History
Formation (2002–2003)
Misery Signals was formed after the disbandment of several bands, including 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Hamartia and Compromise. Having played briefly with 7 Angels 7 Plagues, former Compromise vocalist Jesse Zaraska was approached by Ryan Morgan and Kyle Johnson for a new project, which would become Misery Signals. Jeff Aust from Hamartia joined on as second guitar, and Ryan Morgan's brother Branden joined as the bands drummer. Aust soon left the band and has since gone on to join With Honor, he was replaced by Stu Ross - a friend of Jesse Zaraska's from St. Albert, Alberta.
Signing to Ferret Music (2004–2009)
The band eventually signed to New Jersey's Ferret Music, releasing their first full-length album, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart. After extensive touring, Zaraska decided to leave the band to focus on a smaller, less aggressive project named Sleeping Girl, at which point the rest of the band decided to put up an instrumental song on their MySpace page, encouraging anyone who wanted to take over the spot of vocalist to record their own voice over the instrumental and e-mail it to the band. This was the way they found new vocalist Karl Schubach, with whom they recorded the album, Mirrors. In July 2008 Misery Signals released their third full-length entitled Controller. After extensive touring in support of Controller in early 2009, members of Misery Signals wanted to pursue other musical directions outside of their band.
Focus on side projects (2009–2010)
Schubach is involved in a heavy metal side project called Solace. He is the sole member of the band, recording guitar, bass and vocals in a D.I.Y.-fashioned home studio. The drums are added in digitally, through the use of a program on his Macbook.
The hardcore/punk band Burning Empires consists of members from Misery Signals, Fall Out Boy and 7 Angels 7 Plagues. Ryan Morgan does the vocals, Kyle Johnson plays bass, Stu Ross and Matthew Mixon play guitar, while Andy Hurley plays the drums. Andy Hurley is an avid supporter of the Wisconsin hardcore scene. The quintet also have a clothing line/record label called Fuck City. In October 2010, Kyle Johnson also announced his departure from the band.
There is also a pop punk/hardcore band named Lowtalker that consists of Branden Morgan and Stuart Ross of Misery Signals. They team up with Casey Hjelmberg and Matt Keil of Comeback Kid to complete the four piece project. Lowtalker are set to release their EP People Worry About Everything in the spring of 2010 through FC records.
In 2010, Stuart Ross became the frontman of a pop-punk band from Vancouver, B.C. named Living with Lions. Ross officially left Misery Signals on September 25, 2010 to put his focus on this new project, and was reportedly tired of performing heavy metal.
New album (2011)
After an extended period of inactivity with a heavy focus on side projects, Misery Signals made an official statement about the state of the band in November 2010. The press release addressed the loss of Ross and Johnson, and also announced that the band had not, in fact, broken up.[3] Ryan Morgan commented that, "In the next few months, we'll group back up and return."[3] Despite losing two of the founding members of Misery Signals, the remaining members did not consider changing the name of the group. On maintaining the continuity of the band's style and keeping the same name, Morgan said, "Stu and Kyle made awesome contributions, but the trajectory of the band remains the same in their absence. If the time came that our sound took a drastically different course, then it wouldn't be Misery Signals anymore, and we wouldn't pretend that it was.
On October 19, 2016, rumours of an original lineup reunion tour and album were confirmed by vocalist Jesse Zaraska. When reached for comment by Nic Huber of www.metalinjection.net, Zaraska had the following to say: "It is the truth, sir. We are in the midst of writing new material together and will be playing some show over the coming year. It has been very cool thus far. We will definitely be doing a proper US tour in 2017."
On March 24, 2018, at the event Midwest Meltdown in Iowa City, Iowa; Misery Signals frontman Jesse Zaraska, announced the band had been holed up on Boise, Idaho over the previous few weeks. He stated that they are, indeed, working on a new album. Zaraska stated on stage, that he believes their newest album "will be the BEST Misery Signals album yet." When asked about the style of the new album, Zaraska replied "It will probably be a lot like of Malice."
On the "Death to False Metalcore Tour 2019" with Darkest Hour and Unearth, the band played a song titled "Sunlifter" from their Absent Light B-Side vinyl release. Zaraska also stated November 2019 as the release date for their new album.
On May 8, 2020, a 26 second fixed-camera video of ocean waves, with only the date "05.15.2020" appearing center screen at the end of the video, was posted to Misery Signals’ social media accounts, suggesting that new music, or a new album, is set to be announced, and/or released, on that date.
On May 14, 2020, Misery Signals announced their upcoming fifth studio album, Ultraviolet, to be released on August 7, 2020, along with the release of the single “The Tempest”
Members
CURRENT LINE-UP:
Ryan Morgan – lead guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)
Branden Morgan – drums (2002–present)
Jesse Zaraska – vocals (2002–2006, 2014–present)
Kyle Johnson – bass guitar (2002–2010, 2013–present)
Stu Ross – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–2010, 2014–present)
Former Members:
Jeff Aust – guitar (2002)
Karl Schubach – vocals (2006–2014)
Gregory Thomas – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2011–2014)
Kent Wren – bass guitar (2011–2013)
Discography
Studio albums:
Of Malice and the Magnum Heart (2004)
Mirrors (2006)
Controller (2008)
Absent Light (2013)
Ultraviolet (2020)
EPs:
Misery Signals (2003)
Homecoming
Misery Signals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Masked in rituals to capture the sun
Bloodletting
Monuments of guilt
If I had one wish, I'd stop all the clocks
Within me, the spell is broken
We all are still alive
Breathe now
It's in the wind that we give and we take
They never really have us if we just keep breathing
I have seen them
Within me the spell is broken
Home
At last
Homecoming at last
Now feel what is unseen
Within me, the spell is broken
The lyrics to Misery Signals' song Homecoming introduce an idea of breaking free from a spell, with a sense of liberation and overcoming. The first two lines - "The spell is broken/Masked in rituals to capture the sun" - suggest that the singer has escaped a kind of enchantment, one that was disguised as a ritual meant to catch or harness the power of the sun. This evokes a sense of being trapped or bound to a certain way of life, before finally breaking out of it.
The lines "Bloodletting/ Monuments of guilt" suggest a darker, more oppressive side to this spell. Bloodletting - the practice of deliberately draining blood from a person - has been used in various rituals throughout history, primarily as a way of curing illness or warding off evil. The idea of monuments of guilt could suggest a kind of memorialization of wrongdoing or suffering, which could imply that this spell was not necessarily benevolent.
The final verse presents a triumphant conclusion to the song, with the singer asserting their freedom and identity. The phrase "Home/At last/Homecoming at last" suggests a long-awaited return to a sense of self, a release from the spell that has held them captive. The final lines - "Now feel what is unseen/Within me, the spell is broken" - reinforce this idea, that there is something intangible and powerful that has been unleashed, which was previously hidden or suppressed.
Line by Line Meaning
The spell is broken
The situation that held us captive is finally over
Masked in rituals to capture the sun
Our long wait is over and finally, we have succeeded
Bloodletting
This ordeal was painful and difficult
Monuments of guilt
We will have constant reminders of our actions during this time
If I had one wish, I'd stop all the clocks
I want to stay in this moment of freedom forever
Within me, the spell is broken
I have finally let go of the negative emotions that once consumed me
We all are still alive
Despite the difficult journey, we have survived and made it through
We radiate
Our strength and perseverance shines from within us
Breathe now
Take a moment to appreciate the present and all that comes with it
It's in the wind that we give and we take
Life ebbs and flows, and it's up to us to make the most of it
They never really have us if we just keep breathing
As long as we remain alive and hopeful, no one can ever truly defeat us
I have seen them
I have experienced the worst, and come out stronger in the end
Home
Peaceful and safe place where we belong
At last
After a long and difficult journey, we've reached our destination
Homecoming at last
The ultimate feeling of relief and joy when returning home after being away for so long
Now feel what is unseen
Appreciate the small, often overlooked things in life that make all the difference
Within me, the spell is broken
I have overcome my struggles and am finally at peace
Lyrics © Another Victory Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FREDDIE FRANKLIN JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind