During a show in Southern France, Michael Berberian of Season Of Mist noticed the band and proposed them a contract for an album.
The first album, Exile, was released in 1997. It was recorded at the LB Studio, produced by Stéphane Buriez of Loudblast and mixed by Bruno Donini; it represents an outcome in the experiment and the research on madness. Quite far from black metal, Exile is a concept-album on the topic of the neurosis and the denial of existence. Built on a text divided in three cycles, themselves divided in sequences, it has ritual and auto- erotic parts, flirting with industrial, death metal and gothic rock. This album, of which 2400 copies have been sold, has allowed the band to be known out of the underground scene, thanks to a promotion in the European press, some participations in compilations, and a succession of concerts with Cradle Of Filth, Absu, Enslaved, Misanthrope and so on.
Yet, the next period has seen the questioning for Anorexia Nervosa. Actually some members wanted to keep in the experiment, but most did not agree. Then Stéphane Gerbaud and Marc Zabé left the band. Anorexia Nervosa took advantage of this period to create its present style, the real "Dark Nihilistic Metal". A fast, powerful, orchestral, monumental metal, that represented more their intentions and their romantic and nihilistic way of life.
Then they have needed one year to compose and sharpen their songs until perfection before they decided to record the EP Sodomizing the Archedangel at the Drudenhaus Studio in February 1999, after having hired two new members. Hreidmarr (vocals, also the vocalist of the comedy band Suprem MRAP) et Neb Xort (keyboards). This recording, that was supposed to be a foretaste of the next album, allowed the band to sign a contract with the main label for extreme metal, Osmose Productions, and allowed the crowd to get used to this new musical trend.
After a French tour as a support for Immortal in September 1999, Anorexia Nervosa came back to the Drudenhaus Studios, and after three months of being locked up and working hard, in March 2000 the very expected Drudenhaus was released. This album, very fast, far better produced, symphonic, with classical and baroque influences, is in many ways the masterpiece in the band's career. Idolized by the national and international press, it also had a great success among the fans, and boosted Anorexia Nervosa as the leader of the French metal scene. Then many concerts and festivals followed in France, Benelux and Switzerland, with bands such as Cradle Of Filth, Rotting Christ, Aggressor, Seth, and the reactions are still very enthusiastic after the very visual performances of the band.
They are lyrically themed towards violence, depression (older albums), and redemption (newer albums).
In 2007 Stefan Bayle claimed that the Anorexia Nervosa in on hold status now as they weren't able to find such vocalist as Rose Hreidmarr who left band in the 2005.
Current line-up:
Stefan Bayle - Guitar
Pier Couquet - Bass
Nilcas Vant - Drums
Neb Xort - Keyboards
The Shining
Anorexia Nervosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something is missing
My old faith is dead
I know you want some more force-fed hatred
And I'm gonna fill you up with a kiss
I found my redemption
I'm OD'd and there is no more entertainment
And now the scene is so utterly dead
I failed
You won
My sin was pride
Excuse me my friends
I have to cast all aside
I have to clean up
Face the serpent's eyes
My life has been so deadly fake
Guess it is a fine day to bow out with grace
And at least angels are fading away
Suicide religion
“And I hate myself, you know I hate you all”
Suicide religion
Some time ago I'd have to write this down
Guess we know it all along
The light was shining in darkness
And darkness couldn't seize it
The light is shut in darkness
It's the shining
The shining
Je ne suis pas des vôtres
Et ce monde n'est pas mien
Reste l'ennui, reste l'orage
Reste la fraîcheur do soir
Et le droit eternal de rester immobile
Dans le temps suspendu
The light was shining in darkness
And darkness couldn't seize it
The light is shut in darkness
It's the shining
The shining
I don't want to hold this cross anymore
I'm bored to death
I'm abused and confused
And I guess that's how you want me to feel
Shall save my soul and leave it all behind
Suicide religion
“And I hate myself, you know I hate you all”
Suicide religion
Some time ago I'd have to write this down
Guess we know it all along
The lyrics of Anorexia Nervosa's "The Shining" feature a clear sense of despair, hopelessness, and the desire to give up on life. The first stanza highlights the singer's feeling of not being able to cope with life anymore, and something is missing from their life. They no longer hold their old faith, and the desire to fill the void with hatred is evident. The second stanza features the singer's feelings of finding redemption through overdosing, which didn't turn out to be entertainment after all. The scene is dead or lifeless, and everything associated with it.
The third stanza has the singer admitting defeat and being prideful. They have to clean up and face their past misdeeds. The fourth stanza discusses the theme of a "suicide religion," as the singer hates themselves and everyone around them. They have come to the realization that they knew all along that there was no escape from the darkness. In the fifth stanza, the singer finds the light in the darkness but couldn't reach it.
The shining is something they could not hold onto. The French part of the song translates to "I am not one of you, and this world is not mine; the boredom remains, the storm remains, the freshness of the evening remains, and the eternal right to remain motionless in suspended time." Finally, in the last stanza, the singer wants to leave the cross they hold behind as they are abused, confused, and made to feel hopeless. They shall save their soul and leave everything behind.
Line by Line Meaning
I just cannot cope with it anymore
I am unable to handle my current situation.
Something is missing
I feel like there is something lacking in my life.
My old faith is dead
I have lost my faith in something that was important to me.
I know you want some more force-fed hatred
You desire more negativity to be directed towards you, and I will do just that.
And I'm gonna fill you up with a kiss
I will give you what you crave, even if it is not genuine affection.
I found my redemption
I have found a way to make amends for my past mistakes.
I'm OD'd and there is no more entertainment
I have reached a point of excessive indulgence and no longer find any pleasure in it.
And now the scene is so utterly dead
The atmosphere around me is completely lifeless and uninteresting.
I failed
I did not achieve my goal or succeed at what I intended to do.
You won
You have come out on top, while I have not.
My sin was pride
My downfall was my excessive sense of self-importance.
Excuse me my friends
I must apologize to those I care about.
I have to cast all aside
I need to let go of everything that was holding me back.
I have to clean up
I must tidy up and take care of the things that need attention.
Face the serpent's eyes
I must confront a dangerous and threatening situation.
My life has been so deadly fake
My existence has been inauthentic and artificial.
Guess it is a fine day to bow out with grace
Perhaps today is the day for me to leave this world with dignity.
And at least angels are fading away
Even something as pure and holy as angels are disappearing or losing their luster.
Suicide religion
A belief system that is focused on self-destruction and ending one's own life.
“And I hate myself, you know I hate you all”
I have deep feelings of self-loathing, and I feel animosity towards everyone else as well.
Some time ago I'd have to write this down
There was a time when I had to express these feelings and ideas in writing.
Guess we know it all along
I should have realized this from the beginning, but it has taken me a while to understand.
The light was shining in darkness
There was a glimmer of hope or positivity even in the midst of a dark situation.
And darkness couldn't seize it
The negativity and despair could not overcome or destroy the small ray of light.
The light is shut in darkness
Currently, there is no light to be found amidst the darkness.
It's the shining
This light or positivity that exists, despite the difficulties, is what really matters.
Je ne suis pas des vôtres
I do not belong to your group or society.
Et ce monde n'est pas mien
I do not feel like I fit in or belong in this world.
Reste l'ennui, reste l'orage
What remains is boredom and turmoil.
Reste la fraîcheur do soir
Despite everything else, there is a sense of freshness and coolness in the evening air.
Et le droit eternal de rester immobile
I have the everlasting right to remain motionless and make my own choices.
I don't want to hold this cross anymore
I no longer want to bear the burden of my struggles and hardships.
I'm bored to death
I am completely unmotivated and uninterested in living.
I'm abused and confused
I have experienced mistreatment at the hands of others and am feeling uncertain and disoriented.
And I guess that's how you want me to feel
This is the outcome that you desired or expected for me.
Shall save my soul and leave it all behind
I will preserve my inner self and let go of everything else.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind