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.
Scarlet To Snow
Blackguard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How are you this eve
This is what I am and what I'll always be
I will have you know I'll take you if I please
So if you would just sit down
and I beg you not to scream
On this fairest night I only wish to speak
Life taker, blood drinker, animal!
Condemned till the end and hell takes me home
Oh! If only
You could turn my sins scarlet to snow
And finally from my guilt I will be free
The blood lust
Calling me again
You need not fear for your life
It's the killer, thieves, and the evil ones
They will quench my thirst tonight
Death seems to be my life
If one could call it that
A ravenous cycle that never ends
And a guilt that never dies
To be rid of all
And fade into oblivion
Is it my vanity
Or sincerity
That begs to atone
Whatever it is
Who could forgive
Now I must bring this to a close
With your kind I rarely get a chance to speak
So I'll leave you now and thank you for a lovely eve
In your heart do you believe what I have said is true
In this savage garden I'll be back for you
The song "Scarlet to Snow" by Blackguard delves into the theme of being a creature of the night and the thirst for blood, along with a desire to be free from guilt. The singer of the song is portrayed as a vampire who preys on killer, thieves, and evil ones to quench his thirst. He acknowledges his monstrous nature but wishes to be redeemed from his sins by turning them scarlet to snow. The lyrics, "Death seems to be my life, a ravenous cycle that never ends, and a guilt that never dies," hint at the eternal struggle of the vampire to exist in the limbo between life and death.
The song further highlights the existential dilemma of the singer, questioning whether it is his vanity or sincerity that motivates him to atone for his sins. This is reflected in the lyrics, "Whatever it is, who could forgive, now I must bring this to a close." While it is unclear whether the singer is truly sorry for his actions or merely seeking salvation, the song ends on a haunting note, with the vampire promising to return to the listener while leaving an enigmatic message, "in this savage garden."
Line by Line Meaning
I am a creature of the night
I am the embodiment of darkness, and I belong to the night.
How are you this eve
May I ask how you are feeling tonight?
This is what I am and what I'll always be
What I am now is what I will always be, I won't change for anyone.
I will have you know I'll take you if I please
I want you to understand that I have the power to take you if I feel like it.
So if you would just sit down
Please, if you could just sit and listen to my story.
and I beg you not to scream
I plead with you not to scream or panic while I speak.
On this fairest night I only wish to speak
This beautiful night, all I want is to talk to you.
Shall I describe for you now the monster that you see
Can I explain to you the horror you might see in me?
Life taker, blood drinker, animal!
I'm a killer, I drink blood, I'm but an animal!
Condemned till the end and hell takes me home
I am forever cursed and doomed to meet my fate in hell.
Oh! If only
If there was only a way that would allow me to do the impossible.
You could turn my sins scarlet to snow
If only you could cleanse me of my sins completely.
And finally from my guilt I will be free
That would finally rid me of the constant guilt weighing me down.
The blood lust
The craving for blood that consumes me.
Calling me again
It's happening again, the thirst is returning.
You need not fear for your life
Don't be afraid, you're not the one I'm after tonight.
It's the killer, thieves, and the evil ones
It's the murderers, thieves, and other wicked people whom I pursue.
They will quench my thirst tonight
I'll satisfy my thirst by preying on them tonight.
Death seems to be my life
Death is all I know, it's like a way of life for me.
If one could call it that
If you could even call it that, it's more of an existence than a life.
A ravenous cycle that never ends
It's an insatiable cycle that never comes to an end.
And a guilt that never dies
And a remorseful feeling that never goes away.
To be rid of all
I wish I could be completely free of everything.
And fade into oblivion
Disappear into nothingness for eternity.
Is it my vanity
I'm not sure if this is just my ego speaking.
Or sincerity
Or if it's a genuine feeling of remorse and regret.
That begs to atone
That is asking for a way to make up for my wrongs.
Whatever it is
Regardless of what it is, I feel an overwhelming urge to fix things.
Who could forgive
Is there anyone who can forgive someone like me?
Now I must bring this to a close
It's time to bring this conversation to an end.
With your kind I rarely get a chance to speak
I don't often get a chance to have a conversation with someone like you.
So I'll leave you now and thank you for a lovely eve
I'll bid you farewell now, and thank you for a beautiful evening.
In your heart do you believe what I have said is true
Do you genuinely believe what I have told you tonight?
In this savage garden I'll be back for you
I'll return for you in this cruel and dangerous world.
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BEEFlNbandit
Man my metal experience has come a long way! Started with CoB when are you dead yet came out. Went to Nightwish, then Sonata Arctica, then Ensiferum, then Wintersun, then Eluveitie, then Elvenking, then Kalmah, and two new bands like Blackguard and Amaranthe that I just found recently. The great thing is that i still listen to all of them :) HAIL FROM CANADA
Ramtrill
They are the best opening band I have ever seen. Blown me away twice!
John Athelstan
I remember when my friend introduced me to this song (and just Blackguard in general) back in 2009, I was blown away, and I still enjoy listening to this freakin epic stuff
Luca Ruzgarogragi
Just as good as back then
loblit05
his vocal range is amazing
jedi mind trick
This band is awesome. Catchy riffs, and the folky parts are badass.
izabelx3
This band actually kick ass its amazing : D
Айрат Идрисов
одна из самых крутых композиций в мире на данный момент
RiccardoTheBeAst
Damn awesome band! \m/
Vypadkovyy
This band is amazing! They should have played after Threat Signal... maybe it was just that night, but TS did a horrible job following up Blackguard... the entire crowd almost fell asleep (except for the hardcore signal fans...)