SILENOZ: Some Former DIMMU BORGIR Members Had 'Been Riding The Coattails Of Being In This Band'

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, guitarist Sven "Silenoz" Kopperud of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR spoke about his long-running working relationship with DIMMU BORGIR vocalist Stian "Shagrath" Thoresen, having formed the band together in 1993. Asked if DIMMU BORGIR's return to a two-member core following the 2024 departure of longtime DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Galder (real name Thomas Rune Andersen) "feels closer" to the band's "early 1990s spirit", Silenoz responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think so, in many ways, because, yeah, of course, it's easier for both Shagrath and myself to come to conclusions with the songs and pretty much everything else if there's less cooks in the kitchen. That's just how it is."

Silenoz continued: "In a band situation, and I can speak for many artists and bands out there, there's a democracy up to a certain point. And that works fine, but from there on and up, [to make] the major and sometimes very difficult decisions, you cannot have a democracy; it would not be the best for everyone involved. So with that in mind, I guess you can say that we have always been the two guys at the helm, and we have taken those decisions. And the easy decisions are easy, obviously. When it comes to more challenging stuff, like lineup changes and all these other non-musical things, I guess you can say, it's not so easy all the time.

"Every band wants to, obviously, avoid going through a lineup change, but here we are yet again," Silenoz added. "And I think what was happening this time was for the better of the band in many, many ways. And I think it has helped me and Shagrath to get a bit closer, when we can do more individually. I can do more on my part, he can do more on his part, and then we meet and then we put things together. And it's basically less hassle. That's just the way it worked this time, and I'm really happy with how things worked out, really."

Asked if Galder's departure felt "like a loss or like a liberation" when it comes to the DIMMU BORGIR creative process, Silenoz said: "First and foremost, like a liberation, if you wanna use that word. Galder wasn't that involved in the songwriting process on this album [2026's 'Grand Serpent Rising']. And especially the last few years before he quit, he was not really that much involved. So, obviously, you're gonna hear maybe some ideas that he threw into the pot early on in the songwriting process. But things have been changed around a lot, has been rewritten, re-edited. Yeah, some of these songs go back all the way until 2018, 2019. And even back then it was mostly Shagrath and myself that was meeting up and putting stuff together. So it's safe to say that the reason why maybe this album sounds more back to basics in some of the songs is because of that fact that we have been the ones writing most of it. As simple as that."

Asked if these past conflicts with previous members have made him and Shagrath "more protective" of DIMMU BORGIR's "identity", Silenoz said: "Yeah, I'm sure it has, because as you may understand, when it comes to me and Shagrath specifically, we've been there since day one, and we have always had ownership to the band and the brand. And through the years, people have come and [gone]. And naturally they're not gonna have the same ownership to the band as we have since we started it. That's understandable. But we also feel that, through the years — I'm not gonna mention names — but a few of the previous members, they have acted perhaps not as respectful as they should, taking their position into consideration. And we feel also that we have been taken advantage of in the sense that some people have been riding the coattails of being in this band. And, yeah, sure enough that you take the opportunities that comes with playing in a big band with a big name — of course you do; everybody would do — but it's also where there's... With a lack of respect sometimes and lack of staying informed of what it means to be in a band, it's always been on mine and Shagrath's shoulders. But at the same time, I don't wanna slag off previous members because every member that has been in the band to any extent of time has put their namesake and effort and ideas into the band. They have been helping shaping the songs and been a part of the band there and then. And, of course, that's something that we appreciate. It shows that a band can grow, despite difficulties and hurdles and challenges. It just shows that we are still a mainstay, so to speak. And we overcome those hurdles, basically."

DIMMU BORGIR will embark on a North American tour this summer. Support on the 10-date trek will come from HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION and HULDER. The tour will kick off on August 7 at the Palladium Times Square in in New York City, and will wrap up on August 23 at The Novo in Los Angeles, California.

DIMMU BORGIR will be touring in support of its new album, "Grand Serpent Rising", which arrived on on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Shagrath previously stated about the LP: "I truly feel we've outdone ourselves musically on this album. It's been a long and demanding process, but seeing how it all came together makes it incredibly rewarding. 'Grand Serpent Rising' reflects every era of DIMMU BORGIR. This album carries echoes of every chapter of DIMMU BORGIR's legacy. I believe our fans will recognize that, and find something within it that truly resonates."

"Grand Serpent Rising" was recorded in Gothenburg with acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström, whose legacy with the band includes landmark releases "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" and "Death Cult Armageddon". The collaboration once again captures the band at their most expansive and ferocious, blending orchestral grandeur with unrelenting black metal intensity.

In October 2026, two of the most influential forces in extreme metal join together for a monumental live assault: DIMMU BORGIR and BEHEMOTH will embark on the "In League With Satan" co-headline tour, storming across Europe. As special guests, the Swedish black metal icons DARK FUNERAL will add even more ferocity to an already devastating lineup.

In June 2025, DIMMU BORGIR announced Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen as the band's new guitarist. Karlsen, who previously played with Shagrath in the long-running Norwegian rock act CHROME DIVISION, made his live debut with DIMMU BORGIR on June 27, 2025 at the Tons Of Rock festival in Oslo, Norway.

Galder (real name Thomas Rune Andersen) announced his departure from DIMMU BORGIR in the summer of 2024, explaining that he wanted to reactivate his OLD MAN'S CHILD project.

Galder played his final concert with DIMMU BORGIR on August 17, 2024 as the headliner of the main stage at Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.