Séance was the next step to establish DARK FORTRESS not only as one of Germany's most hopeful black metal acts, but as one that does not have to fear the international competition. "Stab Wounds" also opened the door to Century Media records, who offered the band a long term deal over 4 records. Simply the best German black metal has to offer!". German Rock Hard praised it as "too good, too original and heavy to be ignored. Crowned by a gloomy artwork by well-known artist Travis Smith (Opeth, Nevermore, Anathema, Death) "Stab Wounds" was overwhelmingly positive received not only by the band's underground following but also mainstream metal press, e.g. Santura produced, "Stab Wounds" (Black Attakk). The hitherto musical peak of their career then hit the metal scene with the 2004 released, for the first time by guitarist V. With a stable line-up more live shows and festival appearances ensued seeing DARK FORTRESS share stage with such outstanding extreme metal acts like Behemoth, Impaled Nazarene, Pungent Stench, God Dethroned as well as countless underground acts and thus establishing the sextet further as a band that dares to evolve without betraying its roots. The group signed a deal with the US underground label Red Stream Records releasing the debut album and Dark Fortress' second album "Profane Genocidal Creations", which was produced in the famous Grieghallen Studios in Bergen, Norway.
Santura on guitar, vocalist Azathoth, Draug on bass and keyboardist Paymon) set forth for a new era in the history of the band which proved to result in a series of highly acclaimed records and concerts. Together with bassist Draug, who had joined the group short before, Dark Fortress' new line-up (consisting of Seraph on drums, Asvargr and V. The recordings did not take place until August 2000 when Dark Fortress entered Klangschmiede Studio E and with producer Markus Stock completed one of the strongest melodic yet viciously aggressive black/death debuts ever to emerge from Germany: "Tales From Eternal Dusk".ĭue to internal conflicts drummer Charon and guitarist Crom left the band short after the recordings of "Tales from Eternal Dusk" and where finally replaced by Seraph and V. The group kept busy composing material for their first full-length album, but a studio date already scheduled for 1998 did not come into being. The band was not informed by the label about Barad Dür's national-socialistic disposition, displayed in drastic right-winged lyrics on the actual record, which forced Dark Fortress to explicitly disassociate themselves repeatedly from the so called "NSBM".
Dark Fortress' first label release was a 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. Debuting live in February 1997 the young horde soon shared the stage with such underground figureheads as Lunar Aurora, Disaster and Nagelfar. 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 second guitarist Crom and keyboardist Thamuz (who got replaced by Paymon short after). Their first musical sign of life was the 1996 released demo "Rebirth Of The Dark Age". Formed in 1994, the German black metal outfit DARK FORTRESS have established themselves in the top ranks of the genre with intense live shows and fascinating, pitch black full-length masterpieces that meet the standard created mostly in northern Europe’s prolific scenes with ease.