History & Biography Madrid-based Dark Moor was formed in 1994, although the recording of the debut was only in the summer of 1999. In the ensuing years, the band had released three demos with names like Flying and Dreams Of Madness. Anan and Garcia had been together in another band previously. The debut album was supported by a string of shows as openers for Demons & Wizards in Spain.
The Hall Of Olden Dreams was recorded in August, 2000 at New Sin Studio with producer Luigi Stefanini. The band also used the sessions to record a Helloween cover song - the chosen song was Halloween - for The Keepers Of Jericho cover album. The album was issued by Arise Records. The band played a show with label-mates Red Wine and singer Elisa C. Martín contributed vocals to the next Red Wine album. She would go on to contribute vocals to dozens of other bands.
The mini-album The Fall Of Melnibone followed and was limited to 1,500 copies for the Spanish market. The Gates Of Oblivion was recorded in the autumn of 2001 and licensed to JVC Records for Japan. Dark Moor toured on the back of this album and appeared at the Rock Machina, Vina Rock and Nit De Reis events.
Keyboardist Roberto Peña de Camus left the group in June of 2002. Undeterred the Spaniards recorded and released an EP called Between Light And Darkness featuring a mix of old and new songs. Dark Moor undertook The Gates Of Oblivion Tour 2002 in Europe in autumn of that year. In a major upheaval, Elisa C. Martín, Albert Maroto and Jorge Saez all left and formed Dreamaker in the spring of 2003. Having said that, Elisa had become Fairyland's full-time singer earlier as well. Even keyboardist Roberto P. Camus was recruited into the new band. Not missing a beat, Dark Moor attracted singer Alfred Romero and second guitarist Jose Garrido into the fold the latter of ARWEN. Wormed drummer Andy C. was also soon drafted. This line-up rushed into the studio and recorded Dark Moor which was released in November of 2003. Dark Moor was recorded at New Sin and mastered at Finnvox in Finland. The band was scheduled for a European tour for January of 2004 with After Forever, Nightmare and others.
The band and guitarist Jose Garrido parted ways in early 2004 "because of professional reasons."
The band released a new album called Beyond The Sea on March 4th, 2005. Arise Records was also arranging the re-issue of the band's debut album Shadowland with a new cover artwork and graphics. The band shot a video for Beyond The Sea for its new album of the same name. The band also confirmed its participation at Italy's Scaliero Metal Party on May 7th 2005. The group signed a deal with Scarlet Records in 2006. The band’s next album was to be called Tarot and was a concept about the major arcanes of the tarot. The album was due in March, 2007. Simultaneously, the band and drummer Andy C. parted ways due to "scheduling conflicts" with the drummer’s other musical projects. His replacement was one Roberto Cappa who has previously played in the Spanish metal band Anima Sola. An album called Autumnal was announced for early 2009. It was produced by producer Luigi Stefanini (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Domine and others). The band had lost bassist Daniel Fernandez due to a lack of interest and his main band Inntrance. Mario Garcia of Silver Fist and Panzer was in. Dark Moor would release its eighth album, Ancestral Romance, in November of 2010.The group issued a live demo called 20 Anniversary Live In Madid in 2021. Drummer Cappa left in 2021. Carlos Delgado sat on the stool. The band was booked for an event called Gira Metal United in 2022. The band played select concerts in 2023 including Esquirlas De Metal.
Reviews DARK MOOR - same - ARISE
What is in a dark moor? It contains symphonic, opera and fantasy hard rock. Many metal fans, myself included, have no patience for keyboards, female vocals and other foreign influences in our heavy metal. Dark Moor is clearly riddled with K&F and much that is Classical in nature. It is noteworthy that the band has attained a seamless integration between its rock and Classical patches however. The band's androgynous vocalist has a high pitch, but comes across as both appropriate and even subtle on record. He replaces the band's previous singer who happened to be a female. He is supported by a lot of vocal harmony and many backing vocals. Fans of Labyrinth and Rhapsody will like this, especially the surreal and fantastic song The Dark Moor which ends the album This track is the piece de resistance of the whole affair and is one hell of epic tune. Fans of the sub-genre can check this one out. - Ali "The Metallian"
DARK MOOR - BEYOND THE SEA - ARISE
The new Dark Moor CD could have easily turned out to be yet another of those so-called power metal albums which are drenched in keyboards that Europeans seem to like. Safe to say that the vast majority of those releases leave a bad taste in the mouth of true metal fans and are an insult to the genre's core fundamentals. Instead, and to my initial surprise, the album is well and good being stacked with good melody, good singing and good arrangements. The album actually has fresh elements within its songs and manages to incorporate enough dazzling guitar solos and riffing to be a worthy contender - keyboards or not. The label's promo has several edited and shortened songs which is irritating, but the quartet has just issued an impressive album. That much is clear. - Ali "The Metallian"
DARK MOOR - TAROT - SCARLET 
Dark Moor’s latest album, Tarot, is advertised as a foray on the part of the Spanish band into the tenets of the Tarot game and set of cards. Metal fans have been dealt a bad hand however.
The album begins with the standard issue meaningless intro. Then things get worse. Tarot is a K&F (keyboards & female vocals) tour-de-farce. The music straddles the line between Classical, symphonic and looney tunes - the cartoon although the mental connotation also applies. The annoying female whiner goes toe to pedicured poseur toe with the group’s own male singer. The keyboards are everywhere dominating, softening and corrupting. On the song Lovers they go off like sirens warning the listener beware. The Moon adapts Beethoven into the group’s repertoire. The influential composer’s music is remembered after 200 years. Tarot’s will be lucky to live two years. The track Wheel Of Fortune has some of the most terrible and meaningless lyrics this side of an ESL class. Here they are (all spelling, grammatical mistakes courtesy of the Spanish education system): “through the times runs the wheel/in it’s essence there’s bad luck and will, I’m in eternal quest/of the balance on which the world rests, I live in to the wheel/life like a sigh, and thus fortune turns forever/inside I’m born, inside I die/my life happens fast whoever..." Miguel will be repeating the class apparently.
Bottom-line: these honourary Finns have everything it takes to annoy a heavy metal enthusiast. Those who think this band/album is metal should contact the Metallian Towers. There is a bridge in Brooklyn looking for an owner. - Ali “the Metallian”
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