To mark their 30th anniversary, Advocatus Diaboli present 30 Farewell & Origins, a carefully curated retrospective that revisits the band's creative beginnings. The digital release brings together restored early demo material from 1996–1999 with two brand‑new tracks, bridging origin and farewell in one cohesive album.

Founded in 1996 by Tom as a solo project, Advocatus Diaboli soon expanded when Chris joined and became a defining member. Together, Tom and Chris continue to work as the duo Advocatus Dei, revived in 2025.

The anniversary album, 30 Farewell & Origins, places deliberate focus on the roots of Advocatus Diaboli. Much of the material originates from the 1997 demo Darkside Of Spring, which had originally been planned as an official album. A record deal was already secured at the time, but the label never released it.

The album is further enriched by early recordings from the founding year 1996, as well as selected tracks from the later demos Escapatience (1998) and Tanz mit mir (1999). The selection concentrates on songs from the band's core creative phase — material recorded either by Tom alone or in collaboration with Chris.

The collection also features two completely new tracks, "Vergiss mich nicht" and "Auf die Barrikaden", both marked as featuring Advocatus Dei. Each includes guest vocalist Anja, the regular singer for Advocatus Dei. As Tom and Chris have been active again as a duo under that name since 2025, this designation provides a logical and consistent framework for presenting the new material within the anniversary release.

Mixing and mastering duties are handled by Tommy Steuer, returning once again. As the former head of the Sonorium label, he was closely involved in earlier Advocatus Diaboli releases. He is responsible for producing the new tracks and mastering the historical demo recordings, ensuring a cohesive and contemporary sound throughout the album.

30 Farewell & Origins is not intended as a best‑of compilation. It is conceived as a deliberate retrospective — a document of beginnings and, simultaneously, a farewell. The later albums, Enter Your Forest (2001), Sterbend durch die Sonne (2004) and Sternenmarsch (2006) are intentionally excluded, as they remain available separately. Link