Ex-DIMMU BORGIR Bassist/Vocalist VORTEX Says MUSTIS Was Band's 'True Creative Force'

ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs),the former bassist/clean vocalist for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band DIMMU BORGIR, has released the following statement regarding his departure from the group:

"I've really enjoyed the ride; the DIMMU years have been awesome. I look forward to concentrating fully on my own project now, and the opening possibility to resurrect a band or three.

"A special thanks to all the crazy and lovely people I have met on the road with DIMMU over the years, for the support from so many of you, and for the continuing interest in my musical projects. I will always treasure the albums and the brotherhood as it was before the cabin-fever music industry and greed went METALLICA on our asses.

"My support goes to Mustis [former DIMMU BORGIR keyboardist; real name: Øyvind Mustaparta], the true creative force in DIMMU for the last ten years, and his rightful legal chase."

Simen will meet his LAMENTED SOULS bandmates in mid-September to plan a new release and a few gigs in Norway. He is also planning to get together with the rest of ARCTURUS to discuss the group's future and a possible reunion.

The remaining members of DIMMU BORGIR issued a statement on Monday (August 31) confirming Vortex's and Mustis' departures from the group. The statement also downplayed the impact the lineup changes will have on the sound of DIMMU BORGIR next album, insisting that "the creative force in the band is highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever."

Mustisissued a statement on Sunday (August 30) claiming that his dismissal from DIMMU BORGIR was caused by his efforts to "address the fact that many songs written by me had not been registered properly under my name in their credits. Without naming every single track, let us just say that a good majority of albums like 'Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia' and 'In Sorte Diaobli' would have been vastly different had I not composed and created as much as I actually did," he said. "Sadly, based on terrible gaps in the communication process and a failure to find logical rationale for why this had been done this way found me hitting wall after wall as opposed to finding a professional and reasonable solution to the problem. My inquiries and investigation into the issues which I wished to resolve and move on from would in the end find me being fired from the group. No discussions about it, just 'goodbye' (via text message)."

Last year's "Blackest Of The Black" tour with DANZIG helped support DIMMU's latest DVD titled "The Invaluable Darkness", which debuted at No. 5 on the Top Music Videos chart in mid-October. It was also the band's last North American tour promoting their eighth studio album, "In Sorte Diaboli", which debuted on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart at No. 2, and on The Billboard 200 chart at No. 43.