While information about the band's membership has never been officially confirmed (apart from Shaxul being known as the band's first vocalist), it is generally believed that Deathspell Omega was created by Hasjarl as a side project before Hirilorn broke up. After Hirilorn split, it is believed that Shaxul, Hasjarl and Khaos created Deathspell Omega, with Hasjarl's brother (no known pseudonym) on drums. Eventually, Shaxul is confirmed to have left due to his distaste for the band moving towards Orthodox Satanism, and is believed to have been replaced by Mikko Aspa on vocals. Apart from Shaxul's identity, there are no official sources for any of this, however; much of the information about the remaining membership appears to be based on correspondence with Shaxul himself, and it's speculated that additional musicians may appear on some of the band's work since he left. The band gave no interviews between 2004 (for Ajna Offensive) and 2019 (for Bardo Methodology); although the band has consistently taken pains to conceal its members' identities, the interviews are quite candid explications of the band's ideologies and mindsets at the times the interviews were given. The Bardo interview also addresses an ideological chasm in the band between the "French core" of the band and "parts of the second circle", which is presumed to refer to Aspa's involvement in the project; Aspa has noted associations with authoritarian political movements. The band gave another interview in 2020 with Roy Kristensen for the website Cult Never Dies in which they elaborated further on some of their ideas.
The Long Defeat, as of this writing Deathspell Omega's most recent release, reflects something of a shift in stylistic focus, as it brings the slower, more melodic elements that had shown up occasionally across the band's prior two decades of work (e.g., "Carnal Malefactor", "Apokatastasis pantôn", "Salowe Vision") to the forefront. It also clearly features several vocalists, although the exact number and which parts they perform remains a matter of conjecture. (Common conjectures include Aspa, Daniel Rostén of Funeral Mist and Marduk, Spica of S.V.E.S.T., M. of Mgła, and Silenius of Abigor and Summoning.) Lyrically, the album is centred around an allegorical fable about techno-capitalism and humanity's despoilment of nature, featuring a silhouette who represents a corruptible man, several beasts, and Satan in the form of a gigantic, diseased black poodle; many of the themes addressed in the Bardo Methodology and Cult Never Dies interviews reappear in the album and its accompanying fable. In addition to these, the album also features a two-metre-long mural addressing many of the same themes. The fable ends with the phrase "To Be Continued", suggesting that it is the first part of a longer work.
Hasjarl is the owner of End All Life Productions and one of the main forces behind Norma Evangelium Diaboli. Mikko Aspa is the owner of Northern Heritage Records and Freak Animal Records (power electronics label), and is also believed to own a progressive rock label called Totuuden Sarvi Levyt. Shaxul (ex-member) is the owner of Legion of Death Records.
In December 2015, the band launched a Bandcamp site.
Major releases:
1999 - Disciples of the Ultimate Void (demo, later re-released as part of Infernal Battles)
2000 - Sob a lua do bode / Demoniac Vengeance (split with Moonblood)
2000 - Infernal Battles
2001 - split with Clandestine Blaze
2002 - split with Mütiilation
2002 - Inquisitors of Satan
2004 - Si monumentum requires, circumspice
2005 - From the Entrails to the Dirt (four-way split with Malicious Secrets, Antaeus, and Mütiilation)
2005 - Kénôse (EP)
2005 - Crushing the Holy Trinity (six-way split with Stabat mater, Musta surma, Clandestine Blaze, Mgła, and Exordium)
2007 - Fas - ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum
2008 - Veritas diaboli manet in aeternum: Chaining the Katechon (EP, also released on vinyl as part of a split with S.V.E.S.T.)
2008 - Mass Grave Aesthetics (EP, originally released in 2005 on From the Entrails to the Dirt)
2008 - Manifestations 2000-2001 (compilation of previously released material from Mütiilation split, Moonblood split, and Black Metal Blitzkrieg multi-artist compilation)
2008 - Manifestations 2002 (previously unreleased album)
2010 - Paracletus
2011 - Diabolus absconditus (EP, originally released in 2005 on Crushing the Holy Trinity)
2012 - Drought (EP)
2016 - The Synarchy of Molten Bones
2019 - The Furnaces of Palingenesia
2022 - The Long Defeat
Note that the material from the Clandestine Blaze split from 2001 contains material not on any of the other above releases. There are also two untitled, comprehensive vinyl box sets, one a five-LP set compiling all the material from the Shaxul era (2000-2002; LP 1: Infernal Battles, LP 2: Inquisitors of Satan, LP 3: Manifestations 2000-2001, LP 4: Manifestations 2002, LP 5: Deathspell side of Clandestine Blaze split) released in 2009 and the other a seven-LP set compiling all the material from the Mikko Aspa era's "trilogy" and related releases (2004-2012; LPs 1-2: Si monumentum requires, circumspice; LP 3: Kénôse; LP 4: Diabolus absconditus/Mass Grave Aesthetics; LP 5: Fas - ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum; LP 6: Chaining the Katechon/Drought; LP 7: Paracletus) released in 2012.
Phosphene
Deathspell Omega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have you beheld the darkness sitting upon the earth
Overshadowing the wind rose, lost in the smoke?
Thus many went astray at once
The others wandered hazardously though endless mazes
The rays of the sun whisper of a newborn fright
And very few horrors in the world could match in terror
The cruelty of that frozen caress and its fragrant secret in blossom
Thy bend their tongues with a long drawn sigh
Licking among the vilest ordure a few drops of hopeful water
They bend their tongues for this divine balm
Remains of an aborted covenant gone astray in desert waste
The bleak sterility of these buds belies their fragrance
A pestilence that permeates the vastest plains with frightful odors
Among these foetid marshes wanes the echo of a promise
Hope stumbles amidst the solitary shades and lose substance
Facing the glowing darkness whilst ravens croak for doom
The other worlds on high sent us a harbinger
Ignis ardéns – He breathed on them
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
Assailli par les myriades fourmillantes des phosphenes célestes
On se recueillait dans le silence de son depart
The lyrics to Deathspell Omega's "Phosphene" are dense and require close attention to fully interpret their meaning. The song opens with the line, "Rejoice, for tonight it is a world that we bury!" which sets a tone of destruction and finality. The darkness sitting upon the earth is described as overshadowing the wind rose, which represents direction, and is lost in the smoke. The imagery suggests confusion and disorientation, with many going astray at once and others wandering hazardously through endless mazes.
The next lines speak of the sun's rays whispering of a newborn fright and the terror of the frozen caress and its fragrant secret in blossom. These lines are highly metaphorical and could refer to a number of things, such as a catastrophic event or the revelation of something deeply disturbing. The following lines speak of people licking hopeful water from among vile ordure and searching for a divine balm, suggesting a search for comfort and relief in the midst of chaos and despair.
The bleak sterility of the buds that belie their fragrance and the foetid marshes that permeate the vastest plains with frightful odors add to the sense of decay and decay. Hope stumbles amidst solitary shades and loses substance, while facing the glowing darkness and the ravens croak for doom. The final lines speak of being assaulted by the celestial phosphenes and seeking refuge in the silence of departure.
Line by Line Meaning
Rejoice, for tonight it is a world that we bury!
We should feel happy tonight as we are putting an end to this world
Have you beheld the darkness sitting upon the earth
Have you witnessed the overpowering darkness enveloping the earth?
Overshadowing the wind rose, lost in the smoke?
The darkness is covering the wind rose and it's difficult to navigate through it.
Thus many went astray at once
Consequently, many have lost their way at the same time.
The others wandered hazardously though endless mazes
Others are wandering aimlessly through dangerous paths.
The rays of the sun whisper of a newborn fright
The sun's rays hint at the presence of a new terror.
And very few horrors in the world could match in terror
There are only a handful of fears in the world that can match this level of terror.
The cruelty of that frozen caress and its fragrant secret in blossom
The frigid touch is cruel but has a hidden, pleasant fragrance.
Thy bend their tongues with a long drawn sigh
They're sullenly lapping up a few drops of hope from the corrupt water.
Licking among the vilest ordure a few drops of hopeful water
They're trying to find some hope in the filthiest of places.
They bend their tongues for this divine balm
They take this little bit of hope as something divinely inspired.
Remains of an aborted covenant gone astray in desert waste
This hope is just the remnants of a lost agreement wandering in the wilderness.
The bleak sterility of these buds belies their fragrance
There's more to the fragrance of these withered flowers than their dismal appearance portrays.
A pestilence that permeates the vastest plains with frightful odors
This fatal plague is spreading along vast areas, emitting a putrid smell.
Among these foetid marshes wanes the echo of a promise
The swamps where this awful disease is thriving used to echo with the promise of something better.
Hope stumbles amidst the solitary shades and lose substance
Hope is losing its substance and strength in the darkness.
Facing the glowing darkness whilst ravens croak for doom
Standing in front of the shining darkness, the crows call out for the end.
The other worlds on high sent us a harbinger
Other worlds have sent us a messenger.
Ignis ardéns – He breathed on them
Ignis ardéns - the Holy Spirit - breathed on the individuals.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
As a result, they were all blessed with the Holy Ghost.
Assailli par les myriades fourmillantes des phosphenes célestes
Overwhelmed by the teeming masses of celestial phosphenes.
On se recueillait dans le silence de son depart
We took solace in the silence of his departure.
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.