Interview taken from Metalinvader

Since it's your first contact with METAL INVADER'S readers,could you give us a short biographical note of DARGAARD?
Tharen: Dargaard was founded by me in 1997 after I was involved in several Black Metal bands(Abigor, Amestigon, Heidenreich). This band is my opportunity to step away from my usual genre and experiment with a different approach to express my feelings and attitudes. As Elisabeth Toriser(Abigor, Antichrisis, Dominion) took over the vocal responsibilities in 1998 we were able to successfully complete the recording of our debut-Cd, “Eternity Rites”, released by Napalm Rec. under the Draenor Prod. Banner in October 1998. After 1½ years of working we just completed the work on our 2. Cd, “In Nomine Aeternitatis”, that will be released in march this year.

How would you describe your music?
Tharen: It´s always difficult to discribe my very own music, but to make it short: I do not like the description “Dark Wave” so much, because there are so many styles in the Dark Wave scene you cannot compare to us.  I for myself would call it classical, medieval influenced ritual music” or something like that. Choose your own label.

Which are,in your opinion,the differences between your debut "Eternity Rites" and "In Nomine Aeternitatis"?
Tharen: We went through an evolutional process like every serious band I think. The songs are more intense, well structured and much more symphonic than on the first one. Elisabeth had more room to unfold her voice - from time to time she sings a kind of choirlike voicelines. The result is-in my opinion- a very mighty sound.

Is INA a concept album? I have the impression that both Et.Rit. and INA share the common concept.
Tharen: Yezzz!You are right, the main theme in both albums is eternity itself(and my personal point of view about themes like occultism, landscapes of my fantasy and so on).The first 3 Dargaard albums are planned as a trilogie and will be closed with our next Cd with the working title:”The dissolution of eternity”. I´m very fascinated by eternity, the void and such things like non-linear existences.

What does the cover show? Does it have to do with the (possible) concept you are dealing with?
Elisabeth: The cover shows a character (a painted woman´s face) which bears many of the features of Dargaard´s music: Mysticism, eternity or something of a undefineable age, a gloomy atmosphere. The picture was painted by me and digitally overworked by Tharen like the whole layout-so we have a special relation to it, because we could unite our music and the artwork in our way of imagination.

Where does DARGAARD's music apply to?Is there any particular message in your music?
Tharen: If you see the music in connection to the lyrics, there is a red line leading through both of our Cd´s. As I said above, it depends on my interrest in occult things, ancient cultures(as yours) and my own realm I´m living in(especially in my dreams). But a massage? Hmmm…maybe ”Death is just the beginning”.

The first song of INA bears a greek title.How did you decide to do such a thing?Have you studied the greek language?What else do you know about Greece?
Elisabeth: I searched for an ancient Greek text because it has a special attraction to me to sing in an old language, to give life to something, that was conserved only in letters for such a long time (in this case it is 2400 years); I like the sound of the language and besides it was the meaning of it, that it was used to transport knowledge (also secret and occult knowledge) for hundreds of years. I learned to read and to sing ancient Greek when I was 7 years old but I must say that I´m no expert… I´m very interested in your country and its history, especially arts and philosophy.

Do you Read any literature?Who are your favourite authors?
Tharen: Since a few years I mostly read fantasy romans, like Dragonlance(Margereth Weis & Tracy Hickman), Forgotten Realms(R.A. Salvatore, Sword of thruth(Terry Goodkind), and of course all Tolkien stuff. Beside that I read books about ancient civilisations and their mythology and bokks about the european middle ages. At the moment I´m into a book where the author makes the statement, that 300 years of the middle ages are fictional. That means that “Karl der Große” never lived. Strange, but interesting.

What are your musical influences?
Tharen: Originally I´m coming from from the Black Metal scene. Maybe it sounds untrustworthy, but I take many inspiration from the same things like I did in Black Metal. Not the agression and hate against the situation nowadays, but the mysticism of nature and the dark and sometimes pure evil atmosphere. Away from metal I´m into ritual music, industrial, medieval music(means not bands like “In Extremo” or something like that.), classical music(Wagner, Mahler,…).

Which was the main reason that drove you into forming DARGAARD?
Tharen: After my Split with Abigor as a vocalist I composed some intros and outros for them, Heidenreich and my band Amestigon, but I felt, that I could do something bigger out of my ideas, I thought of founding a seperated band for a long time. I simply wanted to make “my own thing” so I could write the lyrics and can create my own realm, not adding something to anybody elses.

Do you participate in any other groups?
Tharen: Yes, at the moment I´m waiting for the release of my project called “dominion”, the debut-Cd “the hand and the sword” will be out on Napalm Rec. in May I think. Then I´m playing drums an do a part of the vocals in the now reformed “Amestigon”. After the Split with my former guitarist Thurisaz(He now plays in Abigor) I found two new guitarists. The main part of the vocals will be done by Silenius(Ex-Abigor/Summoning), who joined us some time ago.

Austrian scene becomes bigger and bigger!!
Tharen: Yeah, I hope! But the most bands are projects of wellknown musicians. I hope that there will be more “really” new bands.

What are your religious beliefs?
Tharen: I do not have any religious belief. I follow my own way, its maybe connected to some ideas of occult interpretations, but I do not follow any dogma of someone else. And I don’t like to talk about it.

Where do you think does humanity go to?Do you think that the future of mankind will be rather menacing or safe and pleasant?
Tharen: I have my own imagination of the future of mankind: Follow me: Some day our corpses will not be necessary any more, we will just exist in a stream of pure energy, a kind of collective, where no time passes for the exchange of thoughts or communication in any form. That´s the first possibility. The second one is not so “bright”. We all will die. Anyway, mankind will never feel safe and pleasant enough. There will always be war.

I see that you have an adoration towards the sea and the night sky.Am I right?
Tharen: Good observation(haha)…Yes I´m very fascinated by the deep sea and the secrets it bears up to this time. And almost nothing can beat the atmosphere of an ancient castle in the nightsky.

What is the highest form of art?
Tharen: Making eternity open.

Do you believe that music uplifts man?
Tharen: Listening to music, creating music or music itself? I for myself know that creating music uplifts me. I´m sure that music can uplift any man if he opens for it. Anyway, the discovery of music brought mankind on a higher leverl, of course.

What are you listening these days?What were your 5 favourite albums released last year?
Tharen: Last year was bad I think, but here is a general survey(Which music I like depends on my mood, and my mood changes constantly):………Fuck, I think, I don’t have any favourite album from the last year, so I tell you my common faves: Darkthrone”A blaze in the northern sky”, Immortal“Pure Holocaust”, Burzum“Det som engang var”, Arcana”Dark age of reason”, Ulver-anything, and many more…you see I cannot commit myself concerning music.

Do you give any live performances?(If you do,is there any case to see you live in Greece?)
Tharen: We only play one concert on the Wave/Gothic-meeting in Leipzig/Germany. I´m studying audio engineering and Elisabeth is working as an occupational therapist, so we have not enough time for a tour(it also depends on the fact that we´re preparing our next Cd!). I heard, Richard will play live in Greece with “Die verbannten Kinder Evas”. Cool thing, but I don’t think that we´ll come to greece in the next time. Maybe with the 3. Cd.

Future Plans?
Tharen: Releasining the next Dargaard album, the dominion Cd and the Amestigon demo.

Close this interview as you wish!
Tharen: Thanks for the interesting interview! The Amestigon demo will be available under my adress: D.M.S./Amestigon/P.o.Box 173/A-2130 Mistelbach/Austria. Maybe see you next year on a stage in greece!
The sands of time recognize your spirit.

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