In spring of 2003, Pat left to join Hollow Image, which was a band he was far better suited for. In the winter of 2004, Roy, Diana, Mike & Matt recorded their first full length album Where The Souls Wander in Roy’s home studio and released it through his own label, Dark Valley Records. Due to a poor quality monitor system and too many people getting their hands into the mixing pie, the album’s mix was bad. Also during the recording process, Matt’s inexperience on guitar became evident. Unfortunately, the band refused to see it due to both a close friendship with Matt and the lack of any suitable guitarist in sight (Maine is very scarce when it comes to musicians). They also passed the mix as “Good enough” only later to see that sound quality was the first complaint they would hear, the guitar work being the second. This caused the band to not push the album as much as it should have been out of fear that it would be damaging. In the fall of 2004, Casey Chick joined them on Bass and they played LocoBazooka in front of 20,000 people along with bands like Damage Plan, Kittie, Shadows Fall, Candiria, All That Remains, Clutch and many more.
Over the next three years they would play many shows all over the north east region, appearing at many more festivals and playing with more national acts. Over this time they kept gaining and losing members. Every time they would get a new one, that person would have to be brought up to speed. While they would be working with that person, someone else would leave for whatever reason. One thing the band was sure of was that none of the string player they took in fit like Dan and Pat.
Early in 2006, they took a live recording that was made from the mixboard at Jarrod's Place in Attleboro Mass and release it as a live album "Down Below Zero". While the bands knew this release wasn't going to be a very good one, they viewed it as honest. There was no music make-up on this recording to make themselves sound perfect. Not too many bands would dare make such a release.
In the summer of 2006, the band lost all its members. Only the original three were left. After taking a couple months to do some soul searching, they were faced with the question. Keep going or throw in the towel? For close to six years had past and in this time they had been through (ironically) thirteen members. Every time they seemed to get back on their feet, something happened to yank the carpet out from under them. They announced on the internet that the band had finally broken up. This caused a slew of fans who had not been known to come out of the woodwork. As it turned out that 13 Winters had become one of the most well known bands in Maine. Their name had also spread across the country and to some countries over seas. This made the trio decide that they weren’t going to give up. The immediately began a far and wide search for a guitarist spanning almost the entire state of Maine. They were determined that this time they were not going to settle. They were going to find the guitarist they’ve been missing all those years. And this time, instead of just trying to find a replacement, they were going to act like a brand new band and focus on how this new person wrote with them.
During this search, they literally shoved a bass into Diana’s hands and dubbed her their official bassist. After a month of looking, they got an email from a woman who informed them that her husband, Jeff, loved the band and was a very talented guitarist. They soon set up an audition. Almost immediately they began writing some new songs. For the first time in years the band now has full confidence and a positive outlook on the future.
A few months later, Jeff's distance from the rest of the band began to take its toll, making it very difficult for him to get to practice. The band writing had stopped and there were concerts coming up with no practice. During this time Roy began hanging out with Dave Martin (formerly of Dark Oath), a master guitar shredder. The two had similar work schedules and their jobs were next to each other so they would meet up after work and talk bands. Dave’s band Viking Mountain was having problems and that’s when Roy asked Dave if he just wanted to jam with 13 Winters to help out and give Diana a full band to get her playing up to par. After a few practices, Dave put Viking Mountain on the back burner and joined 13 Winters full time as their lead guitarist.
Over the coarse of the summer they re-recorded, re-mixed and re-mastered that first album with Jay Frigoletto (who mixed the X-Men 2 soundtrack). They plan on re-releasing the CD and push the hell out of it with full confidence that they have corrected their past mistakes. For a couple years Roy has been planning a magazine campaign to promote the band on a national level. By the end of the summer, they landed a spot on Terrorizer Magazine’s Fear Candy CD.
In August of 2007, the band decided they had to let Jeff go. The distance he had to travel was just too great and was causing him to fall behind.
Their eyes are now set on the future. They currently have written half of their second album, Dark Palace Of Waterfalls, which they hope to have released by spring 2007. It will be an album they hope will prove themselves to the world and "Was away" the sins of their past. Although they do plan on recording it in Roy’s studio again, this time with a whole bunch of better recording equipment. Also they will have a professional mix the album from the start (again, Jay Frigoletto). They realize that the only obstacle in their path is the lack of distribution, which is what they hope to get from a bigger label.
13 Winters is a hard working band that has been through thick and thin and they still keep going. 2007 is going to be the year they break out of the mud they’ve been stuck in and and reach a national level.
The Gift
13 Winters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There sits the angel Gabrielle.
He's so pale, yet a sight to see,
His lips so soft greet me.
This dark mysterious gift,
I've bestowed thee with just one kiss.
My lips kiss thy naked flesh,
He has cursed me with images,
Only tortured souls would want to see.
This gift he has placed on to me,
As he cums deep inside of me.
Hoping now this is just a dream,
Wish to forget but will always remember.
For this is now my worse nightmare,
Come to realize this is my reality.
Roses have decayed just by touch,
Everything he touches seems to die.
He has taken advantage of me,
Now his face, no longer I want to see.
I have come unto thee,
Gazed by how you sleep?
I'm now your fantasy,
And yet your remorse.
He has cursed me with images,
Only tortured souls would want to see.
This gift he has placed on to me,
As he cums deep inside of me.
(Solo - Martin)
You have destroyed me,
You will never set me free.
You have become my worst enemy,
You have taken my everything
The lyrics of 13 Winters' song, "The Gift," depict a narrative of a woman who wakes up to find the angel Gabrielle sitting beside her. While his appearance is striking, the interaction between the two is engulfed by dark and twisted overtones. Gabrielle gifts her a curse--the "dark mysterious gift" the song refers to. He kisses her naked flesh, and as they entwine with the sheets, he impregnates her with this curse. The curse manifests as graphic and disturbing images that only "tortured souls would want to see." The woman cannot help but remember these images and realizes she is living a horrific reality, unable to escape the curse.
The song's title, "The Gift," is ironic, as the curse bestowed upon the woman is hardly a gift but rather a burden that she cannot shake off. The lyrics encapsulate the power imbalance between Gabrielle and the woman, with Gabrielle's position as an angel and the woman's submission to his desires. The song makes use of vivid and disturbing imagery, culminating in the revelation that Gabrielle has effectively taken everything away from the woman.
Line by Line Meaning
As I wake from a deep slumber,
Having awoken from a deep sleep, I see the angel Gabrielle sitting nearby.
There sits the angel Gabrielle.
The angel Gabrielle is sitting beside me.
He's so pale, yet a sight to see,
Despite being so pale, Gabriel is still an amazing sight to behold.
His lips so soft greet me.
Gabriel softly greets me with his lips.
This dark mysterious gift,
This infamous and secretive gift,
I've bestowed thee with just one kiss.
I have granted this gift with just one kiss.
My lips kiss thy naked flesh,
I am sharing a kiss with you, touching your naked body.
As we entwine with the sheets.
As we wrap ourselves with blankets and sheets.
He has cursed me with images,
Gabriel has burdened me with haunting and unpleasant images.
Only tortured souls would want to see.
These images are not for the faint-hearted, only those who have suffered greatly can bear to look at them.
This gift he has placed on to me,
Gabriel has gifted me with this horror.
As he cums deep inside of me.
As he climaxes inside me, completing the act.
Hoping now this is just a dream,
I yearn for it to be a mere dream.
Wish to forget but will always remember.
I wish to forget but this incident will always be etched in my memory.
For this is now my worse nightmare,
This is now my worst nightmare.
Come to realize this is my reality.
I have come to understand that it is truly happening to me.
Roses have decayed just by touch,
Even the touch of Gabriel causes roses to wither and fade.
Everything he touches seems to die.
Everything Gabriel touches eventually dies, withers, or fades away.
He has taken advantage of me,
Gabriel has assaulted and exploited me.
Now his face, no longer I want to see.
I no longer want to see Gabriel's face.
I have come unto thee,
I have come to you.
Gazed by how you sleep?
Are you aware that I am staring at you sleep?
I'm now your fantasy,
I have now become your fantasy.
And yet your remorse.
However, you are also remorseful for what has happened.
You have destroyed me,
You have ruined me and my life.
You will never set me free.
You will never release me from this pain and suffering.
You have become my worst enemy,
You have now become my most hated and worst enemy.
You have taken my everything
You have taken away everything that I hold dear and precious.
Contributed by Allison K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabriel Ucheli Taboda
Suenan maravillosamente bien, saludos desde Argentina 🤘🏻
Dan Michiarello
this song is excellent five stars 5/5
NGU NeverGiveUp Beautiful
Hey Diana, your mom showed me your band; totally loved it!
NGU NeverGiveUp Beautiful
Okay it was your Aunt, my bad
Allito franco
the screaming is beauty this are a band good (Y) yeahhhhh
Kevin Freire
this is just une of the best band ever i think that she is the best woman screamer
Kevin Freire
this is exelent i'm proud that i'm one of the firsts viewers of this
13wintersofficial
You sir are the first person to have ever noticed that and have just won a copy of the album. Send us your mailing address in a PM. Congrats!
Tron Javolta
Just when im digging at it 3:00........it ends T_T
packetpupper
The riff that begins at 1:02 of this song rips off 3:18 of Dimmu Borgir's In Death's Embrace. Ironically, while the keyboardist is wearing a Dimmu Borgir Enthrone Darkness Triumphant shirt. LOL!