Nov-Dec 1997 In Battle made their first public appearance on the "With Us Or Against Us Tour" with SETHERIAL and MALIGNAT ETERNAL. In 1998 the second album "The Rage of the Northmen" was recorded at Ballerina Audio in Umea Sweden. Before entering the studio, the IN BATTLE line-up was reduced due to some personal problems in the band. Wiklund took over the vocals after Östlund-Sandin who left the band one week before entering the studio. Frölen played all Guitars/Bass guitars on the album since Sjödin decided to leave the band after the first album to concentrate on his main band SETHERIAL
In 2001, the only member left is John Frölen because Wiklund left the band after the second album. Frölén (guitar and vocals) and Sandin (drums) started rehearsing new material and asked Hans Karlsson (guitar) from DIABOLICAL to join the force in 2002. Then in 2003 In Battle played their first gig in 3 years on the SmackRockFestival in July as one of the headline bands, with J.O. Sandin on drums, Frölen guitar,H Karlsson guitar, ( M. Ödling of DIABOLICAL on session vocals and Victor Brandt of NECROCIDE on session bass).
After some searching for a drummer the band finally got their hands on Nils "the machine" Fjellström also in (AEON). In Battle went to Necromorbus studio to record a 4-song promo called "Soul Metamorphosis", the result was good production and sound. In Battle then signed to ColdRecords, a sub-label to Metal Blade in Europe with their first release on the new label in 2004.
In 2004, the third full-length album "Welcome to the Battlefield" is recorded. It contained 11 songs of aggression and boiling adrenaline. The production from famous guitarist of ex MORBID ANGEL/HATE ETERNAL came out excellent and fit this album perfectly.
The Curse
In Battle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And water turns to acid
A midas touch of disease
Turns life into my wake
Blood boiling still
Stilt I scream for death
Never more alive
Yet all I touch is dead
The curse... (the curse)... (the curse)
In the shadows of the dead
The curse... (the curse)... (the curse)
In the shadows with the dead
Branded with a poison...
a curse beyond the light
Stay away...
Stay away or forever follow me
Where I go death shall follow...
follow she plague of me
All shall turn...
In my wake of death
Blood turning black
And water turns to acid
A midas touch of disease
Turns life into my wake
Blood boiling still
Stilt I scream for death
Never more alive
Yet all I touch is dead
The curse... (the curse)... (the curse)
In the shadows of the dead
The curse... (the curse)... (the curse)
In the shadows with the dead
Blood boiling still
Stilt I scream for death
Never more alive
Yet all I touch is dead
The lyrics of In Battle's song "The Curse" speak to the experience of living with a deadly illness or plague. The first verse presents a vivid image of the body's deterioration, with blood turning black and water becoming acidic. The second verse expands on this idea, describing the curse as a poison that brands the singer and makes them a carrier of death. Despite their suffering, the singer expresses a paradoxical sense of being "never more alive" while also feeling surrounded by death.
The repeated phrase "in the shadows of the dead" suggests a sense of isolation and loneliness, as the singer struggles to cope with their illness and the fear it inspires in others. The final lines of the song repeat the first verse, emphasizing the irreversible and destructive nature of the disease.
Overall, "The Curse" offers a bleak but potent portrayal of the physical and emotional pain that comes with living through a deadly epidemic or plague. The song reminds us that illness can isolate and transform us, but also offers the possibility of finding a sense of heightened awareness or clarity in the face of mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Blood turning black
The singer's blood is turning black, representing decay and death.
And water turns to acid
The singer's surroundings have become so toxic that even water has turned to acid, a metaphor for how everything around them is dying or diseased.
A midas touch of disease
The singer's mere presence causes a spreading disease, like the myth of King Midas whose touch turned everything to gold but left him with nothing.
Turns life into my wake
The artist is leaving a trail of death and destruction as they move through life, like the wake of a ship.
Stilt I scream for death
The artist is in so much pain and misery that they are begging for death.
Never more alive
Despite being alive, the singer feels completely dead inside because of the curse that has befallen them.
Yet all I touch is dead
Anything the singer comes into contact with is metaphorically dead or soon will be, indicating the powerlessness of the singer against the curse.
The curse... (the curse)... (the curse)
The repetition of the word 'curse' emphasizes the strength of the malevolent force that plagues the artist.
In the shadows of the dead
The artist exists in the same realm as the dead, as they are both under the influence of the curse.
Branded with a poison...
The artist has been marked by the curse, like a branding on the skin, symbolizing the inescapable nature of the affliction.
a curse beyond the light
The curse is so powerful and all-consuming that it goes beyond the light, leaving only darkness in its wake.
Stay away...
The artist warns others to stay away from them, as they will only be infected by the curse.
Stay away or forever follow me
Those who come too close to the singer will be cursed just like them, and will be forced to follow the singer's path of destruction forever.
Where I go death shall follow...
The singer's actions and presence will only bring death and destruction wherever they go because of the curse.
follow she plague of me
The curse is personified as a plague that follows the singer, further emphasizing its unstoppable nature.
All shall turn...
Everything the artist comes into contact with shall turn, whether it is to death or decay.
In my wake of death
The artist leaves a destructive trail behind them, symbolized by a 'wake' of death.
Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.