Dark Fortress
Dark Fortress is a melodic black metal band from Landshut, Germany, formed … Read Full Bio ↴Dark Fortress is a melodic black metal band from Landshut, Germany, formed in 1994. They have released seven studio albums, a split album and a demo album.
Early history Edit
The band formed in 1994. In 1996 they released the demo Rebirth Of The Dark Age.[2] In 1997 the original line-up, consisting of band founder Asvargr (guitar), vocalist Azathoth, Njord on bass, and drummer Charon established the band's first live line-up with the addition of a second guitarist named Crom and keyboardist Thamuz. Debuting live in February 1997 the band soon played dates alongside acts such as Lunar Aurora, Disaster and Naglfar. Dark Fortress' first label release was the Split MCD with Barad Dür entitled Towards Immortality, which featured two new tracks by the band and was released on Fog Of The Apocalypse Records. A third track was recorded during the same session and was used for the compilation CD From The Mystic Forest - Part II. The band continued composing material for their first full-length album, but recording was postponed from 1998 until August 2000, when Dark Fortress entered Klangschmiede Studio E and with Markus Stock (of Empyrium) completed their album Tales From Eternal Dusk. Heavily influenced by groups like Dissection, Unanimated, and Satyricon, the album received positive reviews and offered a mixture of haunting guitar melodies, morbid and tormented snarling and diversified song structures.
Changes
Charon and Crom left due to conflicting musical interests, and these line-up changes further delayed live and studio activities. However they later signed to US label Red Stream for two albums and hired Seraph and V.Santura as the new drummer and guitarist. Recorded at famous Grieghallen Studio in Norway (Mayhem, Emperor, Immortal) Profane Genocidal Creations was delayed due to problems during the mixing/mastering process. It was not released until February 2003 and showcased Dark Fortress' development into classic traditions of black metal as well as their continual progression as composers and musicians. With a stable line-up consisting of Azathoth (vocals), Asvargr (guitar), Santura (guitar), Draug (bass), Paymon (keyboards) and Seraph (drums) more live shows and festival appearances followed, seeing Dark Fortress share stages with popular extreme metal acts like Behemoth, Impaled Nazarene, Pungent Stench, and God Dethroned, as well as many underground acts.
2000 onwards
The hitherto musical peak of their career then hit the metal scene with the 2004 release of Stab Wounds (Black Attakk). Accompanied by gloomy artwork by artist Travis Smith (Opeth, Nevermore, Anathema, Death) Stab Wounds was well received not only by the band's underground following but also mainstream metal press. The German edition of Rock Hard praised it as "too good, too original and heavy to be ignored. Simply the best German black metal has to offer!"[citation needed]. Their new album contained melancholy melodies combined with suicidal themes. An interpretation of Katatonia's "Endtime" was included on the limited CD Digipak, while a cover version of Emperor's "I Am The Black Wizards" was featured on the double-LP version (released by Imperium Records, 2005).
On 13 May 2007 they fired their vocalist, Azathoth, due to various non-musical reasons. His replacement was Morean.
Their next album was entitled Séance, again accompanied by the artwork of Travis Smith. The album is a concept album about the direct contrast between the current and the future, the fragility of human existence with its most striking weaknesses - ignorance, arrogance and false illusions - and the crass finality of death. The central lyrical motif of Séance departs from typical black metal subjects and instead deals with the idea of paranormal beings. The musical side supports this conceptual idea with gloomy guitar melodies, twisted and morbid passages and grim vocals.
On January 29, 2010 Dark Fortress released an Official Music Video for the song 'Hirudineans'. This song is on their 2010 album Ylem.
Early history Edit
The band formed in 1994. In 1996 they released the demo Rebirth Of The Dark Age.[2] In 1997 the original line-up, consisting of band founder Asvargr (guitar), vocalist Azathoth, Njord on bass, and drummer Charon established the band's first live line-up with the addition of a second guitarist named Crom and keyboardist Thamuz. Debuting live in February 1997 the band soon played dates alongside acts such as Lunar Aurora, Disaster and Naglfar. Dark Fortress' first label release was the Split MCD with Barad Dür entitled Towards Immortality, which featured two new tracks by the band and was released on Fog Of The Apocalypse Records. A third track was recorded during the same session and was used for the compilation CD From The Mystic Forest - Part II. The band continued composing material for their first full-length album, but recording was postponed from 1998 until August 2000, when Dark Fortress entered Klangschmiede Studio E and with Markus Stock (of Empyrium) completed their album Tales From Eternal Dusk. Heavily influenced by groups like Dissection, Unanimated, and Satyricon, the album received positive reviews and offered a mixture of haunting guitar melodies, morbid and tormented snarling and diversified song structures.
Changes
Charon and Crom left due to conflicting musical interests, and these line-up changes further delayed live and studio activities. However they later signed to US label Red Stream for two albums and hired Seraph and V.Santura as the new drummer and guitarist. Recorded at famous Grieghallen Studio in Norway (Mayhem, Emperor, Immortal) Profane Genocidal Creations was delayed due to problems during the mixing/mastering process. It was not released until February 2003 and showcased Dark Fortress' development into classic traditions of black metal as well as their continual progression as composers and musicians. With a stable line-up consisting of Azathoth (vocals), Asvargr (guitar), Santura (guitar), Draug (bass), Paymon (keyboards) and Seraph (drums) more live shows and festival appearances followed, seeing Dark Fortress share stages with popular extreme metal acts like Behemoth, Impaled Nazarene, Pungent Stench, and God Dethroned, as well as many underground acts.
2000 onwards
The hitherto musical peak of their career then hit the metal scene with the 2004 release of Stab Wounds (Black Attakk). Accompanied by gloomy artwork by artist Travis Smith (Opeth, Nevermore, Anathema, Death) Stab Wounds was well received not only by the band's underground following but also mainstream metal press. The German edition of Rock Hard praised it as "too good, too original and heavy to be ignored. Simply the best German black metal has to offer!"[citation needed]. Their new album contained melancholy melodies combined with suicidal themes. An interpretation of Katatonia's "Endtime" was included on the limited CD Digipak, while a cover version of Emperor's "I Am The Black Wizards" was featured on the double-LP version (released by Imperium Records, 2005).
On 13 May 2007 they fired their vocalist, Azathoth, due to various non-musical reasons. His replacement was Morean.
Their next album was entitled Séance, again accompanied by the artwork of Travis Smith. The album is a concept album about the direct contrast between the current and the future, the fragility of human existence with its most striking weaknesses - ignorance, arrogance and false illusions - and the crass finality of death. The central lyrical motif of Séance departs from typical black metal subjects and instead deals with the idea of paranormal beings. The musical side supports this conceptual idea with gloomy guitar melodies, twisted and morbid passages and grim vocals.
On January 29, 2010 Dark Fortress released an Official Music Video for the song 'Hirudineans'. This song is on their 2010 album Ylem.
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Dark Fortress Lyrics
A Midnight Poem Hours get lost, every shadow A fragment of the past A scen…
Analepsy [Music: V Santura, Lyrics: Morean] To grim horizons, the …
Antiversum Condensed anew, Into unspeakable immortal coil, Malkuth is…
Apocalypse "From the kingdom of damnation we arise..." As the apocalyp…
As the World Keels Over Awaken Dispel the dream of soul The swarm must have…
Baphomet [Music: Asvargr, V Santura, Seraph, Lyrics: Morean] Surge…
Catacrusis Sparked by sentience In me, immense, the globed sky Mark…
Catawomb To the ruins of Utopia once again Subteranean elegy, anthem…
Cohorror [Music: Asvargr, Lyrics: Morean] Petrified, In sleep par…
Crimson Tears Mournful shadows rise, Dusk spreads her wings - the tomb w…
Despise the "Living" Nightmare, oh precious nightmare, Be my guest, my only frie…
Dreaming… Close your eyes and follow me to a land beyond…
Edge of Night Lethean crevasses Magnetized Inebriate the fallen Forebode t…
Endtime Now fall into a vacant sphere Pierced by the darkness They c…
Evenfall With the dawn Comes the loathing With the morning Come…
Ghastly Indoctrination In mysterious ways your soul sinks down As eerie constellat…
Hirudineans Somewhere down the line Man created God in his image…
Iconoclasm Omega Can't stand the thought to exist within a lie Katharsis unl…
Incide "The last horrendous error of a soul tortured irretrievably …
Insomnia I drown... For too long I felt the winter's breath The rai…
Like a Somnambulist in Daylight's Fire Don't ask, why darkness never ends I believe some things we…
Misanthropic Invocation Forgotten, the poisoned words of love Tempted by the chalic…
Nemesis Thronged Herded as cattle and so unsuspecting Yet volati…
No Longer Human [Music: V Santura, Lyrics: Morean] Open the Aethyr with a…
Osiris From the shadows From the pit From the chasm I…
Pilgrim Of The Nightly Spheres Pilgrim of the nightly spheres Behind the sleeping cascades…
Poltergeist Face my shadow on the walls A phantom of despite The 4th…
Redivider An ash painted chamber where death has been A song…
Requiem Grotesque De profundis clamavi ad te domine Domine ex ordi vocem meam…
Rest in Oblivion Still, I gaze upon to the death-drowned skies, Where all my…
Satan Bled Crepuscular conventicle In the adytum Crapulous aischola…
Self Mutilation "Welcome to my world, I know, You won't see, what I see, …
Shardfigures All my life I searched for thee To make me feel…
Silence Scorched by time and death And a bloated sun long…
Sleep! Why shall I endure something That never belonged to me? H…
Stab Wounds All the pain I felt in "life" Shall now be yours…
Tales From Eternal Dusk As darkness falls for the last time I awake from my…
The Silver Gate [Music: V Santura, Lyrics: Morean] Awake, angels of lunac…
The Unflesh [Music: V Santura, Lyrics: Morean] Simian moths in search…
The Valley Another promise broken Another falsehood thrown to the dog…
Throne Of Sombre Thoughts ... and I still hear the sound of shattering swords, I…
Twilight Embraced by solitude I leave this world As the last tear…
Venereal Dawn Woke at first cold wisp of dawn To frightened mourners′ quie…
When 1000 Crypts Awake Cold, my heart Raped by the descendants of light Embittere…
While They Sleep Life - capitulation Death - salvation Welcome to the night…
Wraith A spectre writhes Too faint for mortal eyes A mere…
Ylem A spell to free all matter Folding time and gravity…