DORNENREICH was established in Winter'95 by Valñes (formerly originally known as Dunkelkind). When Evíga joined the band in July'96 both felt fit to work on their first compositions, which - indeed - were guitar-oriented due to the fact that Valñes played the second lead-guitar during those very first days. In April'97 Evíga and Valñes fortunately met Gilván (Dragomir), who completed DORNENREICH as a band. After only few rehearsals those four songs, Valñes and Evíga had chosen to represent DORNENREICH on their first and only demo 'Mein Flügelschlag' ('The beat of my wing'), were finished by Gilván's drumming. Thus in May '97 DORNENREICH recorded the demo in their rehearsing room via simple four-track recording. DORNENREICH spread the demo all around the underground world and both the reactions of the press and those of private people were quite enthusiastic as for their emotional intensity and unique atmosphere. One simply can feel their entire devotion to music and poetry on the demo yet. In spite of the overwhelming reactions only CCP-Records offered a serious contract and due to their youthful unrest DORNENREICH signed it in July'97, because they wanted to record the new material - which they had already composed - as soon as possible. What is left to say is that - after the release of the debut 'Nicht Um Zu Sterben' ('Not in order to die') , which DORNENREICH recorded during four days in September'97 - they immediately focused on their 2nd album, because at that time it was impossible to build up a live-line-up. Well, with their first album DORNENREICH received great reviews and reactions, which often emphasized their singularity for the future and then, in June'99, when DORNENREICH released their 2nd full-length album 'Bitter Ist's Dem Tod zu dienen' ('Bitter it is - serving the death') DORNENREICH think they really managed to do justice to their enthusiastic prophecies.

From www.tartareandesire.com