The band's current and former line-up has consisted of many musicians from progenital Gothenburg melodic death metal bands; Kristian Wåhlin, Johan Osterberg, and Alf Svensson were in Grotesque (a predecessor of At the Gates, who Alf would eventually join); and Daniel Svensson briefly played drums with the group before going on to major success with In Flames.
The band's most recent release was The Green Goddess (2001). Various sources differ as to band's status. However, Hans Nilsson's full-time involvement with Dimension Zero and Wåhlin's extensive contributions as an album cover artist and musician for other Scandinavian-area extreme metal bands may be attributable to the long period of no activity.
Dark Rivers of the Heart
Diabolique Lyrics
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Windows soak the tears
I am so alone without her here
The rain is thrumming on
Downward-burning flame
Don't want her to know
Heaven wept again
Dark rivers that sear
I would want her to know
How I miss her here
I am haunted by her voice
By her eyes and by her touch
Still feeling her voracious love
Though she's gone and out of reach
Dark rivers of the heart
The lyrics of Diabolique's song "Dark Rivers of the Heart" depict a sense of loneliness and longing for a lost lover. The continuous reference to rain drops on windows and tears means that the singer is overwhelmed by sorrow in the absence of his beloved. The second stanza reveals that the singer does not want his lover to know about his feelings or the fact that he misses her. The choice of words, such as "downward-burning flame" and "dark rivers that sear", suggests that the singer is consumed by pain.
The chorus of the song serves as a reminder of the memories that the singer carries with him. He is haunted by her voice, eyes, and touches, which indicates that the love was real and intense. Despite the fact that she is unable to reciprocate his feelings, he is still very much in love with her. The chorus is a metaphor for the intense suffering that comes with one-sided love, where the singer's soul finds no peace and he is unable to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain is thrumming on
The sound of the rain hitting the windows is incessant and repetitive
Windows soak the tears
The windows are collecting the rain droplets and are a reflection of the character's emotional state
I am so alone without her here
The absence of her presence is being strongly felt
Downward-burning flame
A feeling of intense, all-consuming pain that is burning inside the character
Don't want her to know
The character doesn't want to reveal the depth of their suffering to her
Heaven wept again
The rain is symbolic of Heaven crying and mourning for what has been lost
Dark rivers that sear
The character's heart is filled with intense, scorching pain that feels like a never-ending, bottomless river
I would want her to know
Despite the character's initial reluctance to reveal their feelings, they ultimately desire for her to know how much they miss her
How I miss her here
The feeling of longing for her presence is intense and all-encompassing
I am haunted by her voice
The character's memories of her are so vivid that they feel like she is still present
By her eyes and by her touch
Every detail of her physical presence still lingers in the character's mind
Still feeling her voracious love
The intensity of her love for the character is still very much present in their heart and mind
Though she's gone and out of reach
Despite her physical absence, the character's feelings for her remain unchanged
Contributed by Jayce W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.