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Darkwoods My Betrothed are a Finnish black metal band from Kitee.

History

Formed in 1993 as Virgin's Cunt, they set out to be the "most blasphemous black metal band in Europe". After recording a couple demos under this name, the band changed their name to Darkwoods My Betrothed. They recorded the demo Dark Aureolis Gathering in 1994, not too different from the band's roots in extreme black metal, but with maturity in the song-writing and delivery and combining a traditional black metal shriek with a wail-type of scream.

In 1995, Hammerheart Productions released Heirs of the Northstar, their first full-length album, which was a turning point for the group, as they started to experiment with a slower-paced and more melodic viking metal sound, and use of "drunken Viking" style clean vocals mixed with traditional black metal screams. The lyrics were also quite different from those in earlier songs. Moving away from dark and Satanic, bassist/lyricist Teemu began a fascination with Odinism and the Gods of Valhalla, and marked anger towards Christianity.

1996 saw the release of Autumn Roars Thunder, this time under the Solistitium label. Though retaining the same anti-Christian and Odinistic rhetoric, the music itself moved away from the melodic viking approach and returned to faster and more black metal-oriented songwriting.

In 1998, the band returned with Witch-Hunts, a conceptual album which eschewed much of the melodic stylings of the previous two albums; the Viking metal sound was now entirely replaced with black metal. Due to numerous delays by the record label, it was released roughly one year after it was originally planned.

After the release of Witch-Hunts, the band split up until they came back in 2000 with a new line-up, a compilation album and potential live work. In 2001, the band split up again.

In December 2020, Teemu "Hexenmeister" Kautonen said in a Finnish Inferno-magazine interview that Darkwoods My Betrothed are active and will release their next studio album in late 2021. The album title was later announced on 6 February 2021 as Angel of Carnage Unleashed. The album was released on 12 November 2021. The first single "In Evil, Sickness and in Grief" was released on 30 August 2021.

Upon release, Angel of Carnage Unleashed received widespread coverage in the music press, garnering fair to excellent reviews upon release.

Members

Current members

• Teemu "Hexenmeister" Kautonen – bass (1993–1996, 2020–present)
• Jouni "Hallgrim" Mikkonen – guitars (1993–1998, 2004–2005, 2020–present), bass (1996–1998)
• Pasi "Emperor Nattasett" Kankkunen – vocals (1993–1998, 2020–present), bass (2004–2005), drums (1993)
• Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards (2020–present; session 1993–1998)
• Kai Hahto – drums (2020–present)

Former members

• Tuomas "Spellgoth" Rytkönen – vocals (2004–2005)
• Juhana "Icelord" Salo – guitars (2004–2005)
• Lauri "Larha" Rytkönen – drums (2004–2005)
• Juha "Magician" Kokkonen – keyboards (2004–2005)
• Tero "Ante Mortem" Leinonen – guitars, vocals (2004)

Former session members

• Emppu Vuorinen – guitars
• Tero Leinonen – drums (1994–1996)

Timeline

Discography

Albums

• Heirs of the Northstar (1995)
• Autumn Roars Thunder (1996)
• Witch-Hunts (1998)
• Angel of Carnage Unleashed (2021)

Compilations

• Dark Aureoles Gathering (2000)

Demos

• Dark Aureolis Gathering (1994)

References

1. "NIGHTWISH Keyboardist TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN's Black Metal Project DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED Signs With NAPALM RECORDS". Blabbermouth.net. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
2. "Darkwoods My Betrothed – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
3. Isoaho, Timo (25 December 2020). "Metallipioneeri Darkwoods My Betrothed palaa pitkältä levytystauolta – Tuomas Holopainen on nyt mukana vakiojäsenenä". Soundi (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 December 2020.
4. "Darkwoods My Betrothedin paluu on todellisuutta – kokoonpanossa mukana myös Nightwish-maestro Tuomas Holopainen". Inferno.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 31 December 2020.
5. "Darkwoods My Betrothedin paluu etenee – yhtye julkaisi tilannepäivityksen studiosta ja paljasti tulevan levyn nimen". Inferno.fi (in Finnish). 6 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
6. "Nightwish members join Darkwoods My Betrothed". Metal Invader. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
7. "NIGHTWISH Keyboardist TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN's Black Metal Project DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED Announces New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
8. "Album review: Darkwoods My Betrothed – Angel Of Carnage Unleashed". Kerrang!. Retrieved 19 November 2022.

External links

• Darkwoods My Betrothed on Myspace

• Finnish black metal musical groups
• Symphonic black metal musical groups
• Viking metal musical groups
• Musical groups established in 1992
• Musical groups disestablished in 1998
• Musical groups reestablished in 2000
• Musical groups disestablished in 2001
• Musical groups reestablished in 2020
• Finnish musical quintets