Faerghail was formed in the summer of 1995 by Kai Lehtinen (guitars), Petri Moisio (bass) and Tomi Kangassalo (drums) in order to play somekind of melodic metal. In the autumn of 1995 Jussi Ranta and Tuomas Murtojärvi joined the band as session members and with this line-up Faerghail recorded the first demo tape titled “In Dreamful Supremacy” which was released in January 1996. The demo was recorded with a 4-tracker and the sounds were really awful, however the songs were quite good and “In Dreamful Supremacy” gained rather positive feedback. Soon after the release of “In Dreamful Supremacy” Jussi and Tuomas became full members of Faerghail, Jussi as a vocalist and synth player and Tuomas as a 2nd guitarist.
After the release of the first demo the band practised a lot and wrote new material for the next release, and in August 1996 Faerghail entered Akaan MR-Studios to record four new songs. The tape was sent to Sorrowmoon Records and they were very interested in releasing the new marerial as a cassette-ep and so Faerghail had its first deal on its hands. But after a while the boss of Sorrowmoon Records decided to quit the whole label and so Faerghail had no label to release the new material. Fortunately Martin from Sorrowmoon Records had sent the tape to Dark Moon Productions and they were interested in releasing the material so the Faerghail’s second release “Dark Oceans Calm” saw the light of the day after all.This time the sounds were much better and also the band’s performance had improved quite a lot. “Dark Oceans Calm” was sent to some record labels and after a while Faerghail signed a deal with Belgian Shiver Record for two full-length albums.
Faerghail started to write new material for the first full-length album and this time Akaan MR-Studios was booked for four days. During 10.-13.4.1997 Faerghail recorded and mixed the new material. Everything seemed to be great and the new album was supposed to be released by the end of 1997. The artwork for the album caused a few months of delay and the release was postponed to the spring of 1998. Due to problems with the record label the releasing of Faerghail’s first album was delayed approximately two years. However “Horizon’s Fall” was released in 1999. The album had eight new songs and four songs from “Dark Oceans Calm” as bonus tracks. After some time Kai decided to concentrate on his other bands and left Faerghail. The band didn’t want to take any new members so Petri took guitar as his main instrument and due to the fact that Faerghail isn’t playing any gigs he was also able to play all the bass parts.
While waiting for the releasing of the first album Faerghail had a lot of time to write and rehearse new songs for the second full-length album and this time the material was so much better than anything else before that it was very clear from the beginning that this time the recording and mixing would be done at more professional studio than before. So after the new songs were written and rehearsed Faerghail entered Astia-Studios to record the second full-length album. The new album was recorded during 15.-20.1.2000 by Anssi Kippo and Jussi Jauhiainen and the results were something Faerghail had experienced never before.
The record label had some problems once again and this time Faerghail didn’t want to wait too long with the next release so after material for an MCD was written and rehearsed and Finnish Northern Sound Records was willing to release it, the band booked Astia-Studios once again. Before entering the studio it was clear that Tomi didn’t have enough time to concentrate on the band and so he decided to leave Faerghail. The studio was booked and the band had no drummer but fortunately Pekka Koponen was willing to be Faerghail’s session drummer. New material was recorded during July 2000 and once again the results were better than ever before. Faerghail’s MCD “Blood Will Follow Blood” was released.
After the delays also the new full-length album saw daylight and so Faerghail had two records out within a rather short period of time.
In the beginning of 2001 Faerghail had an opportunity to shoot a music video and so in April 2001 a music video for “...kun veri peittää maan” was shot.
After the video shoot Faerghail had a little break but after a while the band started writing new material for the next release. Pekka Koponen is bacame a full member of the band but he switched from drums to synth and Jussi decided to just taka care of the vocal duties.
In the late 2004 Pekka Koponen decided that he didn't want to be a member of Faerghail anymore. The reason was simply the lack of interest in playing with Faerghail, so there was no personal disagreements involved.
As I Wither Away
Faerghail Lyrics
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“In dusk's fading lightâ€
Slowly I wither in my growing loneliness
Like a flower in the summer's dawn
Where is the beauty of your soft, pale skin
As I drown in the shadows of past
Slowly drifting away from you
As I mourn my loss of life
Oh, how I grieve…
“Watching as the snow falls downâ€
And the shadows as they dance on the walls
“At last, we're together as oneâ€
My funeral… has begun
Alone I have lived, alone I will die
With you… my life…
Forgotten…
Without you…
The song "As I Wither Away" by Faerghail tells the story of a person who is suffering from the pain of a lost love. The opening lines state the singer's mourning for the separation from their lover with a reference to a "graven kiss". The next few lines talk about how the loneliness is taking away their life slowly, like a flower fading away. The singer then wonders where the beauty of their lover's skin has gone as they are trapped in the shadows of the past.
The second verse talks about how the singer is gradually moving away from their lover, screaming in agony as they face emptiness. They are mourning the loss of their life as they see it now. This is followed by a reference to snowfall and shadows dancing on the wall, creating the imagery of the end of life. The song ends with the singer accepting that they have lived alone and will eventually die alone, along with their brokenheartedness.
Overall, the song is a story of loss, despair, and acceptance. The lyrics show the pain that comes with heartbreak and how it can slowly take over a person's life. The sense of loneliness is intense, and the characteristic imagery used to convey the message is powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, how I grieve your graven kiss
I feel immense sadness and sorrow for the loss of your affectionate kiss
“In dusk's fading light”
As darkness approaches, my emotions become more intense
Slowly I wither in my growing loneliness
Gradually, my soul is weakened by the vast emptiness I feel
Like a flower in the summer's dawn
I too am wilting away, just like a delicate flower withers at the break of day
Where is the beauty of your soft, pale skin
I lament not being able to see and appreciate the beauty of your skin anymore
As I drown in the shadows of past
My mind is consumed by the memories of our past together
Slowly drifting away from you
I feel myself becoming more distant from you as time passes
Screams of anguish in emptiness
I cry and scream in despair, searching for a way to fill the emptiness in my heart
As I mourn my loss of life
I'm grieving the part of me that died with our relationship
“Watching as the snow falls down”
I observe the beautiful snowfall, but it somehow makes me feel more alone
And the shadows as they dance on the walls
The moving shadows on the walls represent the fleetingness of life and the inevitability of death
“At last, we're together as one”
Our final goodbye has united us in death, as we can't be together in life
My funeral… has begun
I am slowly dying inside, and this funeral is symbolic of my final farewell
Alone I have lived, alone I will die
I have been alone for some time, and I'll remain so for the rest of my life
With you… my life…
With you in my life, I felt alive and complete
Forgotten…
Without you, I feel forgotten and insignificant
Without you…
Your absence has left me feeling lost and empty
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.