A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Now Playing: Twilight of Magic by Elvenking

Damnagoras (aka Davide Moras) has been the singer for Elvenking since their conception, with a brief time away from the band for the recording and release of Wyrd in 2003-2004. (During this time, he was replaced by Kleid, who, while not the perfect fit for a band such as this, is a talented vocalist in his own right and deserves commendation for stepping up to the role.)

Existing in the band as both the singer and half of the primary songwriting team, Damna overall has a very strong influence on the sound and creative direction of the band. As an example, in a recent interview, he mentioned that the power metal side of their sound is influenced by the power metal of the 90s, rather than modern power metal. The sound of the band is also influenced by Skyclad, a British pagan metal band named for a pagan term denoting ritual nudity, as well as folk music and dances from all over the world, according to their Wikipedia page.

Within the music of the band, and especially among the more recent albums, the stories in the lyrics are at the forefront of the songs with the instrumentals adjusting accordingly, putting a particular emphasis on Damna’s role as a storyteller. This shines even more with the two most recent albums, Divination and Rapture, the first two parts of the Reader of the Runes album trilogy, where the stories are particularly connected with each other. As such, his vocals become a very important part of the overall sound of the band.

His range, in both pitch and tone, is a very strong part of what I personally love about the sound of the band and his voice in particular. Across the Elvenking discography, he regularly demonstrates a very strong tenor type chest range, having a heavier, more growl filled tone than many other singers within the realm of power metal and melodic folk metal, as well as the extremes of his range being very clear and strong. The low range he manages to get is especially impressive, given how low he manages to reach as a tenor (reaching an impressive F#2 on the song Romance & Wrath (The Scythe, 2007), and displaying a very full tone low range with a very clear A2 on the song Diamonds in the Night (Reader of the Runes – Divination, 2019).

Much of the Elvenking discography from The Pagan Manifesto (2012) onwards has given Damna much wider opportunities to show his vocal abilities, with a renewed sense of purpose brought in by the return to the pagan roots of the band from Heathenreel (2001) coming in on The Pagan Manifesto, and persisting through their latest album and singles. Many of the songs in their discography, and especially on Rapture, can show a quite dark and heavy tone. This dark, heavy tone gives Damna a chance to show a much harsher sound to the power/folk metal sound that characterise the band’s sound and his vocals.

He also shows talent with growl vocals, dipping into growls in several songs over the years since ex-guitarist and growl vocalist Jarpen’s departure from the band, especially on The Scythe. Though he still excels in clean vocals, his talents in growl vocals remain strong and clear through the years in live performances.

Overall, I think Damna is a very solid example of a talented vocalist who deserves more praise for his skillful performances of very demanding parts. He’s also a very talented songwriter, writing for both Elvenking and his former band, Hell in the Club. While I do wish I could have a similar range and ability to him, he’s a very unique vocalist, and I think matching his tone and abilities would be a challenging task not for the faint of heart.