Kalmah is a Finnish melodic death metal band from Oulu, formed in 1998. In … Read Full Bio ↴Kalmah is a Finnish melodic death metal band from Oulu, formed in 1998. In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. The word "kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as, "To the grave" or "To the death." The band's musical style is primarily classified as melodic death metal with their sound including strong influences of power metal, thrash metal and black metal. Musically, the band has been compared to fellow Finnish metal acts Children of Bodom, Norther and Wintersun.

In 1991, Pekka Kokko and Petri Sankala founded the metal band Ancestor. After Ancestor had recorded two demos, Antti Kokko joined the band as lead guitarist. In 1998, after five demos, Ancestor disbanded and Kalmah was formed. The new band consisted of Pekka Kokko performing vocals and guitar, Antti Kokko on lead guitar, Pasi Hiltula on keyboards, Altti Veteläinen on bass, and Petri Sankala on drums.

Kalmah began to write songs for a promotional CD entitled Svieri Obraza. With this demo, they acquired a recording contract with Spinefarm Records and headed to Tico-Tico Studios to record their debut album, Swamplord.

By November 2001, they returned to Tico-Tico Studios to record their second studio album, They Will Return. By this time, Veteläinen and Sankala were replaced by Timo Lehtinen on bass and Janne Kusmin on drums, respectively. In 2002, Kalmah played shows in Finland and at Wacken Open Air. In February 2003, they recorded their third studio album, Swampsong. In 2004, keyboardist Pasi Hiltula left and was replaced by Marco Sneck. The band released The Black Waltz in 2006 and For the Revolution in 2008. Kalmah toured in Canada and Finland to promote the latter album.

Kalmah's sixth studio album was released in Japan on 24 February 2010, Canada on 2 March, Europe on 3 March and North America on 6 April. Recording and mixing took place from May to August at Tico-Tico Studios in Finland, and mastering for the disc took place at the Cutting Room in Sweden. The track "Bullets Are Blind" was released in December 2009 on a 2-CD collection included with the 35th anniversary issue of Soundi magazine. In March 2010, 12 Gauge became the first Kalmah album to be released on vinyl. The album was mastered for vinyl by Joona Lukala, Noise for Fiction, and released by Svart Records in a limited run of 500 copies.

In 2012, Kalmah finished filming a new music video for their upcoming album, due to be released in 2013. The band have kept fans up to date with their process via social networking website Facebook by uploading different photos, as well as a short behind the scenes video from the day of filming their video. They also announced that they currently have 6 songs finished, and they plan to enter the studio in January 2013. The artwork for their seventh studio album will be created by artist Juha Vuorma, the man also behind the art of Kalmah's first 3 albums. In April 2013, it was announced that the band will release their seventh studio album, Seventh Swamphony, on 17 June.

Kalmah's eighth album, Palo, was released on April 6, 2018. A single from the album, "The Evil Kin" was released on February 9, 2018

Man of the King
Kalmah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Life, black and white
Without the red in my eyes
Smile, toothless grin
Before the king is inside me

I want to believe in the power higher than we know
But the scene is getting darker in everything I own
So I will dive into dreamworld and clear everything

And the things getting brighter 'cause I am the man of the King

Life, black and white
Without the red in my eyes
Smile, toothless grin
Before the king is inside me

You might say I´m nothing, 'cause I get nothing done
But do not deny me, I have the strength within
The people around you also follow the dream
Take a look, I am not the only one of the King

Hey, now I´m saved
From the world today
I´ve found my way
To get away

End, it is nothing
'Cause I have sworn my oath
Like the others
I believe in the powered dream

I don´t give a damn because I am the man of the King
The hell with the rest, I am the man of the King

Right, yeah, I am the man of the King
Simply the man of the King

Overall Meaning

The song “Man of the King” by Kalmah is a powerful and reflective piece that speaks to the singer’s inner conflicts and his ultimate belief in a higher power. In the first two lines of the song, he describes life as “black and white / without the red in my eyes”, which hints at a world devoid of passion and emotion. However, things change when he invokes the image of the King inside him, ushering in a sense of power that is transformative.

Despite his belief in the divine, the singer acknowledges the darkness that surrounds him, saying “the scene is getting darker in everything I own”. It is in his dreamworld that he finds solace, and as he navigates this realm, he claims his place as the “man of the King”. The singer has found his way and asserts this defiantly in the closing lines of the song with the repeated phrase “I am the man of the King”.

The song melds themes of inner struggle with religious allusions, as well as the idea of the transformative power of imagination. It is an anthem for those seeking to find purpose and meaning in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Life, black and white
Life can seem mundane and uneventful, lacking in any vibrant or exciting moments

Without the red in my eyes
Without any passion or enthusiasm driving me forward, I simply go through the motions of life

Smile, toothless grin
I put on a happy face, but it's empty and fake, devoid of any true joy or meaning

Before the king is inside me
I try to present a positive façade to the world, hoping to impress those in positions of power

I want to believe in the power higher than we know
I have a deep desire to believe in something greater than myself, something that can give my life more purpose and meaning

But the scene is getting darker in everything I own
My attempts to find meaning and purpose in life are becoming more challenging, as everything around me seems to grow more bleak and depressing

So I will dive into dreamworld and clear everything
I turn to my imagination and fantasies as a way to escape the harsh realities of life, hoping that a break from reality will help me find some clarity

And the things getting brighter 'cause I am the man of the King
My fantasies help me feel empowered and confident, and I start to feel like I am in control of my own destiny - as if I am the one who holds all the power

You might say I´m nothing, 'cause I get nothing done
Others might criticize me for being lazy or unproductive, but they don't understand the internal struggles I'm facing

But do not deny me, I have the strength within
Despite my apparent lack of productivity, I have an inner strength that helps me cope with difficulties and keeps me moving forward

The people around you also follow the dream
I am not alone in my struggles - others around me are also searching for something greater than themselves

Take a look, I am not the only one of the King
Others around me share my sense of empowerment and control - we are all part of something greater than ourselves

Hey, now I´m saved
I feel like I have been rescued from my mundane existence and given a new sense of purpose and adventure

From the world today
From the bleak and depressing world that surrounds me

I´ve found my way
I have finally discovered a path to fulfillment and happiness

To get away
To escape the monotony and depression of everyday life and find something more meaningful

End, it is nothing
The end of life itself is ultimately meaningless - what matters is how we live while we're alive

'Cause I have sworn my oath
I am committed to finding meaning and purpose in life, no matter how difficult that may be

Like the others
Like those around me who are also struggling to find meaning in life

I don't give a damn because I am the man of the King
I don't care what others think or say, because I have found a sense of empowerment and control that makes me feel like I am in charge of my own life

The hell with the rest, I am the man of the King
I am not interested in conforming to societal norms or expectations - I am forging my own path and following my own dreams

Right, yeah, I am the man of the King
I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished in my search for meaning and fulfillment

Simply the man of the King
I am not interested in putting on a façade or pretending to be someone I'm not - I am simply being true to myself and my own internal sense of purpose

Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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