Blackguard as a viable entity was officially born with the addition of vocalist and born frontman Paul Ablaze in October 2004 to Profugus Mortis' ranks, followed a month later by bassist Étienne Mailloux, with both bringing the necessary dynamics to the band's sound and clarity to the group's collective vision. Staying true to their black-metal roots, the new Profugus Mortis turned their sights on a brutal new interpretation of Scandinavian folk metal.
“This comes to us naturally," says Ablaze, "and we’re definitely the sum of our parts. What’s going on around us influences us to a certain degree, of course, but in the end we’re putting our own spin on it and giving the band its own defining characteristics. Before we came in, the band’s sound was a lot more progressive black metal; there were a lot of riffs and tempo changes. But we’ve gone in a much more straightforward direction since then. I guess we took on a power-metal and a straight-up folk-metal influence along the way."
Wasting no time, they issued a four-song self-produced demo in March 2005, passing out free copies at metal shows in Montreal. In July that same year, Profugus Mortis played the Xtreme Distortion Fest in Montreal with KATAKLYSM and UNEXPECT, winning the coveted slot as Best Unsigned Band at the event. That success translated into a support slot with SODOM and FINNTROLL, which in turn earned Profugus Mortis the opportunity to open for YNGWIE MALMSTEEN at the request of Quebec's Capital du Metal.
Since then, Blackguard (still known as Profugus Mortis at the time) has supported and toured with numerous acts equally respected the world over, including LACUNA COIL, CATAMENIA, WARBRINGER, BEHEMOTH, THERION, INTO ETERNITY, ENSIFERUM, THE AGONIST, CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN and VOIVOD. Added to this noteworthy rogue's gallery are Canadian tours with the Finnish godfathers of folk metal, MOONSORROW, and more recently QUO VADIS.
Profugus Mortis' first official foray as professional recording artists came in the form of the aptly titled ...So It Begins in March 2007. More a collection of songs showcasing the band's past and their new direction, the album became the best- and fastest-selling album in their label Prodisk's history. The album also signaled the beginning of the end of what was considered by many fans and press people alike to be the one element that made Profugus Mortis unique; in January 2008 violinist Emilie Livernois was given the boot, leaving a hole in the band's sound. Rather than listen to the naysayers, the band raised its middle finger and brought in former GOTHERFALL guitarist Kim Gosselin. It was a perfect match made in hell.
"One of the things that suffered was having a stronger rhythm," Ablaze says of Livernois' violin having been a focal point. "If Terry was doing a lead and Emilie was doing a lead and Jonathan (Leduc/keyboards) was doing his own little thing, the songs could end up sounding pretty weak. It’s absolutely fantastic having Kim in the band now, because he beefs up the songs like crazy. The first time we jammed…we sounded like a frickin’ beast (laughs)."
That beast, now known as Blackguard, has been unleashed. Their major label debut—entitled Profugus Mortis as a tribute to their past—is an outing that has brought diehard fans and (until now) ignorant folk-metal followers up short. Capitalizing on the best moments offered up on ...So It Begins, the new album is a folk-metal onslaught that redefines the genre and raises the bar to an all-time high. Just as important, if not more so, the new material sees a revamped and hungry Blackguard coming into their own as a live act that cannot be ignored.
If all the world is a stage, it belongs to Blackguard—starting now.
Check out the [url=http://[officialsite]www.victorymerch.com/store/Blackguard]Blackguard merch store.
Cinder
Blackguard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's burn it to the ground
No sign of its existence
No sign it ever was
With pleasure we'll light the match
And then we'll stand in awe as
It all is blown away
Reborn a clean slate at last
And we will never go back to the way it was
How long have we waited for?
Finally at a head
'Cause there's nothing more to be said
NOW! Let's burn it all down
The Parliament hill to the government halls
Will be the first TO FALL!
Greed and desire was the fuel for this fire
And now they've LOST IT ALL!
Next set ablaze to your church
For all the lies and the PAIN and the HURT
You all claim to be heaven sent
All I see is a god who's misrepresent
The lyrics of the song "Cinder" by Blackguard are fairly straightforward. The song is about burning down institutions and structures that have caused pain and suffering in the past. The singer encourages burning down these structures, specifically mentioning Parliament Hill and government halls, as well as churches that have caused pain and hurt. The idea is to start anew and create a clean slate, free from the corruption and falsehoods of the past.
The lyrics are significant in that they are a call to action against those who have caused harm. It is not enough to merely move on from these wrongs; the singer wishes to see them eradicated entirely. The idea of burning down structures is also symbolic; fire has long been a symbol of purification and renewal, and in this case, it is a way to start fresh and create a new beginning.
Overall, "Cinder" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to take a stand against corruption and to start anew. It is a call for justice and a reminder of the power of the people to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's burn this place to cinders
Let's completely destroy or ruin this location
Let's burn it to the ground
Let's burn the place until there's nothing left
No sign of its existence
No indication that the place ever existed
No sign it ever was
No evidence that the location was ever present
With pleasure we'll light the match
We'll take great pleasure in setting the fire
And then we'll stand in awe as
We'll be surprised and amazed as
It all is blown away
The destruction caused by the fire sweeps everything away
And the new life from its demise
A new start emerges from the ashes of the destruction
Reborn a clean slate at last
Starting anew without the baggage of the past
And we will never go back to the way it was
We have no desire to revert to the previous situation
How long have we waited for?
We have been longing for this moment for a long time
Finally at a head
Finally achieving our goal
'Cause there's nothing more to be said
There's no more discussion needed since the decision has been made
NOW! Let's burn it all down
We are starting the fire right now
The Parliament hill to the government halls
All government buildings, including Parliament Hill, should be destroyed
Will be the first TO FALL!
Those government buildings will be the first to be destroyed
Greed and desire was the fuel for this fire
The motivation for setting the fire was fueled by greed and desire for change
And now they've LOST IT ALL!
Those in power have lost everything due to the fire they caused
Next set ablaze to your church
Next target is burning down your church
For all the lies and the PAIN and the HURT
Because of the pain and hurt caused by the lies told by the church
You all claim to be heaven sent
The church claims to have a divine mandate
All I see is a god who's misrepresent
From my perspective, the church has misrepresented God's nature
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MetalFusion337
Saw them At Summer Slaughter 2009, And i just saw them Again With Ensiferum In Orlando, Really Cool guys got autographs,picks,Pictures,and a setlist from these guys. They Put on a great show and sound Amazing Live Imagine This Times 15!! Thats them Live ')
@ricky4502
good shit. these guys are amazing... caught them at paganfest II and they put on a great show. never heard of them until them but i'll be seeing again them on the 18th when they open for ensiferum
@XJsavage
this is like discovering COB all over again!!!
@zenlocust
I'd never heard em before Nov 1 in Winnipeg as they are supporting Nevermore. So much fucken Energie. Blew my fucking mind. They did a 30 min set. I bought a shirt. Great art work
@purplesquirrl
@xXchibiXokamiXx Yeah man! fuck, us american's give you guys so much shit, but you make some awesome fuckin' metal...Augury, these guys, Cryptopsy...from the brutal to the beautiful its all there.