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.
Witches Dance
Faerghail Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To ride the night in fullmoon's celebration
The wind has stopped it's whisper-like humming
It's calm before the storm
Forest so vast and beautiful its shades
Witnessing the dance of those once human
Now just bleak of before been
Why do they gather to that macabre dance?
Around the darkened bonfires glance
Witches dance…
“Oh, streaming winds, give me thine strength
give me thine mighty storms
I am the queen whom the light shall dread…
Enchantress from the heathen northâ€
Again it's the time of the summoning
A woman is granted with ravenwings
To fly through the skies so bright
And to land where the seas throw their might
Paths that lead to the darkest woods
See them cast their mourning spells
For those not knowing what is grace
Shall not die with witches' embrace
The song "Witches Dance" by Faerghail is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the pagan witches of ancient times. The opening line, "A black cloth of forbidden wisdom," speaks to the darkness and mystery surrounding witchcraft, which was considered taboo and even punishable by death in many cultures. The witches in the song are described as riding through the forest on the night of the full moon, celebrating their powers and communing with the spirits of nature.
As the witches dance around the bonfires, the wind dies down and the forest becomes eerily still. The lyrics suggest that the witches are summoning dark forces and casting spells, invoking their powers to control the elements and command the spirits. The stanza that begins with "Oh, streaming winds, give me thine strength" is particularly powerful, as it describes the witch as a queen who commands the elements and is feared by the forces of good.
Line by Line Meaning
A black cloath of forbidden wisdom
This black cloth holds the secrets of the forbidden knowledge that witches use to ride with the full moon's celebration.
To ride the night in fullmoon's celebration
Witches take flight with the help of the full moon.
The wind has stopped its whisper-like humming
The stillness before a storm envelops the forest and practitioners alike.
It's calm before the storm
The stillness before a storm envelops the forest and practitioners alike.
Forest so vast and beautiful its shades
The witches dance in a beautiful, extensive forest.
Witnessing the dance of those once human
The forest is watching the once human individuals dancing in witchcraft.
Now just bleak of before been
These individuals now revel in dark magic.
Shall they become what they've foreseen
The witches' vision for themselves will come to fruition.
Why do they gather to that macabre dance?
The dance is an eerie ritual that outsiders may find baffling.
Around the darkened bonfires glance
The witches stare without fear into the flickering flames of the dark, enigmatic bonfires.
Witches danceâ¦
The witches perform a macabre and otherworldly dance.
"Oh, streaming winds, give me thine strength
Oh, powerful and swift winds, lend me your strength
give me thine mighty storms
Grant me the power of mighty storms
I am the queen whom the light shall dreadâ¦
The singer identifies themselves as the queen, one feared even by the light.
Enchantress from the heathen northâ
The singer is a witch known for their prowess and ability to cast spells.
Again it's the time of the summoning
The time draws near for the gathering of witches.
A woman is granted with ravenwings
A woman is gifted the ability to fly like a raven, a common symbol of mystery and omens.
To fly through the skies so bright
To fly and travel through the night sky.
And to land where the seas throw their might
She arrives at a place of powerful waves and intense energy.
Paths that lead to the darkest woods
There are paths leading away from the open forest into ominous darkness.
See them cast their mourning spells
The witches are practicing their ancient and obscure rites.
For those not knowing what is grace
Those who do not understand the art of witchcraft and its inherent harmony will not find succor in the witches' embrace.
Shall not die with witches' embrace
Those who do not flow with the witches' grace will not be granted the peace that comes with the practice.
Contributed by Lillian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RRR AAA
00:00 In Portraits of Shadowed Life
05:34 Frostmaiden's Veil
12:18 As I Wither Away
19:20 Witches Dance
23:51 Reverie's Night
28:05 My Beloved
34:23 When Stormclouds Gather
39:07 Hämärän kutsu
45:06 Nightshades
48:24 Talven tahdon jäävän
52:36 Dark Oceans Calm
56:30 With All My Sorrows
RRR AAA
00:00 In Portraits of Shadowed Life
05:34 Frostmaiden's Veil
12:18 As I Wither Away
19:20 Witches Dance
23:51 Reverie's Night
28:05 My Beloved
34:23 When Stormclouds Gather
39:07 Hämärän kutsu
45:06 Nightshades
48:24 Talven tahdon jäävän
52:36 Dark Oceans Calm
56:30 With All My Sorrows
Alexander Rendon
Excelente aporte...
Noncho Savov
This is an incredible album - so beautiful and melodic!
Michael Greene
Incredible how few views this gem of an album has. Bought as a blind buy in 1999 for just £5. Reckoned at that price I couldn't go wrong. One of countless masterpieces from Finland. \m/
Michael Greene
@Kai Lehtinen You're very welcome Kai. Thank you for sharing the background story of the recording of the album. It definitely deserves to be better known. With no disrespect to the Last Shivering Planet Company they wouldn't have had the marketing prowess of the likes of Nuclear Blast, Century Media or Spinefarm. That what makes discovering "Horizon's Fall" and "Where Angels Dwell No More" all the more pleasing. Stay safe. \m/
Paquito Tello
Its a incredible album; amazing and brutal band....
Kevin Berstler
Incredible work! Thank you for uploading.
Alexander Rendon
Great álbum... thank you
Kai Lehtinen
Thank you for liking our album. I played in the band during 1995-1999.
Angel Forest
Un muy buen álbum..!