Biography
XIV Dark Centuries is a German pagan metal band from Zella-Mehlis in Thuringia. The name translates to “14 Dark Centuries” and reflects the band’s thematic focus on pre-Christian history and mythology.
The band’s origins date back to 1994, when several of the later members first began playing together. After a number of line-up changes, the group was fully formed by 1998 and released its first demo recording, "For Your God", in the same year. At that stage, the band primarily saw itself as a live act and performed frequently, including appearances alongside German bands such as Menhir and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter.
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In 2000, a change in the guitar position brought in the new guitarist Tobalt, who subsequently became the main contributor to the band’s compositions. Due to an increasing number of live performances and growing musical complexity, a second guitarist joined in early 2002. That same year, the band released the CD "Dunkle Jahrhunderte", which largely consisted of older, previously unreleased material.
New compositions created with the expanded line-up were released in spring 2003 on the album "Den Ahnen zum Grusse". Since that period, the band has described its style as “Heathen Thuringian Metal”, emphasising three central influences: paganism, regional identity, and metal music.
In summer 2003, the band signed with the Austrian label CCP Records. The EP "Jul", released in 2005, featured a stronger emphasis on folkloric and acoustic elements, along with increased use of clean vocals while retaining core aspects of pagan metal. The lyrics focus on the winter solstice and the Yule period.
The album "Skithingi" followed in 2006, released via the German label Perverted Taste. It contained entirely new material composed during and after the "Jul" period. According to the band, the songs were intended to be more varied yet more accessible than earlier works. The album presents a lyrical concept centred on the decline of the Thuringian kingdom.
In 2007, guitarist and primary composer Tobalt left the band. He was replaced in 2008 by guitarist Tyrs Sohn. During this period, the band performed at festivals including Summer Breeze Open Air and the Ragnarök Festival.
In 2011, the album "Gizit Dar Faida", translated as “Time of Revenge”, was released through Einheit Produktionen. The line-up changes contributed to new compositional directions. In November 2011, the band undertook its first tour using a nightliner bus to promote the album, appearing alongside acts such as Odroerir, Suidakra, and Waylander.
In 2015, guitarist Uwe left the band after twelve years for personal reasons and was replaced by Richy. In 2017, both Tobalt and Uwe returned to the band. Around the same time, drummer Rüd departed and took on responsibilities related to merchandise and promotion, with Manu joining as his replacement.
All of the band’s releases have been recorded and produced at Klangbunker studio. At the time, a new album was in progress, with a planned release around late 2018 or early 2019. Performances were scheduled for 2019, including appearances at Ragnarök Festival, Wave-Gotik-Treffen, and Wolfszeit Festival.
The band’s name reflects its view that the fourteen centuries since the Christianisation of Thuringia represent a “dark” period. Its lyrical themes centre on nature, Germanic deities, and the history and culture of its ancestors.
In 2004, the antifascist platform links-lang.de suggested that the band showed some proximity to far-right circles, while also noting that no explicit right-wing extremist stance could be attributed to the band itself. Some members have been involved in other musical projects connected to artists or labels that have also released right-wing extremist bands. Members of XIV Dark Centuries have stated in interviews that they reject racism and do not associate themselves with conventional political ideologies.
Studio albums
For Your God (1999)
Dunkle Jahrhunderte (2002)
Den Ahnen zum Gruße (2003)
Jul (2005)
Skithingi (2006)
Gizit Dar Faida (2011)
Waldvolk (2020)
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.