A void… drifting… hollow, silvery multiversum… veils of mist… sounds dull and far away… thoughts bubbling into mind… being GRASPED, torn away from surreality, raw awakened from your dead sleep and being asked questions by mortal beings. Furious you wish to return to the dead lands again… not possible, must answer questions first…

Dark Fortress is a German black metal band that was formed by Asvargr (guitar) in 1994. After a relative slow start, the band produced as much as four full length albums since 2001 (including this one). The band, after several line-up changes, consists of six members. This new album deals with paranormal beings and other gloomy subjects.

Dark Fortress marches into view under a soundscape of mysterious guitar play and shortly after that, battle begins in full fury. Séance is quite melodious; the ´ghostly´ guitars really build an atmosphere. The full, overwhelming blackness engulfs you and won’t loosen its grip until the album is finished. The album is varied with slower and faster parts, sometimes sounding like Emperor or Satyricon or even early Deathspell Omega, other times specked with slow intermezzos like on Mayhems “Grand Declaration of War” (but shorter, and far less boring) or the weird Covenant parts.

Fast black metal riffs, psychedelic guitar play, powerful war marches and suffering screams take turns time and again.

The eight’ song is a weird contradiction to the other songs, perhaps meant to create the feeling of a séance session. A séance is a spiritualist meeting to receive communications from the dead. The dead person makes things clear by producing noises and voices and by moving objects. The misty sounds and tortured moans give a horrid unpleasant feeling. This song definitely adds to the variation of the album.

Dark Fortress has a very own black metal style with elements of some very great bands. High quality black metal and a good production make this album worth listening to.