Darkest Era

Darkest Era emerged in 2005 as a five-piece Celtic metal outfit based in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Their sound fuses traditional heavy metal, black metal, and Irish folk elements, while the lyrics draw directly from Irish folklore myths and legends. Stylistically the group echoes Primordial and Cruachan yet places stronger emphasis on melodic lines in the manner of Thin Lizzy and New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts such as Iron Maiden.

The ensemble began under the name Nemesis and issued its debut demo, also titled Nemesis, in 2006, reflecting the dual-guitar approach of Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. Still enrolled at school, the original members were singer Dwayne “Krum” Maguire, guitarists Ade Mulgrew and Sarah Wieghell, bassist David Lindsay, and drummer Lisa Howe. In April 2007 the musicians abandoned Nemesis because countless other groups shared similar titles and instead chose Darkest Era to evoke the increasingly bleak, introspective quality of their material, now incorporating doom-metal and black-metal textures alongside the mournful themes and melancholic melodies characteristic of traditional Irish music.

Late in 2007 the band entered the studio with producer Dave Briggs to capture the EP The Journey Through Damnation, which included a guest violin appearance by Elyghen of the Italian folk-metal band Elvenking. A worldwide licensing agreement was secured with the German imprint Eyes Like Snow, and the release’s reception secured invitations to prominent European festivals throughout 2009. In March 2010 the group independently issued the three-track single The Oaks Sessions, recorded at the Fermanagh facility of the same name with producer John Moffatt. Shortly thereafter Primordial vocalist A.A. Nemtheanga, acting in an A&R capacity for Metal Blade, reached out to the band; the U.S. label formalized a worldwide contract in August.

Darkest Era promptly commenced tracking its first full-length album, The Last Caress of Light, at Foels studio in Wales under producer Chris Fielding. The record appeared in February 2011. In August 2012 bassist David Lindsay departed, after which Steve Reynolds of the Belfast band Sorrowfall assumed the role for live performances.