A Forest of Stars is a black metal band with elements of folk, psychedelic … Read Full Bio ↴A Forest of Stars is a black metal band with elements of folk, psychedelic rock, post-rock, and progressive rock from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The band is known for its Victorian aesthetic and bizarre, otherworldly lyrics and has released five albums since its 2008 debut The Corpse of Rebirth: 2010's Opportunistic Thieves of Spring, 2012's A Shadowplay for Yesterdays, 2015's Beware the Sword You Cannot See, and 2018's Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes.

The band belonged to the Triskalyon circle/collective in 2006-2007, which also included Azag-Thoth, Dark Forest, Darklink, Death Kvlt, Gallia Fornax, Havarax, Monarque, Mortifier, Sinful Dimentia, Soufferance, Terrorist, Throne of Mortality, Unkwiss, Vision Eternel, Vision Funeral Doom, Vision Lunar, Vision Pariah and Vision Solitude.

Members of the band also play(ed) in the English band The Water Witch, which has a similar style and aesthetic.

Lineup 1893 - present:
Mister Curse - vocals
Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts - violin, flute, vocals
The Gentleman - Synths, pianoforte, percussion
Mr. T.S. Kettleburner - guitar, vocals
Henry Hyde Bronsdon - guitar, vocals
Mr John "The Resurrectionist" Bishop - drums, percussion
Titus Lungbutter - bass

Lineup 1891 - 1893:
Mister Curse - vocals
Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts - violin, flute, vocals
The Gentleman - Synths, pianoforte, percussion
Sir Gastrix Grimshaw - guitar, vocals
Henry Hyde Bronsdon - guitar, vocals
Mr John "The Resurrectionist" Bishop - drums, percussion
Titus Lungbutter - bass

Lineup 1887 - 1891:
Mister Curse - vocals
Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts - violin, flute, vocals
The Gentleman - synths, pianoforte, percussion (drums on "The Corpse of Rebirth")
Mr. T.S. Kettleburner - guitar, bass, vocals
Mr John "The Resurrectionist" Bishop - drums, percussion

Live members:
Sir Gastrix Grimshaw - guitar
Titus Lungbutter - bass

Directionless Resurrectionist
A Forest of Stars Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once upon a time there was a lady of no repute,
One Miss Crow, who, by force of a certain stranger,
had engaged in violent night-time actions, against her very will.

Resulting from this invasion came,
an aberration of desperation, a horror in all but name,
A stoop-backed boy, short of stature, violent by nature;
to be expelled from the womb in late November.

A fast track to sorrow in a world bred slow.
From foetid seed, a poison tree with a venomous bark did grow.

He was to work all the hours his sorry god sent,
a resident of fantasy, living a life of lament.
He was to have no living lovers, no-one on who to depend.

Yet his friends were to call him Carrion,
the friends inside his head...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of A Forest of Stars's song Directionless Resurrectionist tell the story of Miss Crow, a woman who was violated by a stranger resulting in the birth of her son. The child, a violent and troubled boy, was born in November, and with no real love or support in his life, he was left to fend for himself in a world that felt slow and full of sorrow. He lived a life of fantasy and lament, with no real connections to others except for the friends he created in his mind. He was known as Carrion to these imaginary friends.

The lyrics present a picture of a world full of darkness and despair, where even the innocent are not safe from the actions of others. They also emphasize the power of the mind and imagination, which allow the singer to create his own world and friends despite his lack of real, tangible relationships.

Overall, A Forest of Stars's Directionless Resurrectionist is a haunting and evocative tale of the power of the mind and the darkness that lurks within the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Once upon a time there was a lady of no repute,
There was a woman with a bad reputation, to whom strange things happened.

One Miss Crow, who, by force of a certain stranger,
This woman, named Miss Crow, was forced into action by an unknown person.

had engaged in violent night-time actions, against her very will.
Miss Crow committed violent acts against her will during the night.

Resulting from this invasion came,
As a result of this incident,

an aberration of desperation, a horror in all but name,
a terrifying, desperate situation was created, almost too horrible to name.

A stoop-backed boy, short of stature, violent by nature;
A small, violent boy with a hunchback was born.

to be expelled from the womb in late November.
He was born in late November.

A fast track to sorrow in a world bred slow.
He was destined for a life of misery in a slow-moving world.

From foetid seed, a poison tree with a venomous bark did grow.
He grew up into a toxic person with harmful tendencies.

He was to work all the hours his sorry god sent,
He was destined to work tirelessly by his unfortunate fate.

a resident of fantasy, living a life of lament.
He lived a life of sadness, and often retreated into his own imagination.