Agathodaimon is without question one of the most interesting and original bands on the modern scene. Their music easily joins extreme heaviness with a dark, yet romantic and erotic atmosphere, strengthened with a huge dose of disturbing melancholy. The exclusive re-releases of all of the band’s albums – “Blacken The Angelâ€, “Higher Art of Rebellionâ€, “Chapter III†and “Serpent’s Embrace†– bring an unique collection of some of the most inspiring works, combining the best elements of dark wave, gothic and black metal…
“Blacken The Angel†released in late 1998, immediately received excellent reviews in worldwide press. The album was a truly stunning mixture of power, beauty and dark majesty. Combining symphonic black metal with gothic elements, Agathodaimon delivered a handful of amazing tracks, starting with the atmospheric 8-minute opener “Tristetea Vehementa†(meaning “The Loud Sadnessâ€). Another highlight of the album was the 15-minute epic juggernaut “Near Dark†– a complex and rich compositions, revealing Agathodaimon’s progressive edge. Other songs worth mentioning are definitely “Ill of an Imaginary Guilt†and “Die Nacht des Unwesensâ€, bearing some resemblance to such bands as Darkthrone or even Black Sabbath. The lyrics were written in English, Romanian and German; some of them were inspired by Romanian poets Mihai Eminescu and Ion Minulescu. Overall, “Blacken The Angel†became a huge success for the band and to this day remains one of their finest offerings.
“Higher Art of Rebellion†from 1999 left the typical black metal attitude behind, adding some new and fascinating elements into the formula – a more gothic atmosphere and a lot of doom metal guitar parts made the group sound a bit like Moonspell from their early days. “Higher Art of Rebellion†brought another portion of excellent songs, such as the opening battle hymn “Ne Cheama Pamintul†(“Earth Is Summoning Usâ€), which was sung in Romanian, just like on the debut release. Other highlights included the surprisingly delicate “Body of Clayâ€, Paradise Lost-influenced “A Death In Its Plenitude†and a new, remixed version of the track “Ribbons/Requiem†from the debut album. “Higher Art of Rebellion†contained even more progressive elements than before, but still managed to remain true to the genre’s origins.
“Chapter III†hit the stores on November 5th, 2001, proving to be another worthy offering in the band’s discography. The critics noticed more complex songwriting, often comparing the new release to the likes of Catamenia, Old Man’s Child and Avatar. Tracks such as the thrilling metal ballad “Sacred Divinity†(containing elements similar to Amorphis, Children of Bodom and… Marillion!), the gothic “Departure†and the obscure “Spirit Soldier†confirmed the group’s top form. Overall, “Chapter III†was much closer to “Blacken The Angel†rather than “Higher Art of Rebellionâ€, which turned out to be very pleasing advantage for the fans.
“Serpent’s Embrace†was released in June 2004 and was instantly dubbed Agathodaimon’s most mature release. The songwriting definitely evolved, as the group added even more dark and atmospheric elements into their structure. Beginning with the amazing “Cellos for the Insatiableâ€, the album explodes with classic metal heaviness combined with thrash, doom and gothic rock. The number of original ideas on “Serpent’s Embrace†is definitely above average – just listen to the fast and deadly “Light Rebornâ€, the Amon Amarth-style “Dakness Inside†or the beautiful ballad “Solitudeâ€. The album proved to be one of Agathodaimon’s best works yet, compromising between heavy, aggressive sound and a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere.
Metal Mind Productions will release all four albums in a new digipak edition limited to 2000 copies each. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on a golden disc. The release date is set up for 25th August 2008 in Europe and 28th October 2008 in USA (via MVD).
Agathodaimon
“Blacken The Angel†(remastered)
Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1222 DG
Barcode: 5907785033375
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numerated copies)
Genre: symphonic black metal
Release date: 25.08.2008 Europe / 28.10.2008 USA
Tracklist:
1. Tristetea Vehementa
2. Banner of Blasphemy
3. Near Dark
4. III of an Imaginary Guilt
5. Die Nacht des Unwesens
6. Contemplation Song
7. Sfintit Cu Roua Suferintii
8. Stingher/Alone
9. After Dark
10. Ribbons/Requiem
Agathodaimon
“Higher Art Of Rebellionâ€(remastered)
Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1223 DG
Barcode: 5907785033382
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numerated copies)
Genre: symphonic black metal
Release date: 25.08.2008 Europe / 28.10.2008 USA
Tracklist:
1. Ne Cheama Pamintul
2. Tongue of Thorns
3. Glasul Artei Viitoare
4. When She Is Mute
5. A Death in Its Plenitude
6. Body Of Clay
7. Novus Ordo Seclorum
8. Back Into The Shadows
9. Les Posedes
10. Neovampirism
11. Heavens’s Coffin
12. Ribbons/Requiem’99
13. Body of Clay (remixed version)
Agathodaimon
“Chapter III†(remastered)
Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1224 DG
Barcode: 5907785033399
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numerated copies)
Genre: symphonic black metal
Release date: 25.08.2008 Europe / 28.10.2008 USA
Tracklist:
1. An Angel’s Funeral
2. Spirit Soldier
3. Paradise Beyond
4. The Ending of Our Yesterday
5. Past Shadows
6. Yesterday’s Reprise
7. Departure
8. Sacred Divinity
9. Burden of Time
Agathodaimon
“Serpent’s Embrace†(remastered)
Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1225 DG
Barcode: 5907785033405
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numerated copies)
Genre: gothic/black metal
Release date: 25.08.2008 Europe / 28.10.2008 USA
Tracklist:
1. Cellos For The Insatiable
2. Serpent’s Embrace
3. Rebirth
4. Light Reborn
5. Faded Years
6. Solitude
7. Limbs of a Stare
8. The Darkness Inside
9. Bitter End
10. Feelings
Bio
The band was formed in September 1995 in Germany by two musicians: Sathonys (guitar) and Matthias Rodig (drums). Soon the line-up extended to a four-piece, as Vlad Dracul (vocals, keys), Hyperion (guitars) and Marko T. (bass) joined the group after answering ads in local music magazines. Agathodaimon recorded their first demo in April 1996. “Carpe Noctem†became a surprising success – even though the CD was roughly produced, it still received excellent reviews in fanzines and major music press. The commotion around the group became so big that soon several labels begun fighting over Agathodaimon. As a result, the band was financially aided by Century Media to record their second demo CD. “Near Darkâ€, released in 1997, was far more professional than the previous offering and received even more positive opinions from fans and critics. The demo was distributed all around the world and sold in over 2,000 copies, reaching the status of an underground classic, while the song “Banner of Blasphemy†got released on Nuclear Blast’s “Gods of Darkness†compilation. After receiving several offers from record labels, the group eventually chose Nuclear Blast for their debut LP.
The album’s release was scheduled for early 1998, but soon a major problem occurred as the band’s vocalist Vlad, a citizen of Romania, went to visit his motherland and was denied return to Germany due to strict immigration laws. The band was forced to use the help of another vocalist in the recordings. They chose Frank Nordmann, aka Akaias, who temporarily replaced Vlad. After overcoming all the difficulties, “Blacken The Angel†was released in late 1998, immediately receiving excellent reviews in worldwide press. The album was a truly stunning mixture of power, beauty and dark majesty. Combining symphonic black metal with gothic elements, Agathodaimon delivered a handful of amazing tracks, starting with the atmospheric 8-minute opener “Tristetea Vehementa†(meaning “The Loud Sadnessâ€). Another highlight of the album was the 15-minute epic juggernaut “Near Dark†– a complex and rich compositions, revealing Agathodaimon’s progressive edge. Other songs worth mentioning are definitely “Ill of an Imaginary Guilt†and “Die Nacht des Unwesensâ€, bearing some resemblance to such bands as Darkthrone or even Black Sabbath. The lyrics were written in English, Romanian and German; some of them were inspired by Romanian poets Mihai Eminescu and Ion Minulescu. Overall, “Blacken The Angel†became a huge success for the band and to this day remains one of their finest offerings.
After the release of their debut album, Agathodaimon begun a series of promotional gigs, touring alongside Hypocrisy and Benediction, and also performing at such acclaimed festivals as Wacken Open Air and Wave Gotik Treffen. In 1999 the band released their second LP called “Higher Art of Rebellion†and featuring the group’s newest addition – Christina (keyboards). The album left the typical black metal attitude behind, adding some new and fascinating elements into the formula – a more gothic atmosphere and a lot of doom metal guitar parts made the group sound a bit like Moonspell from their early days. “Higher Art of Rebellion†brought another portion of excellent songs, such as the opening battle hymn “Ne Cheama Pamintul†(“Earth Is Summoning Usâ€), which was sung in Romanian, just like on the debut release. Other highlights included the surprisingly delicate “Body of Clayâ€, Paradise Lost-influenced “A Death In Its Plenitude†and a new, remixed version of the track “Ribbons/Requiem†from the debut album. “Higher Art of Rebellion†featured mixed vocals of Akaias and Vlad, and a guest appearance by session vocalist Byron, whose phenomenal singing made each of the songs truly unforgettable. The album contained even more progressive elements than before, but still managed to remain true to the genre’s origins. The release of the LP was followed by a headlining tour with Siebenburgen and Graveworm in 2000. Soon after that Vlad Dracul decided to leave the group, mainly because of musical differences, but also due to the geographical distances. Thus Akaias became Agathodaimon’s permanent vocalist and the renewed band begun working on their third album…
Right before releasing “Chapter IIIâ€, Agathodaimon performed a couple of shows, i.e. at Wacken, Wave Gotik Treffen and Summer Breeze Festival. The album hit the stores on November 5th, 2001, proving to be another worthy offering in the band’s discography. The critics noticed more complex songwriting, often comparing the new release to the likes of Catamenia, Old Man’s Child and Avatar. Tracks such as the thrilling metal ballad “Sacred Divinity†(containing elements similar to Amorphis, Children of Bodom and… Marillion!), the gothic “Departure†and the obscure “Spirit Soldier†confirmed the group’s top form. Overall, “Chapter III†was much closer to “Blacken The Angel†rather than “Higher Art of Rebellionâ€, which turned out to be very pleasing advantage for the fans. Unfortunately, shortly after the album’s release, line-up changes occurred in the group, when Marko, Hyperion and Christine called it quits. As a result, Akaias took over the guitar duties (since 1995 he was both singer and guitarist in his second band, Asaru) and soon a replacement keyboardist – Felix Ãœ. Walzer – joined Agathodaimon, followed a couple of months later by bassist Darin “Eddie†Smith. The group needed over two years for rehearsals and finally by late 2003 they started writing the material for their fourth album, in the meantime playing shows all around Europe.
“Serpent’s Embrace†was released in June 2004 and was instantly dubbed Agathodaimon’s most mature release. The songwriting definitely evolved, as the group added even more dark and atmospheric elements into their structure. Beginning with the amazing “Cellos for the Insatiableâ€, the album explodes with classic metal heaviness combined with thrash, doom and gothic rock. The number of original ideas on “Serpent’s Embrace†is definitely above average – just listen to the fast and deadly “Light Rebornâ€, the Amon Amarth-style “Dakness Inside†or the beautiful ballad “Solitudeâ€. The album proved to be one of Agathodaimon’s best works yet, compromising between heavy, aggressive sound and a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere. Soon after the release of “Serpent’s Embrace†the band wrote an exclusive song for the horror movie “Alone In The Darkâ€, directed by Uwe Boll.
Unfortunately, in 2006 another line-up change occurred and the band parted with Eddie and Akaias. Three new musicians were soon added: Jonas Iscariot (vocals), Till (bass) and Jan Jansohn (guitar). Currently the group is working on their fifth opus, which is to be called “Phoenixâ€â€¦ But before it hits the stores, feel free to enter the dark and gloomy world of pain despair with one of Agathodaimon’s amazing albums. Just beware – once you get sucked in, there’s no going back…
All the best,