Novembers Doom formed in 1989, but it was not until 1992 that Novembers Doom would receive some attention in the metal world. An early deal with Regress Records, of Italy, allowed Avantgarde Records to hear the band. This demo (Her Tears Drop) was heavy, combined with moods of darkness and despair. The two songs would lead to the release of the band's full length debut CD, Amid Its Hallowed Mirth on Avant Garde and Nuclear Blast. Exploring and expanding, the band added female backing vocals and continued its thick, eerie brand of metal. A compilation track for Pavement Music soon followed. In 1997, Novembers Doom released the EP For Every Leaf That Falls. The album was well received, leading to favourable reviews and response worldwide. Novembers Doom has since released their second full length album Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers, with Martyr Music Group. This new offering had received rave reviews.
In May of 2000, Novembers Doom entered the recording studio once again, to record the follow up to Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers. The band has recorded The Knowing with Studio One's Chris Djuricic. The CD is an extension of the previous material, only taking steps in new directions to enhance their already original sound.
In July of 2000, Novembers Doom officially became a member of Dark Symphonies. Realizing the bands potential, they constructed a deal with Martyr Music Group, to include the band on its roster, releasing The Knowing to the public.
Now, with their third full length release receiving praise, and a European licensed release of the CD through Pavement Music, Novembers Doom secured themselves more attention than before.
To Welcome the Fade
In October 2002, Novembers Doom entered the studio to begin work on their second full length of new material for Dark Symphonies. The band's fourth full length album would be entitled To Welcome the Fade, only this time they recruited the talents of the Grammy Award-winning producer, Neil Kernon. Kernon, best known for his work with acts like Hall & Oates, Kansas, Yes, Queensrÿche, Judas Priest, and more recently Nevermore and Cannibal Corpse, brought a new power and clarity to the sound of the band. This album was chosen as the Number One metal album of 2002 in Metal Maniacs magazine by one of its head editors, Novembers Doom was also a featured cover story on their January 2003 issue.
Signing with The End
In 2004, a successful tour in North America with The Gathering eventually leading to a signing with The End Records that summer. The band entered the studio in the fall to record their fifth album, The Pale Haunt Departure. This time around the band enlisted the help of the very respected producer and artist Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath and Nightingale) for the mixing duties, and the mastering went to metal guitarist and producer James Murphy (Testament, Obituary and Disincarnate).
In March 2005, The Pale Haunt Departure was released with a tour supporting it. Novembers Doom continues to forge ahead, meshing diverse musical styles and textures in the pursuit of always creating a new and unique listening experience with each new release, while retaining their heavy sound and dark lyrics.
The Novella Reservoir
In June 2006, the band's sixth full-length album, The Novella Reservoir, was announced on The End Records' website. The album will contain eight tracks. It is a follow-up to The Pale Haunt Departure.
Discography
* Her Tears Drop (Demo 1995)
* Amid Its Hallowed Mirth (Full-length 1995)
* For Every Leaf That Falls (EP 1997)
* Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers (Full-length 1999)
* The Knowing (Full-length, 2000)
* To Welcome the Fade (Full-length 2002)
* Reflecting In Grey Dusk (Best of/Compilation 2004)
* The Pale Haunt Departure (Full-length 2005)
* The Novella Reservoir (Full-length 2007)
* Into Night's Requiem Infernal (Full-length 2009)
* Aphotic (Full-length 2011)
* Bled White (Full Length 2014)
* Hamartia (Full Length 2017)
Reaping Forest Calm
Novembers Doom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Desire looking glass. In evening they shall come.
Pity stains our hands. Insects bite my eyes.
Forever calling home. Reaping forest calm.
Long painful hymns, a dirge of blackened day.
Falling to my knees to kiss the horses tongue.
Moonlight invades, cancerous lust.
Drawing a smile, bold men have tried.
In memories lost hope, I seal my eyes.
Through vertigo's touch, and a northern winds breeze,
Onward I search and forever I'm lost.
It feels like an eternity since I last saw the light on your face,
And if I recall, you left me the wind and taught me to fly.
I must have you for one last time and I will pay for my sins
With one thousand lashes from the roses
Stem across the very chest that holds my beating heart.
The lyrics of Novembers Doom's "Reaping Forest Calm" offer a dark and haunting reflection on the human condition, exploring themes of cowardice, desire, pity, and lust against a backdrop of a desolate forest. The first line "Cowards form the veil" suggests a veil of cowardice forming around the singer, potentially blocking them from being true to themselves or facing reality. The line "Sampling of the salt" can be seen as a reference to tears, with the singer experiencing emotional pain. "Desire looking glass" could be interpreted as the singer looking at their own desires through a figurative mirror, while "In evening they shall come" may allude to impending danger or darkness. "Pity stains our hands" suggests a sense of guilt or remorse, while "Insects bite my eyes" conveys a sense of physical and emotional pain.
The refrain of "Reaping forest calm" serves as a metaphorical anchor in the midst of the chaos described in the verses. The second stanza paints a picture of mourning, with "long painful hymns" and a "dirge of blackened day." The singer falls to their knees and kisses a horse's tongue, potentially symbolizing the singer's surrender to a sense of futility or resignation. The moonlight and cancerous desire hint at destructive impulses, while "drawing a smile, bold men have tried" suggests past attempts at optimism or hope. Through darkness and vertigo, the singer searches onward, unable to find their way.
Overall, "Reaping Forest Calm" is a meditation on the darkness that dwells within us all, highlighting the struggle to find meaning and hope in a world that seems full of pain and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Cowards form the veil. Sampling of the salt.
The cowardly are hiding behind a facade, masking their true selves. They are testing the waters with a pinch of salt.
Desire looking glass. In evening they shall come.
We are driven by desire, reflecting on ourselves like in a mirror. The end of the day is drawing near, danger and pain are coming.
Pity stains our hands. Insects bite my eyes.
Compassion leaves its mark on us, as our hands are stained by the tears of those we try to help. However, despite our efforts, we are still plagued by the pain caused by others.
Forever calling home. Reaping forest calm.
We are always yearning for our true home. However, in the stillness of the forest, we can find a sense of peace and tranquility.
Long painful hymns, a dirge of blackened day.
Our songs are filled with sorrow and grief, as we mourn the loss of a dark and ominous time.
Falling to my knees to kiss the horses tongue.
I submit myself to the power of the horse, humbling myself before it by kissing its tongue.
Moonlight invades, cancerous lust.
The moon's light penetrates everything, including our desires which can grow uncontrollably and be destructive.
Drawing a smile, bold men have tried.
Even the bravest of individuals have attempted to put on a false façade of happiness, but true emotions can still be read through.
With sugar we taste, through darkness we fall.
We try to make life sweeter with the little pleasures, but we can still find ourselves in a state of darkness and despair.
In memories lost hope, I seal my eyes.
I am closing my eyes, blocking out the present and instead retreating into memories of lost hope.
Through vertigo's touch, and a northern winds breeze,
With the exhilarating feeling of vertigo, brought on by the wind, we continue forward in our quest.
Onward I search and forever I'm lost.
I am constantly in pursuit of something, but I will forever remain lost.
It feels like an eternity since I last saw the light on your face,
It has been a long time since I have felt joy or happiness, symbolized by the light on someone's face.
And if I recall, you left me the wind and taught me to fly.
You have left me with the freedom to soar like the wind, teaching me to be independent and self-made.
I must have you for one last time and I will pay for my sins
I am willing to face punishment for the chance to have you one last time, despite having previously done wrong.
With one thousand lashes from the roses
Punishment is represented by receiving one thousand lashes from the thorns of a rose.
Stem across the very chest that holds my beating heart.
The punishment will be inflicted on the very place where my love and life reside - my heart.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leland Gaunt
I agree that they were underrated. The Gods of DOOM!