Dimmu Borgir. Perhaps the most controversial black metal band in existence. Even more than controversial, the proper term for Dimmu Borgir I think is polarising. Either love them or hate them, you won't find a single metalhead alive who "doesn't have an opinion" on Shagrath and Silenoz, the two main members - alongside Galder - of the Norwegian symphonic black metal masters, and - to some - commercial sellouts.
But Shagrath and Silenoz have also fired back, on multiples occasions, at what they believe are "hypocrites" within the black metal scene. Bands who indirectly, or directly, benefited from Dimmu Borgir's massive commercial appeal and media exposure.
All that is made crystal clear, perhaps, in an interview the two members - Shagrath and Silenoz - gave to Antoine Grand, to celebrate the release of the book "Real Satanic Black Metal". A book that will, of course, cover the career of black metal's most mainstream band: Dimmu Borgir.
"What Happens Outside the World of Dimmu Borgir..."
Fittingly, some would say, the first question is asked not about the band, but rather about Shagrath's recent involvement with both Abbath and King ov Hell in the "Ov Hell" supergroup project. Shagrath immediately cuts to the chase.
Shagrath: That's was more or less a one-time thing that we fit in well with the schedule. King Ov Hell asked me to try some ideas for putting on vocals and he obviously liked what I did and we just decided, okay, I'm going to do the vocals for the record. But there are no future plans for that project and, first of all, I don't have time for anymore projects either.Silenoz: What happens outside the world of Dimmu Borgir doesn't affect us the slightest. Black metal drama should stay at home.
Shagrath: We have never been involved in the criminal aspect of the black-metal scene. We focus more on the musical aspects. The pen is mightier than the sword.
Few modern black metal artists have a positive opinion on the direction in which nu-Gorgoroth is headed under poser queen Infernus, and the fact that even Shagrath is willing to call him out is... interesting.
"Just Because We Don't Play With Distortion Doesn't Make Us Britney Spears!"
The next question was, obviously, about the underground. And specifically the distinction between "true kvlt" raw black metal and the more symphonic/goth fusion played by Dimmu Borgir.
Shagrath: Who says Dimmu Borgir isn't underground? Some of my favourite albums of all time include the first Bathory, Fenrir Prowling, A Blaze in the Northern Sky, and Filosofem.Silenoz: I like the lo-fi stuff more than anything else really, but that is not what Dimmu Borgir is all about.
Shagrath and Silenoz continue in the same vein. To them, the infighting between various black metal cultures is pointless and counter-productive to the evolution of black metal.
Shagrath: Just because we don't play with distortion and record professionally in a studio doesn't mean we are the next Britney Spears. What are the people thinking?Silenoz: But we would kill covering ABBA or Bee Gees with death vocals, that would be awesome.
Who else wants to see Dimmu Borgir moshing to "Staying Alive"?
"In Dimmu Borgir you can expect the unexpected..."
Shagrath also warns that the best is still to come (speaking of Dimmu Borgir's music).
Silenoz: We got a lot of comments from the TRVE ones or the purists or elitists or whatever you want to call it, but the way I see it is that they have actually been helping promoting the band, more than they would ever know, because if you hear about something constantly in a negative way, for someone who is on the outside, he gets intrigued. You have to check out by yourself to see if it is actually true what they say about this. [...] So actually the so-called purists out there, they have been helping us a lot and promoting the band (laugh). As long as they throw our name out, I am thankful for that. It is the best promotion you can get.Shagrath: In Dimmu Borgir you can expect the unexpected. That's how we like to, when we do something we want to, there is no limits for where we can take it, in which direction, and that’s how we want it to be, it needs to be.
And lastly, a question was asked about the debut "For All Tid" - which many consider the best, and sometimes the "only good" album, of Dimmu Borgir's discography. Before the band became known as "Dimmu Burger".
Shagrath: No comment.Silenoz: At that time [of recording the debut "For All Tid", tn.] we were very young and we did not have any budget to go into a fancy studio or anything like that, but I think, listening back to the album now, it has still a lot of potential and it shows what young kids can actually do when they have focus enough. I think it still has a charm and I still enjoy playing some of these old songs live, because it is part of the history of the band.
Dimmu Borgir is often seen as the "poster child" of the modern state of black metal. The direct equivalent of what Cannibal Corpse is to death metal. Is the comparison fair?
Maybe. Both bands are criticised less for what they do, and more for what they represent. It's hard to argue for example that Alex Webster, Corpsegrind, and Shagrath aren't talented musicians in their own right. Objectively, they are good. Whether you agree with the paths each band has taken is another story.
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