Dimmu Borgir: Mystery Announcement Coming On Tuesday?

A countdown has been launched on DIMMU BORGIR's MySpace page to what is apparently a mystery announcement that will be made on Tuesday, July 6 at 2:00 a.m. EST.

As previously reported, DIMMU BORGIR will launch the first leg of its "Darkness Reborn World Tour" by supporting KORN in Europe in September.

DIMMU BORGIR recently announced its collaboration with Norwegian composer and Berklee College of Music summa cum laude alumnus Gaute Storaas, the 51-member KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the 38-member Schola Cantorum Choir for the band's new album.

To date, over 101 musicians have lent their talents to the making of the CD.

DIMMU BORGIR's ninth studio album will be released in Germany on October 1, in the rest of Europe on October 4, and in North America on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Earlier in the year, guitarist Silenoz told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2007's "Il Sorte Diaboli", "The words that come to mind, if we should even try and attempt at describing [the new material] at this point, would be something like: grand, huge, epic and primal," he said. "It has this eerie and haunting feel to it. Atmosphere and ambience!

He continued, "It's hard to say anything distinct or speak objectively about the new material when you're in the middle of the writing process — we're too close to it at this stage — but we'd be lying if we said it's not good. We're very confident in the new material and we believe it'll raise a few eyebrows. We might even have to trim our own!"

Regarding why the wait between albums seems to be getting longer for DIMMU BORGIR, Silenoz said, "Because we want the next album to be a better and stronger one. We're more critical of each process and we take the time it needs. Quality is, at the end of the day, in the eye of the beholder, but once we start rushing things, like trying to write music while on tour to speed things up — forget about it. We've tried it before and it didn't work. We focus 110 percent on one thing at a time. Plus, if we'd release an album every year, where would the expectation be? Where would the excitement be?"

Ex-DIMMU BORGIR Bassist/Vocalist VORTEX Says MUSTIS Was Band's 'True Creative Force'

ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs), the former bassist/clean vocalist for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band DIMMU BORGIR, has released the following statement regarding his departure from the group:

"I've really enjoyed the ride; the DIMMU years have been awesome. I look forward to concentrating fully on my own project now, and the opening possibility to resurrect a band or three.

"A special thanks to all the crazy and lovely people I have met on the road with DIMMU over the years, for the support from so many of you, and for the continuing interest in my musical projects. I will always treasure the albums and the brotherhood as it was before the cabin-fever music industry and greed went METALLICA on our asses.

"My support goes to Mustis [former DIMMU BORGIR keyboardist; real name: Øyvind Mustaparta], the true creative force in DIMMU for the last ten years, and his rightful legal chase."

Simen will meet his LAMENTED SOULS bandmates in mid-September to plan a new release and a few gigs in Norway. He is also planning to get together with the rest of ARCTURUS to discuss the group's future and a possible reunion.

The remaining members of DIMMU BORGIR issued a statement on Monday (August 31) confirming Vortex's and Mustis' departures from the group. The statement also downplayed the impact the lineup changes will have on the sound of DIMMU BORGIR next album, insisting that "the creative force in the band is highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever."

Mustis issued a statement on Sunday (August 30) 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 Diaboli' 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)."

Last year's "Blackest Of The Black" tour with DANZIG helped support DIMMU's latest DVD titled "The Invaluable Darkness", which debuted at No. 5 on the Top Music Videos chart in mid-October. It was also the band's last North American tour promoting their eighth studio album, "In Sorte Diaboli", which debuted on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart at No. 2, and on The Billboard 200 chart at No. 43.

Dimmu Borgir Splits With Bassist Vortex And Keyboardist Mustis

Norwegian black metal group Dimmu Borgir has announced that they have parted ways with their bassist, Vortex, and their keyboard player, Mustis. A message from the band reads as follows:

"We regret to inform you that we have parted ways with both (bassist) Vortex and (keyboardist) Mustis. However, we do want to make it perfectly clear that the creative force in the band is highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever. With that being said, we're currently working on our next album and are excited to start a new chapter in the legacy that is Dimmu Borgir."