Carach Angren was formed in 2003, in the Dutch municipality of Landgraaf, after two members of Vaultage, Lee Hartney and Inger Indolia, started a side project based on their shared love of legends and black metal. Eventually, Carach Angren was more successful, so both stepped down from Vaultage.
In 2004, Carach Angren released their first EP, The Chase Vault Tragedy. The EP is a concept album, telling the story of mysteriously moving coffins known as the Chase Vault Mystery. In 2005, the band released a second EP, Ethereal Veiled Existence, covering the story of the Brown Lady. In 2007, Carach Angren was signed to Maddening Media, a German independent record label. Carach Angren recorded their first full-length album for this label, Lammendam, which received positive international reviews following its release in 2008.[2][3][4]
Their second album, Death Came Through a Phantom Ship, was released on 26 February 2010. To support the album, Carach Angren toured Europe under "A Declaration of Hate" tour, with extreme metal bands Dark Funeral, Zonaria and Nefarium.
On 18 May 2012, the band released their third studio album, Where the Corpses Sink Forever. This concept album covers themes surrounding war, including war, death, and suffering.
On 17 February 2015, the band's fourth album, This Is No Fairytale was available for streaming on Metal Hammer.[5] The album was officially released on 23 February 2015. The album is a modern interpretation of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale with themes of domestic abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual child abuse, suicide, child abduction and cannibalism.
On 16 June 2017, their fifth studio album, Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten, was released. This album diverges from the previous "storytelling" theme of the previous albums, but remains a concept album, with ghost themes, including the Blood Queen and Charles Francis Coghlan.[6]
On 10 February 2020, drummer Ivo "Namtar" Wijers left the band. According to him, the departure was motivated by "dissatisfaction with the music industry". Seregor and Ardek posted the announcement on the band's official website, revealing that the exit was a friendly one, saying, "Although we are very sorry for your departure, we respect your decision".
In late 2019 the band announced they had begun work on a sixth studio album, scheduled to be released in mid-2020. Its name and release date were unveiled on 20 February 2020; Franckensteina Strataemontanus. The album is a concept album inspired by the life of Johann Conrad Dippel, and was released through Season of Mist on 26 June.
The Shining Was a Portent of Gloom
Carach Angren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sobbing and shaking, curled up in a huddle.
The shape of a man amidst silence and slaughter,
Clothes torn and drenched in blood and salt water.
"His fortune to dust, his fortune to dust!
His triumph in vain, his triumph in vain!
Riches to ashes! His tears lost in rain!"
A ship made of mist like quicksilver thread.
This skeleton vessel sings songs for the dead.
To take a deep breath and set his mind back in motion,
He stumbles upright and fumbles to the prow.
His eyes now closed to hear his dear ocean,
He feels the world has altered somehow.
Deafening silence, the ocean seems gone.
Hardly a whisper nor notes of wind song
"His fortune to dust, his fortune to dust!
His triumph in vain, his triumph in vain!
Riches to ashes! His tears lost in rain!"
In a final attempt to end this bitter roam,
He looks at the stars with their comforting glare.
But the lights above that once guided him home,
Scattered and shattered, are no longer there.
Now dawning upon him like rays of the sun,
His state and fate cannot be undone.
The captain now trapped on this skeleton vessel,
Adrift on the void in a black floating castle.
Chained to a twilight and bound to his boat,
Swearing his vengeance on others afloat.
Lights at the end that have the world in their grip.
He shall have his conquest
As Death Came Through a Phantom Ship!
The song "The Shining Was a Portent of Gloom" by Carach Angren tells the story of a captain on a ship who has suffered great losses and is now alone with his thoughts in the middle of the ocean. The opening lines set the dark and gory scene with a black shape sitting in a red glistening puddle, implying there has been serious bloodshed. The man is in a state of despair as he mourns his lost fortune and failed triumph. The repeated phrase "his fortune to dust" emphasizes the theme of loss and decay.
The chorus of the song provides a haunting melody as the captain imagines himself on a ship made of mist, singing songs for the dead. The lyrics depict the ocean as eerily silent and the wind absent. The captain seeks solace from the stars above, but even they have abandoned him. The song concludes with the captain trapped on his skeleton vessel, swearing vengeance on others afloat.
Throughout the song, there are many dark and foreboding images to create a sense of hopelessness and despair. The heavy use of alliteration and internal rhyme gives the lyrics a poetic quality that elevates the storytelling. The lyrics also emphasize the theme of loss and how it can drive a person to seek revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
A black shape sits on a deck in a red glistening puddle,
A man is seen sitting on a deck covered in a shiny red liquid, curled up and crying.
Sobbing and shaking, curled up in a huddle.
The man is crying and shaking while lying curled up in a fetal position.
The shape of a man amidst silence and slaughter,
In the midst of a quiet and violent environment, a human figure is seen.
Clothes torn and drenched in blood and salt water.
The man's attire has been ripped apart and is soaked in both blood and ocean water.
"His fortune to dust, his fortune to dust!
The man cries out that his wealth and success have been reduced to nothing but dust.
His triumph in vain, his triumph in vain!
He claims that his victories are meaningless and without worth.
Riches to ashes! His tears lost in rain!"
His wealth has been destroyed and forgotten, and his emotions have been swept away like raindrops in a storm.
A ship made of mist like quicksilver thread.
A ghostly vessel made of mist appears like a glowing silver thread.
This skeleton vessel sings songs for the dead.
The eerie ship is singing mournful songs for the deceased.
To take a deep breath and set his mind back in motion,
In an effort to regain his composure, the man takes a deep breath and tries to focus.
He stumbles upright and fumbles to the prow.
He struggles to stand up and clumsily makes his way to the front of the ship.
His eyes now closed to hear his dear ocean,
The man closes his eyes and listens to the calming sound of the ocean he holds dear.
He feels the world has altered somehow.
The man senses that something has changed in the world around him.
Deafening silence, the ocean seems gone.
The silence is overwhelming and it feels like the ocean has vanished.
Hardly a whisper nor notes of wind song
No sound can be heard except for the faintest gust of wind.
"His fortune to dust, his fortune to dust!
The man cries out again, lamenting the loss of his wealth.
His triumph in vain, his triumph in vain!
Once more he declares that his successes have been for nothing.
Riches to ashes! His tears lost in rain!"
The man's wealth has turned to dust and his sorrow has been forgotten and washed away like rain.
In a final attempt to end this bitter roam,
The man makes one last effort to end his painful journey.
He looks at the stars with their comforting glare.
He gazes up at the stars for comfort in their warm glow.
But the lights above that once guided him home,
The stars that he once used to find his way have disappeared.
Scattered and shattered, are no longer there.
The stars are broken and absent, leaving him lost and alone.
Now dawning upon him like rays of the sun,
It finally occurs to the man, like a sunrise, what his situation is.
His state and fate cannot be undone.
He realizes he can never change the situation he's found himself in.
The captain now trapped on this skeleton vessel,
The man is now stuck on the ghostly ship as its captain.
Adrift on the void in a black floating castle.
The vessel he helms is now an endless void, and the skeletal ship a castle floating in perpetual darkness.
Chained to a twilight and bound to his boat,
He is forever linked to the ghostly ship and its endless nightmarish twilight.
Swearing his vengeance on others afloat.
The man swears to get revenge on any others he sees at sea.
Lights at the end that have the world in their grip.
There are temptations to escape his fate, but the offer comes at a cost.
He shall have his conquest
He will take what's due to him no matter the cost.
As Death Came Through a Phantom Ship!
This situation reminds him of when he believed he bested death once before, to no avail, as he is now trapped and alone in this seemingly endless void.
Contributed by John P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dani Rodríguez
¿Soy la única a la que le dan ganas de bailar con esta canción? Un baile lento, elegante y enérgico.
marco m
bailemos en un ocaso a la orilla del mar mientras el holandes errante nos espera a que lo abordemos.
Nekromisantrop
Bailemos, cariño ;)
That Music Guy
and with this song Carach Angren officially becomes one of my favorite bands
Bryce
The haunting violin piece is the perfect close to such a haunting album
Gerard Horneman
this track is fcking amazing, they really succeed in making images in your head somehow. if you listen very closely you can hear some awesome effects
codmaster456
My mind is totally blown. UNBELIEVABLE SONG AND A GREAT BAND!
lorndarken
this is my favorite song off this album . So damn good .
Saran Deula
The song that made me die hard fan of Carach Angren🤘
Helen Ulloa
They always leave me speechless <3