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On November 27, 2008, Ephel Duath announced that Luciano George Lorusso had quit the band and had been replaced by professional poker player Guillermo Gonzales.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"
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Pleonasm
Ephel Duath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born through my brainful ashtray,
It stinks, pure on this laughable side.
The will to skin,
This gaping flourish encumbers.
Last, poor unforeseeable shape.
A conspirator.
I can't image another mask to surround this pigsty.
Listen,
Are there ways to limit my disappearing?
Tomorrow's decline will necessary fit together
Completeness through isolation.
My plans were different.
This is the answer to implore a patient essence.
The lyrics of Ephel Duath's "Pleonasm" depict the feeling of being trapped, overwhelmed, and suffocated by a state of confusion and incoherence. The singer describes being swallowed by something that has been born from their own chaotic "brainful ashtray." They feel trapped within a "pigsty" of their own making and struggle to find a way out of their present state. There is a sense of frustration and resignation to the situation, as if the singer has accepted their fate and is struggling to find a way out.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of isolation, as the singer questions whether there are ways to limit their disappearing and achieve completeness through isolation. This could be interpreted as a desire for solitude and introspection in order to better understand oneself and overcome the confusion and chaos within.
Overall, the lyrics of "Pleonasm" are complex and abstract, and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. They paint a picture of a mind struggling to make sense of itself, and a person searching for a way out of their own self-imposed limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been swallowed by the plaything
I am consumed by this meaningless pastime
Born through my brainful ashtray
It originated in my mind, but it's like a smelly ashtray
It stinks, pure on this laughable side
It's a bad situation and there's nothing funny about it
The will to skin
The desire to strip away
This gaping flourish encumbers
But this showy display gets in the way and makes it difficult
Last, poor unforeseeable shape
Unfortunately, the end result is ugly and unexpected
Now it's hard to end this incoherent, twisted dialogue
It's challenging to bring this confusing and convoluted conversation to a close
A conspirator
A collaborator
I can't image another mask to surround this pigsty
I can't think of any other way to hide this mess
Listen
Pay attention
Are there ways to limit my disappearing?
What can I do to stop myself from disappearing?
Tomorrow's decline will necessary fit together
The inevitable collapse of tomorrow will be cohesive
Completeness through isolation
Wholeness achieved by being alone
My plans were different
I had different intentions
This is the answer to implore a patient essence.
This is the solution to appeal to a calm and composed inner self.
Contributed by Isabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.