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 Tukkimäki left the band and was shortly after replaced by Olli Määttä, 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 Määttä, bass (2005-current)
Arto Vesander , drums (2008-current)
Former members:
Ari Nieminen, vocals (2002-2009)
Tuomo Tukkimäki,bass (1991-2005)
Santeri Salmi, drums (1991-2008)
Suffocated Voice
Dauntless Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leaders and their followers
They plant the seed of hate
Give them all your money left
Relax, enjoy the show
Blood unites without a fight
Shoot them all in the neck
We all must play a part
Do your daily work, no need to be concerned
Don't ask how many years still left
Just vote for death
Our nature craves for war
Gather your troops and execute the world
Suffocated voice beyond your idiot box
Screen after screen you fail to
Read between the lines
The lyrics to Dauntless's song Suffocated Voice paint a picture of a society that is apathetic and complacent as their leaders and followers plant the seed of hate and blood unites without a fight. The truth is kept in a box as the people are told to relax and enjoy the show. They are instructed not to ask how many years are left and to just vote for death.
The lyrics then take a darker turn as the band states that our nature craves for war and that we should gather our troops and execute the world. Throughout the song, there is a sense of cynicism and anger as the band critiques society's role in not standing up against injustices and being passive in the face of corruption.
The final lines of the song are a call to action, urging listeners to break free from the cycle of being suffocated by their idiot boxes and to read between the lines. The song is a powerful commentary on the dangers of blind obedience and the importance of speaking out against injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaders and their followers
People in power and the people who follow them
They plant the seed of hate
They sow division and promote hate
Give them all your money left
They want all of your money, even if it leaves you with nothing
Relax, enjoy the show
They want you to be complacent and passive while they do as they please
Blood unites without a fight
Violence brings people together without struggle
The truth is in the box
The truth is hidden and controlled by those in power
Shoot them all in the neck
Violent oppression is the solution
We all must play a part
We are all actors in the system of oppression
Do your daily work, no need to be concerned
They want you to be content with your mundane existence, and not question the world around you
Don't ask how many years still left
Life is short and not worth pondering
Just vote for death
Voting is not meaningful, and we are all destined for death
Our nature craves for war
Humanity is naturally drawn to violence and conflict
Gather your troops and execute the world
The only way to achieve lasting peace is through violence and domination
Suffocated voice beyond your idiot box
The truth is being suppressed and overlooked by mainstream media
Screen after screen you fail to
We continue to be fooled and manipulated by what we see on our screens
Read between the lines
We must look beyond the surface-level information presented to us and seek the hidden truth
Contributed by Abigail V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.