DIMMU BORGIR 'Forces of the Northern Light' Orchestra & Choir Show - Oslo, Norway
Submitted by Azrael on Wed, 08/06/2011 - 10:51am
On the 28th May, almost 8000 people from all over the world descended upon the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, for a very special once-off show from Dimmu Borgir in their home country.
The world renowned Symphonic Black metal giants teamed up with 53 members of KORK [The Norwegian Radio Orchestra] and the Schola Cantorium choir, in order to bring their classically infused metal to life. The limitations of traditional live shows were swept under the carpet as the elaborate stage design and costuming created a surreal environment, while the impressive lighting display dazzled the masses.
The amphitheatre was filled to the brim with fans and media, all reveling in an uncontrollable buzz and excitement; all too aware that they were in the wake of experiencing something truly remarkable. The conductor signaled for the orchestra to sound while on the opposite side of the stage, and all 30 members of the choir stood rigid in hooded cloaks as the interlude of ‘Xibir’ set the scene. Finally the audible delight of strings and brass, strewn with familiar melodies, unraveled as Dimmu Borgir took to the stage to perform ‘Born Treacherous’.
Under a cloud of secrecy and hearsay, Norwegian icon Agnette Kjolsrud emerged to perform 'Gateways' along side the band. Her confronting and aggressive performance easily matched the prowess of the men beside her. This was a vivid reminder as to the reasons why Dimmu Borgir recruited her for their latest album Abrahadabra.
The orchestra members showed great conviction to the metal genre, reveling in the excitement as they manipulated their instruments with the highest precision. Many of the classic Dimmu Borgir themes were reincarnated by the impressive brass section, which made an extraordinary and triumphant introduction to ‘The Serpentine Offering’.
The various orchestral interludes throughout the night gave the crowd a chance to take in the serene atmosphere created by strings and choir, before pounding audiences with a onslaught of thrashing guitars and growls courtesy of the fierce six-piece. Naturally, the crowd favourite, 'Progenies of the Great Apocalypse' surfaced toward the end of the night, with the choir adopting the clean vocals originally transpired by ex-member Vortex.
The band was in top form as they effortlessly powered through the lengthy set with an unwavering vigor. Galder, the smiling assassin, caught my eye numerous times as he swung his guitar like an axe throughout the set. Complete with his exo-skeleton style outfit, I watched on as spectators appeared to be hypnotized by his sinister grin. The always theatrical Shagrath jazzing up his skull-ridden ensemble with a traditional military hat, his commanding presence felt by all within the area, including the nose bleed section.
The overall sound level was quite low, but considering the surprisingly large amount of children and elderly in the audience this was probably in their best interest. This indeed was no ordinary performance.
I was all too happy to immerse myself in the sheer joy and excitement that was radiating throughout the theatre on this momentous occasion. It was a proud day in Norwegian music history and something I felt incredibly fortunate to witness.
Although this show was announced as a never-to-be-repeated event, one can’t help but imagine that the massive demand from their southern hemisphere fan base could lead to another occurrence. Silenoz shared with Voltage Media that they are open to the idea, "It all depends, we set the standard pretty damn high with this one, so it’d have to be better and bigger, otherwise it wouldn’t be any point the way I see it,” he explained. “But you’ll never know, it was a great experience and if everything is done properly why not?"
Continued Silenoz, "I still feel we have quite a lot left to accomplish, concerning touring in support of our recent album, but we’ll see what the future brings, or rather; how we approach it."
With Silenoz additionally hinting that an Australian headlining tour "should be right around the corner", we can only hope that they consider playing an additional orchestra concert for those who missed this truly significant performance.
Set list:
- Xibir (without the band)
- Born Treacherous
- Gateways
- Dimmu Borgir (without the band)
- Dimmu Borgir
- Chess With The Abyss
- Ritualist
- A Jewel Traced Through Coal
- Eradicated Instincts Defined (without the band)
- Vredesbyrd
- Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse
- The Serpentine Offering
- Fear and Wonder (without the band)
- Kings Of The Carnival
- Puritania
- Mourning Palace MOURNING PALACE
- Perfection or Vanity (without the band)
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