Dark Fortress has documented the end of its existence.
In 2023, Dark Fortress put an end to an almost thirty years career spanning. Morean (vocals, Alkaloid, Noneuclid), Asvargr (guitar, Ligeia) and V. Santura (guitar/vocals, Noneuclid), joined by Michael Zech (bass, Odem Arcarum, ex-Secrets of the Moon), Hannes Grossmann (drums, Alkaloid, Aortha, Eternity’s End, Triptykon… ) and Linus Klausenitzer (keyboards, Alkaloid, Obsidious, ex-Obscura…) offer us Anthems from Beyond the Grave – Live in Europe 2023, recorded between Rotterdam and Bochum, on May 8th and 9th, 2023.
A few days before the recording, the band played in Paris, and I was present at this event, which I already described as unmissable. I remember the moment – quite historic in my eyes – when the band took to the stage and began to play their cold but very melodious songs, which transported the audience to the O’Sullivans Backstage by the Mill, making the moment almost intimate. The Rotterdam and Bochum venues are of roughly equal capacity, and in this live set you can feel the closeness with an audience that seems visibly happy to live the moment with the Germans, responding present at every moment Morean asks.
As for the sound, it’s excellent and a perfect tribute to the band’s career and to those exceptional shows that fairly faithfully retraced the band’s discography in an hour and a half, both in the moments of fury and in the quieter passages with their Gothic reflections. A closer look at the track list reveals the presence of Insomnia, which was replaced by To Harvest the Artefacts of Mockery for the Paris show, but both tracks are present on the recording, so I’m able to discover this version today, with all its melancholy. The encore is even more intense than I remember, and the applause has a completely different flavour.
It’s always strange to hear of a band’s split, but it’s nice to be able to say goodbye properly with a live performance. With Anthems from Beyond the Grave – Live in Europe 2023, Dark Fortress brings us back to this momentous occasion, and even adds an extra track, which is a real gift to the fans.