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)
Reset
Misery Signals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The room just spins
Here it comes again...
Slipping through my fingers out of my reach
Nothing is picture perfect
Buried under the rocks of a landscape
Nothing here is picture perfect
It's out of your hands
Bleed
Holding on gets harder and harder
Giving up gets harder and harder
(Release)
The tension corrupts direction
I've lost control
Slipping through my fingers, it's out of my grasp
Nothing is ever be perfect
Crippled by the weight of the downfall
Nothing here is real
Keep control
A lifetime of open wounds
Completely incomplete
Bleed
Holding on gets harder and harder
Giving up gets harder and harder
(Release)
The tension corrupts direction
I've lost control
Just keep on tighter and tighter, and keep control
Just hold on tighter and tighter, just hold me still
The song "Reset" by Misery Signals seems to touch on the idea of loss of control and the feeling of desperation that ensues. The first few lines of the song create an image of someone experiencing some sort of panic attack or anxiety, where they feel like they are losing control and can't keep up with reality. The theme of control is revisited throughout the song, with lines like "slipping through my fingers out of my reach, it's out of my hands" showing that the singer is struggling to hold onto something.
The song also explores the concept of perfection, with the lyrics "nothing is picture perfect, nothing here is picture perfect, nothing is ever perfect, nothing here is real." It seems that the singer is coming to terms with the fact that they can't achieve perfection or control everything in their life, and this realization is causing them to feel like they are losing their grip.
Line by Line Meaning
Panic sets in
The feeling of fear and anxiety overwhelms me.
The room just spins
The disorientation and loss of balance are prominent.
Here it comes again...
This experience is not new and is reoccurring.
Slipping through my fingers out of my reach
I cannot grasp or control what is eluding me.
Nothing is picture perfect
The reality is far from perfection and idealism.
Buried under the rocks of a landscape
The harsh reality and obstacles obscure the view of the bigger picture.
Nothing here is picture perfect
The overall situation and environment is not ideal.
Slipping through your fingers
You are losing grasp and control of what is happening.
It's out of your hands
You have no control or influence over what is occurring.
Bleed
The emotional and mental strain is taking its toll.
Holding on gets harder and harder
The effort to maintain control and stability becomes more difficult over time.
Giving up gets harder and harder
The decision to surrender or accept the situation becomes increasingly challenging as time progresses.
(Release)
The act of letting go or surrendering.
The tension corrupts direction
The stress and pressure negatively affect the path and outcome.
I've lost control
I am no longer in command or authority over the circumstances.
Slipping through my fingers, it's out of my grasp
The situation is beyond my control and is escaping my grasp.
Nothing is ever be perfect
Perfection is unattainable and unrealistic.
Crippled by the weight of the downfall
The consequences and repercussions of the situation are overwhelming and debilitating.
Nothing here is real
The situation seems surreal and unauthentic.
Keep control
Remain composed and authoritative over the circumstances.
A lifetime of open wounds
The persistent emotional and mental pain endured throughout life.
Completely incomplete
The feeling of being unfinished or unfulfilled despite having everything necessary.
Just keep on tighter and tighter, and keep control
The instruction to maintain composure and control over the situation despite increasing difficulty.
Just hold on tighter and tighter, just hold me still
The request for stability and reassurance in the midst of chaos and confusion.
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.