With the foundation lain, the hunt for proper band-members commenced. Jarle Hagen, with a recent history of musical madness (Uncle Meat and Ant Man Bee) would probably not be a natural choice under normal circumstances, but nevertheless they gave him the spot as the 2.nd guitarist. The three remaining pieces of the puzzle came into place in the form of Mary Jane and future Sonic Debris member Jan Petter Ringvold on keyboards, Dewy Field drummer Bernhard and Dewy Field bass player, Gunleik's, sister Kristin Fjellseth. With the lineup complete, the time had come to start composing.
Something special was definitely brewing right from the start. The songs came pouring out, the name changed from Pangaea to Pale Forest and their first gig was just a month or two away. A recording of this first ever PF gig in Raufoss, Norway is told to be out there somewhere. Sometime into -97 it became clear that PF needed another keyboard player. JPR just didn't have the time anymore. A local jazz-keyboardist (Anders Byfuglien) joined in for a month or two, but the next regular PF member was to be 16 year old Eyvind Brox, a student at a local music college. This has been the permanent line-up ever since.
With the line-up in place the preparations for their first studio recording could begin. It was conducted at the MLP Studio in the summer of -97. This demo was sent to several record companies in the early autumn. Voices Of Wonder president Ketil Sveen was curious about the band as a result of this demo. Around Christmas he attended a PF gig in Gjøvik, and a record deal was made the following January. The first two releases are based mostly on a brushed up version of the demo, with several additional recordings made throughout -98.
Following the release of their debut album they did several concerts around east Norway (including John Dee, Oslo), and slowly built up a reputation as a live band. They continued the songwriting, and soon started preparing for the next album. A darker, more mature PF started to emerge. -99 were spent playing concerts and recording their next release. This was also done at the MLP Studio.
At the time of the domestic release of "Of Machines And Men" in february 2000, PF made their debut on TV playing at the "Metropol Live" show on Metropol, a Norwegian TV channel. They also achieved some TV-exposure with their video of "Tristesse". This year, they also went abroad, when they played Europe's largest convention for the music industry, "Pop.Komm" in Cologne, Germany in august. They appeared with the Norwegian artist Kari Bremnes under the headline "Female Voices of Norway" at the ABS club. The crowd went nuts.
Growing increasingly impatient after more than a year out of a recording-studio, they made a simple demo of what was to become "Exit Mould" around Christmas. It soon became clear that they needed lots of studio time to do this material justice. With Voices Of Wonder unable to finance the album properly, PF turned their attention to a French label called Listenable Records. They were thrilled about the prospects of working with PF, a band they had been following for quite some time.
In the midst of all this, a mail came from Dutch rock legends The Gathering about the possibility of touring with PF. One thing led to another, and alredy in February PF joined The Gathering on the first leg of their European tour as their official support act. Due to economy PF could only play John Dee in Oslo, Norway, Small Vega in Copenhagen, Denmark, Forum in Bielefeld and Tower in Bremen, Germany.
They were back in Norway for about a month or so where upon returning to Denmark for the recording of "Exit Mould", under brilliant guidance by technician and producer Jacob Hansen at Aabenraa Studiet in April 01. "Exit Mould" is their most powerful production to date, fully expressing the complex mood and feel of the compositions.
Early in 2002 a deal was struck that gave Pale Forest their first US-distribution, trough The End Records.
In April, they did a very unusual tour. Two weeks of playing colleges around the Norwegian countryside is something they've never done before (or any other band in rock history, for that matter ...). See the news-index for details. They would jump at a similar assignment in the future, it was refreshing!
Throughout 2002 new material was written and pre-produced, and the band became increasingly eager to put out something, with a European tour coming up with "The Gathering" March 2003.
Founding member Tommy Jørgensen decided in January 2003 that he wanted to pursue other interests, and leave the band before the up-coming The Gathering support-gig. The band wish him well!
January 2003, they entered East Lake Studios and recorded an EP. This was the last recording with the original line-up. A weird feeling, but life goes on ...
With a new EP (Anonymous Caesar), a totally re-vamped website, and a new guitar player (Kristian Pålshaugen from PolyJester) they face Europe again.
Once Again
Pale Forest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When truth had widened every eye
History re-written
Once the false was told "goodbye!"
Alone, the once proud shape now stands
In the shadows of regret
Onto his trembling hands
Lost in the hole she had designed
For someone else to fall into
Swallowed by the images
Of a consciousness denied
The old colossal birds
Conscious of their might
Soaring to the sky
Aware of every lie
But soon his lies were told again
From darkness he was free
Told to every foe, and friend
...once again
The first verse of Pale Forest's "Once Again" describes how the lies of a person have been brought to the surface, and their deception has been revealed. The liar tries to deny the truth, but it is too evident for anyone to ignore. The song suggests that such people do not deserve a place in history, and their false narratives need to be abandoned. The chorus explores how the person has become alone, standing in the shadow of regrets, and having to face the consequences of their actions. The emotional turmoil is so intense that the person cannot help but shed tears. Though fate is set, the person is still trying to come to terms with their downfall.
The second verse talks about how another person is trapped in a situation that they did not create. They have been swallowed by someone else's lies, and their consciousness is being denied. The song presents a powerful metaphor where the "old colossal birds" are described as conscious beings who are aware of every lie. However, the person in question still repeats their lies once again, from darkness to freedom. The song's suggestion is that even when someone is free to repeat their lies, they have to understand that their conscious lies will only lead to their downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
Lies!" claimed the liar
The liar asserted falsehood despite the fact that every person present knew the truth.
When truth had widened every eye
Every person who observed the situation was aware of the truth.
History re-written
The course of events was altered in retrospect to portray a false narrative.
Once the false was told "goodbye!"
After the untruth had been exposed and refuted, it had no further effect.
Alone, the once proud shape now stands
The person who was once proud and accomplished now feels isolated and hopeless.
In the shadows of regret
Their sadness and remorse causes them to be obscured from view.
Onto his trembling hands
The person is cradling their own trembling hands in despair.
Tears are flowing, fate is set
Their fate is at the mercy of their emotions as evidenced by tearful display.
Lost in the hole she had designed
Due to their own actions, they are now trapped in a self-made predicament.
For someone else to fall into
They intended for someone else to suffer the same fate they're now experiencing.
Swallowed by the images
Their mental state is overwhelmed by the illusions they've created.
Of a consciousness denied
They are refusing to acknowledge their own guilt or culpability.
The old colossal birds
They represent forces that people believe have power and knowledge above their own.
Conscious of their might
These forces/individuals understand the extent and potency of their ability.
Soaring to the sky
They maintain an elevated, unassailable position above common folk.
Aware of every lie
They are cognizant of deceit and manipulation surrounding them and can see through it.
But soon his lies were told again
Despite being exposed previously, the liar continues to resort to deceit.
From darkness he was free
After being caught in the past, the liar is currently able to get away with dishonesty.
Told to every foe, and friend
The lies are being propagated to all, including the liar’s enemies and allies alike.
"...once again"
This cycle of deceit and coping mechanism will continue again and again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind