It’s time to bring out the leather pants, white face paint, and heavy black liner and lipstick. Dimmu Borgir have returned for their 25th anniversary celebration, and their newest full-length record release, Eonian—out via Nuclear Blast Records on May 4—proves all these years haven’t stopped them from dominating the black metal scene.
“I think the new record sums up the whole history of the band. Eonian is a 25-year celebration, so to speak,” frontman Shagrath says. “We have included a lot of elements, like we did in the ‘90s, such as certain types of keyboard sounds and a specific atmosphere that we wanted for this record.”
The album revolves around the concept of time, “dealing with the spirit quest for knowledge, dealing with the world we see and the world unseen while intertwining dimensions and metaphysical realms,” Shagrath offers. He also strongly encourages listeners to dissect the album on their own and create their own thoughts and descriptions.
“It’s too much information to take in from listening to it once, so I hope the listeners take their time, and I’m sure they will appreciate this new record. If you dig into the details and know the history of the band and the history of Norwegian black metal, then you will be able to find a lot of links to that sound,” Shagrath adds. “I am very proud of the history, it is an authentic expression—which is why it has survived more than two decades.”
Like Shagrath says, Eonian represents the band’s 25th anniversary, and the theme of timelessness really connects to the celebration. Dimmu Borgir continue to maintain key aspects of their performance and sound, using orchestral instruments and choirs with their classic metal riffs and growling vocals. Using live orchestras holds a special place in the band’s heart, and Shagrath mentions that the approach is related to his favorite memory in their 25 years of being a band.
“It has to be the Oslo show we did with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Schola Cantorum Choir in 2011,” he admits. “That was a big achievement in our history, a very emotional moment to be onstage with a huge orchestra and perform a lot of our songs with them in that setting. You can only imagine—we have always been a band to include keyboard elements and strings and choirs into our music, and to be able to do that in front of over 10,000 people in a live setting, you have to kind of pinch yourself in the arm. It was a very magical and epic moment.”
Another element of the band’s performance that has remained a constant throughout their years of success is their visuals and attire. Shagrath jokingly compares the idea of ditching their aesthetic to Gandalf from “Lord of the Rings” wearing jeans and Nike shoes, asserting that the audience wouldn’t be convinced by the character.
“For us, the imagery has always been an extremely important part of what we do. Visuals need to complement the music,” he states. “We’ve kept with that since we were young and carved it into something on our own. When we perform live or when we do videos and photoshoots, it’s a big part of what we do.”
Dimmu Borgir released the single “Interdimensional Summit” in February along with a music video. Shagrath says the song doesn’t come close to representing Eonian in its entirety, and he notes that each song varies from the others. The track was written in 2012, which gives it a similar sound to their previous record, Abrahadabra, from 2010. The band released another single from the new album, “Council of Wolves and Snakes,” in March.
“I am also very proud of that song, and I have very strong confidence in what we do, so no matter what, for us, it is still a big success,” Shagrath shares, stating that Dimmu Borgir don’t worry about criticism and mixed reviews from the latest single. “It is extremely different from that first single, so a lot of people should be surprised by it.”
Dimmu Borgir are far from seeing an end to their journey as a band. They may have 25 years down, but the band hope to continue for a lifetime more.
“It’s not like I chose this way; it chose me,” Shagrath says. “Music is an expression of feelings, [whether] it’s musical or lyrical. It’s my way of channeling emotions. I would do this no matter what. Music, to me, is a very big part of my life. Looking at all the hard work and details, I think we have achieved a lot and we show pure dedication and hard work.”
