Dark Suns (Band)
Encyclopedia
Dark Suns is a German
progressive metal
band formed in 1997. It is currently composed of guitarists Maik Knappe and Torsten Wenzel, with Maik's brother Niko performing the vocals and drums. The band has released one demo, one EP, and three studio albums as of 2009.
. Dark Suns was initially planned to only be a side project for Knappe and Gommlich, but they spent more and more time on it, eventually finding themselves absorbed in this "side project". In 1998 they recorded a demo called Below Dark Illusion. During that time they had numerous band member changes. Their first EP, Suffering the Psychopathic Results of Daily Blasphemy was released in 1999, and contained only one, 14-minute song.
The band began to write their first album, Swanlike
, in 2001, and self-released it in 2002. In 2003, guitarist Gommlich left the band, to be replaced by Torsten Wenzel. This lineup would remain the same through the 2005 release of the band's second, album, Existence. This album showed a change in musical style, including the dropping of the death growl
s used in Swanlike
, and a change from the death/doom
style to a progressive metal
style. A remastered version of Swanlike
was released the same day, through Prophecy Productions
.
In 2006, Christoph Bormann left the band, leaving them without a bassist. As of 2009, the band does not yet have a bassist, instead relying on Pain of Salvation
's Kristoffer Gildenlöw
as a session artist to perform the bass parts on the new material they were recording. Grave Human Genuine
, their latest album, was released on February 22, 2008.
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...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band formed in 1997. It is currently composed of guitarists Maik Knappe and Torsten Wenzel, with Maik's brother Niko performing the vocals and drums. The band has released one demo, one EP, and three studio albums as of 2009.
History
The band was founded in 1997 by Tobias Gommlich and Niko Knappe, two well known players of the local metal scene in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, GermanyGermany
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...
. Dark Suns was initially planned to only be a side project for Knappe and Gommlich, but they spent more and more time on it, eventually finding themselves absorbed in this "side project". In 1998 they recorded a demo called Below Dark Illusion. During that time they had numerous band member changes. Their first EP, Suffering the Psychopathic Results of Daily Blasphemy was released in 1999, and contained only one, 14-minute song.
The band began to write their first album, Swanlike
Swanlike
Swanlike is the first album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It is their only album to employ death vocals. It was originally self-released, but on February 21, 2005 it was re-released through Prophecy Productions, with a bonus track...
, in 2001, and self-released it in 2002. In 2003, guitarist Gommlich left the band, to be replaced by Torsten Wenzel. This lineup would remain the same through the 2005 release of the band's second, album, Existence. This album showed a change in musical style, including the dropping of the death growl
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
s used in Swanlike
Swanlike
Swanlike is the first album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It is their only album to employ death vocals. It was originally self-released, but on February 21, 2005 it was re-released through Prophecy Productions, with a bonus track...
, and a change from the death/doom
Death/doom
Death/doom, sometimes writes as death-doom or deathdoom, is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double kick drumming of death metal...
style to a progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
style. A remastered version of Swanlike
Swanlike
Swanlike is the first album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It is their only album to employ death vocals. It was originally self-released, but on February 21, 2005 it was re-released through Prophecy Productions, with a bonus track...
was released the same day, through Prophecy Productions
Prophecy Productions
Prophecy Productions is a German record label located in Zeltingen-Rachtig, founded by Martin Koller in 1996. It proclaims being a "label for eerie emotional music", which roughly comprises artists with a dark metal, black metal, or neofolk background, but a unique and unconventional approach to...
.
In 2006, Christoph Bormann left the band, leaving them without a bassist. As of 2009, the band does not yet have a bassist, instead relying on Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...
's Kristoffer Gildenlöw
Kristoffer Gildenlöw
Kristoffer Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known for his work as bass guitarist in the band Pain of Salvation, a band started by his older brother Daniel Gildenlöw...
as a session artist to perform the bass parts on the new material they were recording. Grave Human Genuine
Grave Human Genuine
Grave Human Genuine is a studio album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It was released as a jewelcase, as well as a limited edition Digipak, with a bonus song.Andy Schmidt of Disillusion performed guest vocals on the song "Flies in Amber"....
, their latest album, was released on February 22, 2008.
Current line-up
- Niko Knappe - Vocals, Drums, Percussion (1997–present)
- Maik Knappe - Guitars, Vocals (1998–present)
- Torsten Wenzel - Guitars, Vocals (2003–present)
- Jacob Müller - Bass (2008-present)
- Ekkehard Meister - Keyboards (2008-present)
Former members
- Tobias Gommlich - Guitars (1997–2003)
- Matthias Benzke - Keyboards (1998)
- Oliver Fricke - Bass (1998–2001)
- Michael Beck - Bass (2000–2001)
- Christoph Bormann - Bass (2001–2006)
- Thomas Bremer - Keyboards, Samples (1998–2007)
Discography
- Below Dark Illusion Demo (1998)
- SwanlikeSwanlikeSwanlike is the first album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It is their only album to employ death vocals. It was originally self-released, but on February 21, 2005 it was re-released through Prophecy Productions, with a bonus track...
(2002) - Existence (2005)
- Grave Human GenuineGrave Human GenuineGrave Human Genuine is a studio album by German progressive metal band Dark Suns. It was released as a jewelcase, as well as a limited edition Digipak, with a bonus song.Andy Schmidt of Disillusion performed guest vocals on the song "Flies in Amber"....
(2008) - Orange (2011)