In 1996 the black metal group Agathodaimon assembled in Mainz, Germany, with vocalist and lyricist Vlad Dracul—a native of Romania—alongside guitarists Hyperion and Sathony, keyboardist Vampallons, bassist Marco T., and drummer Matthias R. Their early recordings, the 1996 demo Carpe Noctem and the 1997 follow-up Near Dark, drew the attention of Nuclear Blast, yet shortly after inking a contract Vlad Dracul traveled to Bucharest and found himself barred from returning to Germany. To complete the band’s first full-length effort, Blacken the Angel, the group recruited Akaias as lead singer; the album appeared in 1998 and retained Dracul’s lyrics. As hopes of Vlad’s reinstatement faded, Akaias was installed as his permanent successor. The Higher Art of Rebellion arrived in mid-2000.
