The band draws inspiration from nature as some of the album titles reveal. Consequently, Empyrium are often referred to as a dark folk band, expressing in their music (most conspicuously in the last two albums) sentiments akin to those expressed by some other 'legislators' of the genre, as Forseti, Orplid, and Ulver (Kveldssanger). Connoisseurs of dark folk will mention that many of Empyrium's compositions are true representatives of the genre, as, for instance, Dying Brokenhearted, The Shepherd and the Maiden Ghost ("Where At Night..."), Heimwärts, Waldpoesie, Die Schwäne im Schilf ("Weiland"). Intricately woven and always impregnated with an exquisite wistfulness or profound, remorseful sadness (Dying Brokenhearted), these compositions may be regarded as a manifesto of the dark-folkloristic gloomy and pantheistic Weltanschauung. The lyrics are mostly in English, though in Weiland only German is performed. Like the Norwegian black metal band Burzum, Empyrium also used Theodor Kittelsen's drawing on one of their album covers (Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays).
The sound on their first two albums, "A Wintersunset..." and "Songs of Moors and Misty Fields", following a demo entitled "...Der wie ein Blitz vom Himmel fiel..." can be described as a mixture of folk, doom metal and dark metal with large emphasis on symphony. These albums focus highly on creating a melancholic atmosphere. Utilizing both harsh and clean operatic male vocals with slow-mid paced melody-driven guitar work, beautiful strings and synthesizers, melancholic and atmospheric are truly the best words two describe these releases.
The following two albums, "Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays" and "Weiland" are acoustic, display a constantly heavier neofolk influence. Instead of keyboards, the band switched to acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitars, violins, cellos and the flute. Operatic male vocals are still used, and in Weiland the band uses choir vocals and the piano. Though the music still remains dark and melancholic, Empyrium's music has largely moved away from heavy metal. Many people consider these two albums to be the apex of Empyrium's skill and some accomplishment of the band's - or rather Schwadorf's goal.
After their 2002 album, "Weiland", the band decided to stop recording. As Schwadorf himself put it, "Empyrium has explored nature-mystics since 1994, and after 8 years we feel to move on and made a glorious farewell to the concept with Weiland".
In August 2006, Empyrium's label, Prophecy Productions, announced publicly for the first time that a new album was going to be released in late November the same year. Called A Retrospective, it is a look back on the history of the band. Aside from ten remastered tracks from their previous albums, it contains a re-recorded version of The Franconian Woods In Winter's Silence from the album "A Wintersunset...", as well as two new tracks in the neofolk style of late Empyrium (Der Weiher and Am Wolkenstieg). The sixty-page booklet provides an extensive account of the musical influences of the band, and how Empyrium has changed over the years. The album leaked onto the Internet in early November 2006.
On September 17, 2010, Prophecy Productions and Schwadorf personally announced that the band had reunited and revealed plans to release a new album soon, beside contributing to the label's upcoming v/a compilation "Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings".
The Days Before the Fall
Empyrium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the saddened will "be gone"
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Fight with our hearts and oceans (?)
and seed with songs unsung,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
when winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the silent were begone,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall...
The lyrics of Empyrium's "The Days Before The Fall" evoke a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era when things were simpler and full of magic. The first two lines describe a withered landscape where the sun no longer holds any warmth and the nights are soft and cloudless. The phrase "the saddened will 'be gone'" could suggest that those who were once saddened are now gone, perhaps hinting at a kind of cleansing or renewal that took place. The winds, which "lays in forest," add to the melancholic atmosphere.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the people who once inhabited this world, fighting with their hearts and oceans, and sowing seeds with unsung songs. The line "the times were full of magic" emphasizes the sense of wonder and possibility that once existed. The phrase "the winds did lays in forest" is repeated, emphasizing the importance of nature in this world. The eerie sweetness of the dawn serves as a reminder of what has been lost.
The final verse brings the song full circle, repeating the same imagery as the first verse. The sweetness is gone, replaced by "hacks" (perhaps meaning wounds or scars) and water that restrains. The phrase "silently we wallow in memory of the day" encapsulates the mood of the song, as it mourns what has been lost and longs for a return to the days before the fall.
Line by Line Meaning
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
Travel through old, barren days where the sun no longer shines with the same intensity and vitality.
the nights were soft and cloudless,
Even though daytime is harsh, the nights were peaceful, serene and there's no problem to worry about.
the saddened will "be gone"
Those who were melancholic, upset, and distressed will no longer exist
and winds did lays in forest,
The wind blew softly through the forest
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
Every morning was eerie and strange; everything had changed, and there was an eerie but pleasant sweetness in the air.
in days before the fall.
This was all before everything came crashing down, before things turned for the worse.
Fight with our hearts and oceans (?),
We faced challenges with our hearts and fought them like massive, powerful waves in the ocean.
the times were full of magic
The era was full of wonder, enchantment, and mystery.
and seed with songs unsung,
Many ideas, songs, and dreams were left unfulfilled, and never saw the light of day.
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
The sweetness and magic of that time are now gone, and impossible to recreate; they are washed away by the tides of time like water flowing downstream.
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
We remember those days with sadness and mourn in silence for what we have lost.
the silent were begone,
Those who were quiet or unheard of have vanished, left behind by time
and winds did lays in forest,
The wind still blows gently through the forest, reminding us of the past and what has been lost.
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
The eerie but pleasant sensation of the dawn still lingers, offering a bittersweet memory of what used to be.
in days before the fall...
All of this happened before things fell apart, and we lost something irreplaceable.
Contributed by Alexander O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Just NotMe
LYRICS:
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the saddened will "be gone"
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Fight with our hearts and oceans (?)
the times were full of magic
and seed with songs unsung,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
when winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the silent were begone,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall...
Songwriter: Markus Stock
painhatedark
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
when winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the silent were begone,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall...
ee ee
Geceler, ne zaman ki kalbimiz ve okyanuslar gençti
Zamanlar büyüyle doluydu
Ve tohum duyulmamış şarkılarla
Ve rüzgarlar ormana uzandı
Ve şafak esrarengiz tatlılıkla doluydu
Çöküşten önceki günlerde
Tatlılık, darbeler, şimdi su zapt ediyor
Ve günün anısına yuvarlanıyoruz sessizce
Rüzgarlar ormana uzandığında
Ve şafak esrarengiz tatlılıkla dolduğunda
Çöküşten önceki günlerde
Solmuş günlere, parlamayan güneşe bin
Geceler yumuşak ve bulutsuzdu
Sessizler yitip gitmişti
Ve rüzgarlar ormana uzandı
Ve şafak esrarengiz tatlılıkla doluydu
Çöküşten önceki günlerde
Just NotMe
LYRICS:
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the saddened will "be gone"
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Fight with our hearts and oceans (?)
the times were full of magic
and seed with songs unsung,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
when winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the silent were begone,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall...
Songwriter: Markus Stock
ItsNotaTuhmah
This is the only song of the album that sounds 100% Empyrium.
Amanda Nödtveidt
Magnifico!!!!!!!!!!
nlvdx
Keşke hayatından çıkardığın kadar kolay aklından da çıkarabilseydin. Bazı şeyler kolay olmuyor önceden her gün konuştuğun insanla yüz yüze gelip tek kelime etmemek. Her ne kadar kızsam da üzülsem de özledim işte bunu okuyorsan zaten diyecek bir şey kalmamıştır.
painhatedark
kalbime saplanan hançer değil nefesimdi aslında. farkındalıktı ilk günahım. melankolinin o tılsımına dokunduğum an, zamana meydan okuyan buzullar gibi hissettim üşüyen ruhumun derinliklerinde. şimdi her şey sadece bir hiç. ve bu hiçlik anaforunda ruhumu kusuyorum. sessiz gözyaşlarıma hapsettiğim yalnızlığımla beraber.
Francisca Sandoval
Awesome!!!
CRIS BUSTAMANTE PS4
Bueno !! 👏👏👏
İrem Sena Arıcıoğlu
😻
Marília Santana
"Light were our hearts and notions were young
The times were full magic and secret songs unsung
And winds did laze in forests and all
was filled with airy sweetness in days before the fall"
painhatedark
The sweetness, the hacks, now water restrain,
and silently we wallow in memory of the day,
when winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall.
Ride withered days unfiring the sun,
the nights were soft and cloudless,
the silent were begone,
and winds did lays in forest,
and dawn was filled with eerie sweetness
in days before the fall...