DIMMU BORGIR Guitarist On 'Eonian': 'This Is By No Stretch An Immediate Album'

Harvey Radford of Extreme Metal Festival News recently conducted an interview with guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Extreme Metal Festival News: It's been eight years since the release of "Abrahadabra" and on May 4 you return with your new offering called "Eonian". What musical direction has DIMMU taken with this album and is it like anything you've recorded before?

Silenoz: "It's always hard for us to say what we've done 'different' or 'changed', as we're always in our little bubble when we write, but we know for a fact that rushing art is not gonna get you anywhere. It's up to the fans and the critics to decipher whatever changes there are, I guess. We could've easily done 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant' all over again and be sure that we'd satisfy a part of our fan base with that, but we wouldn't be satisfied and content. If the artist is not convinced and confident about their new work, there's no point releasing it, there's no point being an artist. I feel we've matured a lot just in a few years when it comes to the songwriting, especially on the arrangements side of things. I will say this though: there are links back towards our older albums in terms of riffing style, etc., as well as a homage to our black metal roots somewhat, but when we write, we 'DIMMU-fy' things, so it may take the listener a few spins to get under the layers. This is by no stretch an immediate album, it's a lot to take in, but did anyone really expect it otherwise?"

Extreme Metal Festival News: With "Eonian" meaning "eternal" or "everlasting", then can you tell us a bit about the lyrical theme of the album?

Silenoz: "We've decided not to elaborate on the lyrical aspect too much on this album, I feel it'll be totally against the whole idea of what's behind it. If one reads the words with an open and curious mind there'll either be a conscious or subconscious 'acceptance' of the fact that reality and time is not limited to the perception that we have traditionally used."

Extreme Metal Festival News: How much of an impact have Daray [drums] and Gerlioz [keyboards] had on writing process for "Eonian" or has it purely been down to the main writing core of the band and also who handled bass duties on the recording?

Silenoz: "We did the bass among ourselves and the music is written and arranged by the three of us core members. However, this album would not sound the way it does if it also hadn't been for Daray and Gerlioz's performances and inputs, they've done outstanding craftmanship and we're really proud of having them on the team. I think after so many years of too many cooks in the kitchen, we've all found our places and it helps the progress of the band and for a much better disciplined work ethic this way. Mind you, the current lineup is the longest lasting in the band's history, and that speaks volumes, doesn't it?"

Read the entire interview at Extreme Metal Festival News.