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
Microcosm
A Forest of Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All topped with barbs
Even the weather's apologetic
Sees no rhyme or reason
All exits barred now
Love left lonely, gave way to the grave
Left my smile somewhere on the journey between that and loss
The walls of another god's house encrusted in mould
Sewage poured from ceiling, damp liquefied floor
A building devoid of use, now
A weather beaten grave
Untended -no longer remembered-
By
Those
Who
Left
The queue
For mourning
Merrily kicking the skulls of ex-deities
Through the ex-halo hoops of toes up ex-angels
More trophy heads for my walls
No more crying about heaven or a lack of it
No more to be found wanting
Hoping for a safety net
My lake of passion still edged with rust
Her waters fouled by the corpse of lust
So, I dug the last few feet of the six myself
All too eager to taste the dust
I laughed as I threw the first handful of earth
I smiled as I watched the topsoil spread
All was lost.
All is lost.
So much more snow than sunbeams these days
What once was?
What once was.
The cold she marched through the rain
Past the corpse of rebirth
blacked out the sun's last refrain
-endless cycle ended
The song Microcosm by A Forest of Stars paints a bleak picture of a decaying world, filled with cages, barbs, and abandoned buildings. The singer describes how love has given way to death, and emotions of loss have left the singer with no reason to smile. The walls of the singer's surroundings are now the home of mold, and sewage pours from the roof while no longer in use. The poignancy of the verse highlights how neglected the building has become and how no one remembers those who once passed through its doors.
In the following verse, the song progresses to a darker tone as the singer walks through the area and kicks discarded skeletons of deities, displaying it as a source of pride. The scene portrayed is one of arrogant disregard and celebration for the abandonment of hope. The singer is then portrayed as digging their own grave, eager to taste dust while the world they once knew devolves into chaos. The song ends with the message that the endless cycle has come to an end with darkness overpowering the hope once held by the artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing now but cages and railings
All that surrounds us are restrictive barriers that trap us in.
All topped with barbs
The obstacles that surround us are not just restrictive, but actively harmful too.
Even the weather's apologetic
The natural world seems to be acknowledging and expressing remorse for the despair it contributes to.
Sees no rhyme or reason
There appears to be no logical explanation for the state of bleakness we find ourselves in.
All exits barred now
There seems to be no escape from our current predicament.
Love left lonely, gave way to the grave
The death of love has led to a sense of despair and an acceptance of eventual mortality.
Left my smile somewhere on the journey between that and loss
The journey from happiness to despair has left no trace of joy or hope left to be found.
The walls of another god's house encrusted in mould
Religious institutions have fallen into a state of indifference and dereliction, their divinity diminished.
Sewage poured from ceiling, damp liquefied floor
Even the most revered religious institutions have become contaminated and dysfunctional, unable to contain their own corruption.
A building devoid of use, now
The religious institution, once a source of purpose and meaning, is now abandoned and purposeless.
A weather beaten grave
The religious institution has become a symbol of death and decay, ravaged by time and neglect.
Untended -no longer remembered-
The institution is forgotten and ignored, no longer of any significance or value.
By / Those / Who / Left / The queue / For mourning
Those who once sought solace and meaning in the institution have abandoned it for other means of coping.
Merrily kicking the skulls of ex-deities
Disillusioned with religion, the singer finds joy in mocking the gods and their followers.
Through the ex-halo hoops of toes up ex-angels
The singer revels in destroying the symbols and icons of religion.
More trophy heads for my walls
The destruction of religion has become a source of pride and accomplishment for the artist.
No more crying about heaven or a lack of it
The artist has accepted that there is no afterlife and no point in lamenting its absence.
No more to be found wanting
The singer has abandoned all desires and expectations for the future.
Hoping for a safety net
The singer clings to the faint hope that there might be some safety or security in the future.
My lake of passion still edged with rust
The artist's passion and desire has been worn down by time and neglect.
Her waters fouled by the corpse of lust
Even the artist's desire has been corrupted and degraded, rendering it meaningless and unfulfilling.
So, I dug the last few feet of the six myself
The artist has taken it upon themselves to bring an end to their life.
All too eager to taste the dust
The singer is eagerly embracing their own death, seeking release from their suffering.
I laughed as I threw the first handful of earth
The artist finds a sense of dark humor in their own mortality.
I smiled as I watched the topsoil spread
The singer finds a sense of tranquility and peace in the act of dying.
Autumn she sprang over summer into winter
The singer sees the passage of time as a constant cycle of growth, decay, and eventual death.
All was lost.
The singer has reached a point of complete despair and hopelessness.
All is lost.
The artist sees no possibility of redemption or salvation.
So much more snow than sunbeams these days
The world has become a darker and colder place, with little hope of improvement.
What once was?
The singer is mourning the loss of a world that no longer exists.
What once was.
The singer is lamenting the impossibility of returning to a better past.
The cold she marched through the rain / Past the corpse of rebirth
The harshness of reality has become inescapable, even in the midst of moments of supposed renewal and rebirth.
blacked out the sun's last refrain
The bleakness of reality has overwhelmed any remnants of hope or optimism that might have remained.
-endless cycle ended
The artist sees death as the only release from an unending cycle of suffering and despair.
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.