SILENOZ: DIMMU BORGIR Has Between Six And Eight Songs Demoed For Next Album

DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) spoke to FaceCulture about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Eonian" album. Regarding why it is taking so long for DIMMU BORGIR to release new music ("Eonian" was the first DIMMU album in eight years),Silenoz said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it could have been fairly easy to do 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant Part Two', and we could have done albums like that every third year or second year, but, to be honest, what would be the point in that, to have an album almost identical to what some fans classify as a classic. So that would be the easy way out and the path of least resistance. And that would also, in my eyes, be a selling-out point because you would do something that's less challenging and cash in on that. But that's not how we have worked ever; we never compromised and we always take the time we feel is needed to finish an album. If it takes eight years as it did now — it shouldn't have done that, obviously — but it is what it is. An album is finished when it's finished."

Regarding a possible timeline for the release of the next DIMMU BORGIR album, Silenoz said: "We have sort of a timeline. I think that's good, but it shouldn't be set in stone, but I think it's good to have a timeframe to work towards, at least when you start getting six, seven, eight songs, as we're up in now, and demoed with vocals and all that stuff. And we picked up the process now, so it's looking good, yeah. It's sounding good, I should say."

In October 2020, Silenoz confirmed to Australia's "Everblack" podcast that DIMMU BORGIR had been hard at work on material for the follow-up to "Eonian". Speaking about the musical direction of the new DIMMU songs, he said: "It's obviously always strange to talk about it that early in the songwriting process, but I feel like it might be a little more stripped down. And that's probably not saying too much, because we have so much of everything. But I feel like we're looking at maybe toning it down a little bit, especially on the orchestral side. So people shouldn't be too surprised if they get a bit more stripped-down version of DIMMU on the next album."

In January 2020, Silenoz told Extreme Metal Festival News that DIMMU BORGIR would likely "take a more aggressive turn" with the upcoming effort. "Now with [bassist] Victor [Brandt] in the band, with him also being a guitarist, there will be four of us writing guitar riffs," he said. "It would surprise me if the album will be more guitar-orientated, which I don't mind."

"Eonian" was released right in time for the band's 25th anniversary in 2018, about eight years after its predecessor, "Abrahadabra". Since then, the infernal core trio consisting of Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder has played various tours all around the world, including shows at leading metal festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest.

DIMMU BORGIR will release a collection of its cover songs, "Inspiratio Profanus", on December 8 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Inspiratio Profanus" features the thunderous first single, "Black Metal" by the extreme metal pioneers VENOM, the genre-defining "Perfect Strangers" (DEEP PURPLE),fan favorite "Burn In Hell" (TWISTED SISTER),and electrifying renditions from the legendary CELTIC FROST, as well as other immensely influential artists.