Three former members of DIMMU BORGIR — bassist/clean vocalist ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs),keyboardist Mustis (real name: Øyvind Mustaparta) and drummer Tjodalv (real name: Ian Kenneth Åkesson) — rejoined the Norwegian symphonic black metallers on stage last night (Saturday, March 30) during their set at the Inferno festival at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway to perform the song "The Insight And The Catharsis" from their 1999 album " Spiritual Black Dimensions". Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen here.
When DIMMU BORGIR parted ways with ICS Vortex and Mustis in August 2009, the band said in a statement that "the creative force in the band" was "highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever." Around the same time, Mustis issued a statement claiming that his dismissal from DIMMU BORGIR was caused by his efforts to "address the fact that many songs written by me had not been registered properly under my name in their credits. Without naming every single track, let us just say that a good majority of albums like 'Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia' and 'In Sorte Diaobli' would have been vastly different had I not composed and created as much as I actually did," he said. "Sadly, based on terrible gaps in the communication process and a failure to find logical rationale for why this had been done this way found me hitting wall after wall as opposed to finding a professional and reasonable solution to the problem. My inquiries and investigation into the issues which I wished to resolve and move on from would in the end find me being fired from the group. No discussions about it, just 'goodbye' (via text message)."
A day later, ICS Vortex released his own statement in which he called Mustis "the true creative force in DIMMU for the last ten years".
For their part, the remaining members of DIMMU BORGIR fired back at their former bandmates, saying that they had "put up with unprofessionalism and bad live performances for years." They also claimed that they had been "falsely accused in statements posted online by recently fired members based on their ignorance, bitterness and greed."
DIMMU BORGIR's current lineup is officially a trio comprising Shagrath (Stian Tomt Thoresen) on lead vocals, Silenoz (Sven Atle Kopperud) on rhythm guitar and Galder (Tom Rune Anderson) on lead guitar. They are joined by session musicians Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski on drums (since 2008),Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland on keyboards (since 2010) and Victor Brandt on bass (since 2018).
DIMMU BORGIR's latest album, "Eonian", came out in 2018. The LP was released right in time for the band's 25th anniversary in 2018, about eight years after its predecessor, "Abrahadabra". Since then, the infernal core trio consisting of Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder has played various tours all around the world, including shows at leading metal festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest.
DIMMU BORGIR released a collection of its cover songs, "Inspiratio Profanus", in December 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. "Inspiratio Profanus" features the thunderous first single, "Black Metal" by the extreme metal pioneers VENOM, the genre-defining "Perfect Strangers" (DEEP PURPLE),fan favorite "Burn In Hell" (TWISTED SISTER),and electrifying renditions from the legendary CELTIC FROST, as well as other immensely influential artists.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)