Castrum

Castrum is a Croatian black metal group from Rijeka, active from 1995 to 2002. It forms around Insanus on guitar and keys and Morsus Sordahl on vocals, with the line-up developing in stages during the project’s early years.

History

The group begins in 1995, when Insanus and Morsus Sordahl start working on lyrics and overall concept. At that stage, it is difficult for them to find other musicians in Croatia interested in this style of extreme music. Set joins on drums and Fra. Mortes on bass in late 1996. After the first promotional demo, Set leaves and Dirgloch joins on additional guitar, leaving the band without a drummer, so a studio drum machine is used for recording.

The first demo, Nocturnal Eden Behind Serpent Eyes, appears in 1997 and brings a positive response in underground fanzines across Europe and beyond. Castrum later records its debut album, Black Silhouette Enfolded In Sunrise, a release with eight tracks of symphonic and epic black metal, with vampiric poetry and a dark atmosphere. The album is issued in 1998 and the group signs to Folter Records the same year.

In 1999, Insanus leaves for military service, which delays work on the next album. Recording resumes in January 2000, and the second full-length, In the Horizons of the Dying Theatre, is completed after Fra Mortes Amalthea takes over vocal duties. The album contains 11 tracks of symphonic black metal and includes a metal arrangement of an old Croatian folk song. A drum machine is again used throughout the recording.

Style and output

The group is identified with Croatian black metal and is also tagged with symphonic black metal, death metal, melodic black metal and melodic death metal. Its recorded output includes the 1997 demo Nocturnal Eden Behind Serpent Eyes and the albums Black Silhouette Enfolded In Sunrise and In the Horizons of the Dying Theatre.