February 6th, 1999 - 17:00
After a short delay of 1 or 2 minutes, the phone rang...While we were expecting to hear Shagrath's voice, as we had been told, Silenoz was on the phone!
First of all, I will ask you about your new album, of course. Spiritual Black Dimensions is really improved technically! I reviewed the album and rated it with 9/10. Do you believe that this mark is the appropriate for your new album and why?
I think the new album all over sounds much more mature and professional and everything has a darker aura, the sound I mean…
Compare "Spiritual Black Dimensions" to "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant". Can you distinguish the original elements of "Spiritual…" and those who have remained the same as in "Enthrone…" ?
We have still kept the melodic parts and maybe we have even become more melodic but we also progress to aggressive part of our sound you know, that's also very important for the new album I think and the whole album is much more varied than our previous releases.
Could you refer to the album's lyrical concept? What are the lyrics talking about?
This time was me and Nagash who wrote half the lyrics, each you know, so, I guess the album title covers most of the lyrics. But we don't see it as a concept album really. I think it is heavily satanic in many ways, in those ways we prefer, in a more hidden way, you know … At least in my part of lyrics they're not so obvious but in Nagash' lyrics the message is more straight to the point I guess, and, our passion for the dark and the spiritual sides to your own subconscious is like a red line through the lyrics I guess…
How important do you consider your lyrics to be and, what are the sources from which your lyrical concepts are drawn?
Well, the lyrical content is of course important for us, as a black metal band but, anyway, people first listens to the music and also there are lots of people who actually do not care so much about the lyrical content. As I said we'll keep things in a more spiritual level and maybe description of the lyrics can be described as search for self-revelation if you know what I mean, so, it's about individual you know. The lyrics are always personal written.
The new album has also normal vocals, instead of the usual black metal ones. I believe that they match perfectly with the whole concept! How and why did you decide to put these vocals in your songs?
We had planned to do this a long time ago, actually, because we want to do something more to the vocal part of the music and, we didn't want to use female vocals, because we don't like that so much. So, we asked Simen (Hestnaes), the guy from Borknagar, to do some vocals and he's also been singing in Arcturus before … Yeah, because we knew that his voice was something really special you know. It was a theatrical kind of voice so, that was exactly what we were looking for, so, I think it fits with the atmosphere and everything in the album the way it turned out…
Dimmu Borgir had many line-up changes this time. We were informed that Nagash left the band, Mystis replaced Stian and that Tjodalv was replaced by Aggressor… Are these line-up changes correct?
Yeah, well, Aggressor was doing session drums in our tour, but Tjodalv came back in the band after we got home. He couldn't do the tour because he had his family and they got a little daughter just before we went to tour, so he had to stay home. Yeah, we have a new keyboarder, Mystis, he has also contributed a lot to the sound writing this time. We need always people who can dedicate 100% to the band or whenever and our former keyboard player wasn't able to do that, so, definitely we were looking for another guy you know. And the fact that Nagash left the band after the recording was something we knew already a long time ago…
So Nagash WAS present at the recording, yeah?
Yeah, but we knew that he would leave after the recording because he wants to concentrate at Covenant and that's the understandable I guess since they all have successed that band. It's his former band you know.
So the line-up changes were in a kind of "friendly" atmosphere, right?
Yeah!
I would like you to tell me about the cover of your new album… What does it represent?
I think it represents the music and the atmosphere. Of course the lyrics in many ways because they are also on a search for, you know what I mean, to individuality and I think since the girl, the angel is blindfolded it means that, it kept symbolized that the most religions in the world, not only Christianity, but most religions in the world are wrong because it doesn't make you see for a real person you are. It makes you blind, it means that you have to follow certain rules and that is not what we are about because we want to be able to think for ourselves and not to be weak in many ways…
Many people believe that you are "copying" Cradle Of Filth in your image… What do you have to say about that?!
Well, of course that is not true because we have our own expression and a big thing, and the cover with the girl and all these have nothing to do with Vampire stuff at all because it does symbolize both the cruelty and the beauty of death you know and the beauty and the girl and the blood has the cruelty of death you know so it has nothing to do with Cradle of Filth and vampires and nothing like that…
Do you feel satisfied with the result of "Spiritual Black Dimensions" ?
Yeah, very much. All of us have been satisfied with everything in that album… And the sound is more professional then now, everything… I mean we really have showed the people what we stands for and all about, I think…
Do you think that it could possibly be better?
Yeah of course it's better than the last album otherwise we wouldn't have done. As a band we always want to do things better and progress and develop and, it is impossible to do the perfect album but we try always anyway so that's why bands always release new albums I guess because they always want to do things better…
What are Dimmu Borgir 's tour plans? Is Greece included in any tour?
Yeah! We're coming to Greece after the European tour is finished. So it's actually on the tour…We're coming for tour shows I think…
Which month?
May…
May… There's not an exact date?
No… don't have an exact date but I just know that there is maybe in the 2nd week of May. (It is arranged for May the 16th, as I was informed!!!)
I see...I would like to ask you another question:
Many people who are into black metal, consider your music, as well as C.O.F. 's Covenant's etc, not to be genuine black metal, but rather melodic "dance" music. What do you have to say about it? Do you consider black metal to be only the speedy, brutal sound of bands like Mayhem, Marduk, Darkthrone etc?
No, exactly that's why we want to also combine the melodic parts with that mystic thing (I'm not sure if I wrote that correct, the recording is not…"perfect" !) because that's what we stand for. I mean if people don't look about what does black metal or don't like it well, don't listen then, because it's as easy as that you know and, as a result, how we sound is that we have an open mind when it comes to music and we're pretty glad that we have an open mind because that's probably made us what we stand today.
You have showed
your respect towards Accept by making a cover version of "Metal Heart" in
"Godless Savage Garden". Is Accept 's music among the ones that have influenced
you?Yeah you know metal in general has been a big influence for us you know. For us bands like Accept, Judas Priest has just been a big influence as other bands… So, for us was just natural to do a cover song of Accept but I guess it's a little surprising for most black metal people…
Do you plan to make any other cover versions?
No we haven't time for that and we haven't thought about it either so I guess we'll see what happens in the future but anyways to the last time we don't think about doing a cover song…
Could you tell us a few things about the bands that have influenced you, from the beginning until today?
I don't think we haven't taken direct influence from any band I think, but you know for me, personally, as a black metal musician I always found a band like Darkthrone for instance as a big influence not only musically but as the whole thing… If you understand what I mean… That maybe influenced me to what I am today but not direct influences.
And what kind of music are you listening nowadays?
Everything from black metal to classical stuff you know.. I listen also to classical music and gothic and death metal… Everything I mean… I'm not a fan of techno, he he, but I have very open mind about music…
Dimmu Borgir are one of the first black metal bands to have added elements such as keyboards and melodies to their sound. Do you think that this is the natural evolution of your sound?
Yeah because we always seen keyboards as a just as important instrument as guitars for example, so, for us that is just natural because Dimmu Borgir is all about atmosphere and that is what we want to represent. We like to use keyboards.
Do you think you can lead Dimmu Borgir 's music even further? What are the elements you would like to add to it?
We just have to wait and see but we also try to different and new things because we don't want to get stuck to the same level the whole time. We want to try different things and that's good about having an open mind and try different/new things. As always things to improve when it comes to musical aspects so… We will try as hard as we can to do something different in the future.
Compare today's Dimmu Borgir to "For All Tid"'s Dimmu Borgir. Could you distinguish the differences and the similarities? The differences are obvious I think because now everything sounds much better, everything is better in all ways I think. If you only concentrate on the band… that wasn't the case before you know, so, I guess that's the biggest difference that we now are able to do exactly what we want, in our life you know…
What do you remember from the crime period of the Norwegian black metal scene and after all these years, how do you feel about it?
(the recording here plain SUCKS! I'm really sorry but I couldn't figure out what Silenoz was saying… He said though that good musicians died and good musicians went to jail… That's all I could understand!!!)
Today, many bands play or try to play like you. Do you consider yourselves to be the "fathers" of the melodic side of black metal?
Well I don't… Let that to other people to decide but I guess we have found our style and I guess there's also other people that likes this kind of atmosphere. So it's probably natural for those bands to follow our footsteps… I don't see anything wrong with that but I still think that the most bands should try do something of their own and not copy so many other bands…
What do you think about the Norwegian black metal scene? Is it still alive?
I think the bands are now much more serious about the music than before, because everyone concentrates more in the musical aspect and music as a weapon against everything instead of burning churches and murder each other…It's much stronger to do it that way…
What do you
know about Greece?Not so much actually, I know it's hotter in summer - ha ha ha… but I know of course you have a black metal scene maybe just as known as the Norwegian one. Of course we know some of the guys from Rotting Christ also…
And except Rotting Christ have you heard any other Greek black metal bands?
Yeah I think some years back another band called Nightfall, I think… I'm not too familiar with the Greek scene.
By the way have you heard the new Rotting Christ album?
1-2 songs…
What do you think about it?
It's too early for me to tell… But I always liked their music. They have a sound that no one else has. And that is what most bands should do, I think…
Except music what other interests do you have?
Well there's not so much we have time left… But of course I like to be some times with friends and have beer and in the summer some times go fishing with friends and… Yeah, watch movies, listening to music And stuff like that which makes me feel too good you know… so…
I would like you to express your opinion about some bands…
a) Mayhem: I guess they were important and ARE important too, for the whole case of black metal.
b) Cradle Of Filth: I think they're a really good and professional band.
c) Covenant: The same goes for Covenant…
d) Ancient: Well I'm not so fan of their music actually. I'm not so interested in their music.
e) Ancient Rites (HAIL GUNTHER!!!): They're one of the older bands in the underground and they're still important for the underground because they have been around for a long time. I'm not too fan of their music either but I think they have something of their own as well and that's of course important.
f) Limbonic Art: I think they have a bright future if they take the chances and opportunities to do something with it, because they have something really of their own and I like and enjoy their music very much…
g) Emperor: The same goes for Emperor, they're of course already big as a black metal band but they are still under limits to brake as a black metal band and I think they also have a bright future…
h) Satyricon: I rather enjoyed their other material but I'm not too familiar with their last album. But yeah, they're a really good band also
i) Rotting Christ: Yeah, as I said they have something of their own and they've been also a part of the underground movement for many years and I guess they're some kind of godfathers for the Greek scene, I guess… If I'm not too wrong. Yeah, I think they're really good.
j) And just to get out the black metal scene, I would like to ask you about Death…
The band?
Yes…
I really like their sound although I don't like their new album so much because I think it's too progressive for my taste to get into but all the other albums are really great… Really great musicians as well!
k) Dimmu Borgir
Yeah well, I think we have found our own style and we do as we want every time so we'll see what happens in the future but I think as everything goes our way we will still be here you know…
What message would you give to your Greek fans?
Well we're really looking forward to meet the Greek fans because we haven't played in Greece yet and we're really looking forward to meet them when we play on tour so I hope they will enjoy our new album and enjoy our live performance.
Any last words? Something you would like to add?
No I guess you have got my point in most of the questions…
Interview by Dimitris "SLATAN" Petrakis & "Melissa"
victims where sacrificed on the ALTARS OF METAL since 3/7/1998
