Darkane

Biography

Darkane is a Swedish thrash metal/melodic death metal band formed in Helsingborg in 1998. Their music contains acoustic interludes and symphonic features, such as the in-studio use of synthesizers and occasionally full orchestras and choir singing. The name "Darkane" is a portmanteau of "dark" and "arcane".

Formation and Rusted Angel (1998–2000)

Former Agretator guitarist Christofer Malmström and drummer Peter Wildoer formed Darkane. They recorded a two-song demo in 1998. Darkane signed with War Music. Bassist Jörgen Löfberg, guitarist Klas Ideberg, and vocalist Bjorn "Speed" Strid completed the lineup. Already Soilwork's singer, Strid was unable to divide his time and left Darkane. After several months without a vocalist, he was replaced with Lawrence Mackrory, whom producer Daniel Bergstrand recommended to the band.
Mackrory sang on the debut album, Rusted Angel×Rusted Angel21 February 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro1:222Convicted4:003Bound4:374Rape of Mankind4:005Rusted Angel6:266A Wisdoms Breed3:277Chase for Existence4:598The Arcane Darkness1:049July 19994:0710Frenetic Visions6:3311Relief in Disguise1:06, and performed several live dates with the band later that year. Due to other commitments, Mackrory was unable to tour with the band in early 1999, and was replaced with Andreas Sydow, who had been in a cover band with Malmström years earlier.

Insanity and Expanding Senses (2001–2003)

After playing many festivals and shows for the next months, the band signed with Nuclear Blast and recorded their second album. These sessions were challenging. Electrical storms, floods, and equipment malfunctions caused issues during the production of the album, which was named Insanity×Insanity6 March 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Calamitas2:402Third3:593Emanation of Fear4:294Impure Perfection3:095Hostile Phantasm5:566Psychic Pain4:1970001111:388The Perverted Beast4:299Distress3:3610Inauspicious Coming4:4011Pile of Hate8:1612Inverted Spheres1:43 as a result.
After more European touring and their first North American show in 2001, the band began work on their third album, Expanding Senses×Expanding Senses4 September 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks1Innocence Gone4:442Solitary Confinement5:023Fatal Impact3:424Imaginary Entity4:455Violence from Within5:116The Fear of One's Self2:427Chaos vs. Order4:478Parasites of the Unexplained3:559Growing Hate3:5510Submission5:34, released in 2002.

Layers of Lies (2004–2007)

Darkane toured extensively following the release of Expanding Senses, and by early 2004 had almost an entire album's worth of songs written. However, at that time, drummer Peter Wildoer suffered a wrist injury, and began experiencing severe wrist pain. The band went on hiatus to allow Wildoer to recover. During this hiatus, guitarist Christofer Malmström released a solo album (Non Human Level) which was a compilation of unreleased songs he had written from 1998 to 2004. Guitarist Klas Ideberg spent time working with his side project Terror 2000.
By late 2004, Wildoer's injury had healed, and the band reconvened to record their fourth album, Layers of Lies×Layers of Lies27 June 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Amnesia of the Wildoerian Apocalypse1:422Secondary Effects3:563Organic Canvas4:314Fading Dimensions4:195Layers of Lies4:186Godforsaken Universe4:067Klastrophobic Hibernation0:378Vision of Degradation4:389Contaminated3:3810Maelstrom Crisis2:4111Decadent Messiah3:5512The Creation Insane4:37, released in May 2005. After more extensive touring, the band started putting together the live compilation DVD Layers of Live×Layers of Live2010 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 55 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Amnesia of the Wildoerian Apocalypse4:462Godforsaken Universe4:093Emanation of Fear4:344July 19994:115Fatal Impact3:426Layers of Lies4:337Organic Canvas5:018Violence From Within4:219Third4:0510Chaos Vs Order5:0211Convicted5:2812Secondary Effects4:0813Innocence Gone4:4614Inverted Spheres1:43Disc 21Amnesia of the Wildoerian Apocalypse2Godforsaken Universe3Emanation of Fear4July 19995Fatal Impact6Layers of Lies7Organic Canvas8Violence From Within9Third10Chaos Vs Order11Convicted12Secondary Effects13Innocence Gone14Inverted Spheres15Parasites of the Unexplained16The Rape of Mankind17A Wisdoms Breed18Submission19Rusted Angel20Solitary Confinement21Hostile Phantasm22Distress23Chaos Vs Order24Organic Canvas25Innocence Gone26Chaos Vs Order27Secondary Effects28Layers of Lies29Rusted Angel30Insanity31Expanding Senses32Layers of Lies33The Early Years34Milwaukee35Holland36Italy37Japan38Sweden39Israel40USA41Europe, however, this effort would take several years, not being released until 2010. On 13 August 2007, vocalist Andreas Sydow decided to end his tenure with Darkane. This led to the arrival of former Construcdead and The Defaced vocalist, Jens Broman on 25 October 2007.

Demonic Art and switching singers (2008–2011)

On 6 October 2007 it was announced that Darkane was writing new material for their fifth studio album Demonic Art×Demonic Art24 October 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Variations of an Eye Crush1:312Leaving Existence3:593Demonic Art4:454Absolution4:015Execution 444:576Impetious Constant Chaos3:497Demigod4:158Soul Survivor4:089The Killing of I4:5010Wrong Grave0:5411Still in Progress3:2212Wrath Connection5:36, which was later released on 24 October 2008. Peter Wildoer posted this message on his website: "This coming winter we will start recording Darkane's fifth record. We have about nine songs ready. We were hoping to enter the studio earlier but in typical Darkane bad luck, our studio got flooded and badly damaged. So now we're looking for a new location for the studio and as soon as we find that we need to rebuild the studio which takes a lot of time. Hopefully we will start recording around Christmas (fingers crossed). In some weeks, we'll start working on the mix of the upcoming Darkane DVD. I just hope the DVD will be released early next year".
Darkane's only full-length DVD was shot in May 2006 in the band's hometown of Helsingborg, Sweden.
On 6 August 2011 it was announced that vocalist Jens Broman was leaving the band due to personal issues. He was replaced by former Darkane vocalist Lawrence Mackrory, who appeared on the debut album, Rusted Angel×Rusted Angel21 February 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro1:222Convicted4:003Bound4:374Rape of Mankind4:005Rusted Angel6:266A Wisdoms Breed3:277Chase for Existence4:598The Arcane Darkness1:049July 19994:0710Frenetic Visions6:3311Relief in Disguise1:06.

The Sinister Supremacy (2012–present)

On 30 July 2012, it was announced that Darkane was back in the studio recording their sixth studio album, which they plan to release in early 2013. Once released, this will be their first studio album since 2008's Demonic Art×Demonic Art24 October 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Variations of an Eye Crush1:312Leaving Existence3:593Demonic Art4:454Absolution4:015Execution 444:576Impetious Constant Chaos3:497Demigod4:158Soul Survivor4:089The Killing of I4:5010Wrong Grave0:5411Still in Progress3:2212Wrath Connection5:36 and with Lawrence Mackrory on vocals since 1999's Rusted Angel.
The album's title The Sinister Supremacy×The Sinister Supremacy19 June 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Sounds of Pre-Existence1:462The Sinister Supremacy4:223Mechanically Divine4:254Ostracized3:495The Decline4:426Insurrection Is Imminent5:287In the Absence of Pain4:208Humanity Defined4:059Hate Repentance State2:3210Collapse of Illusions4:3811By Darkness Designed3:5612Existence Is Just a State of Mind5:0013Malicious Strain4:2514I, Author of Despair4:0615Fiskkrossa (demo)4:1416Folkmusiksmetal (demo)4:32 and release date of 28 June 2013, was announced on 4 April 2013. Regarding the title, the band said: "The Sinister Supremacy is a metaphor for the evil that controls us. It's the dark part of our minds and it's inside us all. It tells us it's OK to do bad things, to hurt other people, and hurt ourselves. It guides us into making choices based on pure selfishness, and it thrives on complete chaos."
The track listing and the album cover, were revealed on 9 May 2013. The album cover was done by Carlos Holmberg (ex-Soilwork) and the cover is a Rorschach test as seen by an individual who has completely succumbed to the sinister supremacy, according to the band.
On 24 June 2022, after 9 years the band released their long-awaited follow-up to 2013's The Sinister Supremacy titled Inhuman Spirits.
On 16 May 2024, the band announced that vocalist Lawrence Mackrory had departed the band. Less than a week later, the band announced Tobiasz Derengowski as their new vocalist.

Current members

Peter Wildoer – drums (1998–present)
Christofer Malmström – lead guitar (1998–present)
Klas Ideberg – rhythm guitar (1998–present)
Jörgen Löfberg – bass guitar (1998–present)
Tobiasz Derengowski – vocals (2024–present)

Former members

Björn Strid – vocals (1998)
Lawrence Mackrory – vocals (1998–1999, 2011–2024)
Andreas Sydow – vocals (1999–2007)
Jens Broman – vocals (2007–2011)

Albums

Rusted Angel (1999)
Insanity (2001)
Expanding Senses (2002)
Layers of Lies (2005)
Demonic Art (2008)
The Sinister Supremacy (2013)
Inhuman Spirits (2022)

Other releases

A Tribute to Accept (cover of "Restless & Wild" by Accept)
A Tribute to the Beast (cover of "Powerslave" by Iron Maiden)