In the beginning Madder Mortem was formed in 1993 as Mystery Tribe, and recorded the demo "Days in Sorrow". The name was changed to Madder Mortem, and in January 1997, the MCD "Misty Sleep" was recorded. The result was mailed around, Misanthropy Records reacted and the debut "Mercury" (X-ray Studios) was released in February 1999. "Mercury" was well received, but sadly, Misanthropy decided to close down, which left the Madders with neither company nor contract.
In 1999 Christian Ruud (guitars), Boye Nyberg (bass) and Sigurd Nielsen (drums) left the band to pursue educations and other pastimes.
This was naturally a setback, but after some time Agnete and BP found new musicians. Eirik Ulvo Langnes (guitars), Pål Mozart Bjørke (bass) and Mads Solås (drums) joined the band. All former acquaintances, the new members fitted in perfectly.
In December 1999 Century Media got in touch. The Madders promptly got to work, and in January 2000 a new demo was recorded (Space Valley Studios). This demo, containing three of the "AFIG" songs, saw the Madders turn in a new and heavier direction. Century Media received this demo exclusively and Madder Mortem became a CMR band. Madder Mortem's second album, "All flesh is grass" (Studio Underground, Sweden) was released in February 2001, with cover art from former guitar player Christian Ruud. Reviews were very good, and the aggressive and driven music lent another face to Madder Mortem.
September/October 2001, Madder Mortem supported Tristania, Rotting Christ and Vintersorg on a 23-date European tour. Returning back home, the Madders started writing again. Studio Underground was re-invaded in May 2002, and after a hard-as-hell period of three weeks, "Deadlands" was born. It is darker and groovier than its' predecessor, but also shows even more sides to the Madder face. Music, lyrics and cover art (by Christian) was developed together, and the conceptual whole is a bleak but organic monster not fit for the faint of heart.
"Deadlands" was released 21st October 2002. The End Records licensed it for the US, and on 11th February 2003 we had our first album release in the US.
In February and March 2003 Madder Mortem supported Opeth on the European leg of their "Deliverance" tour. A chance like that doesn't come often, and the reason for it was Mr Åkerfeldt's personal interest in the Madder music. We had 6 fantastic weeks on the road with a band that have mastered both musical and social skills, and we're very grateful to the Opeth guys for giving us this opportunity. In addition to taking us all over Western Europe, the Opeth tour also saw us entering the UK shores for the first time.
2006 saw the release of Madder Mortem's 4th full length studio album, Desiderata. The album is more polished than deadlands and sees a shift back away from any "nu-metal" stylings that had crept into the deadlands album.
Eight Ways is the all new album from Madder Mortem, released in June 2009.
Armour
Madder Mortem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will stop slipping away like sand between your fingers
For better or for worse
I yield to you
I will lay my armour down, claim the hunger and the words that were always on my mind
Any triumph breeds defeat
Any blessing holds a curse but for once I won't let go
You laugh at all my twists and turns
The stories I tell find a home in your memory
And by now it is too late to run, so I yield to you
I will lay my armour down, claim the hunger and the words that were always on my mind
Any triumph breeds defeat
Any blessing holds a curse but for once I won't let go
You see me like no other
And I have tired of staring it down, tired of turning to find it all too strong, too strong to let it go
The lyrics of Madder Mortem's song "Armour" can be interpreted in various ways, but one common theme is surrendering to someone or something. The singer acknowledges their tendency to slip away from someone's grasp and decides to hand over their "guns" and yield to the other person. The person they are addressing has a deep understanding of them, even though they have many "twists and turns" and elaborate stories. Despite the recognition of the fact that anything that brings joy could lead to defeat or curse, they are willing to let go of their armor and claim what they have long been thinking and craving, implying an acceptance of vulnerability.
The second half of the song, which repeats the chorus, continues this theme of surrender and acceptance. The singer acknowledges that the person they are addressing knows them better than anyone else and are too deep to "run" from. They've grown tired of fighting or avoiding them and accept their power. Even though what they have is "too strong to let go," they are still willing to yield.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm handing in my guns now
I am giving up my weapons and defenses.
I will stop slipping away like sand between your fingers
I will no longer elude your grasp like sand slipping through fingers.
For better or for worse
In all circumstances, whether good or bad.
I yield to you
I submit to you and your will.
I will lay my armour down, claim the hunger and the words that were always on my mind
I will let go of my defenses, acknowledge my desire, and express my thoughts.
Any triumph breeds defeat
Victory leads to failure in due course.
Any blessing holds a curse but for once I won't let go
Even favorable outcomes come with consequences but this time, I won't back out.
You laugh at all my twists and turns
You find humor in my unpredictable ways.
The stories I tell find a home in your memory
You remember the tales I share and they make an impact on you.
And by now it is too late to run, so I yield to you
It's too late to escape or resist, so I concede to you.
You see me like no other
You perceive me in a way that no one else does.
And I have tired of staring it down, tired of turning to find it all too strong, too strong to let it go
I have grown weary of opposing it, tired of searching and discovering that it's too powerful to abandon.
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Remember when the internet was good? i dont.
I'm handing in my guns now
I will stop slipping away like sand between your fingers
For better or for worse,
I yield to you
I will lay my armour down, claim the hunger and the words that were always on my mind
Any triumph breeds defeat
Any blessing holds a curse but for once I won't let go
You laugh at all my twists and turns
The stories I tell find a home in your memory
And by now it is too late to run, so I yield to you
I will lay my armour down, claim the hunger and the words that were always on my mind
Any triumph breeds defeat
Any blessing holds a curse but for once I won't let go
You see me like no other
And I have tired of staring it down, tired of turning to find it all too strong, too strong to let it go
Frodamn
such an underrated band, makes me sad. They need to get more spot light.
Eduardo Gonzalez
Man, her voice Is lovely and captivating
SunRa
One of the most talented singers I have ever heard. I'm happy to have been listening for many years!
Bartolomeus9
Beautiful video, and a song that will haunt me in my sleep (in the most beautiful way). I sometimes forget how I love this band, but every now and then again I fall in love again, which is great. The "bridge" in this song, from abruptly distressing to extremely soothing, really takes me under.
Dan Bartlett
I've never known a song simultaneously send shivers down my spine whilst having me on the brink of tears 😮
Kim Bolduc
Madder Mortem are so underrated. Awesome band.
Wagner Kaiowas
Fantastic! Beautiful song, Beautiful voice.
Carnagath82
Really awesome album, I was a bit sad initially to see that the sound is much "lighter" than I'm used to from previous albums, but the hard work and soul deposition in the songs become apparent really fast. I hope this gets them the following that they deserve, although really everyone I know who has already listened to the full Madder Mortem discography considers them a personal favorite, and that's no small thing.
John T
Incredible song, I love them more with each album :-)))
SARCOOD
A song that makes me want to quit my job, move to the country and shout "I'm fucking free!!!!!!!!!!!" from a mountain top.