After almost a year and a half later, Purified in Blood reformed in 2008 with shows at the Norwegian Hove festival and a concert with Madball in Oslo. 2010 was the year Purified in Blood returned with fire. The new album Under Black Skies will always be a milestone representing a fresh start with no genre shackles. Heaven knows the horizon has expanded to the unlimited regarding making music and Under Black Skies is the result of this. The new album unveils a band that has developed ferociously since their first full-length Reaper of Souls in 2006. Heavier than ever before, these Norwegians are ready to conquer and destroy all that comes in their way. Still contributing to the awareness of our earths withering condition; they continue to dethrone injustice with all their strength through their lyrics and apperance. Recording Under Black Skies took place, with producer Ashley Stubbert behind the table, just outside Stavanger, their hometown. With the heavy swells from the North Sea being their nearest neighbor they laid down the tracks that later would be mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Botch) in Seattle, US. The writing process was inspired by a lot of diverse music. It’s all there in the new album that will be released in Norway this Spring by Universal, international release to follow. With the 2006 Alarm Award for best live act freshly in memory Purified in Blood brings brutality to the table every time they enter a stage. No exceptions. They have shared stages with bands like Slayer, Mastodon, In Flames, Converge and Hatebreed to name a few. Touring US, Europe and Scandinavia multiple times made them the peerless double-axe double-vox live attack they are today. Regarding 2010, Purified in Blood will once again show the world the heaviness they carry with their presence, be it on stage or with their upcoming album Under Black Skies.
This metal influenced hardcore is what you get as these kids' first meeting with music came through Iron Maiden and Slayer. The message carried by Purified in Blood involves political matters such as human/animal liberation, anti capitalism, third world conditions another important issues that highly require the world's attention.
A lot has happened the last year for Purified in Blood. After many live shows (national and international) and a couple of demos released, things started to happen for the band. They've been twice in the US. As their EP "Last Leaves of a Poisoned Tree" was released, on New Eden Records (CA, USA), they went on a three week US tour to promote it. Together with Undying (US), Purification (IT) +++ they traveled from coast to coast and got good support.
In October 2004 they went on a short Norway/Sweden tour and played with such bands as Most Precious Blood (US), Maroon (GER) and Destiny (GER). The EP has gotten some good reviews since the release. Purified in Blood is known for their high energy live act. They also recently won the national underground music contest for unsigned bands 2004 (ZOOM 04) and that has drawn a lot of attention to the band. In 2006, they released their full-length album Reaper of Souls, turning more to their metal roots than with previous more hardcore-oriented releases.
Vocalist Glenn Cato Rasmussen parted ways with the band in 2011 to focus on his career as a tattoo artist, but occasionally appears with the band on concerts. He now plays bass guitar in the doom/stoner rock band Helldiver.
In 2012, Purified in Blood signed with Indie Recordings and released their third album Flight of a Dying Sun.
Gates of Gehenna
Purified in Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still winter reigns our hearts
Presence of death
Broken skulls beneath your feet
Vital violence - eliminate the enemy
Savage the survivor - blood flows from torture
Wasteland running red with war
Freedom - the state of security no longer exists
Thunder - The sound of the apocalypse
Revenge and destruction
A season in total darkness and confusion
Intruding territory - execution and extermination
Roaring guns - seeking weakness - visions of the end
Humanity falls in ruins
Burning flesh - bleeding body
Empty veins - the ruining of hearts
No one dies alone
The lyrics of Purified in Blood's song Gates of Gehenna describe a chaotic and violent scene of war, with references to death, destruction, torture, and revenge. The opening line of "flaming fields - reflection of hell" suggest the landscape is reflective of hell, and "still winter reigns our hearts" may refer to the emotional numbness that extreme violence can create. The "presence of death" suggests that death is a constant companion in the battlefield. The image of "broken skulls beneath your feet" reinforces the brutal and disturbing nature of the conflict.
The lyrics also describe a sense of warrior camaraderie, with lines such as "vital violence - eliminate the enemy" and "savage the survivor - blood flows from torture." The idea of blood running red in a wasteland speaks to the senseless and ongoing nature of the war, as well as the loss of innocence and humanity when participating in such brutality. The second verse mentions "intruding territory - execution and extermination" and "roaring guns - seeking weakness - visions of the end" which further emphasizes the horrific nature of the situation. The final lines "burning flesh - bleeding body...no one dies alone" reinforce that even though the war may be fought as an army, the personal pain and suffering on both sides cannot be ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
Flaming fields - reflection of hell
The sight of the burning fields is a mirror of the horrors of hell.
Still winter reigns our hearts
Despite the fiery carnage around them, the soldiers' hearts remain cold and unfeeling like the season of winter.
Presence of death
Death is all around, lurking and waiting to claim anyone who falls.
Broken skulls beneath your feet
The ground is littered with the remains of those who have died, their skulls crushed beneath the boots of the living.
Vital violence - eliminate the enemy
Killing the enemy is necessary for the soldiers' survival.
Savage the survivor - blood flows from torture
Even those who survive are not spared from brutality, as the torturers mercilessly spill their blood.
Wasteland running red with war
The battlefield is a desolate, blood-soaked land where only war reigns.
Battlefield - The breeding ground of slayers
This is where killers are born; the conflict is a crucible for the formation of deadly soldiers.
Freedom - the state of security no longer exists
The price of freedom in this war is the absence of safety and the constant threat of death.
Thunder - The sound of the apocalypse
The deafening noise of war is like that of the end of the world, heralding destruction and oblivion.
Revenge and destruction
The soldiers are driven by the desire for vengeance and the need to destroy their enemies in any way they can.
A season in total darkness and confusion
The war has plunged everything into chaos, and the soldiers are lost in a dark world without hope.
Intruding territory - execution and extermination
Invading enemy territory means certain death for those who are caught, as they are executed or exterminated without mercy.
Roaring guns - seeking weakness - visions of the end
The guns roar as the soldiers search for any sign of weakness in their enemies, and all have visions of the final days of the war.
Humanity falls in ruins
In this war, humanity has been shattered and lies in ruins, leaving only a shell of what was once there.
Burning flesh - bleeding body
The pain of war is visceral and excruciating, as skin burns and bodies bleed from wounds inflicted in battle.
Empty veins - the ruining of hearts
The war leaves a soulless emptiness in every soldier, destroying not just their bodies but also their hearts and spirits.
No one dies alone
Even in death, soldiers are surrounded by their comrades, who have also fallen in battle.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.