DIMMU BORGIR Announces New Guitarist and Album

Longtime guitarist Galder of DIMMU BORGIR has officially departed the band, announcing his exit in the summer of 2024. His final concert with the band was on August 17, 2024, at Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Galder stated he wanted to focus on his ongoing project OLD MAN'S CHILD.

In June 2025, DIMMU BORGIR revealed Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen as the band's new guitarist. Karlsen previously played with DIMMU BORGIR frontman Shagrath in the Norwegian rock act CHROME DIVISION. He made his live debut with DIMMU BORGIR on June 27, 2025, at the Tons Of Rock festival in Oslo, Norway.

DIMMU BORGIR is touring in support of its new album, "Grand Serpent Rising," released in May via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was recorded in Gothenburg with producer Fredrik Nordström, who has previously worked on landmark releases such as "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" and "Death Cult Armageddon."

"Grand Serpent Rising" continues the band's signature blend of orchestral grandeur and black metal intensity. The album marks DIMMU BORGIR's latest evolution in sound and scale, following its 2024 transition with the new guitar lineup.