Enslavement of Beauty was formed in January 1995 by Ole Alexander Myrholt (vocals & lyrics) and Tony Eugene Tunheim (guitars & composing). The band spent the subsequent years composing and recording material and thereby developed their expression.
In the summer of 1998, Enslavement of Beauty recorded the demo CD "Devilry & Temptation" which gained them a deal with Head Not Found / Voices of Wonder.
This resulted in the 1999 release "Traces o' Red" which received very positive response. In November 2000, the beauticians headed back to the studio to record their second album, "Megalomania", accompanied by drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Borknagar/Spiral Architect) and bass player Hans-Aage Holmen.
Musically the band still sounds very melodic and deeply inspired by classical music but with a sharper metal edge and a truly hell-bent rock 'n' roll attitude. Lyrically Enslavement of Beauty is more direct approach but still highly influenced by the poetic beauty of Shakespeare and De Sade's works.
I Raise My Craving Hands
Enslavement of Beauty Lyrics
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Well wounded I stuttle the crowd with my vogue lack of faith
The up and coming vendetta, the # vultures' extremes
Spruce me up with a sweet little plaything, spruce me fucking supreme
I raise my craving hands, to the image of her promised land
The succulent teenage cunt, tempteth me to exeunt
Wish me well, wish me hell...all I ever wanted was a story to tell
The absence of goals, the lack of control
The absence of goals, the lack of control
Everyone knows I should be extolled
The absence of aim and the present fame
Everyone would sell their souls to play this game
...it's the game we play...
The lyrics of Enslavement of Beauty's song I Raise My Craving Hands seem to deal with the themes of societal pressure and desire for validation. The opening lines "The Polaroid of perfection, demirep and stained with hate, well wounded I stuttle the crowd with my vogue lack of faith" paints a picture of the singer's reluctance to conform to society's ideal of perfection that is often fueled by hate and anger. The following lines, "The up and coming vendetta, the # vultures' extremes, spruce me up with a sweet little plaything, spruce me fucking supreme" appear to refer to the "up and coming" individuals in society who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals and the idea that the singer feels he/she need to be "spruced" up with something or someone to achieve their dreams.
The chorus of the song packs a powerful punch, "I raise my craving hands, to the image of her promised land, the succulent teenage cunt, tempteth me to exeunt. Wish me well, wish me hell...all I ever wanted was a story to tell" showcases how the individual in question is reaching out for an illusory vision of the "promised land," which is neither tangible nor realistic. The "succulent teenage cunt" could refer to an object of desire or validation that the singer feels would complete them. The line "wish me well, wish me hell" illustrates how the singer is confused and conflicted, as they do not know which path to take. They are merely seeking a story to tell, which would grant them their own sense of validation.
The last two lines of the song, "The absence of aim and the present fame...everyone would sell their souls to play this game, it's the game we play" sum up the singer's realization that the pursuit of fame doesn't have any real goal or aim but is merely a game that individuals play to achieve validation. In this sense, the song discusses social constructs such as societal pressure, individual goals, desires, and validation.
Line by Line Meaning
The Polaroid of perfection, demirep and stained with hate
A flawed image of perfection with a bad reputation and filled with negativity
Well wounded I stuttle the crowd with my vogue lack of faith
My lack of belief in popular trends causes a stir among the people
The up and coming vendetta, the # vultures' extremes
The upcoming attack and ruthless actions of those in power
Spruce me up with a sweet little plaything, spruce me fucking supreme
Make me appear better with a desirable accessory or item, make me look superior
I raise my craving hands, to the image of her promised land
I longingly reach out for the possibility of achieving a desired outcome
The succulent teenage cunt, tempteth me to exeunt
The attractive, young person seduces me to leave or escape
Wish me well, wish me hell...all I ever wanted was a story to tell
Whether good or bad, I just want to experience something worth telling
The absence of goals, the lack of control
No clear objective and no power to direct one's own life
The absence of aim and the present fame...
Having no purpose while still achieving recognition
The absence of goals, the lack of control
Repeating the same cycle of aimlessness and helplessness
Everyone knows I should be extolled
Everyone recognizes that I deserve praise
The absence of aim and the present fame
Achieving success without a clear direction or purpose
Everyone would sell their souls to play this game
People would do anything to achieve this level of fame and success
...it's the game we play...
This is the nature of the society we live in and the game we are forced to play
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.