Release:

Northern Silence Productions / Soulfood
29.10.2010

Info:

The cold, cruel nights of 1996 witnessed a climax of darkness and the black arts in the great Occitania, a province of southern France which features the greatest medieval castles. A medieval dream, with its characters and maps, was increasingly entrenching itself in the mind of a young man who both wanted to strengthen his blood ties with his ancestors and express all of his inner darkness...

...and when at last he manifested his medieval, dark, macabre and pagan spirit, Darkhyrys gave birth to the stories of the Kingdom of Ghämal. And out of these dreadful and cruel stories, expressed through the eyes of princess Vigïa, rose...Diamond Eyed Princess.

The band’s concept gives life to heated battles as well as lively celebrations, to cold and macabre situations and heroic epics, and takes you from verdant countries to arid and icy lands - a diversity expressed also in D.E.P.’s music. The songs range from warlike, medieval atmospheres to driving, powerful black metal, from epic pagan metal to melodic and atmospheric metal, incorporating psychedelic parts which disseminate a gruesome and unhealthy atmosphere when the story calls for it. Besides the usual instruments, the band uses 3 clean voices and folk instruments (including 3 bagpipes, a shawm, tambourines, flutes and lutes) in the medieval songs and the pagan metal parts. Some of the lyrics and song titles are written in a language created by Darkhyrys, “Ghämalian”, the native language of the characters of the concept-story, a tale which develops throughout two books ("Tales from the kingdom of Ghamäl" and "The quest of Gueläal").

From the beginning, D.E.P. used to bring their concept on stage, constantly trying to recreate the mystical atmosphere and warlike rage they're known for. In order to recreate this atmosphere live, the musicians play acoustic folkloric instruments, use samples, stage costumes, and even a special kind of choreographies. Between 2001 and 2006, the band has played a series of mythical underground gigs, most notably in a forest, a bunker and other old military forts in France, northern Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
The first split demo “United to conquer”, released in 1999 under the banner of Aura Mystique Prods., got amazingly positive feedback, but the actual career of the band started in 2001 with the “Pagan Rite” album, also released through Aura Mystique, which was hailed as a reference in true medieval Black Metal. However, the ardent followers had to wait until 2007 when at last the previously hidden scrolls of the whole kingdom of Ghämal were revealed, and the chronological continuation to the previous album, the new opus "Korlgueläal", literally "The quest of Gueläal", began to take form.

Line-up:

Darkhyrys - (Lead guitars - vocals - medieval instruments - drums)
Ghroth - (Guitar - backing vocals - medieval instruments)
Lwyleïna - (keyboards - backings vocals - medieval instruments)

Track List:

1. Ghamäl sonahven
2. Kregan
3. Tüm Fornorhvok
4. Korlgueläal
5. Svarn Lak Dral
6. Tüm Dralver Flöna
7. Klön
8. Drytorr I
9. Drytorr II

Discography:

2000 – “United to conquer” Demo - Aura Mystique
2001 – “Pagan Rite” CD - Aura Mystique
2006 – “An Hommage To Falkenbach” (Tribute CD) - Skaldik Art
2010 – “Korlgueläal” CD - Northern Silence Productions