Reveling fans awaited outside San Francisco's historic Warfield Theater, Norway's own music brutalists DIMMU BORGIR conjured an unleashing of epic proportions stirring an uncertainty of excitement. Sadistic seduction was felt throughout the atmosphere creating a fiery vibe one had to acknowledge that this night promised hell hath no fury.
Enchanted by the group's tour manager who introduced me to guitarist mastermind Galder to a face to face interview lead me unto the groups tour bus to discuss the latest on the band to American Chinese food disappointments this was for sure an encounter of the BORGIR kind.

Jussi: So how are things with the tour so far?
Galder: Good.

Jussi: I mean sharing the stage with Unearth, Devil Driver and Kataklysm... what a different set up. How are you gentlemen getting along?
Galder: Very good you know, we haven't done any tours yet as a band you know so this is our first tour with the new drummer and stuff. So, it's getting better and better you know and the chemistry in the band is really good and stuff like that so... yeh.

Jussi: So it is a combination of everything?
Galder: Yep.

Jussi: So how are things with the latest release of In Sorte Diaboli, so far from what I heave read things are pretty intense with reviews? Mostly in the states, which black metal from your side is making a hard-hitting frontier. Do you find this something that DIMMU wants... I mean really to make a name for the band in the United States?
Galder: Yeh, of course now, I mean for us the states is the most important market you know cause it's a new style over here you know. But it's doing really good, I think the new album so far sold twice as much as the last one you know so Ozz Fest first did a lot and we just have to tour here a lot.

Jussi: Was that difficult for you doing Ozz Fest considering all the band mixture?
Galder: No.

Jussi: Ok.
Galder: It's fun to play with the big bands we grew up with you know Slayer, Priest and Sabbath.

Jussi: Would this interest the group to consider relocating to the states?
Galder: No, I don't think so.

Jussi: Do you find it odd when some interviewers compare the sales from Death Cult Armageddon to this new release, I mean considering both are way different from one another? Musically as well as sales.
Galder: Ah, I guess it's a normal question to ask you know, so that's the point for asking for interviews they want to know stuff like that how it is compared to the last album… so it's the normal.

Jussi: Well it's not so much musically it's more of the sales, you think there's pressure?
Galder: There's always pressure, but comes along with the business you know.

Jussi: Just wanted to mention congrats for putting together a killer video of The Serpentine Offering... working with director Patric Ullaeus, was this video a concept that he had for the song or was it a combined effort of the group and him?
Galder: Ahh, you mean the video concept?

Jussi: Yeh.
Galder: Yeh, we wanted something different medieval you know, since the concept is very medieval based. Yeh, the director was most like telling us ideas and we disagreed on this and disagreed on that.

Jussi: Did it have a more reflection to the song with the idea?
Galder: Yeh... yeh.

Jussi: What would you consider to be the two intense songs from In Sorte Diaboli and why?
Galder: Two most intense?

Jussi: Ja.
Galder: Ahh... hard wise you mean?

Jussi: Ja.
Galder: I mean I think uh, The Serpentine Offering like really represents DIMMU in a good way because it's got all the DIMMU elements in it but, it is still a very soft song you know. But The Chosen Legacy also more guitar based so those two songs like two different songs but they show what the band can do you know. Like the first one is more orchestral and the second one more guitar based.

Jussi: It seems that your myspace page has attracted a lot of fan attention as well as gaining new; do you feel that having a DIMMU myspace page adds to the promotion of the new release?
Galder: (puzzled) What?

Jussi: What (lol)
Galder: I guess I mean there's alot of people that check that stuff out you know.

Jussi: But you don't?
Galder: I don't have anything to do with that page, it's just work of the label so, but we have control over it so we know what's on there and stuff. But I guess all promotion is good promotion.

Jussi: Yeh.
Galder: Bad promotion is good promotion.

Jussi: Any promotion is good!
Galder: Yeh!

Jussi: Some of the die-hard fans think that the group has sold out due to the seriousness of the group's current status by becoming a known act, does this really matter at your end. I mean if they are supportive fan they would like the group despite anything.
Galder: We just make the music we make and we don't make music to sell albums you know. We just make the music we like, it's got blast beats, it's fast and in order for us to sell less albums we have to actually focus and make worse music that we want to make. That's like; we want to do nothing, unless we don't make music to sell albums people just buy it.

Jussi: I guess some people have to make a living.
Galder: We don't make the music to make a living either, we make music... people buy it.

Jussi: Heard that DIMMU is taking over Hollywood... well an indoor signing at Hot Topic that is. Are you excited for that? For me this is shocking considering DIMMU at Hot Topic of all places? But hey at least black metal will have its day.
Galder: Ah, yeh. I really don't know what it is, but I know it is some big stuff so…

Jussi: So far with Hellhammer on drums, how has that added to the present sound considering he is an intense well-known drummer?
Galder: We usually make all the drums, on the drum computer like at home with Qbase and stuff, so he just sort of follows that and brings in his own ideas. So yeh, all his rolls and stuff is his work and he comes up with ideas here and there. So it's a fresh input, which is good.

Jussi: Is he a full time official member to the line up?
Galder: He is a session member.

Jussi: Is he a better fit than the previous of Nick Barker?
Galder: Uh, we don't know yet this is the first tour, but so far it's going really good.

Jussi: With this latest release it seems to be one of a brutally dark aspected record than the prior releases, was there something that came to as far as lyrics and overall creation of this?
Galder: Yeh, we really wanted to make this a bit more guitar oriented and darker you know, a bit faster. But again we don't really, we just have the riffs and we put it together. And then it adds up the way it adds up you know. We really don't plan ahead; we just wanted it to be a bit more guitar oriented than the last one. So I think that's what makes it a bit darker, not so much pianos or stuff like that, but there is still a little bit.

Jussi: The band has matured musically as well as an entire whole personally; do you find this present state of the group's career to be taking off in a more serious direction? Or does it seem to be happening way to fast?
Galder: We've always been very serious, I mean it's not really changed much since the last, but we try to do as much as possible.

Jussi: Yeh, cause you guys are doing alot more promotion or the label's doing alot of DIMMU BORGIR, but as compared to...
Galder: Yeh, but the more albums we do, the more hard work it is to, it gets bigger and bigger and the more interviews, I guess we've done like a thousand for this tour.

Jussi: Do you find it hard for yourself to deal with this or is it something as it comes?
Galder: Ah, I would like to do a thousand interviews.
Both laugh
Galder: It comes along with the job you know...so.

Jussi: Has there been anything that has been challenging with the recording of In Sorte Diablo?
Galder: Actually this is the smoothest recording I've ever done, and I've done like a few recordings. There was no studio ghosts or nothing you know, the studio is like in the middle of nowhere in Sweden cause we change locations and there was no bars or strip clubs or anything around. So we just worked all the time. And we didn't drink that much, we eat pizza and record music.
Severe laughing took place
Jussi: Stay away from the pizza!

Jussi: What are the reactions so far from the fans to the new material performance wise? Or is it mixed review?
Galder: Can you repeat the question?

Jussi: So far what have been the reactions of the new material performance wise?
Galder: Ah yeh, it's always like good and bad you know and in the states... especially we've seen alot of positive reviews. And we're actually very surprised that it sold good you know so...  we haven't seen all the stuff from Europe yet but, I think the music we make on this new one is very guitar oriented as I've said and I think that's going very good in the states because they like guitars and stuff over here you know. You know what I mean.

Jussi: the states is real...
Galder: More like thrash and death metal you know so.

Jussi: Over here you guys will get real big real fast.
Galder: We shall see you know people have always given us bad reviews to so we don't really care.

Jussi: There seems to be less of an orchestrated sound musically this time, has Mustis mastered everything himself?
Galder: Yeh, all the keyboard parts. We like make a riff and he makes the keyboard on top of that riff so, visa versa you know so we just put it together.

Jussi: Ok why is Mustis so elusive? There are tons of people they say Mustis no interview; they think he is a very private person.
Galder: Cause I guess we're the ones that do the best interviews you know. Mustis he knows not so much about metal he is more orchestra and stuff so if there is a question about that then he will answer it.

Jussi: Seeing the band has worked again with producer Fredrick Nordstrom, do you find working with him easy in assisting with the creation of DIMMU's music? It seems that Nordstrom and you guys see eye to eye musically.
Galder: We've been there like three times now so he knows what we want to do, he knows our direction but it is like the best studio in around where we live. We get a good price there and we know the guy... you get alot of value for your money. So that's the main reason why we go there, but he does not come up with interest in the music, it is more like he is an engineer.

Jussi: One of the hardest things with this tour so far?
Galder: Big hangover everyday.

Jussi: Depends on what you drink...
Galder: I don't know... it has been a very good tour I think... good show up of the crowd and good connections with all the bands, yeh it's been killer.

Jussi: Is there anything interesting like highlights or anything strange being in the states?
Galder: No, not really.

Jussi: Favorite thing about being in the states?
Galder: Mosh pits definitely!

Jussi: I heard you guys don't really have that in Europe as compared to here?
Galder: No, no everyone's just standing with crossed arms, ah not everyone but the people in the back there. Here everyone is like more, all sorts of people you know short hair in caps and regular people in the mosh pit you know which is killer. We're not in Europe, so maybe that's the best thing now; it's a bit more exotic for us.

Jussi: Do you find out when you play for a crowd you get into the most pit and they really get into that. Does that band feed off that and play more aggressively?
Galder: Yeh, definitely but if we have to like work to get the crowd going but once the crowd gets going we get going.

Jussi: What is your favorite past time when your not playing music or being on tour?
Galder: I drive motorcycles, play video games taking care of my kid.

Jussi: Any current news on DIMMU as far as doing promotional things with the label or anything else?
Galder: We're going to make a new video.

Jussi: And that's for what song?
Galder: Secret.

Jussi: Ok.
Galder: Hopefully. It's not really confirmed yet so that's the news, but we're on tour now so it's like we don't know what's really going on like everything. We just wake up and play.

Jussi: What is your favorite food or favorite food of the band being here in the United States? Do you have a certain... like Chinese or...
Galder: We not like American Chinese, there's some good places but...

Jussi: No Pizza?
Galder: Yeh pizza everyday. I don't really like American Pizza either but what I like is American steaks and stuff, good steak houses are much better here than Europe so. I really love American food but you have to know where you are going you know mashed potatoes and gravies.

Jussi: You know con chile?
Galder: Yeh, its killer the Mexican food is really good; I'm a bit disappointed with the Chinese though.

Jussi: Wanted to say thank you for this interview and wish you much success… any final words?
Galder: Check out the album, we’ll definitely come over here again and think maybe next year, we’re not sure yet but we’re here now we definitely come back. We’ll come back for sure! This album we try to come back at least one more time.

Jussi: California needs more DIMMU!
Galder: YEH!

Jussi: Nocturnal Hall Magazine would like to thank Nuclear Blast Records and Dimmu Borgir's Galder