In Nomine Aeternitatis

Along with Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, Dargaard also orbited the Austrian black metal scene in the late 1990s, a very similar outfit both in the setup of keyboard driven darkwave and the duet based line-up. Their third album ‘In Nomine Aeternitatis’ released in 2000 is as good a place to start as any. We are greeted with a rich mix of string tones that set the groundwork for the music, with choppier melodies granting a sense of urgency. Tthroughout the album these are joined by an array of other tones to bringing a welcome degree of diversity to the overall colour of the music, these include the usual suspects of harps, choral tones, timpani drums, and church bells.

The vocals of Elisabeth Toriser are more homely than the operatic stylings of Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, they fixate on gentle mournful melodies that function as part lament part lullaby. Their interaction with the music is at times so fragile as to threaten to break apart entirely, but this only adds to the overall appeal of the complexion of this music. Tharen offers some low key distorted vocals by way of backing, bringing this aesthetically closer to black metal, but they are suitably integrated into the mix as to work even for those approaching this music from a non-metallic background.

Despite the mix of strings etching out soaring chord sequences, medievalist melodies, and a whole array of rich instrumentation, the whole package comes across as overtly sparse. There is an attempt to write distinctive songs in tandem with presenting a unified vibe throughout the course of the album, but the thematic and aesthetic threads common to each track are undeniable. The minimalist percussion made up of intermittent timpani drums and bells is more ceremonial than musically linear in the conventional sense. The stop/start nature of these rhythmic accompaniments – set to the ethereal qualities of the other instrumentation and vocals – direclty calls to mind a slow march of spiritual or personal significance, a procession of hooded figures slowing but deliberately advancing through monastic ruins and gothic courtyards.

Although the overall impact is undeniably low key, one cannot help but commend the distinctive direction Dargaard took with tonally similar music to much black metal, goth, ambient, and neofolk. This is an impressive attempt to carve an emotive path entirely distinct from the rockier leanings of their cousins. Again, some may find the utter commitment to the moment, the unabashed romanticism and cliché-ridden poetic tragedy to the music a little hard to swallow. But there is a sincerity and naïve quality to it that fans of orbital genres may find deeply resonant. Dargaard offer a very lyrical experience, exhibiting explicitly folky qualities; the music is homely and personal, despite the rich romanticism also present.

Originally published at Hate Meditations