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.
Twilight
Dark Fortress Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the last tear of blood leaves my veins,
I long for harmony
For the last time I look up to the night sky
And watch the stars in a black wind dying
For the last time I watch the fading
Of the candlelight
Eternity knowing that all life ends someday
Oh, may the autumnal winds carry my empty soul
Into the vale of oblivion
Where I shall forever wander over
The fields of melancholy
To be a solitary shadow out of time
"Oh please let me long for silence, let
Me walk the path of sin, but your
Weepings - full of grievance.
Oh, please take my hand and follow me into
The night, just follow me to a place, where
Darkness shines so bright."
"Twilight" by Dark Fortress is a melancholic and somber song that explores the themes of solitude, death, and emotional pain. The first verse opens with the singer embracing solitude and leaving the world, with the last tear of blood leaving their veins. The singer is looking for harmony and takes one last look at the night sky as the stars are dying in the black wind, and the candlelight fades away. The final verse expresses the singer's desire to be carried away by the autumnal winds into oblivion, where they can wander forever in the fields of melancholy as a solitary shadow out of time.
The second verse begins with the singer pleading to be left alone to long for silence and walk the path of sin, but the weepings of others are filled with grievance, reminding them of their own pain. The singer then begs the listener to take their hand and follow them into the night, into a place where darkness shines so bright. There is a strong sense of resignation and acceptance of the inevitability of death throughout the song, with the singer bidding farewell to life and embracing the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Embraced by solitude I leave this world
I am embracing loneliness as I depart from this world
As the last tear of blood leaves my veins,
As the last drop of my life exits my body,
I long for harmony
I yearn for peace and balance
For the last time I look up to the night sky
This is the final moment I gaze at the evening heavens
And watch the stars in a black wind dying
I observe the stars fade away in a dark wind
For the last time I watch the fading
This is the final occasion I witness the disappearing
Of the candlelight
Of the small flickering flame
... and I whisper my final breath into
I utter my ultimate exhalation going towards
Eternity knowing that all life ends someday
I am aware that eventually all existence comes to a conclusion
Oh, may the autumnal winds carry my empty soul
I hope the autumnal winds transport my spirit, now devoid of substance
Into the vale of oblivion
Towards the place of nothingness
Where I shall forever wander over
There, I will roam eternally above
The fields of melancholy
The depressing landscapes
To be a solitary shadow out of time
To become a lonesome shadow beyond time
"Oh please let me long for silence, let
Oh, I beg to yearn for calm, allow me to
Me walk the path of sin, but your
Walk the road of wrongdoing, but your
Weepings - full of grievance.
Crying - abundant with complaints.
Oh, please take my hand and follow me into
Oh, please take my palm and come with me towards
The night, just follow me to a place, where
The dark, just accompany me to a location, where
Darkness shines so bright."
The obscurity shines vividly."
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.