DIMMU BORGIR Confirms Split With MUSTIS, VORTEX; Says Its 'Creative Force' Is 'Highly Intact'

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR have released the following statement:

"We regret to inform you that we have parted ways with both Vortex [bass, clean vocals] and Mustis [keyboards]. 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."

Mustis (real name: Øyvind Mustaparta) issued a statement yesterday (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 Diaobli' 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)."

ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs) has yet to comment on his departure from DIMMU BORGIR.

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.