The 'dark energy' has always been a part of the job. It's that classic fantasy 'Gish' appeal of weaving between sword and spell. The problem is that the pacing is off. The five second windups going into big hits is a WAR thing. What made Heavensward DRK so appealing was that it was an endless onslaught of bladework and dark magic.

From a thematic perspective, DRK is about punishing injustice. Again, HW did that through counterattacks (Low Blow and Reprisal resets, as well as Blood Price). More recent iterations just rely on TBN as a punishment mechanic. It needs to be a job-wide theme. When mobs hit you or a teammate that you're protecting, you hit them back harder and faster.