Centered around the apex of human failure, Nations To Flames bears witness to the fall of all governments, all nations, and all religions. The record is both musically and thematically captivating and marks the STORMcollective’s darkest, most immediately punishing creation to date.
The album has been christened “the soundtrack to our damnation,” in a near perfect review by About.com, “On Nations to Flames, A Storm Of Light have an intensity that burns with the fire of creativity and artfulness while still relaying the message of how seriously doomed mankind is. It may not sound like Cathedral or Pentagram, but it’s still all about the doom. A band that refuses to rehash the same formula has quite possibly brought us one of the year’s best releases.”
Iron Heart
A Storm of Light Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flood in, consume me
My wounds welcome you here
The cold comforts this fall
Flood in, consume
Embrace this hull
Drifting down
The stars they all fade away
These new dreams
I rust and erode alone
Alone in the cold
Take me now
To bury me under your fathoms
To feed on my black iron heart
The sea and the salt will corrode
And join us together as one
Rest this hull down
Rot my iron into the sands
Dissolve these bolts into the past
Rust this hull down
These lyrics are a hauntingly beautiful expression of the singer's desire for release and renewal. As the song's title suggests, the singer's heart has turned to iron, perhaps through experiencing trauma or loss. The singer beckons a flood to consume them, welcoming the wounds that have left their heart so heavy. The cold comforts them as they surrender to the waves, drifting towards a release from their pain. The stars fade away, and the singer seems to surrender to their loneliness, rusting and eroding alone.
However, the singer also seems to long for a final release. They invite the sea to cocoon them, to feed on their iron heart, and to let the salt and water corrode them until they are joined together as one. This is a powerful image of transformation, as the singer welcomes the dissolution of their past and embraces a new beginning. The song is atmospheric and full of emotion, making it a powerful representation of the complexities of grief and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Iron heart
The singer has a heart of iron, which is strong and unyielding.
Flood in, consume me
The singer is welcoming a flood or deluge, which they feel will be cleansing and refreshing. They are ready to be consumed by this experience.
My wounds welcome you here
The singer is acknowledging that they have wounds or pain, and they are accepting that these things will be part of the experience of being consumed by the flood. They are ready to face their issues head-on.
The cold comforts this fall
The artist is finding solace in the coldness of the experience, which feels like a relief after whatever struggles they have been facing.
Embrace this hull
The artist is asking the flood or the larger experience to embrace their physical body, which is like the hull of a ship. This is a way of asking to be fully immersed in the experience.
And carry me in your waves
The singer wants to be carried along by the flow of the experience, trusting that it will take them where they need to go.
Drifting down
The singer is relaxing into the experience, allowing themselves to drift along without resistance.
The stars they all fade away
The artist is feeling disconnected from the rest of the world, as if everything else is disappearing and they are alone with their thoughts.
These new dreams
The artist has new hopes and aspirations for themselves, which they are bringing into the experience.
I rust and erode alone
The artist acknowledges that they are rusting and eroding, but that this is happening on their own terms. They are accepting their own decay and embracing it as part of the larger experience.
Alone in the cold
The singer is emphasizing their isolation and the sense of being cut off from the rest of the world, but also finding comfort in the experience of being cold.
Take me now
The artist is asking to be taken by the experience, indicating a willingness to fully commit to it.
To bury me under your fathoms
The singer is asking to be submerged in the depths of the experience, to be fully consumed by it and taken away from everything else.
To feed on my black iron heart
The singer is offering their heart, which is tough and resilient, as sustenance for the experience. They are willing to be broken down and consumed by it.
The sea and the salt will corrode
The singer understands that the experience will have a corrosive effect on them, but they are accepting this as part of the larger process.
And join us together as one
The artist believes that the corrosive effects of the experience will allow them to become one with it, to merge with something larger than themselves.
Rest this hull down
The artist is asking for their physical body to be put to rest, to be allowed to rest after the experience is over.
Rot my iron into the sands
The singer is asking for their iron heart to be broken down and scattered in the sand, symbolizing a letting go of their old self and becoming something new.
Dissolve these bolts into the past
The singer is asking for the past, or at least the parts of it represented by the bolts, to be dissolved and left behind.
Rust this hull down
The artist is essentially repeating their earlier request for their physical body to be allowed to rest and rot away after the experience is over.
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.