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.
Behind a Sinful Shade
Faerghail Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hiding behind a sinful shade
Revealing the secrets you wanted to hide
The darkest of nights when something died
Hunt you down, shall drive you insane
Meet your maker at the end of the lane
The fears you possess shall never fade
Lay down to rest and listen those cries
Of pain and anguish when somebody dies
It tore you down made you end your life
It didn't give you strength but it gave you strife
Now come with me I will take you down
I'm the lord of lies you shall get no crown
Dream the dreams visions so dread
Cause you'll never wake up only end up dead
The lyrics of Faerghail's song "Behind a Sinful Shade" paint a picture of someone tormented by their own secrets and mistakes. The first verse describes the feeling of something tearing at the individual from within, as if a razorblade is slicing through them. They are hiding behind a "sinful shade" to conceal their shame from others, but this only exacerbates the pain they feel. The secrets they keep and the pain they carry are all-consuming, to the point that the person is haunted by their own fears and mistakes. The darkest of nights symbolizes the moment when something died inside of them, and they are left to confront the consequences.
The second verse further illustrates the inescapable nature of the individual's torment. Their fears and errors in life will never fade away, they will always be present to remind the person of their past, and the mistakes they have made. Death itself becomes a haunting presence, the cries of pain and anguish a reminder of mortality. As the individual's torment heightens, they are lead to their end by "the lord of lies" who promises only the most dreadful of visions and the prospect of an inevitable death.
Overall, the song paints a picture of someone trapped in a cycle of pain and shame, trapped by their own secrets and choices. The images of razors, darkness and haunting cries all represent the inescapable nature of this torment. Despite all of this, the song is notable for its evocative language and powerful imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
It tears you inside like a razorblade
This emotion is akin to the painful cutting of a razorblade.
Hiding behind a sinful shade
You try to hide the parts of yourself that are immoral or unethical.
Revealing the secrets you wanted to hide
Eventually your secrets will be uncovered and shared with others.
The darkest of nights when something died
A time of intense sorrow and grief when something important was lost forever.
Hunt you down, shall drive you insane
Your fears and regrets will relentlessly pursue you and cause you great mental anguish.
Meet your maker at the end of the lane
Eventually you will meet your Maker, who will judge you based on your actions in life.
The fears you possess shall never fade
Your fears will never truly disappear and will be a constant reminder of your mistakes.
Reminding you of the errors in life that you've made
Your mistakes and missteps in life will continue to haunt you.
Lay down to rest and listen those cries
When you die, you will hear the cries of those who mourn for you.
Of pain and anguish when somebody dies
The pain and sadness experienced by others when someone they love dies is immense.
It tore you down made you end your life
The pain and misery you felt were too much to bear, and you chose to end your life.
It didn't give you strength but it gave you strife
Your struggles did not make you stronger, only more burdened with struggle.
Now come with me I will take you down
The singer, likely death, is inviting you to join them in the afterlife.
I'm the lord of lies you shall get no crown
The singer, likely death, is a ruler of the underworld and you will receive no accolades or rewards there.
Dream the dreams visions so dread
Your nightmares and fears will become a reality.
Cause you'll never wake up only end up dead
You will eventually die, and will never awaken from this final sleep.
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Tokalafox
Band from my hometown hard to believe this album is 20 years old