DIMMU BORGIR Guitarist: 'Most Wars Are Directly Connected To Religious Conflicts'
May 18, 2007In a recent phone interview with Greg Burk of the Los Angeles Times, guitarist Silenoz, DIMMU BORGIR's main lyricist (in English and sometimes Norwegian),showed a thoughtful nature — and a sense of humor — about the mythic name he chose.
"Silenus was known for debaucheries when it comes to drink. He had a crooked nose and quite a beer gut, which I also have," Silenoz says. "The similarities are uncanny."
According to Silenoz, black metal's opposition to religion is actually a moral stance. "Most wars are directly connected to religious conflicts," he says. "Look at Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans. That's one of many reasons to go up against organized religion."
As for sound, DIMMU BORGIR had employed real orchestras on the last couple of albums, but keyboards create the illusion effectively on the group's new album, "In Sorte Diaboli", although no one in the group knows how to read music.
Does Silenoz listen to classical? "I really like Beethoven and Wagner — you know, the heavy composers — maybe because they're close to how some metal is built up," he says. "On my iPod, I have everything from bluegrass and country to the most brutal grindcore."
How about film scores? "Yeah, very much so. Especially the big theatrical movies like 'Lord of the Rings'. And when I saw 'The Red Dragon', I found a lot of killer stuff in that."
Prev 
Comments Disclaimer And Information