaning of life through the religion – abandons his religious life in favor of darkness and its endless realm. Recorded with Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten at Sweden’s (in)famous Studio Fredman, In Sorte Diaboli debuted at #1 on the Norwegian album chart and clinched DIMMU BORGIR their first #1 album and their first Gold Record in Norway. The album sold over 75,000 copies in the U.S. and debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart and at #43 on the Top 200 Albums chart. Yet again, the band took home another Spellemannprisen award, this time in the video category. DIMMU hit the road hard in support of In Sorte and performed at Nuclear Blast’s 20th Anniversary Party in Stuttgart, at Germany’s Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park festivals, filmed their headlining Wacken Open Air performance, toured Europe with Amon Amarth, toured North America with Devildriver, Behemoth & Keep Of Kalessin, and even appeared at the New England Hardcore & Metal Festival. In 2008, DIMMU’s three-disc The Invaluable Darkness DVD (which included 2007’s live footage at Wacken) entered Norway’s Music DVD chart at #1 and debuted at #5 in the U.S. on the Top Music Videos chart while the band was on tour in North America with Danzig on the “Blackest Of The Black” tour. They also appeared on the television show “The Daily Habit” on Fuel TV – the American extreme sports lifestyle network with over 50 million worldwide viewers. In 2009, DIMMU played Nova Rock – Austria’s largest music festival, Terminal Press debuted the fantasy horror comic book “DIMMU BORGIR: Dark Fortress” at ComiCon in San Diego, and “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” was selected for inclusion in the action-adventure video game soundtrack, Brütal Legend.

Sun Tzu said: “Therefore, when I have won a victory, I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.”

In June of this year, DIMMU BORGIR proudly announced that over 101 musicians contributed their talents to the making of the new album, including Norwegian composer and Berklee College of Music summa cum laude alumnus Gaute Storaas, the 51 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the 38-member Schola Cantorum Choir. Eleven months in the making, the band broke their three-word title tradition for the second time since 1996 to name their ninth studio album ABRAHADABRA, which roughly translates into “I will create as I speak.” The word first entered the human lexicon in 1904 via Chapter III of Liber AL vel Legis (commonly referred to as The Book of the Law) written by English occultist and mystic Aleister Crowley during his time in Cairo, Egypt.

Set in the post-apocalyptic landscapes of German artist / painter / graphic designer Joachim Luetke, the album cover’s face with tentacles harkens back to H.P. Lovecraft’s nameless elder gods and “personifies dominion of powers far beyond mankind,” according to the artist. “These nameless gods witnessed the birth of our universe and they’ll watch it implode. To them, the age of mankind is but a blink of an eye.”
A return to the famed raw ferocity of 1997′s Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, ABRAHADABRA is, according to North America’s Decibel Magazine, “Norway’s answer to The Omen.” Metallian Magazine from France predicts: “It will become a milestone of the genre. It is impossible not to be amazed.” Inferno Magazine decrees: “Majestic, evil, and pompous, ABRAHADABRA is everything that makes DIMMU BORGIR the elite of the pack.”
An inundation of power, a showcase of incessant skill, and above all, an intelligent manifesto of a highly intact creative force, ABRAHADABRA demonstrates every reason why Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR is – and unquestionably remains – the most prominent symphonic black metal act in the world.

Dimmu Borgir ticket competition

THIS one is for those with the blackest of hearts....yep your chance, thanks to the good folks at CDC Leisure to win tickets to see the kings of symphonic black metal Dimmu Borgir at the Spring and Airbrake on November 28th.

"An evening with Dimmu Borgir" will see Borgir play their classic album Enthrone Darkness Triumphant in its entirity after a fan vote, followed by a selection from their back catalogue.

All you need to do to one of two sets of double tickets is answer this question: Name the Borgir concept album about a bishop's apprentice who ends up coming to the dark side? Email your answer here and sit back and wait.

Competition closes on midnight the 20th November.

Enthrone Darkenss wins out

DIMMU Borgir have announced the album they'll be playing in full on their forthcoming visit to Belfast on 28th November - it's to be Enthrone Darkness Triumphant.

Borgir had run a fan competition to decide which of their output would be aired live in the first part of their show.

Tickets are still available for Triumphant Darkness coming to be enthroned at the Spring and Airbrake.

Dimmu Borgir set for Belfast!

NORWEGIAN black metal mentalists are débuting in Belfast on November 28th at the Spring & Airbrake.

I've always had a wee soft spot for their take on what can become a clichéd black metal scene. And to take it a step further Shagrath and his accomplices want fans to vote on which of their past albums will form the first part of their set. Head over to their Bakebook page to vote... The second part of the set will be more in the style of Dimmu classics...Tasty!

Tickets, priced at £17 are on sale now.

Dimmu Borgir

No official confirmation yet, but Kerrang! reported this week that Dimmu Borgir will be co-headlining with Lamb of God at the February 8th Mandella Hall gig.

Will let you know as soon as promoter says one way or t'other; this could be one very, very noisy gig :)

ADDENDUM: No confirmation from promoter - spoke to a staffer at Kerrang! today who said they 'assumed' it was another date on the Metal Hammer sponsored Defenders of the Faith 2 tour with DM. It's not listed as a DM tour date on their official site...any update we'll post here