Dimmu Borgir guitarist Sven “Silenoz” Kopperud isn’t shy about admitting that running the Norwegian symphonic black metal institution with fewer people at the table has made his life easier. Speaking with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, the co-founder reflected on his decades-long creative bond with vocalist Stian “Shagrath” Thoresen, the pair started the band together back in 1993, and on where the group stands now that it has returned to a two-man nucleus following guitarist Galder‘s (real name Thomas Rune Andersen) 2024 exit.
Asked whether that stripped-down setup brings Dimmu Borgir closer to the raw energy of its early-1990s beginnings, Silenoz agreed the smaller crew helps.
“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,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He went on to explain how the band’s chain of command has always worked.
“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.”
Silenoz admitted no group welcomes another shuffle, but framed this one as a step in the right direction.
“Every band wants to, obviously, avoid going through a lineup change, but here we are yet again,” he 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.”
When Fragos asked whether Galder‘s departure registered as a loss or a release for the band’s writing process, Silenoz didn’t hesitate.
“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,” he explained.
The guitarist was then asked whether years of friction with former members have left him and Shagrath more guarded about the band’s identity. His answer touched on ownership, respect, and members he felt leaned on the Dimmu Borgir name.
“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,” he continued. “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 heads to North America this summer for a 10-date run, with Hypocrisy, Suffocation and Hulder along as support. The tour opens August 7 – Palladium Times Square, New York City, and closes August 23 – The Novo, Los Angeles, California.
The band is touring behind Grand Serpent Rising, its tenth studio album, which landed on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records.
