From their 2007 album, Deadlight, the song Deadsong was accompanied with a video.
In 2011, their 6th album Deathstar Rising was released at Nuclear Blast.
2011 line-up:
Tuomas Saukkonen: Dark vocals and guitar (Dawn of Solace, Routasielu)
Juho Räihä: Lead guitar (Gloria Morti, Riverside Syndicate)
Lars Eikind: Bass and vocals (Winds, Age of Silence, ex-Khold, ex-Tulus)
Atte Palokangas: Drums (Agonizer)
Website: http://www.beforethedawn.com/
Previously associated musicians:
Guitars:
Pekka Sarkkinen
Timo Hankola
Jani Saajanaho (also Vocals, on "Gehenna")
Panu Willman (2000-2004, also Clean Vocals) (Entwine, Dark Filth Fraternity, St. Hood)
Mika Ojala (2003-2004, also Keyboards) (Damngod)
Bass:
Tomi Malin (on "Gehenna")
Toni Broman (2001-2004) (Kill the Romance, Damngod)
Drums:
Kimmo Nurmi (2000-2001)
Mika Tanttu (on "Gehenna") (Drowned in Life, Kill the Romance, Profane Omen, Coma Clinic)
Dani Miettinen (2002-2004, Session 2007-2009) (Jumalhдmдrд, Solacide)
Aatu Mukka (Live 2005, Session 2005-2006) (Camorra, Downtrodden)
Keyboards:
Tiina Ahokas (also Violin, Vocals, on "To Desire")
Jarkko Mдnnikkц (2000-2003)
In 2021, the band was reformed. On 30 April, the band released the single "Final Storm". The single was made for the Deadlight reissue which was released in 9 July 2021.
Gehenna
Before the Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Move in the seas
Strut the floor
Getting near
To reach another plan
In every wave
Far away from me
When I hold my breath
When I finally feel the pain
The pain caused in me
For ages I held my breath
While sinking deeper
Phases of hope and death
For the ones who barely feel
To reach another side
In every tail
Far away from feel
When I catch my breath
When I finally see the plans
The plans made for me
For ages I held my breath
While sinking deeper
Phases of hope and death
For the ones who barely feel
You told me that Gehenna is a spiritual place
And it might be full of love and joy
But you lied
Every wave was made to mislead me
And closed my eyes from the real world
Your world
For ages I held my breath
While sinking deeper
Phases of hope and death
For the ones who barely feel
Still holding my breath
Sinking deeper, still
Lyrics provided by: Lanzeca - Feel free to make any corrections
The song "Gehenna" by Before the Dawn is a haunting tale of deception and manipulation. The lyrics describe the singer's journey towards another plan, a new reality that seems to promise escape from the pain that has been inflicted upon them. The opening lines suggest a sense of power as the singer commands the waves and the seas to move, while also referencing the act of "strutting" as a form of confidence and control. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is not in control at all. The waves that they have commanded are actually leading them astray and away from their true path.
The repeated lyrics "For ages I held my breath, while sinking deeper, phases of hope and death, for the ones who barely feel" create a sense of suffocation and desperation, as the singer struggles to keep their head above water. The repetition of the phrase "far away from me" and "far away from feel" suggest an attempt to escape reality, to distance oneself from the pain and suffering of the present. However, the final lines of the song reveal that this attempt has been futile. The singer has been deceived by someone who promised them love and joy in Gehenna, a supposed spiritual place, but instead closed their eyes to the real world and left them sinking even deeper.
Overall, "Gehenna" is a powerful and emotive song that explores themes of pain, deception, and the search for escape. Through its haunting and atmospheric music and poetic lyrics, it conveys a sense of desperation and hopelessness that is all too relatable for many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Pull the waves
Manipulating the ocean to deceive and mislead
Move in the seas
Generating a false sense of motion in the water to distort reality
Strut the floor
Confidently dancing and moving with an intent to deceive
Getting near
Advancing closer towards the deception and lies
To reach another plan
Striving towards a new, alternate reality
In every wave
Every action and circumstance, seemingly harmless, that leads to the deception
Far away from me
The deception leaves the victim completely isolated from the real world
When I hold my breath
When I am forced to stop and contemplate what is truly happening
When I finally feel the pain
When the victim finally understands the hurt and damage done to them
The pain caused in me
The emotional and spiritual harm inflicted upon the victim
For ages I held my breath
The victim has been enduring this deception for an extended period of time
While sinking deeper
While falling further into the trap
Phases of hope and death
Cycles of fleeting hope followed by crushing loss
For the ones who barely feel
For those who are vulnerable and easily manipulated
To reach another side
Desiring to escape from the present deception
In every tail
The aftermath of the deception and the consequences that linger
Far away from feel
Completely disconnected from any sense of true emotions or experiences
When I catch my breath
When the victim finally has a moment to reflect and analyze their situation
When I finally see the plans
When the victim comprehends the grand schemes and motives behind the deception
The plans made for me
The victim realizes that they are merely a pawn in someone else's agenda
You told me that Gehenna is a spiritual place
The deceiver told the victim lies and false promises about the destination
And it might be full of love and joy
The false promises include pleasure and happiness
But you lied
The deception and lies have distorted any hope of finding true peace and fulfillment
Every wave was made to mislead me
The superficial actions and words were meant to lead the victim astray
And closed my eyes from the real world
The deception shielded the victim from the truth and reality
Your world
The deceiver's world of deception and falsehoods
Still holding my breath
The victim is still stuck in the deception and cannot find a way out
Sinking deeper, still
The victim is becoming more and more trapped and controlled by the deception
Contributed by Joseph H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.