DESPOND was created in 1995, from the ashes of the death metal band Perish… Read Full Bio ↴DESPOND was created in 1995, from the ashes of the death metal band Perished (initialy founded in 1993).

The band started exploring the doom/death metal genre, and released his first demo tape « As my Soul reaches Infinity » in 1996.
In the end of the same year, DESPOND recorded a concert in Paris (with headliner Impaled Nazarene), and the live tape album « Beheaded and Sanctified » was released in Spring 1997.

Until the end of 1998, the band toured in France and composed enough material to enter the studio and record his debut album... Unfortunately, several band members decided to leave the band for some musical reasons, only a few weeks before entering the studio.

Between 1998 and 2002, DESPOND remained the individual project of Richard Loudin, vocalist and founding member. During this period, Richard Loudin wrote and composed brand new songs, in a darker and more extreme doom metal genre.

Entitled « Supreme Funeral Oration », this album was recorded between October 2001 and July 2003, by Richard Loudin for most of the instruments (vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards) and Jonathan Thery (bass).

In August 2002, DESPOND reformed with a brand new line-up including musicians from the doom/death metal band Ataraxie, and the former DESPOND’s drummer.
Finally complete, the band played some concerts and festivals in Europe during the first half of 2003 (Doomination of Europe, Belgian Doom Night, Doom Metal Festival in London).

The debut album « Supreme Funeral Oration » was finally released in July 2003 by french label Haceldama Productions. In the same period, and after the show in London, the band parted ways and Richard Loudin is now the only member left.

2005 will be the 10 years anniversary for DESPOND...
And the band will return with a new album, so stay Doomed...

grief
Despond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Life of light from beyond
Destiny fades down, cold mourning life
Destiny fades down, cold drowning life
Eternity reigns in a black light
Soul, open wide, grief spreads
Then fills inside, deep in my mind
From this cold lair, night calls my name
Oversight, my dreams will flow and drain

I will touch the void
And drown solitary... in twilight
Downward to this forgotten soil of tears
I will die and end this existence of grief
Let me bleed for one last time
One trail of dreams inside
My skin is cold as stone in twilight
Of this ground I will taste and feel
Unhallowed and sad taste

A solitary fall in a trance

The dawn, a torture for my soul which dies in pain
Life is gone as love is dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Despond's song Grief describe an individual who is deeply affected by a personal loss, possibly the death of a loved one. The opening line "Life of light from beyond" portrays the idea of life coming to an end, as light is often associated with life. As the individual comes to terms with their grief, they feel a sense of hopelessness and despair, as though their destiny has faded away. The repetition of "Destiny fades down, cold mourning life" and "Destiny fades down, cold drowning life" further emphasizes this idea of loss.

The individual then begins to feel the weight of eternity and the idea that life will move on without their loved one, as "Eternity reigns in a black light." The pain they feel is so overwhelming that it spreads and fills them from inside out. The night calls out to them, and they face their dreams, the good and the bad, as they try to come to terms with their loss. The individual feels that they must touch the void and sink into it, as they are drowning alone in their grief. They feel forgotten, unhallowed, and sad. The pain is so intense that they long for death, to end their existence of grief. The song ends with the lines, "Life is gone as love is dead," conveying the sense of loss of someone so significant, that it feels like the end of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Life of light from beyond
This line expresses the idea of hope or positivity that seemed to exist before, but is now far away.

Destiny fades down, cold mourning life
The idea of destiny or fate becoming bleaker and darker, leading to a life that is full of sadness and grief.

Destiny fades down, cold drowning life
The repetition of the previous line drives home the point that the singer's life is becoming worse, and they feel as though they are drowning in their sorrow.

Eternity reigns in a black light
This line evokes a sense of despair and hopelessness, with eternity represented as something dark and foreboding.

Soul, open wide, grief spreads
The artist's soul is exposed and vulnerable, and the overwhelming grief and sadness that they feel is spreading and taking over.

Then fills inside, deep in my mind
The previous line is further emphasized, with the grief filling not just the singer's soul, but also their mind.

From this cold lair, night calls my name
The singer is in a dark and isolated place, where even the night seems to be calling out to them in a haunting way.

Oversight, my dreams will flow and drain
The oversight or lack of control that the artist has over their dreams, which are fleeting and drain away quickly.

I will touch the void
The artist expresses a desire to explore the emptiness or void within themselves, perhaps out of a sense of curiosity or desperation.

And drown solitary... in twilight
The artist wants to give in to their solitude and be consumed by the twilight, or the darkness that is around them.

Downward to this forgotten soil of tears
The singer is descending further into despair, represented by a soil that is soaked with tears and forgotten by others.

I will die and end this existence of grief
The artist has given up on life, and sees death as the only way to escape their overwhelming grief and sadness.

Let me bleed for one last time
The singer wants to feel something, even if it is pain or sorrow, one last time before they die.

One trail of dreams inside
Despite everything, the singer still holds onto one final hope or dream, but it is dwindling and disappearing.

My skin is cold as stone in twilight
The singer's physical and emotional state are mirroring each other, with their skin feeling cold and lifeless like the environment around them.

Of this ground I will taste and feel
The artist wants to experience the physical world around them, even if it is the despair and sadness that seems to be consuming them.

Unhallowed and sad taste
The taste of the ground or the environment around them is unhallowed or cursed, and brings with it a sense of deep sadness.

A solitary fall in a trance
The singer is falling alone into a trance-like state, perhaps representing their descent into hopelessness and despair.

The dawn, a torture for my soul which dies in pain
The beginning of a new day is not a source of hope or light for the singer, but rather a source of pain and suffering as they continue to suffer.

Life is gone as love is dead
The final line of the song represents the artist's ultimate sense of loss and hopelessness, with life and love both seemingly gone forever.

Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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