In 1997, the first Ice Ages album, titled "Strike the Ground", was released. In contrast to the orchestral and melancholic atmosphere of Die Verbannten Kinder Evas or the fantasy world of Summoning, this project takes a more aggressive and darker turn.
The second album to be released on Napalm Records in late 2000, "This Killing Emptiness", follows the style of the debut. However, it boasts of a superior sound quality and a more mature writing style that blends ominously with the ever-present deep and distorted voice (and sometimes raw and clearer voice) of Richard Lederer.
In opposite to other releases of the electro scene, the rhythmical structure is more complicated and the tunes are more polyphonic. The aim of Ice Ages is to follow its own typical dark, melodic and sluggish way, and not to follow any modern trends.
After some serious problems with his other projects his whole musical productivity got a huge undesired rest. Anyway this time was not lost, during that time Richard started to deal very intensely with new software synthesizers (mainly with "Reaktor 5") to get more sound possibilities and a wider flexibility of sound creation for Ice Ages. Filled with all those experiences he started to create the new songs in a short time and finally after a delay of 7 years the new album "Buried Silence" is almost completed. The lyrics are again written by Grom, but this time they are especially written for the music, having not existed before and adapted to the music as on the last album.
The new songs follow the style of "This Killing Emptiness"; they are again very dark, slow, and melodic, with a heavy distorted drum-sound, but this time maybe using rougher melodic sounds in most songs and also even increasing in the complexity of the rhythms. the new album will be released end of june again under napalm records.
This Killing Emptiness
Ice Ages Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come back you silent hour
so we could die again
by night that washed away the pain
that comes here to remain
By blood red dawn we'll leave
And ever to bring death and grief to me
to wander with our grief
A scent of blood, remember now!
A sense we had to kill
To never meet on this black hill
Just stay away and thrill
A void in blackness will remain
To keep a secret dream
Don't bother the enchanted flame
Just drawn in pain; again
I long to burn I long to mourn
Forever we'll remain
To die again, with sweetest pain
To stay away by grey
... by grey long shadows on a grave
To watch the mortals die
To be eternal silent slaves Of death
- to meet again... To die in vain...
The lyrics to Ice Ages' song, "This Killing Emptiness," suggest an embrace and even a desire for death. The opening line declares a wish for a "silent hour" to return so that the singer can "die again." The night is described as washing away pain, but also bringing it to stay. The singer wants to leave this "killing emptiness" and bring death and grief with them. There is a reminiscence about a "sense we had to kill," but it's not clear whether this refers to a physical killing or more metaphorical, emotional killing. The lyrics further suggest that it's better for two people to stay away from each other and keep their thrills to themselves. There's also mention of a "void in blackness" that remains to keep a "secret dream," which could be interpreted in different ways, such as referring to a fantasy of death or a more tangible, unspoken desire. The final stanza repeats the desire to die and stay away, watching mortals die and becoming "eternal silent slaves of death."
The words in "This Killing Emptiness" offer a glimpse into a mindset that values darkness, pain, and even death. The imagery of night, blood, blackness, and graves all evoke a sense of mourning or loss. The song's lyrics may resonate with those who feel trapped in cycles of pain and want to embrace death as a way out. However, the lyrics can also be read in more symbolic terms and may evoke different feelings for different listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Come back you silent hour
We wish for the return of the tranquil time in which we can experience death and rebirth.
so we could die again
We long to experience death repeatedly.
by night that washed away the pain
Night comes to relieve our pain.
that comes here to remain
However, the pain always returns.
By blood red dawn we'll leave
In the morning, we will escape from this state of emptiness and death.
this killing emptiness
The feeling of being dead inside is slowly killing us.
And ever to bring death and grief to me
This experience brings me both death and sadness perpetually.
to wander with our grief
We continue to move forward with our suffering.
A scent of blood, remember now!
Recall the memories of the smell of blood - the scent of death and suffering.
A sense we had to kill
We felt the need to take life in the past.
To never meet on this black hill
We avoid coming to this place because it reminds us of our past actions.
Just stay away and thrill
We stay away to relish in the thrill of death and killing.
A void in blackness will remain
An emptiness will always remain within us.
To keep a secret dream
We hold onto the dream of eternal death and suffering.
Don't bother the enchanted flame
Let us be consumed by our dark desires and suffering.
Just drawn in pain; again
We prefer to be in pain and continue to experience death and suffering.
I long to burn I long to mourn
We crave to feel the pain and sadness.
Forever we'll remain
We will forever be trapped in this cycle of death and emptiness.
To die again, with sweetest pain
We will die over and over, yet still find pleasure and joy in the pain.
To stay away by grey
We choose to stay away from society and live in a grey, lifeless world.
... by grey long shadows on a grave
We watch the living pass away and become nothing more than shadows on a grave.
To watch the mortals die
It brings us pleasure to watch others suffer and die.
To be eternal silent slaves Of death
We will forever be bound to the darkness of death and suffering.
- to meet again... To die in vain...
We will reunite in death, but our deaths will be meaningless and in vain.
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adrian Fedro
It's not music ... it's part of my soul ...
Bigcubefan
This is very special music, not something you hear every month or even year. So unsettling, hard to put in words.
Great find.
Cesar Martinez
Its a masterpiece. Best album ever.
Thanks for upload!
Kevin Anderson
Protector should do another Ice Ages album. Not only are the lyrics awe-inspiring, but the darkwave feel of it is very haunting and harmonious as well. Long live Protector, and long live Ice Ages!
Zachary Smith
can’t believe how good this is, hidden classic
For the Love of Summoning
Kevin Anderson, Richard has a lot of new songs complete. Now he just has to find a label. Hopefully he can find a good one soon. Can't wait to hear it!
For the Love of Summoning
Kevin Anderson, he is. :) (July 2018) No release dates set yet. But he has written many new songs this year
arcana lysethavis
+PUKEFACE FUCKSTAIN besides my favorite styles of lyrical prose revolves around spiritual and/or dreamscape themes
arcana lysethavis
+PUKEFACE FUCKSTAIN I have yet to study the lyrics of this music and would more than love to see how others express their feelings about what reads to me as varying mental illnesses (which unfortunately most of us have whether we realize it or not)
M. K.
Masterpiece!!!