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)
ruins
Dauntless Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A battle that got out of hand
To the end they stand
Exaggerated revolution takes your life
Tanks are roaring, the earth quakes
Soldiers march in a good faith
Hide your face and throw the bottle
Flames are burning down your land
From the ruins freedom rises
After everything is lost
In their minds the battle haunts
After the bodies have been counted
And then more will be found
Exaggerated revolution takes your life
Motivation vanished
Gunfire pierced their bodies
The enemy will punish
Face to face with the enemy
You aim and it fails
Face to face with the enemy
Your final breath you take
The song "Ruins" by Dauntless describes the devastation and destruction caused by war. The lyrics paint a picture of a battle that started as an attempt to achieve freedom but ended up being a doomed war where soldiers fought until the end. The first stanza of the song sets the scene, describing the forces of the land and how the battle got out of hand. The chorus then emphasizes that the revolution is exaggerated and that it takes lives.
The second stanza describes the chaos of war. Tanks roar and soldiers march in good faith. The rage of war is inevitable, and the lyrics suggest that hiding is the only way out. The chorus continues to emphasize that the revolution is exaggerated and that it takes lives. The bridge talks about the aftermath of war. Bodies are counted, and more continue to be discovered. The battle haunts the minds of soldiers who survived.
The last stanza describes the end of the war, where motivation is lost, gunfire pierces bodies, and the enemy punishes. The final lines depict the face-to-face encounter with the enemy, where one's aim fails, and the final breath is taken. Overall, the lyrics describe the brutal reality of war, how it destroys everything in its path, and how it leaves ruins in its wake.
Line by Line Meaning
Forces of the doomed land
The soldiers of a land facing certain defeat
A battle that got out of hand
What started as a battle turned into a bloody and uncontrolled mess
To the end they stand
Despite knowing they may not survive, they remain standing until it's over
Exaggerated revolution takes your life
The grand notions of revolution and change are often unrealistic and lead to death and destruction
Tanks are roaring, the earth quakes
The ground shakes with the force of a massive military campaign
Soldiers march in a good faith
The soldiers believe in their cause and have faith in their leaders
The rage of war they'll face
They are about to confront the full fury and horror of war
Hide your face and throw the bottle
In times of chaos and destruction, desperation can lead to reckless and futile gestures
Flames are burning down your land
The destruction of war extends beyond just the battlefields
From the ruins freedom rises
Although it may be difficult to see in the moment, sometimes great change can emerge from the ashes of destruction
After everything is lost
Often the realization that everything has been lost is what spurs people to fight for something better
In their minds the battle haunts
The trauma of war will stay with the soldiers long after it's over
After the bodies have been counted
The stark reality of the death toll sinks in once the fighting stops
And then more will be found
Even after the initial count, there may still be more casualties to discover
Motivation vanished
Despite their earlier faith and resolve, the soldiers' motivation has disappeared in the face of so much loss
Gunfire pierced their bodies
The physical reality of injury and death is brutal and unyielding
The enemy will punish
The consequences of defeat can be dire, even for those who survive
Face to face with the enemy
The personal and intense nature of hand-to-hand combat
You aim and it fails
Sometimes no matter how hard you try or how much you want something, it just doesn't work out
Your final breath you take
In the end, the only thing that is certain is death, and sometimes it comes too soon
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
petsku hopo
parhautta maan päällä
sakemmat
Parhautta.