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Dimmu Borgir (; pronounced "dim-moo bore-gear") is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Oslo whose music has been very popular in several Scandinavian countries and Germany. "Dimmu Borgir" means "Dark Citadel/Castle/Fortress" in Icelandic, and is actually the name of an area of lava formations close to Mývatn, a lake in Iceland.
Biography Dimmu Borgir was originally founded in 1993 by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv. The band released an EP entitled Inn I Evighetens Mørke (1994) translated to English the title means "Into The Darkness of Eternity". This short EP sold out within weeks, and the band followed up with the full length album For All Tid (1994). This album featured musical contributions by members of Dødheimsgard and Ved Buens Ende. Interestingly enough, Shagrath played drums with Tjodalv on guitar and Erkekjetter (translating "arch heretic") Silenoz covering vocals. This lineup changed before the release of Stormblåst (translates to "Storm Blown") on Cacophonous Records in 1996. Stormblåst received high praise from many melodic black metal fans, and is often regarded as a highlight of the band's career. It is also the last album which features all lyrics written and sung in Norwegian. After Stormblåst, Dimmu Borgir's career took a sharp turn. Keyboardist Stian Aarstad left the band due to his obligation to serve in the Norwegian army, thus he was not able to participate in the recording of Devil's Path (1996). That period was also marked by the leave of their bassist Brynjard Tristan and the arrival of Nagash. Stian Aarstad returned for the recording of Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997). On the tour to support the album he had trouble attending rehearsals and tour dates, and he was fired from the band. Enthrone Darkness Triumphant was a huge success for the band, and it was their first release signed to the famous German record label Nuclear Blast. It was recorded in the Abyss Studios, owned by Hypocrisy's mainman Peter Tägtgren. After the tour for Enthrone Darkness Triumphant the band recruited new members Mustis on keyboards and Astennu on second guitar so that Shagrath could concentrate on vocals. Dimmu Borgir's following full-length albums Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999) and Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) both met critical acclaim. Some fans accused the band of "selling out" due to the mass audiences which the albums reached. Despite regular video play on MTV2 and Fuse TV that their follow-up album would receive, the band has stated that they are not "commercially-oriented," and instead, they simply wish to spread their message to more people. In 2003, Dimmu Borgir used their major record label financial leverage to create a monumental album titled Death Cult Armageddon. Sections of the album were recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra to enhance the classical arrangements which have always augmented the band's style. In 2005, the band did a complete re-recording of the Stormblåst album, featuring Hellhammer of Mayhem fame as the session drummer. Recently on their website, it was announced that Dimmu Borgir have begun working on their follow up to Death Cult Armageddon. Discography Studio Releases
Live and other releases Current members Former members Trivia Official Website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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