Interview with Galder of Dimmu Borgir
The Huntridge Theatre - Las Vegas - July 31, 2004
Phil: I would like to thank you for taking the time out to do this interview with closedcoffin.com, I appreciate your time.
Have you been with the band from the beginning?
Galder: Nah, it's how much is it now? 4 years? Yea, 4 years I think, the 2 last albums.
Phil: I know you guys are busy with
Ozzfest. How is that going?
Galder: It is going really good it's sort of weird, you know, there's a lot of people there who haven't even heard of us. It's killer for us to play with the bands we grew up with. Like Priest and Slayer and Black Sabbath. It's like a dream come true and its going pretty good.
Phil: You played last night in the San Francisco area and tomorrow night you're going back to California?
Galder: Yea, LA tomorrow. I think its like 45,000 people coming or maybe more. It's gonna be the biggest crowd we've ever played for, at least.
Phil: Really? That's awesome!
Galder: Yea, yea.
Phil: You use the Orchestra on the new album, do you ever intend on bringing any of them on tour with you? Or are you just going to continue using pre-recorded intros?
Galder: Ahhh, that's why we have a keyboard player you know.
Phil: So, he pretty much handles their parts on the keys?
Galder: Well, there are a lot of pre-recorded samples from the Orchestra. We'd have to have at least 20 extra people.
Phil: Yea, that'd be too many.
Galder: *laughs* We'd need like two extra buses. But maybe in the future, like festivals or something. We have to see what the future brings.
Phil: Now, who's in the line up tonight? I know there were some problems with the drummer. Nick is no longer in the band. What happened with Nick?
Galder: Just some differences, musically so we decided to like just break up and go our different ways. The new guy we have right now is Tony from Nile. We were supposed to have a guy called Reno from Denmark. But he had some problems with his Visa and shit so....we had like two rehearsals before we went to Ozzfest, so it's not a lot, but it works out.
Phil: Session drummer Reno Kiilerich, was the one who was unable to get his Visa?
Galder: Yep.
Phil: He won the 'fastest feet in the world' award at NAMM.
Galder: Yep.
Phil: Did you go to that?
Galder: No, that was before he joined us, that was an award he got. Like some drummer showing off and he won some contest. *laughs* I think he has to sit for like a minute or two and just go for it.
Phil: Will he be in the band when you get back?
Galder: We really don't know yet, you know there's been like so much shit going on back there. We just have to find a good drummer that can do the next album. But nothing is decided yet. Even with Reno, that was like just a test to check out if things work.
Phil: And tonight it is Tony Laureno?
Galder: Yes, Tony from
Nile. I don't know what his last name is.
Phil: Last time I saw Nile they had Tim Yeung, who is an awesome drummer, filling in for Tony. So, it's cool to get to see Tony tonight.
Galder: Oh? I've never heard of Tim Yeung.
Phil: You've been nominated and won at the Norwegian Grammies, how did that come about?
Galder: Actually we've won 2 Grammies now, so that's cool. But, I mean we're the most selling Metal band in Norway, so that's why we won, I guess.
Phil: How are sales in the US, do you know?
Galder: I'm not quite sure, I think it's something around 50,000 or something like that, for this new album.
Phil: 50,001. I just bought one.
Galder: *laughs* I'm not sure, but I think it's something around there.
Phil: How's Nuclear Blast been? Do they help out a lot with touring and the needs of the guys?
Galder: They are very good, they do very good promotion for us. So, you know they're doing a very good job, I think. We'll be hangin' out with them tomorrow, I think in LA so it will be a cool time.
Phil: Old Mans Child is your other project, are any of the other guys in Old Mans Child with you? Or doing any of their own projects?
Galder: Nah, no Barker used to be on the drums. But the other guys, I don't think they have any other projects. Well, the singer I think fools around with some new project now. But that's about it, mainly just focusing on Dimmu.
Phil: The second track on the new album, Progenies of the Great Apocalypse, sounds like a movie soundtrack. Have you ever done a soundtrack or have plans for one in the future?
Galder: No, but it was actually the soundtrack on the commercial To Hell Boy or something.
Phil: Oh really? That intro?
Galder: Yea, yea, so that's like the closest thing, we're not in the movie itself but the commercial so that's cool.
Phil: You guys have several albums, how do you guys choose which songs to play on tour when you only have a 30 or 40 minute set?
Galder: Yea, that's a hard thing. But there's always 2 or 3 songs that separate itself on the album.
Phil: And you alternate them?
Galder: Yea, we do that sometimes. Now we just play basically the same sets because, you know, not too much rehearsals before we went on this tour. But on Ozzfest we only play 5 songs, so obviously there's gonna be more tonight.
Phil: You guys get a little bit longer set tonight than Ozzfest?
Galder: Yes, we have like 70 minutes or something.
Phil: What do you do when you're not on tour, do you have jobs back home?
Galder: I don't work. You can't have a normal job when you're in this business because we're away like 6 or 7 months a year. Like in studios and shit like that you know.
Phil: So in between tours you don't really have any off time because you're recording and getting ready for the next tour?
Galder: Ahhh, just lay on the couch and watch TV and play guitar. *laughs*
Phil: So, what's your favorite US city so far, do you have one?
Galder: Yea, I think I'd have to say LA, like crowd wise and the atmosphere.
Phil: The Ladies?
Galder: *laughs*
Yea, totally. There's a lot of cool cities but for metal, maybe LA I think.
Phil: You just finished a tour in South America and travel all over the world. Do you have any favorite countries you like to tour the best?
Galder: You mean crowd wise?
Phil: Well, just your favorite place in general.
Galder: It's hard to say. When you tour in South America, it's not really as well organized as it is here. But if I go on a long tour, I'd rather tour in like Europe or the US. Show wise, it's cool to play in South America 'cause the crowds very crazy.
Phil: There were rumors of Lacuna Coil supposed to be here with you tonight, what happened with that?
Galder: Really?
Phil: Yea, that's what was originally rumored, they were going to do the Ozzfest 'off dates' with Dimmu.
Galder: I didn't know actually, probably just rumors. I know they have been headlining shows between Ozzfest too, but I didn't know anything about them with us.
Phil: You have a video out, any plans for a new video or DVD?
Galder: There was some talk about making one more video for this album, this new album. But we have to edit the songs so much because they are so long. You know, to make it a bit shorter, so we're like uncertain about it. But there will definitely be more videos from the next album I'm sure.
Phil: What do you record first on your albums? Keyboards or..?
Galder: Keyboards? Oh no, no, no, first thing is drums of course, bass, and then guitar. Keyboards are last, or maybe before vocals. Yea, vocals and keyboards are always last, we can mix those in.
Phil: I heard there were plans for a triple CD of all your albums combined. Can you tell us anymore information on that?
Galder: It's really early to say anything about that. Of course we always have a lot of things going on but, you know I don't want to say it's going to happen because you never know.
Phil: Any future tour plans or are you just concentrating on what's on your plate right now?
Galder: When we get home, we're going to have a really long break. And I have to make the new album with my other band as well. So we're going to probably use almost a year on the new album. After that of course there will be a lot of touring.
Phil: Your other band Old Mans Child?
Galder: Yea, I have to work with that too, so I'm going to be busy.
Phil: Some guys from the message board at darksoul7.com, another metal website, had a question. There is a lot of talk about the new album being more commercial, what do you have to say about that?
Galder: *laughs* Actually on each album I've ever done, no matter what band I've played in it's always been god this is more commercial and the thing is we do what we always do anyway for still like an small underground band. we still make this album, but I think like it's the promotion is so good, and the video of course getting played on MTV and shit .
Phil: So, it's just talk.
Galder: Yea, if we're gonna make videos they're gonna get played. So if they wanna see videos, or not, ya know it's up to them. We can't do anything about it We're not trying to make it commercial.
Phil: Right, right, you guys don't say, ' Hey, lets cut back on the metal a little bit'.
Galder: *laughs* Actually, I think this album has more blast beats than the previous albums.
Phil: Tattoos? Do you have a place that you
go or do you get tattoos all over the world?
Galder: Nah, I just use a Swedish guy. But I think Silenoz has gotten a tattoo here in the states.
Phil: I get mine from my buddy Oz, here in town. What is your guys name, give him a plug?
Galder: The guy I use, I don't know his name. I just went in and did them all in one evening. What was his name again? *laughs* He's not like a friend of mine, just got them done in one evening. I don't remember his name.
Phil: Well, I know you're very busy. I have more, I just don't want to waste too much more of your time. I appreciate you taking the time out, do this interview with closedcoffin.com. Thank you.
Galder: It's cool, thank you too. It was good job.
For more information on Dimmu Borgir visit them online at...
OR