Dark Fortress
Formed: 1994
From:
Landshut,
Germany
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Dark Fortress News
Below is our complete Dark Fortress news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 1 - 20 of 54 1 2 3 Last
Alkaloid (Obscura, Etc.) Premiere New Single
Alkaloid, featuring members from Obscura, Triptykon, and Dark Fortress, have unveiled a new official lyric video for their track "Numen (Dyson VII)." This song forms a crucial part of an epic saga that will be presented on their upcoming album titled "Numen." As mentioned in a press release, "Numen" weaves a cosmic tale over seven minutes, narrating the emergence of an unprecedented cosmic artifact after a supermassive black hole's cosmic burp, a phenomenon that also lends its name to both the track and the album itself. "Numen" is scheduled for release on September 15th via Season Of Mist.
Guitarist/vocalist Morean further elaborated: More...
Alkaloid (Obscura, Etc.) Premiere New Single
Alkaloid premiere another single from their upcoming studio album, "Numen." The progressive death metal outfit is now streaming the track titled "The Cambrian Explosion" from the forthcoming release. Comprising current and former members of Obscura, Triptykon, and Dark Fortress, Alkaloid is set to release "Numen" on September 15th through Season Of Mist.
Alkaloid Premiere 1st Single From Upcoming Album
Alkaloid, the progressive death metal band consisting of current and former members of Obscura, Triptykon, and Dark Fortress, is set to release their highly anticipated album "Numen" on September 15th through Season Of Mist. The band has premiered the first single from this 70-minute masterpiece titled "Clusterfuck," streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below:
Explains the band: More...
Headline News
Dark Fortress To Split Up After Final Tour
German black metal veterans Dark Fortress has announced that after twenty eight years and seven full length albums, they will be calling it a day. A message from the band reads as follows:
"We are hereby announcing the end of Dark Fortress.
"This has been coming for a while, and it's been an extremely hard decision. But since we did not want to simply let the band fall apart, we decided to end Dark Fortress with a bang, properly and in dignity, something that we owe not only to our fans and to all the people who have supported us for over two decades, but something that we also owe to ourselves.
"So we are proudly announcing our final tour together with Co-Headliners The Spirit and special guests Asphagor.
"Come and let's celebrate one more time. This will be your last chance to see Dark Fortress live."
The tour dates are as follows: More...
Dark Fortress Premiere New Song "Isa"
Germany’s Dark Fortress premiere a new song entitled "Isa", taken from their upcoming new album "Spectres Of The Old World", which will be released on February 28th by Century Media.
Check out now "Isa" below.
Dark Fortress Premiere New Song
Germany’s Dark Fortress premiere a new song entitled "Pulling At Threads", taken from their upcoming new album "Spectres Of The Old World", which will be released on February 28th by Century Media.
Check out now "Pulling At Threads" below.
Dark Fortress Releasing Albums On Vinyl
Century Media Records has teamed up with guitarist and producer V Santura as well as vocalist Morean to create a series of Dark Fortress vinyl editions to be continued in 2017 and going all the way back to debut "Tales from Eternal Dusk" (2001). First up are the first-ever vinyl editions of "Eidolon" (2008) and "Ylem" (2010), which will be released on October 14th, 2016.
V Santura comments: "We are very pleased to finally release our albums 'Eidolon' and 'Ylem' on vinyl! It has been more than 8 years since the release of 'Eidolon'... I still love the album, and also in retrospective there is not much I would like to change about it. However, over the years I felt that the low end frequency range of the album mix sounded a hair too thin to me, something was missing...
"Now, having the chance to revisit the album for a new release, I took the chance and adjusted that little issue for the vinyl. I did not want to lose the coldness of the album, as this is an essential aspect of the music, by adding more warmth, but it simply needed more balls!
"Also for 'Ylem' I made a dedicated vinyl master. As opposed to 'Eidolon,' I had the wish that the low end would have been slightly more tight in the first place. I think the album sounds quite good on most audio playback systems anyway, but on certain, particularly bassy speakers I had the feeling that especially the bass drum was a bit too boomy down below, kind of blowing the speakers. I also think that this should be fixed now with the vinyl edition. So, all in all, these vinyl releases are not simply the CD versions on LPs, but underwent a subtle, but pleasing sound update. Also worth mentioning: This time the lyrics on 'Ylem' are actually legible ;-)" More...
Dark Fortress Recruits Phenex On Keyboards
After re-signing with Century Media earlier this month, Dark Fortress has now issued the following announcement about officially recruiting a keyboardist:
"Phenex joins Dark Fortress as permanent member. Phenex already played more than 30 shows with us as live keyboard player, so in a sense it was overdue to welcome him in the band as full member.
"Phenex played his first tour with the band in 2012 when Dark Fortress joined Nachtmystium on their European tour. Since then he played several festivals with us, a UK tour in 2013 and the entire 'Venereal Dawn' European tour in 2014. In the meanwhile he also got well respected as live keyboard player for bands like Satyricon and Ruins of Beverast.
"After our longtime keyboard player Paymon left the band last year after 16 years of membership, it feels right to be a six-piece again officially. Welcome on board, Phenex!" More...
Dark Fortress Re-Signs With Century Media
Dark Fortress and Century Media Records have announced that their unholy alliance will continue as the band just re-signed with their longtime label. Century Media issued this statement:
"Formed in the Bavarian foothills when the second wave of black metal had grotesquely clawed out of the grave and into the unforgiving light, Dark Fortress benefited from the rotten fruits of right place and right time.
"Like their black metal peers across Europe, the Germans were a product of a historically mystical environment - imbued consciously or not - and a ritualistically inspired musical movement, and fans, eager to experience their otherworldly din, poured unwavering praise on their debut album, 'Tales from Eternal Dusk.'
"For the past two decades, Dark Fortress have gone from strength to strength. Across six full-lengths, the Landshut-based sextet stretched the boundaries of black metal, while remaining pure to the tenets of a genre that pivoted (and continues to do so) solely around the axis of the dark and all that resides hideously inside of it. Over the years members from Dark Fortress joined diverse acts such as Triptykon, ReVamp or Noneuclid which is underlying their prominent position in the black metal scene. More...
Dark Fortress Taps Hannes Grossman For Shows
Dark Fortress has issued the following announcement about drummer Seraph missing upcoming live appearances:
"On the forthcoming festival shows at Out & Loud, Metaldays, and Summer Breeze, we will not be able to play with our drummer Seraph for the first time in one and a half decades.
"Seraph can’t be with us for those shows due to important job commitments, but he will be back with us for Wolfszeit and Hell Unleashed Festival at the end of August.
"Hannes Grossmann (Alkaloid, Blotted Science) will help us out for the upcoming shows, so you can be sure to witness great live performances as well!" More...
Dark Fortress Releases New Music Video
Dark Fortress has a new music video out now for "Chrysaslis," which can be seen below. Frontman and lyricist Morean comments:
"Left for dead after the ritual, the protagonist clings to the thin remaining thread of his waning life - a life he knows is no longer his. Mutation has begun to erode his humanity from the inside, while the world around him decays in the onslaught of poison rain steadily washing away the traces of human civilization."
The video was brought into being by Daniël van Nes, who also created the stunning artwork for new album "Venereal Dawn" (reviewed here).
The band also had this to say about the video: "We are proud to present our newest clip to the song 'Chrysalis' off our new album 'Venereal Dawn,' created by our cover artist Daniël van Nes in collaboration with Sanja Maier-Hasagic, Morean and acclaimed American modern dancer and choreographer Jack Gallagher. Both Daniël and Jack got deeply into the song and its story and managed to hit exactly the right vibe for what we wanted.
"Our music and lyrics are visually very evocative, so we felt the song calls for an approach that almost feels more like a short movie than a regular metal music video. We are very pleased with the final result, and think the images superbly manage to capture the desolation of the protagonist, whose infection by living light (and subsequent initiation of a process that leads to him changing species) becomes apparent in this chapter of our album. Enjoy!" More...
Dark Fortress Streaming New Track
Formed in the Bavarian foothills when the second wave of black metal had grotesquely clawed out of the grave and into the unforgiving light, Dark Fortress benefited from the rotten fruits of right place and right time.
For the past two decades, Dark Fortres gone from strength to strength. Across six full-lengths, the Landshut-based sextet stretched the boundaries of black metal, while remaining pure to the tenets of a genre that pivoted (and continues to do so) solely around the axis of the dark and all that resides hideously inside of it.
Dark Fortress is now set to release Veneral Dawn on September 2nd via Century Media Records. Check out the advance track "Chrysalis" below, thanks to New Noise Magazine, and you can also pre-order the album at this location. The track listing is as follows:
1. Venereal Dawn
2. Lloigor
3. Betrayal And Vengeance
4. Chrysalis
5. I Am The Jigsaw Of A Mad God
6. The Deep
7. Odem
8. Luciform
9. On Fever's Wings More...
Dark Fortress Streaming Album's Title Track
Dark Fortress today launches the opener and title track off forthcoming album “Venereal Dawn.” Give it a listen below, via the website of Germany’s Rock Hard magazine.
“Venereal Dawn” is scheduled for a release on September 2nd in North American and September 1st in Europe and Australia. The album's track listing is as follows:
1. Venereal Dawn
2. Lloigor
3. Betrayal And Vengeance
4. Chrysalis
5. I Am The Jigsaw Of A Mad God
6. The Deep
7. Odem
8. Luciform
9. On Fever's Wings More...
Dark Fortress Unveils "Venereal Dawn"
The new Dark Fortress album “Venereal Dawn” is scheduled for release via Century Media Records in Europe on September 1st and in North America on September 2nd.
The cover artwork and track listing have now been revealed and can be seen below. Dark Fortress front man and lyricist Morean comments on the upcoming album:
“What happens to life on earth if the fragile laws of nature are altered even by a little bit? How can the human psyche deal with the perspective of inevitable extinction? How far can the human soul be stripped before its essence vanishes completely? Can we contain the implications of forced and radical evolution and the insanity it brings?”
1. Venereal Dawn
2. Lloigor
3. Betrayal And Vengeance
4. Chrysalis
5. I Am The Jigsaw Of A Mad God
6. The Deep
7. Odem
8. Luciform
9. On Fever's Wings More...
Dark Fortress Announces New Album
Dark Fortress has checked in with the following announcement about releasing an upcoming album:
"We will release our 7th studio album worldwide on September 1st, 2014 through Century Media Records. The record will bear the title 'Venereal Dawn' and will be a concept album in nine chapters.
"Three years in the making, 'Venereal Dawn' will take our traditionally rich musical spectrum further than ever. Always aiming for an innovative equilibrium between hellish black metal, sophisticated melancholy, atmospheres of metaphysical horror and a deep occult spirituality, the album will be a substantial offering to our already extensive back catalogue.
"We have never taken the challenge of making a new album lightly, and again took a radically uncompromising attitude in concept and composing. Many songs were written since 2010's YLEM, and many were discarded again to make sure the new material would be able to exceed previous releases in quality, relevance and authenticity. More...
Dark Fortress Finishes New Album
V. Santura of German outfit Dark Fortress has checked in with the following update about working on a new album:
"The recording sessions for the upcoming (still untitled) new album are finished successfully! I would dare to say that these were the most intense recording sessions in the history of Dark Fortress.
"We put weeks of extremely hard work into this to get as close as possible to what we consider perfection. Towards the end of the recordings we spent some crazy 14 hours shifts to get every detail and emotion recorded the way we envisioned it. Still, we needed just a few days longer than initially planned, and those few days were missing when I started doing the final mix for the album.
"After three days into mixing I realized that I only had the choice of either giving away a mix which is not satisfactory or to miss our deadline and push the album release backwards. I never considered this first option a real option, though. We put so much effort into the whole creative process and the recordings that it would be a cardinal sin to spoil this with a half-assed mix.
"By now I already have other highly important obligations (recording the new Triptykon album!), so we all decided it would be best to give ourselves a short break and to finish the mix later this winter.
"This, unfortunately, means the new album won't be out in early 2014 as initially planned, so everything is postponed for a few months. But that way I can promise that you will get to hear the best album possible!"
Dark Fortress Recording New Album
The black metal visionaries in Dark Fortress have started recording an upcoming album and follow-up to the 2010 album "Ylem." The band comments:
"Dark Fortress just started tracking drums for a (yet untitled) new album. The album is roughly scheduled for a release in early 2014. More news will follow soon..."
Further details will be forthcoming. You can also catch Dark Fortress live at this 2014 festival:
6.13-16.2014 -- (D) Weismain -- Legacy Open Air (Waldstadion)
Obscura Announces 10th Anniversary Show
German progressive death metal titans Obscura have announced a special 10th anniversary show this December in Landshut, Germany. This one night only event will take place on December 15th at Alte Kaserne with special guests Dark Fortress, Hokum, and Illegimitation, an incarnation of the band’s original lineup, which will play the band's first demo in its entirety. More info on the show, including ticket information is available via the band’s official website here.
Guitarist/Vocalist Steffen Kummerer commented on the upcoming anniversary show: “After years of recording, touring & building up a loyal fanbase around the world we invite all of our friends & fans to our 10 year anniversary show in Landshut, Germany. We celebrate the end of the ‘OMNIVIUM Worldtour‘ in the same city where it started early 2011. To make this event something special we reformed the original lineup of Obscura for a short set, playing the full ‘ILLEGIMITATION‘ demo as a whole. While DARK FORTRESS and HOKUM share a long history of links with OBSCURA, it seems almost self-evident to have both booked for ‘10 YEARS OBSCURA – A Decade Of Progressive Death Metal‘. Let’s make this a great evening for everyone.”
Obscura is also currently streaming the 2011 album "Omnivium" (reviewed here) at this location. Obscura's upcoming tour dates are:
Dec 8 Tlalpan, Mexico Circo Volador
Dec 15 Landshut, Germany Alte Kaserne (10th Anniversary Show)
March 23 2013 Ludwigshafen, Germany Sultans Of Death Fest
Dark Fortress Posts Wave Gotik Treffen Video
Dark Fortress has posted footage online of the band performing at this year's Wave Gotik Treffen festival, which can be viewed below. Dark Fortress also commented:
"For all those who missed our show at Wave Gotik Treffen in may, here's a clip of 'Ghastly Indoctrination,' our 2nd song that night. We had the camera directly on stage, so the angle of the video might be a bit unusual... More videos of that show will follow soon!"
Dark Fortress Checks In From The Road
Footage has been posted online of Dark Fortress performing at Poppodium Romein in Leeuwarden (NL) on April 27th, 2012. The band also commented:
"Another clip of our latest tour, this time 'Cohorror' from the album Eidolon!' If you want the full live experience, make sure to join us at one of our upcoming festival shows listed below."
26.05. Wave Gotik Treffen (Kohlrabizirkus), Leipzig / Germany
11.08. Party San Open Air, Schlotheim / Germany
01.09. Atlanterhavsrock, Averøy / Norway