Ephel Duath was formed in 1998 as a two-man group and taking their name after the fictional mountain range in J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Lord of the Rings. Their debut release was Phormula, on Code666. Following Phormula's release, they signed to Elitist Records (a sub-division of Earache), and repackaged the debut with three tracks from the 1998 demo, Opera, and two remixes. The album was released in 2001 as Rephormula.
Founder Davide Tiso recruited a diverse set of musicians with backgrounds in hardcore punk, progressive rock, jazz, blues, funk and pop. The first album with this lineup was 2003's The Painter's Palette. The album showcased an unorthodox combination of hardcore punk and jazz fusion. In an interview in May 2003, Kerrang! magazine described the band as "supermodels playing The Dillinger Escape Plan".
A new album, Pain Necessary to Know, was released in late 2005. After recording the album, drummer Davide Piovesan quit the band, and was replaced first by Sergio Ponti in 2006 and then by Andrea Rabuini in 2007. Ephel Duath later dismissed bassist Fabio Fecchio, with the band stating that they would intended to remain a trio to "explore more experimental music dimensions".
On November 27, 2008, Ephel Duath announced that Luciano George Lorusso had quit the band and had been replaced by professional poker player Guillermo Gonzales. They also released a new song, Guardian, on their MySpace webpage. In January 2009, Ephel Duath released Through My Dog's Eyes, featuring drummer Marco Minnemann and The Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman. Weinman composed electronics on the song Bark Loud. On June 4, 2009, Davide Tiso announced that Ephel Duath had parted ways with Earache Records and that he was "thrilled" to be off the label.
From the band's departure from Earache until late 2011, Tiso was the sole member of Ephel Duath. He explained that this was due to the cost of hiring musicians out of his own pocket. He claimed to have received only $400 from his record label. Regarding how the financial difficulties affected the band, Tiso said that the former members of Ephel Duath "were often complaining, without even realizing how many problems I was hiding in front of their eyes. Now it's just me, and I'm pretty comfortable like this."
In November 2011, Tiso announced (via Facebook) that Ephel Duath signed with Agonia Records (Poland) for the release of an EP and two full-length albums. The EP, called On Death and Cosmos was recorded in January 2012 at Sharkbyte Studios in Oakland, California and released in the summer of 2012. Erik Rutan mixed the album at his Mana Recording Studio and Alan Douches mastered it at West West Side Music in New York. In December 2011, a new lineup was announced consisting of Karyn Crisis (Tiso's wife), Steve DiGiorgio and Marco Minnemann (who has previously worked with the band).
The band completed their fifth full length album, Hemmed by Light, Shaped by Darkness, again with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios, and released it in late 2013. The black and white cover artwork was completed by artists Dehn Sora and Aeron Alfrey.
In December of 2014, front man Davide Tiso announced the end of Ephel Duath with this statement. "Today I decided that it’s time to put Ephel Duath to rest. This beautiful beast has been my life companion for a very long time, I cannot see it struggling any longer and I decided to kill it myself. This post is a way to make peace with the idea itself and, I guess, a way to keep you part of this. For many years I felt conflicted with the idea of sharing Ephel Duath’s music with its small public, now it’s time to let go. Ephel Duath changed shape and color many times, crossing different genres and musical styles, toward the end though, it started looking too much like me and I didn’t feel like giving it to you any longer. This is the reason why this has to end, because this band mattered so much to me that I didn’t get any joy in letting it be heard and dissected by you any longer. As I’ve never really found a comfortable place for myself in this society, my music has always experienced the same problem. Ephel Duath never quite reached a large public and it never really exploited its potential. I suffered for that but what I know is that I’ve tried my very best to make this band work and I stand behind every record we released. When I started Ephel Duath I was young, naive and tremendously ambitious. Now I’m 16 years older, and still naive enough to think that songs have their own souls, I just poured too much of my own in them, and it has been brutal to let them go. A part of me was let go. A big chunk. In the end, I’m not sure it was worth it. I’ve a gift that I cherish deeply, I can talk through my guitar. It’s easy for me to distill my feelings through riffs and everything I say that way has more weight and impact than my own words. In order to keep honoring that in the future, Ephel Duath needs to die today and so it will be. Thanks for reading, I could do a long list of thanks but I choose not, now it’s my time to be ungrateful. Davide Tiso"
http://www.facebook.com/ephelduathofficial
New Disorder
Ephel Duath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Disharmony has a brilliant face.
A sinuous gait of unhappiness raises
Like this oblivion.
It's so sweet to come across my holes again.
Let it be removed to become your dress,
Disdain will be your new order.
The final turning seems to corrupt my thoughts,
I have to leave this safety
To admire all the blooming details.
Could it be possible to endure this degrading siege?
Easy to realize when the poetry is in order to end
But towards which decay will lower my eyes now?
The lyrics of Ephel Duath's song "New Disorder" present a complex and introspective reflection on the themes of disharmony, unhappiness, and decay. The opening lines suggest that in the midst of chaos and confusion, there is a certain beauty to be found in the dissonance of it all. The sinuous gait suggested in the second line conveys a sense of movement and fluidity, but also a subtle sense of unease. The phrase "Like this oblivion" is somewhat ambiguous, but could be interpreted to mean that the singer is either succumbing to the oblivion of despair or finding solace in its embrace.
The second stanza introduces the idea of a transformation of sorts. The singer seems to be urging someone to shed their current state of being - perhaps one of unhappiness or disillusionment - and to embrace a new state of being defined by "disdain." The line "Let it be removed to become your dress" suggests a certain fluidity of identity, as though "disdain" is a garment one can put on or take off at will.
The final stanza is perhaps the most cryptic. The idea of a "final turning" suggests a moment of decision, a fork in the road where one must choose a path. The singer acknowledges the corrupting power of such a turning, but also expresses a desire to leave safety behind in order to "admire all the blooming details." This perhaps suggests a willingness to embrace the complexities of life even if they are not always easy to deal with. The final two lines are perhaps the most enigmatic, as it is unclear what "decay" represents or what the singer means by "lower[ing] my eyes." Overall, the lyrics of "New Disorder" are highly impressionistic and require careful consideration to fully unpack.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally,
After a prolonged period of time
Disharmony has a brilliant face.
Conflict and disorder manifest themselves clearly in a captivating manner
A sinuous gait of unhappiness raises
A subtle and winding expression of sorrow arises
Like this oblivion.
Similar to the state of being completely forgotten
It's so sweet to come across my holes again.
It is pleasing to revisit one's own deficiencies
Let it be removed to become your dress,
Allow it to be removed in order to become a part of one's identity
Disdain will be your new order.
Scorn and contempt will become the basis of one's actions
The final turning seems to corrupt my thoughts,
The last change or transformation appears to negatively impact one's thinking
I have to leave this safety
I must depart from a familiar and secure situation
To admire all the blooming details.
To appreciate all the intricacies and nuances that are flourishing
Could it be possible to endure this degrading siege?
Is it conceivable to withstand this demoralizing attack?
Easy to realize when the poetry is in order to end
Simple to understand when the artistic expression is designed to conclude
But towards which decay will lower my eyes now?
However, which state of decline will I succumb to next?
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.