In August 1997 Neglected Fields entered the legendary Finnish Tico-Tico Studio to record their debut album "Synthinity". Containing 10 songs, it was released in June 1998 in Europe and America by Eldethorn records, a subdivison of British Neat Metal records, and licenced for release in Japan by Pony Conyon. "Synthinity" was the first ever CD release by a Latvian metal band. Although the band was not entirely satisfied with the promo campaign, it still managed to receive favourable reviews - 80/100 in Aardschock, 8/10 in Greek Metal Hammer and 74/100 in Burrn. Soon after the CD saw the daylight, Neglected Fields started to gig extensively in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, opening for Cannibal Corpse and Dark Funeral in their hometown in front of 1100 fans, and also did a mini tour in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
New ideas were born, and the band decided to add keyboard player. George, with a diploma of classical music education in his hands, was in a league of his own, and was willing to join the band. The new line-up recorded a self-titled promo demo with three tracks (Solar, Bass solo, The Human Abstract), thanks to which the band was signed to Italian Scarlet Records (Neat Metal Records having gone out of business by then). Another legendary studio, this time Abyss, was chosen to record the eagerly awaited follow-up CD. "Mephisto Lettonica" was recorded with a help of Tommy Tagtgren (brother of Pete Tagtgren, Hypocrisy and Pain mastermind, and the owner of Abyss) and released through Scarlet Records in September of 2000.
"Mephisto Lettonica", with a reference to both some dark character and their native country in the title, exceeded many expectations, also due to touches of black metal (courtesy of George's swirling keyboard licks) and was critically acclaimed (12/15 in Legacy, 9/10 in Metal Heart, 7/10 in Rock Hard, 4/4 in GrindZone, 5/6 in Metal Hammer Italy, 5/6 in Scream, 6/6 in Spark (Czech republic), 10/12 in Thrash 'Em All (Poland), 9/10 in M (Belarus). Interviews with the band appeared in more than 20 leading metal editions all around the Europe. The band has appeared in Brutal Assault 7 festival in Czech republic, alongside with Incantation, Tiamat, Callenish Circle, Ancient Rites, as well as opened for Dimmu Borgir, Destruction, Impaled Nazarene and gigging in Czech, German, Polish, Austrian, Finnish and Belarus clubs.
Sadly, in November 2002, the long-time member Herman decided to pursue other musical directions. The band quickly recruited new guitarist Janis, who joined prior the tour through Poland, the Czech republic and Slovakia, and appeared with the band in festival appearances in Lithuania, Latvia and the Czech Republic, sharing the stage with Moonspell, Hypnos, Vader and Behemoth.
In December of 2003 both first albums were re-released for Russian market by the famous Soyuz label, and the band played two promotional gigs in Moscow and St. Petersbourgh, appearing before the delighted Russian fans for the first time and its career. A further European headline tour blasted its way through 14 dates in 7 countries.
In October 2004 Neglected Fields entered Astia studio to record drums for the new album, while the whole 9-track monster was produced by TT Oksala (Tiamat, Stratovarius, Apocalyptica), whose reputation in music business leaves no doubts concerning the quality of the recording! Mastered in Finnvox by Mika Jussila, the album can be easily described as a link between latter-era Death and Emperor. The album, entitled "Splenetic", is due to be released in May 2006 (Aghast Recordings).
In November of 2005 the band welcomed new guitarist Sergej "Filth" of local death/black band Preternatural to their ranks.
Info taken from http://www.neglectedfields.lv
Solar
Neglected Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grotesquely dark, hostilely ancient
Territories in obscurity.
The utter darkness descends
Something wild possesses the Earth
Where hunger guides ensomnia-makers
...Add the colour of disgust and
paint the horror enter
Uncertainty is what we get
When moon metastasis are reached out
Herbivorous instincts strike
The fear of flesh to be devoured
Sunrise blade... Slash sanguines, bright
Celestial beast's evescerated
My nocturnal passage stirs up
Fit I thought neglected
My heathen fit...
Lo!
Light solar
Archaic rapture follows
Infinite shine
Solar
The unity of flesh and flames
Almost divine
When night is gone the day is light
Oh vital light, perennial, ancient
Carnal spark the sun ignites...
Such an erotic fascination
Noctiflorous withering...
Strange things have birth
Renewing existance
Day blood awakening to justify and excuse
My pagan burst!
The song "Solar" by Neglected Fields is a dark and ominous reflection on the power of nature and the human connection to the cosmic forces around us. The opening lyrics describe the descent of darkness in the form of night, which seems to bring with it a feeling of wildness and danger. The use of grotesque and hostile imagery emphasizes the primal, animalistic nature of this darkness, which possesses the Earth and drives those who cannot sleep to hunger and disgust. The chorus of the song provides a counterpoint to this darkness in the form of the "light solar" - an archaic and almost divine force that represents the unity of flesh and flames.
The verses that follow explore the uncertainty and fear that comes with the lunar cycle, where the "moon metastasis" and "herbivorous instincts" create a sense of impending danger and violence. The imagery of the "sunrise blade" and "celestial beast's eviscerated" seems to suggest that these fears are well-founded, and that humanity must contend with the chaos and destruction that can come with the natural world. The final verse of the song speaks to the power of the day, which ignites a "carnal spark" and allows for a "pagan burst" of energy and life. Through this burst of energy, we are able to renew existence and justify our own blood awakening to the world around us.
Overall, "Solar" is a haunting and powerful song that speaks to the deep interconnection between humanity and the natural world. Through its use of vivid imagery and strong metaphorical language, it encourages listeners to think about the forces that shape our lives and the power we have to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
When day is gone the night is dusk
As the day ends, darkness starts to envelop everything
Grotesquely dark, hostilely ancient
The darkness isn't just regular, it's foreboding and wicked
Territories in obscurity.
Darkness covers everything, leaving no visible landmarks
The utter darkness descends
As time moves on, the darkness grows stronger
Something wild possesses the Earth
An uncontrolled, savage force takes over the land
Where hunger guides ensomnia-makers
Creatures out at night are driven by their need for sustenance
...Add the colour of disgust and
In addition to the frightening darkness, there's also an aspect of revulsion
paint the horror enter
The fear and anxiety literally paint the environment
When night is dusk.
As darkness falls, fear and dread grow stronger
Uncertainty is what we get
There's no certainty or predictability in this world
When moon metastasis are reached out
As the moon goes through its various phases, things change in unanticipated ways
Herbivorous instincts strike
Even normally gentle creatures become dangerous out here
The fear of flesh to be devoured
Any living thing here is at risk of being consumed
Sunrise blade... Slash sanguines, bright
As the sun comes up, its light colors the landscape in blood-red hues
Celestial beast's evescerated
This could refer to any number of threatening creatures that might exist here
My nocturnal passage stirs up
Traveling through this land while it's dark can jumpstart primal instincts and urges
Fit I thought neglected
Unaddressed problems can bubble to the surface when in this state
My heathen fit...
This could be describing a wild, uncontrolled outburst of some kind
Light solar
The brightness of the sun starts to break through the pitch blackness
Archaic rapture follows
As the darkness recedes, there's a sense of relief mixed with religious awe
Infinite shine
The sun's light seems to stretch on without limit
Solar
The sun's life-giving energy is celebrated
The unity of flesh and flames
There's a sense of unity between all living things and the power of the sun
Almost divine
The sun seems to be almost godlike in its power and importance
When night is gone the day is light
Just as night brings darkness, the day brings light and clarity
Oh vital light, perennial, ancient
Sunshine is celebrated as an essential, timeless force
Carnal spark the sun ignites...
This could be a metaphor for sexual arousal or excitement brought on by the sun's energy
Such an erotic fascination
The energy and power of the sun is almost sexual in its intensity
Noctiflorous withering...
This could be describing the withering and decay of nocturnal life as the sun rises
Strange things have birth
In this weird and frightening world, new and bizarre things can develop
Renewing existance
The sun's brightness feels like it's breathing new life into everything around it
Day blood awakening to justify and excuse
The bloody colors of sunrise can be seen as a symbol of renewal and resurrection
My pagan burst!
This could refer to an ecstatic, wild outburst of emotion or behavior brought on by the sun's energy
Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
csmanrules
Best Latvian Band EVER!
KnackValm6z6x6w0X
One of the greatest nimber of Tech/Prog. -death
Cowboy from hell
very nice band
Mārtiņš Eglītis
perfect ending
limegreensquid
The music is brilliant, but if you sound like you're choking, or screaming up a loogie, you're doing it wrong.
Milan Dobrovodsky
great technical latvian death/black band, shame the quality of video
NeglectedField
Come to the UK!