< PreviousSilenoz, guitarist and founding member of Norwegian black metal outfit Dimmu Borgir, shares a long history with Wacken Open Air. In this interview, he explains why he loved visiting the festival as a music fan and which musicians influenced his journey the most. Silenoz is with ESP since 2004 and usually plays his ESP/ Ltd OkkultistBy Marcel Thenée ix times – that’s how often Dimmu Borgir have graced the “Acker” in the north of Germany. With his death metal super- group Insidious Disease, Sven Atle Kopperud, better known as Silenoz, has played the fes- tival two additional times. But he’s also a regular when he’s not onstage, the 48-year- old reveals. Silenoz, what memories do you personally associate with the festival, both as a musician and as a metal fan? Silenoz: Dimmu Borgir first played Wacken in 1997. The festival wasn’t as big as it is today, there were maybe 8,000 or 10,000 fans there. But I still vividly recall sharing the stage with bands like Overkill, U.D.O., Dissection and Sodom. We went on stage in the afternoon in glorious sunshine, but that’s just the way it is when you’re just starting out as a band. Having to go on stage in the blazing sun, in full make-up and in full gear, can’t be the easiest job… Silenoz: We gave it our all regardless and went into our set super aggressively and full of energy. As a young band, you’re just grateful for an opportunity like this and wouldn’t hold back. It was an indescribable feeling to suddenly be allowed to travel for gigs – and to be playing at such a prestigious festival at that. The show in Wacken was one of our first- ever festival appearances and I still remember friends of ours travelling all the way out to see us live. It feels incredible to suddenly be on the same stage as your musical heroes. And it wouldn’t be your last Wacken show… Silenoz: Our relationship with W:O:A goes back a long way – and it’s a good one. Not to mention the fact that the festival offers such a great experience away from the stage. Despite becoming huge, it hasn’t lost any of its special atmosphere. That’s why I’ve attended as a fan as well! Let’s jump to the here and now: Dimmu Borgir is currently recording new music, correct? Silenoz: Yes, I think the cat’s out of the bag now. We’re currently in the studio but are taking our time to record the new album in peace. Looking back, we realised that we sometimes rushed the recording process. This led to us not being entirely satisfied with the end result. Now we’ve found our “ .” Credits: Imago, WOA Dimmu Borgir at W:O:A 2012 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestraworking pace and can focus on the necessary details. That feels really good. Can you elaborate? Silenoz: It’s just fun to return to the songs from time to time with the necessary detachment to perhaps add another facet to them. It feels a bit like watching a child grow up, but then not wanting it to grow up too quickly. On the other hand, we can’t wait to finally give the fans something new, but the way we’re working now allows the songs to mature. We want to deliver a truly monumental record this time and the label is giving us the freedom we need. If you ignore the symphonic orchestral sounds and the black metal aspect of Dimmu Borgir for a second, you can hear a lot of thrash and death metal influences. Would that be a fair assessment? Silenoz: Yes, I agree. We all grew up in the mid- eighties when thrash was gaining momentum both in the underground metal scenes in Europe and the States. In Europe there were bands like Kreator, Destruction and Sodom, but also Bathory, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Then along came Bay Area thrash like “Bonded by Blood“, the debut album by Exodus. Thrash metal has definitely been an integral influence on Dimmu Borgir. The same applies to old-school black and death metal. Which bands have influenced you the most – scene veterans like Darkthrone, for example? Silenoz: Definitely. Also Mayhem, Emperor and the early Enslaved records. I also have to mention Impaler, Marduk, Dark Funeral and the Finns from Impaled Nazarene. All these bands had their very own characteristic sound, although they emerged at a similar time. And we were aiming for a characteristic sound with Dimmu as well. As a band, you initially get together and just start playing. Then you get creative, write the first songs together and at some point, a distinctive sound emerges. I’m glad that we managed to do that with Dimmu Borgir, even if we “borrowed” the odd influence here and there. Some might even say “stole”… (laughs) What sparked your interest in music? How did you get into metal? Silenoz: My first albums were the tapes “Born in The U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen and “Stay Hungry” by Twisted Sister. The combination of cover art and the music on these records alone made a huge impression on me. We founded Dimmu less than ten years after these two records had cast their spell on me. How did you find new music? Silenoz: We didn’t get MTV at home, so I went to my friends’ houses in the neighbourhood to listen to new records. That’s where I saw my first music videos or swapped tapes. The music completely electrified me and from that moment on I knew what I wanted to do. Who are your guitar heroes? Silenoz: Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing from Judas Priest and Adrian Smith and Dave Murray from Iron Maiden. I also think Chris Holmes from W.A.S.P. is extremely powerful. He just knows how to make the guitar sing, is good on a technical level, yet manages to sound gritty and always remains very melodic in his playing – a very underrated guitarist. Of course, I also love Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Iommi. Gary Holt, James Hetfield and Chuck Schuldiner have also been big influences for me as a guitarist. “ , .” Where harsh conditions breed heavy sounds: Dimmu Borgir from NorwayBy Timon Menge alman’s journey to the Holy Ground begins in the early 2000s with an MP3 CD. As a teenager, Salman U. Syed listens to Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi, rather light stuff, until one of his neighbours gives him the aforementioned data disc. Stored on it: all of Metallica’s albums! Original CDs are too expensive or not even available in India, the 37-year-old recalls. “But don’t tell Lars Ulrich,” says Salman, laughing. “Without this MP3 CD, I might not have known Me- tallica until today.” The Califor- nian thrash legends got Salman hooked, and he asked his neigh- bour for more. The next step was the Iron Maiden records. “After that, there was no turning back!” he recalls. As far as Heavy Metal is concerned, Salman grew up in a rather difficult environ- ment. “In India, Metal is a total niche and music for people who have the time to get into it.” The majority of the Indian popula- tion simply has no space left for musical interests because people are too busy making a living. The success of the W:O:A would not be possible without the people behind the scenes. The craziest story of all team members is probably the one of Salman U. Syed from Bangalore, India. It tells us about what a Metal fan’s true passion (and a courageous speculative application) can achieve. :: Salman officially works for the W:O:A now Salman first visited the Wacken Open Air in 2009 as a guest Credits: WOA, Jishnu, privatBut Salman’s enthusiasm for the songs and bands develops into a great thirst for action. He finds a way into the scene and starts managing the In- dian band Kryptos. Together with the musicians, he watches Wacken Open Air performances and dreams of visiting the Holy Ground someday. “In July 2009, we had planned five or six con- certs in Germany with Kryptos,” Salman recalls. “So we decided to go to W:O:A right away.” That sounds way easier than it was for the tour entourage. “We had to live on very little money back then. The best meal during the tour was the breakfast in the clubs we played, because it didn’t cost anything,” Salman laughs. “One euro was worth 67 Indian rupees at that time, which would have allowed us to have a very sumptuous meal in India. In Ger- many, however, we got almost nothing for it.” Nevertheless, the thrifty trip pays off: When Sal- man finally stands in the middle of the W:O:A infield, surround- ed by thousands of Metalheads from all over the world, he can hardly believe the sense of com- munity, the pure energy and the collective love for music. He feels it immediately: This is where I belong, this is where people share my enthusiasm! That first night in his tent on the campsite, Salman thought to himself: “No matter how long it takes, one day I will live here in Wacken and work for the festival.” It may have been just a dream back then, but Salman pursued it until it actually came true. “When we were back home in India, I found an article on the Wack- en website about the Metal Battle in Romania,” he reports. “Mihaela Reif was in charge, and she put me in touch with Enno Heymann, the founder of the Wacken Metal Battle. I can- not thank her enough for this.“ A first connection has been made and Salman takes his chance. Bit by bit, he gets involved. “The first W:O:A em- ployees I got to meet were Enno and his colleague Miriam (Hen- sel), and I want to thank them for their kindness and support.” Year after year, the Metalhead from India got more and more to do. Salman taught himself many necessary things, especially in social media, and at some point got to know Thomas Jensen, one of the festival bosses, and returned to Wacken Open Air regularly. In his home country of In- dia, Salman is playing a key role in expanding the Metal scene as well. His role models: Holger Hübner and Thomas Jensen. In 2012, Salman organised the first Heavy Metal festival in India, the Bangalore Open Air. And right from the start, he received support from Wacken, Germa- ny (read our interview about the Bangalore Open Air on page 28). Today, around 3,500 fans attend his event annually, which featured Jinjer as headliners this year. In 2022 took the biggest step finally: He became a perma- nent employee for the festi- val in the far North and actu- ally moved from Bangalore (population 13.19 million) to the predominantly very tranquil town of Wacken (population 2,110). “After 13 years, my dream has finally come true,” he says, adding with a laugh, “The only thing I find difficult is the weather here.” Thanks to his many years of experience as an event or- ganiser and Metal Battle organis- er, Salman is now responsible for the worldwide marketing of the Wacken Metal Battle and works closely with his 45 internation- al colleagues. His job involves not only coordinating the social media activities for the compe- tition, but also providing general support to regional organisers. “I am so grateful to work with all my great colleagues and to be able to look into the future with them at my side. Wacken has al- ways been more than just a fes- tival for me. It changed my life and I look forward to everything that is yet to come!” He has set himself enough goals: “I have the same aim as Thomas and Holger,” he explains. “I want all 193 mem- ber states of the United Nations to take part in the Wacken Metal Battle.” There is still a long way to go before we get there – but new participants are joining every year. And there’s one thing Salman knows for sure: “Dreams can come true, no matter how big or unlikely they may seem.” “ . .” Salman (4. v. r.) und the first Metal Battle contestants from India, Eccentric Pendulum As a young metalheadBy Timon Menge Metal festival in In- dia – In 2009, Salman returned from Wacken with a dream. He wanted to bring the energy he had expe- rienced on the Holy Ground to his home country, and invested a lot to do so. Now in its 13th year, Salman re- members the words of Krea- tor frontman Mille Petrozza and W:O:A organiser Thomas Jensen when things get stress- ful. How did you experience the first Bangalore Open Air in 2012? Salman U. Syed: I was a big metal fan back then, but not a businessman. I was 21 years old and at that age you don’t know shit (laughs). I didn’t know anything about Excel spreadsheets and stuff like that, but I knew which bands would work in India, for example Kreator. I thought it would be easy. But it wasn’t, right? Salman U. Syed: I thought we could create a presentation, convince a few big sponsors and that’s it. I travelled to New Delhi because that’s where the big companies have their Indian headquarters. In four days, I introduced myself to about 25 companies, but not a single one was interested in supporting the festival. How did you solve this problem? Salman U. Syed: I was sure that I would get the money and had already announced the festival. Tickets had been sold and bands had been booked. So cancelling was not an option anymore. If the Wacken Foundation and my parents had not supported me at the time, that would have meant a lot of trouble for me. Until today I have nightmares sometimes because I found it so stressful back then that people were constantly calling me to get their money. Why did you continue anyway? Salman U. Syed: When I drove Mille from Kreator to the airport, he reminded me of the fact that the organisers of W:O:A also started small, that I am working on something great and that I should stick with it. When I returned to Wacken, Thomas Jensen said the same thing and assured me of his team’s support. That made me believe there was a light at the end of the tunnel. 3,500 fans visit the Bangalore Open Air every year. Do you think you were able to strengthen the Metal scene in India with the festival? Salman U. Syed: Yes, definitely. It is the only Hard Rock and Metal festival in the country and that brings people together. I think that’s really cool. Do you see the Bangalore Open Air as something like the W:O:A of India? Salman U. Syed: You can’t take the W:O:A out of Wacken. There’s nowhere else you can do that. A festival is a good festival when it comes about locally, with local people and a local brand. What are your hopes for the future of Bangalore Open Air? Salman U. Syed: That I can cover 100 per cent of the costs for the festival through sponsorship (laughs). Salman U. Syed has been organising the Bangalore Open Air, the Indian Metal festival and “home port” of the country’s Metal scene, since 2012. But getting there was anything but easy. Credits: Jishnu, WOA :: Once a year Bangalor becomes HEADBANGaloreCredits: Jishnu, WOANext >