DIMMU BORGIR In Pre-Production For New Album

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR are in pre-production for their tenth album, tentatively due before the end of the year.

In a 2014 interview with Finland's Radio Rock, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We usually take two-three years in between each release of the albums anyway, but now it's almost four years since the last album came out, so it's about time so we can wrap this up and get going with it. That would be great. I mean, we always take our time. If we're gonna rush things, then it's not gonna be something we can stand behind anyway, so we just have to take the time it takes to make it."

He added: "I think we always need a sort of break. Maybe not this long, but after each album and touring cycle, I think every band should take a short break at least, because you need to get away from each other, just to regroup and get perspective."

Regarding what he and his bandmates have been doing during their down time from DIMMU BORGIR, Silenoz said: "Well, each one of us has so-called side projects. I have INSIDIOUS DISEASE, Shagrath [vocals] has CHROME DIVISION. So we've been doing a little bit of that as well. Yeah, and family takes up a lot of time. [Laughs]"

DIMMU BORGIR performed one very exclusive show on May 28, 2011 at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway with a special, never-to-be-repeated setlist with 53 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and 30 members of the Schola Cantorum choir, who were musical guests on the band's ninth studio album, "Abrahadabra". The concert, dubbed "Forces Of The Northern Night", was professionally filmed and was broadcast as part of a one-hour documentary in June 2011 on NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation),the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company and the largest media organization in Norway.

Speaking about the status of the planned "Forces Of The Northern Night" DVD release, Silenoz told Scuzz TV: "It should have been out the same year [that it was recorded], but it got put on hold. But that sounds really good. We remixed and remastered [it]. Everything is just sitting there and waiting [for release]. [It will] hopefully [be out] by the beginning of [2015]. Certain things have to fall into place, and it's not really up to us. But once we have that out, we can have a new release that we can promote and tour with, so I hope we can sort it out as soon as possible."

Regarding the experience of performing with an orchestra, Silenoz said: "It was, of course, really special, especially since it was in Oslo, and a lot of people traveled in for the show from all over the world. And everything went great on stage for once. When you have a hundred people on stage, the percentage of something going wrong is definitely there, but it was really, really good."

He added: "You think your band is professional, then you play with an orchestra, and then you know, 'Oh, we're not so professional after all.'"

DIMMU BORGIR's current touring lineup includes Geir Bratland (APOPTYGMA BERZERK, THE KOVENANT) on keyboards and Terje Andersen (a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA) on bass.

"Abrahadabra" was released in Germany on September 24, 2010, in the rest of Europe on September 27, 2010, and it was made available in North America on October 12, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.