Darkseed (German band)
Encyclopedia
Darkseed is a German
gothic metal
band, formed in 1992. Darkseed, beginning as a death metal
band, took a more unconventional song writing method that aimed more towards the gothic experimental route. They changed their music to gothic metal on their first studio album Midnight Solemnly Dance.
, in 1994 which was re-issued in 1998.
caught up with the band in their second release Spellcraft a year later, in which they continued playing gothic metal having influence from heavy metal music. The album was well received and a critical success. They had several line up changes after their underground success, which resulted in Darkseed's year long hiatus. During this period,a re-issued version Romantic Tales was released. Finally, after several line up changes, the band released their third album Give me the Light in 1999, followed by their next album Diving Into Darkness in 2000 which was well-received by the critics. Lead vocalist Stefan Hertrich left the band in 2003, only to return in 2004 to make "Ultimate Darkness", which was released in 2005. In 2006, he and Martin Motnik left the band again, thus effectively forcing the band to disband.
music, as two of the members claim to be fans of Neue Deutsche Härte
band Rammstein
.
After the release of Ultimate Darkness in 2005, the following message was posted on their official site:
They have also cited to be a fan of various bands such as Dead Can Dance
, Slayer
, In Flames
, Dream Theater
and Testament
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band, formed in 1992. Darkseed, beginning as a death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band, took a more unconventional song writing method that aimed more towards the gothic experimental route. They changed their music to gothic metal on their first studio album Midnight Solemnly Dance.
Early years, death metal era (1992-1994)
Beginning as a death metal band, Darkseed released two demo albums in 1992 and 1993, playing more gothic experimental routes, not wanting to take the traditional methods of generic death metal, followed by their EP, Romantic TalesRomantic Tales
Romantic is the third studio album album by the German gothic metal band Darkseed. It was released in 1998, with Nuclear Blast. Songs 1-4 are from the band's 1996 ep, "Romantic Tales", and songs 5-8 are from the demo, "Darksome Thoughts" originally released in 1993,-Track listing:#"Dream Recalled...
, in 1994 which was re-issued in 1998.
Stylistic change, mainstream success, break up (1994-2006)
Serenades Records release Darkseed's first full-length studio album, Midnight Solemnly Dance in 1996, in which they changed into a gothic metal act. Nuclear BlastNuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
caught up with the band in their second release Spellcraft a year later, in which they continued playing gothic metal having influence from heavy metal music. The album was well received and a critical success. They had several line up changes after their underground success, which resulted in Darkseed's year long hiatus. During this period,a re-issued version Romantic Tales was released. Finally, after several line up changes, the band released their third album Give me the Light in 1999, followed by their next album Diving Into Darkness in 2000 which was well-received by the critics. Lead vocalist Stefan Hertrich left the band in 2003, only to return in 2004 to make "Ultimate Darkness", which was released in 2005. In 2006, he and Martin Motnik left the band again, thus effectively forcing the band to disband.
Reunion
On 24 June 2008 on their official website, Darkseed announced that they would reunite to appear live at the Helion Festival on October 4, 2008. On September 3, 2008 the band announced that their old back vocalist and drummer, Harald Winkler, will rejoin the band as lead vocalist and so Darkseed will be reformed and reborn, with a new album, Poison Awaits, scheduled to be released on July 23, 2010.Style and Influences
Darkseed started as a death metal band. Allmusic defines them as "not wanting to take the traditional methods of generic death metal that everyone's heard a million times since Napalm Death's "Scum", Germany's Darkseed take a more unconventional song writing method that aims more towards the gothic experimental route". In their first studio album, they changed their music to gothic metal and became a part of German gothic metal movement. Later they changed their style into a more traditional heavy metal sound. They also have an influence from industrial metalIndustrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
music, as two of the members claim to be fans of Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte is a genre of industrial metal. The term was invented by the German music press after the release of the debut album Herzeleid by Rammstein....
band Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
.
After the release of Ultimate Darkness in 2005, the following message was posted on their official site:
"History shows that German Gothic Metal isn’t the most exciting sound you can listen to. However, DARKSEED’s latest longplayer "Ultimate Darkness" promises to rock even this genre!"
They have also cited to be a fan of various bands such as Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
, Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
and Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
Current members
- Harald Winkler – backing vocals, drums (1992–1996), lead vocals (2008–present)
- Thomas Herrmann – guitar (1995–present)
- Tom Gilcher – guitar (1999–present)
- Maurizio Guolo – drums (2004–present)
- Armin Dörfler – keyboards (2003–present)
- Michael Behnke – bass (2005–present)
Former members
- Stefan Hertrich – vocals, programming (1992–2003,2004–2006)
- Martin Motnik – bass(2003–2006)
- Rico Galvagno – bass(1995 –1999)
- Andi Wecker (deceased) – guitar (1992–1998)
- Jadek Dworok – guitar (1992–1995)
Guest members
- Sasema – female vocals on Midnight Solemnly Dance and Astral Adventures
- Willi Wurm – drums(1997–2000)
- Marcus B. – drums on Astral Adventures
- Sandra Ott – flute on Midnight Solemnly Dance
- Christian Decker – piano on Midnight Solemnly Dance
- Raimund Repp – violin on Midnight Solemnly Dance
- Catharina Boutai – female vocals on Spellcraft
- Christina Mann – female vocals on Spellcraft
- Gan Pierre Gelke – piano and Keyboard on Spellcraft
- Doris Zwemuller – female vocals on Give Me Light
- Gabriel Isuku – percussion on Give Me Light
Studio albums
- Midnight Solemnly Dance (1996)
- SpellcraftSpellcraftSpellcraft is the ability to cast and work spells. It is often used to describe the rituals performed by witches, Wiccans, and Neo-pagans. Such instances of spellcraft can require the use of various gems, herbs, incense, candles, colours, meditation, chanting, astrology, and numerology.In the...
(1997) - Romantic TalesRomantic TalesRomantic is the third studio album album by the German gothic metal band Darkseed. It was released in 1998, with Nuclear Blast. Songs 1-4 are from the band's 1996 ep, "Romantic Tales", and songs 5-8 are from the demo, "Darksome Thoughts" originally released in 1993,-Track listing:#"Dream Recalled...
(Re-issued 1998) - Give Me LightGive me LightGive Me Light is the fourth studio album album by the German gothic metal band Darkseed. It was released in 1999, with Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:# "Dancing with the Lion" - 03:12# "Cold" - 03:58# "Echoes of Tomorrow" - 03:06...
(1999) - Diving Into Darkness (2000)
- Astral AdventuresAstral AdventuresAstral Adventures is the sixth studio album album by a German gothic metal band Darkseed. It was released in 2003, with Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:All tracks by Stefan Hertrich except were noted*"Dying Land" – 04:13*"Fly Into the Night" – 03:59...
(2003) - Ultimate Darkness (2005)
- Poison Awaits (2010)