Their first single, “Save Me” was released in October 2013 and reached the Finnish radio waves in only one week, because of this Blind Channel were selected to Finnish radio station Ylex’s “basement band” of the week. Iltalehti, one of Finland’s biggest newspaper media’s noticed the band’s first music video and in a couple months the views have reached over 20, 000 views. The band initially established their profile actively by performing live shows all around Finland (including the southern metropolitan areas) and later released "Antipode" on March 21st 2013 - produced by Mikko Mäkitalo. The single’s B-side “Naysayers” saw daylight one week before the actual release, and the A-side “Calling Out” premiered on a local radio station Radio City one day before the release. The premiere also included an interview with the band. The second music video came out the same day.
The following Summer they played in Finnish festivals JääliCityRock, Provinssirock, Ilosaarirock, Qstock & Nummirock where they won the Wacken Metal Battle in Finland so they also played their first gig ever abroad in the world's biggest metal festival in Wacken Open Air in Germany to over 6000 people at The Wet Stage. Upon winning this competition, Finnish record label Ranka Kustannus also signed the band and they began recording their debut album Revolutions. Their debut studio album Revolutions was released on September 29th 2016. The album includes the singles "Unforgiving", "Don't", "Darker Than Black", "Deja FU” and "Enemy for Me". The band proceeded to tour throughout Finland and surrounding countries following this release. Huge pop music fans, in March 2017 they released a cover of American hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's hit single "Can't Hold Us".
They released their second studio album Blood Brothers on April 20th 2018. The album includes the singles "Alone Against All", "Sharks Love Blood", "Wolfpack" and "Out of Town". They also embarked on several tours both as headliners and supporting acts such as Amaranthe, Royal Republic, Simple Plan, Hollywood Undead, Enter Shikari and in late 2018 completed their first UK tour supporting All That Remains and Sevendust.
The band’s third studio album,Violent Pop was released on March 6th 2020. The album includes the singles "Over My Dead Body", "Timebomb (feat. Alex Mattson)", "Snake (feat. GG6 of Amaranthe)", "Died Enough for You", "Fever" and "Gun". The band had pre-booked a tour in Autumn/Winter 2020 around Sweden/Finland and festival slots as part of a touring cycle for Violent Pop which was cancelled as the Coronavirus pandemic came into affect. In May 2020 the band performed an acoustic livestream from 45 Oulu, the oldest rock bar in Oulu, Finland which included the live debuts of Violent Pop album tracks “Feel Nothing”, “Enemies With Benefits” plus a tribute cover of Linkin Park’s “Numb” in honour of the late Chester Bennington. In July 2020, they released a studio version of Anastacia’s “Left Outside Alone" and accompanying music video to critical success.
After meeting DJ and producer Aleksi/Alex Mattson several years prior after Joel approached him to potentially remix a Blind Channel track, the band soon after discovered they had a lot of similar musical tastes and began collaborating, eventually releasing “Timebomb” together which featured as a single on the band’s third studio album Violent Pop. After a live festival show in October 2020 featuring Aleksi on sample/percussion, the band officially asked Aleksi to join Blind Channel as a full-time member and they became a six-piece.
In February 2021 the band participated in the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the modern nu-metal track "Dark Side". They won the selection with 54.3% of the vote (the highest in UMK history) and in May 2021 represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in sixth place with a total of 301 points. Blind Channel received 218 of their total points from televoting, while 83 points were received from juries. The band painted their middle fingers red for their performance of "Dark Side," after being informed that they could not lift a middle finger to the audience on the Eurovision stage due to the shows family friendly nature. On 19 May 2021 the band signed to Century Media/Sony Music.
In June 2021 the band recorded a collaboration of their song “Dark Side” with fellow Finnish artist Lauri Ylonen of The Rasmus. The band has stated that a follow-up single to “Dark Side” has been mixed and will be released late Summer 2021. On July 4th 2021 the band announced that “Dark Side” is currently the most streamed Finnish song of 2021 with over 700,000 streams to date, beating out larger Finnish bands such as The Rasmus and HIM. The band have also announced a 15-date Finnish headline tour across July-August 2021.
In early 2021 the band shared that they had already began writing new material and in June 2021 shared footage from their studio showing them recording material for a currently untitled forth studio album set for release in Spring 2022.
Alcatraz
Blind Channel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say the sky is falling
My sky's made of concrete
I'm down on my knees
I lock myself up
And throw away the key
Just like a dog with rabies stand out to the tree
I was careful but it feels like something followed me here
Ready to disappear
But heaven can wait
And the devil may cry
Cause I'll rise with a battle cry
Goes like "me never die"
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Waiting to be found
Skies come and drown this place
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Afraid of life
Tryna survive
Inside a prison of mine
Can anyone hear me?
I hear someone calling
They say the sky is falling
My sky's made of concrete
Can anyone hear me?
I lock myself up
And throw away the key
Just like a dog with rabies
Can anyone hear me?
I thought I could fly
But you tore off my wings
You said your goodbyes when I stepped to the ring
You said I'm far enough
But forgot one thing
Ain't this city off the bike
One-eye-man is the king
(One-eye-man is the king)
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Waiting to be found
Skies come and drown this place
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Afraid of life
Tryna survive
Inside a prison of mine
Can anyone hear me?
Can anyone hear me?
When our enemies run out of bombs to drop
It's only a matter of time they start throwing rocks
But together we can stop all the clocks
We're safe inside this Pandoras box
When our enemies run out of bombs to drop
It's only a matter of time they start throwing rocks
But together we can stop all the clocks
We're safe inside this Pandoras box
When our enemies run out of bombs to drop
It's only a matter of time they start throwing rocks
But together we can stop all the clocks
We're safe inside this Pandoras box
Somewhere under ground
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Waiting to be found
Skies come and drown this place
Somewhere under ground
There I was
Afraid of life
Tryna survive
Inside a prison of mine
Can anyone hear me?
Welcome to Alcatraz
The lyrics of Blind Channel's song Alcatraz convey the feeling of being trapped and isolated in a concrete jungle. The first two lines, "I hear someone calling, they say the sky is falling," suggest a sense of impending doom, a feeling that something is not right in the world. The following lines, "My sky's made of concrete, I'm down on my knees," further emphasize the feeling of being trapped, as if the concrete has replaced the sky and is weighing down on the singer. The line "Just like a dog with rabies stand out to the tree" evokes a sense of desperation, as if the singer is so lost and alone that they are clinging to anything they can find.
The song then describes a feeling of being trapped, with the singer describing themselves as locked up and throwing away the key. They are careful, but feel like something is following them, something dark or dangerous. The chorus of the song repeats the line "Somewhere underground, there I was waiting to be found," further emphasizing the feeling of being trapped or hidden away from the world. The final lines of the song offer a sense of hope, suggesting that together we can stop the clocks and keep ourselves safe inside our own Pandora's box, a metaphor for staying safe and secure in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear someone calling
I feel like I'm being called by someone or something
They say the sky is falling
Whoever or whatever is calling me is warning me that something bad is happening or going to happen
My sky's made of concrete
I feel trapped and confined like I am in a prison without escape
I'm down on my knees
I am in a very vulnerable state, feeling helpless and powerless
I lock myself up
I isolate myself from the outside world, hoping to find safety within my own mind
And throw away the key
I am willing to sacrifice my freedom in exchange for safety and security - even if that safety is illusory
Just like a dog with rabies stand out to the tree
I am aware that by isolating myself, I am exhibiting a behavior that is characteristic of someone who is mentally unwell or in distress
I was careful but it feels like something followed me here
I have tried to be cautious and aware of my surroundings, but feel like something dark or dangerous is still lingering nearby
Something wish or something dark
I am unsure of what exactly is causing my distress, but feel like it could be something malevolent or evil
Ready to disappear
I hope that whatever is tormenting me will simply vanish or cease to exist
But heaven can wait
I am not ready to die or give up yet, despite the pain and fear I feel inside
And the devil may cry
I am willing to fight against whatever is causing me pain and am confident in my ability to do so
Cause I'll rise with a battle cry
I refuse to let fear or despair control me and will rise up with a fierce determination to overcome my obstacles
Goes like "me never die"
I am empowered by the idea that I will always keep going no matter what happens
Somewhere under ground
I feel like I am hiding or seeking solace underground, away from the dangers of the world above
There I was
I recall a point in my life where I felt lost or helpless
Waiting to be found
I am hoping that someone or something will come to my rescue and help me escape from my own mind
Skies come and drown this place
I fear that the world above me, which seems so vast and limitless, will overwhelm and suffocate me
Afraid of life
I feel scared to be alive and face the challenges and dangers that come with living in the world
Tryna survive
I am constantly working to stay alive and remain safe, but this struggle is exhausting and terrifying
Inside a prison of mine
Despite my confinement and isolation, I still feel trapped within my own mind and thoughts
Can anyone hear me?
I wonder if anyone is listening or paying attention to my pain and fear
When our enemies run out of bombs to drop
I acknowledge the possibility of external threats and that danger can often come from unexpected sources
It's only a matter of time they start throwing rocks
I fear that even when the primary threat has passed, smaller, more subtle dangers will continue to plague me
But together we can stop all the clocks
I recognize the power of community and interpersonal connections to help us overcome even the gravest of threats
We're safe inside this Pandora's box
Safety can be found within confinement and isolation, but there is a greater sense of solace in the support of a community and the support they offer.
Welcome to Alcatraz
This bleak, distressed atmosphere is where I currently reside or find myself trapped within
Contributed by Samantha Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
J.Q. Roan
Wish I could find this on Spotify
Maartje Van Der Linden
It used to be on spotify. Not sure when it got taken off but it is still showing in my playlist as a not playable song (or whatever that's called in English). I was super sad when I found out a few weeks ago though... Just been listening to it here on YouTube every once in a while since then. Hopefully it'll be back on spotify at some point!
Heppatyttö09
We need this on spotify
julia martemaa
tää! oon jo monta vuotta jaksanu oottaa ku tää oli kuulemma joku mu lemppari pienen:Då
Valerijonas Anuzis
Such a great song ^^
Blind Channel
Check out our official channel for more videos!
Emilia
We really need that on spotify!!
Blind Channel
@iHeartbound We were supporting Enter Shikari 3 months ago! Sure we've heard them :) Thanks!
Memento Mori
@BlindChannel Finland
I knew it! Haha. That's awesome. Now I got teo great bands to look forward to new songs from. You guys heard Enter Shikaris 2 new songs The Last Garrison / Never let go of the miocroscope? Sounds good. I really like Alcatraz by you guys!
Blind Channel
@iHeartbound Enter Shikari is definitely one of our true inspirations!