During the band's early years, In Flames had a varying group of musicians recording with them, including many session musicians. By the release of Colony (1999), the group had established a stable lineup. Their sixth studio album Reroute to Remain (2002) showed the band moving toward a newer style of music that moved further away from melodic death metal and closer to alternative metal. This decision was criticized by fans of the group's heavier metal sound; however, it increased the band's mainstream audience and bolstered their album sales. As of 2008, In Flames has sold over two million records worldwide.
Since the band's inception, In Flames have released thirteen studio albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs, their latest release being their thirteenth studio album I, the Mask in 2019. In Flames has been nominated for three Grammis Awards. They won two of these nominations; one for Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004) in the "Hard Rock/Metal of the Year" category, and one nomination for their following album Come Clarity (2006) in the same category.
Artifacts of the Black Rain
In Flames Lyrics
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Casting silhouettes tall to grip her white rooms
The black-clad voyeur in his black-clad masque
In the serpentine sun of tragedy basked
Stood there cursing at the soul-dead mass
With their fabled illusions, the vain dreams that passed
Splinters of a life rushing by in the whirl
He cried for night / but night could not come
So, swept in the shroud of misanthropia he went away
And fed the empty galleries
With the artifacts of the black rain
Sunken into the shadows with a dry, sardonic smile
He made the footprints a part of his heart
To rouse a sacred confrontation
Stood there carving on the monument to lies
Digging of the Earth, making friends with the soil
As the all-mother rises and bares her bleeding thighs
He disappears into her cold, icy womb
The lyrics of "Artifacts of the Black Rain" by In Flames talk about a person standing and watching the city at night. This black-clad person is observing the people who are leading an empty and soul-dead existence. They feel trapped in their "vain dreams" and "fabled illusions." The person standing in black, the "silent warrior," feels disconnected from this meaningless existence and longs for the night to come.
Unable to find solace in the darkness, the person retreats into their own world of misanthropy, leaving behind the world of the living to become a voyeur into their own life. The person stands alone in the shadows, ruminating on the artifacts of the past and the black rain that has fallen on this world. The person's soul is empty, and they feel disconnected from everything around them. They wander alone in the darkness, carving out their own small space in the world, caught somewhere between reality and fantasy.
The last few lines of the song describe the person disappearing into the cold womb of the earth, abandoned and alone. The music blends with the lyrics to create an atmosphere of loneliness, despair, and resignation. The song ends on a note of finality, as the person disappears forever into their own self-contained world.
Line by Line Meaning
Stood there leaning to the city moon,
He stood there leaning towards the full moon, shining bright over the city.
Casting silhouettes tall to grip her white rooms
His shadow stretched out tall and reached towards the moonlit windows of the surrounding buildings.
The black-clad voyeur in his black-clad masque
Wearing all black and a mask, he watched others without being seen.
In the serpentine sun of tragedy basked
He soaked up the tragic environment around him, like a snake in the sun.
Stood there cursing at the soul-dead mass
He stood and cursed at the lifeless masses of people around him.
With their fabled illusions, the vain dreams that passed
He watched as people held onto meaningless hopes and dreams that would never come true.
Splinters of a life rushing by in the whirl
He observed fragments of life passing by quickly in front of him.
Alone, silent warrior in a fantasy world
He was a solitary warrior, silently living in his own imaginative world.
He cried for night / but night could not come
He longed for the sun to set and the darkness of night to arrive but it never came.
So, swept in the shroud of misanthropia he went away
Feeling a deep hatred for humanity, he departed while enveloped in darkness.
And fed the empty galleries
He filled the vacant spaces with his artwork and creations.
With the artifacts of the black rain
He left behind remnants of his sorrow and pain for others to discover.
Sunken into the shadows with a dry, sardonic smile
He hid in the darkness with a sarcastic and emotionless smile on his face.
He made the footprints a part of his heart
He held close the memories of the footsteps he left behind.
To rouse a sacred confrontation
He hoped to provoke a meaningful and profound conflict.
Stood there carving on the monument to lies
He carved his frustrations and anger onto a monument dedicated to falsehoods.
Digging of the Earth, making friends with the soil
He connected with the earth and dug deeply into it like it was his only friend.
As the all-mother rises and bares her bleeding thighs
As the world around him experiences birth and rebirth, revealing its vulnerabilities.
He disappears into her cold, icy womb
He vanishes into the world around him, enveloped in its harsh and unforgiving nature.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDERS PAR FRIDEN, BJOERN INGVAR GELOTTE, JESPER CLAES HAAKAN STROEMBLAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind