Dark Fortress is a German black metal band from Landshut. Today the band is one of the better known black metal bands in Germany.
The band was founded in 1994 by guitarist Asvargr after his band Carnage split up due to musical differences. Shortly afterwards, singer Matthias “Azathoth” Jell joined them. In 1995 the band had completed a few songs, stylistically reminiscent of the early works of Satyricon. In the same year Charon and Njord Dark Fortress joined, a year later the demo Rebirth of the Dark Age appeared in an edition of 250 copies. In 1997 Crom and Thamuz joined the band, whose music became more melodic with the addition of a second guitar. On February 22, 1997, the band played their first concert together with Path of Debris, Crack Up and Blackend in Landshut, followed by concerts in the same year with, among others, Disaster, Lunar Aurora and Nagelfar.