Galder, the longtime guitarist for DIMMU BORGIR, has announced his departure from the band. The news was shared on social media by Galder (real name Thomas Rune Andersen) on Sunday, August 18.
In his post, Galder wrote: “Announcement: Yesterday I played my last show with DIMMU BORGIR. After nearly 25 years of making music and performing with the band, I have decided to leave. I have been contemplating this for years, and as many of you have noted, it’s time for OLD MAN’S CHILD to return to the stage and finalize the new album. I wish the best for the remaining members of DIMMU BORGIR as they move forward.”
The 47-year-old guitarist performed his final concert with DIMMU BORGIR on Saturday, August 17, headlining the main stage at Dynamo Metal Fest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Galder, a founding member of the melodic black metal band OLD MAN’S CHILD, has released one EP and seven studio albums with them between 1994 and 2009.
In a 2010 interview with Guitar Messenger, Galder discussed managing both DIMMU BORGIR and OLD MAN’S CHILD: “It’s not unusual to be involved in multiple bands in the black metal scene. Many musicians play in several bands. DIMMU is one of the largest bands in the black metal scene, so we tour extensively, but OLD MAN’S CHILD tours less. If I were on the road with a band for four or five months, I wouldn’t manage both. However, since OLD MAN’S CHILD tours infrequently, I’ve been able to balance both bands without any issues.”
When asked if he was stepping back from OLD MAN’S CHILD due to DIMMU BORGIR’s demands, Galder responded: “No, that’s not the reason. I view the two bands as equal, so why be involved in two similar projects or release similar albums? I prefer to focus on DIMMU BORGIR right now and give my best there. If time allows, I might record another album with OLD MAN’S CHILD in the future. We’ll see.”
