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)
In Response to Stars
Misery Signals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And finally now you understand
This was the dream and answer
Never stop this
All I wanted was you by my side
Those were true days
I watched them fall away
These boards will break
We're shown ourselves
With our pride atrophied
A virtue burns hot enough to cauterize
These boards will break
These were true days
I watched them fall away
I don't blame the last step in the sequence
It was your way
So many times we cursed your name
And I do not say I hold no regrets when I close my eyes
Just think of the things we could have done
I've shown myself
With my pride atrophied
I hope you know we always loved you
Forgive me for all things
Even though I watched us fall away
With determination we carry on
And with determination we all must live on
We've all learned things from those days
I know that we all have grown
Even I now feel a calm like I have never known
The song “In Response to Stars” by Misery Signals speaks about the end of a fight without a loved one. The lyrics display the emotions of wanting someone by your side and the regret of not making the most of moments with that person. He describes the times he watched everything fall away and how the boards will break against his ribs, displaying the pain he feels in his heart. There is a sense of acceptance in the lyrics, as he acknowledges that things have changed and that they must carry on and live with determination. He hopes that the person he lost loves him and forgives him for all his actions.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the last time we lost a fight without you
This line refers to a time in the past when the singer and their friends lost a fight without the person they are addressing. It is significant because it was the last time they lost a fight without this person, implying that they have since become an important part of the singer's life.
And finally now you understand
The singer believes that the person they are addressing now understands the significance of their presence and how much they are missed when they are not around.
This was the dream and answer
The singer believes that the person they are addressing was the answer to a dream they had, possibly to have them as a friend or a support system.
Never stop this
The artist is asking the person they are addressing to not change and to always be present in their life.
All I wanted was you by my side
The artist is expressing how much they desired the presence of the person they are addressing and how much they wanted them to be by their side.
Those were true days
The singer is reminiscing about the past when the person they are addressing used to be around and how those days were genuine and meaningful.
I watched them fall away
The singer is expressing sadness that the times they shared with the person they are addressing are now memories that have faded away with time.
These boards will break
The artist is using a metaphor to describe how they are feeling physically and emotionally broken and how they might collapse under pressure.
These boards will break against my ribs
This line refers to the previous metaphor, with the artist saying that their physical and emotional pain is so intense that they can feel it in their chest.
We're shown ourselves
The artist believes that they and the people they are addressing have revealed their true selves to each other, possibly through hardship or emotional turmoil.
With our pride atrophied
The singer believes that the difficulties they have faced with the person they are addressing have caused them to lose their pride and sense of self-worth.
A virtue burns hot enough to cauterize
The artist believes that even though they have experienced hardships with the person they are addressing, a sense of righteousness or virtue burns hot within them and allows them to persevere.
These were true days
This line refers to an earlier line, with the singer reiterating that the times they shared with the person they are addressing were genuine and meaningful.
I don't blame the last step in the sequence
The singer is expressing that they do not blame the person they are addressing for something that happened in the past, possibly the reason they lost a fight without them.
It was your way
The singer is acknowledging that the person they are addressing has a certain way of doing things and that this might have been the reason they were not present for the lost fight.
So many times we cursed your name
The artist is acknowledging that they and their friends have been angry with the person they are addressing in the past and have cursed them for their absence, but now they miss them.
And I do not say I hold no regrets when I close my eyes
The artist, although thankful for the times they shared with the person they are addressing, still has some regrets when they think about the past.
Just think of the things we could have done
The singer is expressing that they and the person they are addressing could have accomplished great things if they had not gone through turmoil and if they had stayed together.
I've shown myself
The singer is expressing that they have revealed their true selves to the person they are addressing and have been vulnerable with them.
With my pride atrophied
This line is a repeat of an earlier line, with the artist acknowledging that the difficulties they have faced with the person they are addressing have caused them to lose their pride and sense of self-worth.
I hope you know we always loved you
The artist is expressing that although they have faced difficulties with the person they are addressing, they have always loved them and continue to do so.
Forgive me for all things
The artist is expressing remorse for any wrongdoing they might have done to the person they are addressing and is asking for their forgiveness.
Even though I watched us fall away
The singer is acknowledging that they, in a way, contributed to the separation between them and the person they are addressing because they 'watched us fall away.'
With determination we carry on
The artist is expressing that they and the people they are addressing will continue on with their lives despite the hardships they have faced and will do so with determination.
And with determination we all must live on
This line is a repeat of an earlier line, with the singer expressing that they and the people they are addressing will continue to live their lives with determination.
We've all learned things from those days
The singer is expressing that they and the people they are addressing have learned valuable lessons from the difficult times they have faced together.
I know that we all have grown
The singer believes that everyone involved has grown and matured from the difficulties they have faced together.
Even I now feel a calm like I have never known
The artist is expressing that despite the hardships they have faced with the person they are addressing, they now feel a sense of peace and serenity they have never experienced before.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind