The third demo, "Cold I Am", was released in 1998, and the band felt their line-up needed a second guitarist. The post was taken by Riku Katainen. In 1999 they recorded another demo called "Inhumankind". They made a couple of successful shows (including one in the national band contest) and quickly earned their reputation as an aggressive live act. However, the Finnish army intervened the plot and the band was forced to recharge their batteries until early 2002.
In summer 2002 the band was ready to record their fifth demo, but this time they decided to try it out with another lead vocalist. Ari Nieminen (ex-Caledonian) impressed them at the first rehearsal and the search promptly ended. Coming to the end of the year, the demo "Modern Ways Of Discipline" was released and the first offers for a record contract were received. None were accepted, however. In 2003 another series of successful shows followed, including the afterclub of Tuska Open Air metal festival.
Summer 2004 saw the band recording their sixth demo. "Ruins MMIV" and the video clip of the song "Ruins" gathered interest from many directions and supposedly more unreasonable record contracts were offered. The band was chosen as the demo band of the month in Inferno. But Dauntless was still without decent record deal.
In 2005 the original bass player Tuomo TukkimƤki left the band and was shortly after replaced by Olli MƤƤttƤ, who stood his trial at the afterclub of Tuska (it was the second time Dauntless played there). The seventh demo "Obey - Erase - Obey" was released, and the band once again returned to their persistent quest for a decent record deal.
Finally finnish label Firebox Records signed Dauntless, and sent them to the studio in late 2006 to record their debut album Execute the Fact. The album compiled some of their most wanted songs from the demo times with a few unheard ones, surpassing everything Dauntless had made so far. Execute the Fact was released in 2007.
After the release of Execute the Fact Dauntless spent a year sparsely on the road, already building up plans for their next full-length album. In 2008, however, they mutually cancelled their agreement with Firebox Records and started looking for another label. This time it wasn't so hard. Newly founded Full Metal Records, also from Finland, took interest in the band and signed Dauntless.
During the process of recording Death Row Poet , the long-time drummer Santeri Salmi left his seat to pursue his other interests; meaning that he will most probably be involved on the next Dauntless album as an engineer. His replacement, Arto Vesander, was immediately found from among close friends.
Their second album, Death Row Poet, was released 25.2.2009.
Demos released:
Face the Fact (1995)
Prophecy... (1996)
Cold I Am (1998)
Inhumankind (1999)
Modern Ways of Discipline (2002)
Ruins MMIV (2004)
Obey - Erase - Obey (2005)
Current members:
Riku Katainen, lead guitar (1998-current)
Sami Helle, guitar (1991-current)
Olli MƤƤttƤ, bass (2005-current)
Arto Vesander , drums (2008-current)
Former members:
Ari Nieminen, vocals (2002-2009)
Tuomo TukkimƤki,bass (1991-2005)
Santeri Salmi, drums (1991-2008)
Abuse
Dauntless Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fucked up in mind
Perfect outside
A living lie
Cold I am, greed and sham
Burning hole in my soul
Sign yourself - mental help
Dissipate my soul
Lies have been told
One thing in our mind: abuse
Wide open mind
Crime against life
Abuse is real
Yeah, don't you feel
The lyrics of Dauntless's song "Abuse" delve into the intense emotional turmoil and struggle of a person impacted by abuse. The lyrics express a sense of internal chaos and struggle, with the singer feeling both "freaked down inside" and "fucked up in mind." Despite this internal strife, however, the person appears to present outwardly as "perfect," creating a stark contrast between their inner turmoil and external presentation. The lyrics also explore the theme of abuse more broadly, referencing the idea that abuse leaves a "burning hole" in the soul, and ultimately culminating in a plea for acknowledgment that "abuse is real."
The song expresses intense emotions and experiences through evocative language and a driving beat, uniting both powerful instrumentation and poignant lyrics to create a visceral listening experience. Overall, the song addresses themes of abuse - whether it be mental, emotional or physical - and the effect it can have on an individual mentally, emotionally and physically as they grapple with what has happened to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Freaked down inside
Internally broken, suffering
Fucked up in mind
Mentally disturbed, traumatized
Perfect outside
Appears flawless superficially
A living lie
Living a false life, pretending
Cold I am, greed and sham
Emotionally detached and fake
Burning hole in my soul
An intense feeling of emptiness and despair
Sign yourself - mental help
Seeking professional help for mental health issues
Suicide - for you
Suicide is not the solution to your problems
Dissipate my soul
My soul is losing its energy and existence
Lies have been told
Deception has been exercised
One thing in our mind: abuse
The only thing that comes to our mind is abuse
Wide open mind
Mind is open to new possibilities and experiences
Crime against life
An offense that harms one's existence
Abuse is real
Abuse really exists and should be acknowledged
Yeah, don't you feel
Don't you feel the gravity of this issue?
Contributed by Amelia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.