Karkadan was founded in 1997, inspired by the upcoming extreme metal acts o… Read Full Bio ↴Karkadan was founded in 1997, inspired by the upcoming extreme metal acts of this time, to create its own style of extreme metal. The line up at this time consisted of Robby Beyer (Vocals), Thomas Reeß (Drums), Felix Moosmann (Bass), Florian Spannagel and Daniel Pütz (Guitars).

Working on their mixture of heavy metal and extreme black / death metal vocals, the band entered the studio for the first time in 1999. The Maranis Studios (Sanvoisen, Sadian, Nocte Obducta, Fallen Yggdrasil) were chosen to record the debut album Eternal Black Reflections in December 1999.

After the recordings for the first album, Florian and Felix left the band for musical reasons, Thomas for health reasons. The line up was completed by Marcel Frano on drums, Christian Grunenberg on Bass and Philip Oefner on Guitars.

In 2001 the band joined Belphegor, Eisregen, Mystic Circle, Agathodaimon and Lord Belial as support and performed at Summer Breeze Open Air. Martin Daniel joined the band as permanent drummer.

Their second album Utmost Schizophrenia was recorded during 2003. After the recordings Daniel Pütz left the band and was replaced by Johannes Kirchherr. The album was released the next year by Supreme Chaos Records. The album became voted on place 11 (out of 70) in the soundcheck of the German Legacy Magazine and got awarded as album of the month by Morbid Sounds and Bloodchamber.

Because of lack of motivation, drummer Martin was replaced by Johannes Gronover in 2005, the year in which the band supported Suidakra, the band played at Zabbaduschder Open Air and Metallic Noise Festival.

In 2007, the band played live with Rage, Legion of the Damned and Communic and at Inferno Festival in Norway and again Summer Breeze Open Air.

The Journey
Karkadan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It feels like a part of me
Is falling asleep
And there will be
No chance for awakening

The ship of death awaits me to embark
An endless journey the ascension of mine

I stand in front of the holy shrine
But I forever renounce Christ

I thought to leave forever the light
When I had the never known wisdom
To cast a forgotten spell of sight

To open the hidden gate to freedom
Of the ones who rest forever in peace

I follow myself to the ruins of pain
Where old wounds do open wide

Hurted by drops of blood the red rain
Of remembrence that will never remain

I imagine their souls uneven in the dark
No chance for being released
As grave candles illuminate the grief

Believe in ME!
For my soul I have found ...

Overall Meaning

In Karkadan's song "The Journey," the lyrics detail the singer's experience of their impending death. The opening lines, "It feels like a part of me is falling asleep, and there will be no chance for awakening," suggest the singer's awareness of their body losing function and their eventual demise. The song continues with the metaphor of the "ship of death" waiting for the singer to embark on their "endless journey" towards their ascension.

The singer then finds themselves standing in front of a "holy shrine," but instinctively "renounce Christ." This line may refer to the singer's refusal to be held to any particular religious doctrine or belief, instead of choosing to find their own path towards "freedom." The following lines suggest that the singer had previously sought to leave "forever the light" but had acquired the "never known wisdom" to "cast a forgotten spell of sight." This may refer to a newfound understanding of the world and the self that lures the singer towards their journey, which will open "the hidden gate to freedom of the ones who rest forever in peace."

Line by Line Meaning

It feels like a part of me Is falling asleep And there will be No chance for awakening
I feel like a part of me is dying and there's no chance of revival.

The ship of death awaits me to embark An endless journey the ascension of mine
I'm prepared to die and my afterlife journey is going to be an endless and upward one.

I stand in front of the holy shrine But I forever renounce Christ
I'm standing in front of a sacred place of worship, but I reject the Christian faith.

I thought to leave forever the light When I had the never known wisdom To cast a forgotten spell of sight To open the hidden gate to freedom Of the ones who rest forever in peace
I almost left the world of the living, but then I learned a forgotten spell that lets souls pass on to endless peace.

I follow myself to the ruins of pain Where old wounds do open wide Hurted by drops of blood the red rain Of remembrence that will never remain
I seek out my own pain, reopening old wounds and diving into painful memories that will always be with me.

I imagine their souls uneven in the dark No chance for being released As grave candles illuminate the grief
I picture tormented souls trapped in the dark with no hope of being freed, only illuminated by the sorrowful light of candles in a cemetery.

Believe in ME! For my soul I have found ...
Trust in me, since I've discovered something about my own soul...

Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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