In the beginning of 1998 Johan Svensson showed interest in the band and joined on guitar/bass. This new line-up didn’t last long since we had different aims and after some months Forest of Shadows was once again a one-man band. After Johan’s departure I started to redo the recordings of the old songs and in may 1998 the same four songs were released on the first real demo, titled “The Silent Cry”. During the release of the demo I got in contact with a friend of a friend, Micce Andersson, who found my band interesting and wanted to help me out. Almost instantly we wrote the opening riff of “Eternal Autumn” and started discussing some old songs to re-record.
In the beginning of 1999 we contacted Katatonia and asked them if we could do a cover of their masterpiece “Rainroom”. They approved and we recorded the song as well as a new version of “The Silent Cry”. In may 1999, a year after the release of the first demo, we released a promo called “promotion-cd 1999” which featured these two song. The intention of the promo was to show our new direction and sound which was a success since we recieved good critics from both friends and zines. We were really satisfied with what we had accomplished and ready to take it all a step further.
To read more, please visit: www.forestofshadows.com
Eternal Autumn
Forest of Shadows Lyrics
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Amidst falling leaves I had found my beloved bloodstained and pale
Falling into the forever so silent
Aware of my presence she turned towards me her agonizing stare
One last breath and she whispered
Everything dies before my tearfilled eyes
Dead and silent, a golden leaf of autumn
Falling before my tearfilled eyes
This eternal autumn
So silent
So silent
The lyrics of "Eternal Autumn" by Forest of Shadows depict a haunting scene of death and loss. The singer comes across their beloved among falling leaves, bloodstained and pale, leading to the realization of their tragic demise. The image of the falling leaves serves as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. The final lines of the chorus, "Dead and silent, a golden leaf of autumn / Falling before my tearfilled eyes / This withering beauty / This eternal autumn / So silent / So silent," reinforces the idea that death is a natural part of the cyclical nature of life, just like the changing of the seasons.
Throughout the song, the mood is one of melancholy and resignation – the singer acknowledges that "everything dies" and there is a sense of finality in the way that the story is told. The use of descriptive language to convey the physical state of the singer's beloved – "bloodstained and pale," "agonizing stare" – adds a visceral quality to the lyrics and emphasizes the tragedy of the situation. Overall, "Eternal Autumn" is a beautiful, poetic meditation on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
So sudden it seemed this tragic vision painted before my eyes
The tragic scene of my beloved's death felt like a sudden and unexpected vision that my eyes could barely comprehend
Amidst falling leaves I had found my beloved bloodstained and pale
As I wandered among the falling leaves of autumn, I discovered my beloved lying cold and lifeless with blood staining her body
Falling into the forever so silent
My beloved had fallen into eternal silence and stillness in death
Aware of my presence she turned towards me her agonizing stare
Even in her dying moments, my beloved was aware of my presence and gave me a painful look of agony
One last breath and she whispered
My beloved's dying breath was only enough to whisper a final message
Everything dies before my tearfilled eyes
Through my tears, I watched as everything around me, including my beloved, met their end
Dead and silent, a golden leaf of autumn
My beloved was now dead and silent, like a golden autumn leaf fallen to the ground
Falling before my tearfilled eyes
The image of my beloved's lifeless body falling further to the ground was a devastating sight for me to witness
This withering beauty
The beauty of autumn had begun to fade, just like my beloved's life had come to an end
This eternal autumn
The end of my beloved's life had marked the beginning of an endless autumn season for me, one filled with pain and sorrow
So silent
The only thing left in the wake of my beloved's death was a haunting silence that echoed throughout my mind
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.