The group started out under the name IN COLD BLOOD and it was under that name that the first demo, "Nailed", was recorded, which led to a record deal with NUCLEAR BLAST.
In May 1998, RAISE HELL entered the "Abyss studio" and recorded their first album named "Holy Target". Just before the release, the band changed their name to RAISE HELL. The release of "Holy Target" was followed by a European tour (with DISMEMBER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHT IN GALES and AGATHODAIMON) and also a gig at the massive metal festival Wacken Open Air (August of 1998).
In August 1999, RAISE HELL entered the studio again to record their second album "Not Dead Yet". This time, the studio session took place at Studio Fredman with Anders Fridén (IN FLAMES) as producer. After "Not Dead Yet" was released, the cult band DESTRUCTION heard the album and wanted RAISE HELL to support them for a mini tour. RAISE HELL gladly accepted and after a cool mini-tour with DESTRUCTION, Wacken Open Air stood at the door again (August 2000). The festival gig was a success for the band and was then followed by a European tour (with DESTRUCTION, HYPOCRISY, CREMATORY and KATAKLYSM) plus some club-gigs in Sweden.
The studio Flat Planet was booked in June 2002, and once again Anders Fridén (IN FLAMES), now with support by Fredrik Reinerdahl, as producers. The album was called "Wicked Is My Game". The release was in October 2002. In late autumn of 2002, RAISE HELL decided to get a new singer because Jonas Nilsson wanted to concentrate on his guitar playing. They decided to try an old friend of theirs, Jimmy Fjällendahl. He had been the singer of a local rock band called Driftaway. After just a few rehearsals, RAISE HELL could hear the capacity that Jimmy had and he almost immediately became a solid member of the band.
After three albums on NUCLEAR BLAST, the relationship came to an end, with which both parties were satisfied. A search for a new label was started and after some good offers, RAISE HELL finally decided to sign with BLACK LODGE (Sweden). At this point, Torstein realized that he no longer could put his full heart and soul into the band and therefore decided to leave RAISE HELL. There have never been any hard feelings. The member changes and label change came as a natural break for the band that resulted in nothing being heard from them in a couple of years except for a few live gigs.
In 2004, just after the signing with Black Lodge Records, two demo songs were recorded and they turned out so good that they ended up on a 7” limited vinyl single. In the summer of 2005, the recording of a new album started. This time it took place at Tyroon Production with Jörgen Svensson as producer. The album is titled "City of the Damned".
Black Visions
Raise Hell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One with the night, I crushed the gates into this dimension in red
With red bursting eyes - I stare so silent and cold
I kissed you goodbye, left you alone
Nightspirit, take me home
With wings on a track and stars by my side
We end on a higher level
Black visions in my mind, like memories in bitter darkness
One with the night, I struggled to stay with the demons inside
With red bursting eyes - I stare so silent and cold
I kissed you goodbye, left you alone
Nightspirit, take me home
With wings on a track and stars by my side
We end on a higher level
Help me solve the cosmic black
Come along and let us escape
Into this voyage in rapture
Into a hole, something tears my flesh
Demonic beasts call my name
One with the night, stars by my side
I hunt for visions so black
With wings on a track and stars by my side
We end on a higher level
Help me solve the cosmic black
The lyrics of Raise Hell's Black Visions communicate a sense of foreboding and darkness. The singer speaks of a world that is tinged with evil, where black visions fill their mind like tunnels of demonic laughter. The singer claims to be one with the night, to have crushed the gates into this realm of darkness with their own will. They describe themselves as possessing red bursting eyes and being silent and cold. The singer has left someone behind, kissing them goodbye before setting out on this journey. They call on the Nightspirit to take them home, to bring them back to a place where they can rest.
The lyrics echo many themes of the dark metal genre. There is a sense of nihilism and defiance in the lyrics, with the singer proclaiming that they have smashed through the gates of a dimension filled with redness and darkness. The mention of demonic beasts tearing at their flesh creates a sense of horror and chaos. However, there is also a sense of unity and power in the idea of being one with the night - the singer is not alone, but instead, has the stars and wings by their side.
Line by Line Meaning
Black visions through my eyes, like tunnels in demonic laughter
I see dark thoughts that resemble hellish sounds and images
One with the night, I crushed the gates into this dimension in red
I felt like I merged with the darkness to forcefully enter a crimson dimension
With red bursting eyes - I stare so silent and cold
My eyes are red and intense while I gaze without saying a word
I kissed you goodbye, left you alone
I parted ways with you and left you by yourself
Nightspirit, take me home
A nocturnal entity should take me back to where I belong
Black visions in my mind, like memories in bitter darkness
I have bleak thoughts that resemble unpleasant recollections
One with the night, I struggled to stay with the demons inside
I fought to resist the evil spirits that were inside of me while feeling united with the night
With red bursting eyes - I stare so silent and cold
My eyes are red and intense while I gaze without saying a word
I kissed you goodbye, left you alone
I parted ways with you and left you by yourself
Nightspirit, take me home
A nocturnal entity should take me back to where I belong
With wings on a track and stars by my side
I have means to travel swiftly and my journey is guided by celestial bodies
We end on a higher level
We reach a superior state
Help me solve the cosmic black
Assist me in unraveling the mysteries of the endless darkness
Come along and let us escape
Join me in fleeing from something unpleasant
Into this voyage in rapture
Towards a thrilling journey
Into a hole, something tears my flesh
Something hurts me badly as I go into a deep, dark abyss
Demonic beasts call my name
Evil creatures pronounce my name in an unsettling way
One with the night, stars by my side
I feel connected with the night and have celestial companions
I hunt for visions so black
I search for thoughts and images that are as dark as night
With wings on a track and stars by my side
I have means to travel swiftly and my journey is guided by celestial bodies
We end on a higher level
We reach a superior state
Help me solve the cosmic black
Assist me in unraveling the mysteries of the endless darkness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Didier Vancampo
Memories🙂. Fall 1998, my second black metal album I ever bought thanks to the nuclear blast sampler🙂.
Dan warman
Me too👍
The nuclear blast Sampler times....
Vance Joaquin
@Robert Rudy yea, have been watching on KaldroStream for years myself :D
Adrien Madden
@Robert Rudy definitely, I've been using kaldroStream for years myself :)
Anibal Paez
this band is not black metal, their style is death metal for your information....
Didier Vancampo
@Anibal Paez It's heavily dissection influenced black metal for your information. Stated by thé band in An interview in 1998.
Sause HH
masterpiece in metal!!!!
Fo' Flats
It's an eternal shame they came thundering off this their debut album and promptly dropped off the face of the earth. Probably the most exciting band to come along when the tides were really shifting. But we still have this AMAZING album if hatred. C'mon!
francisco torres
what? they have like five albums and are still active
Igor Tomaz
Their debut was an amazing melodic black metal album but then they changed direction on the 2nd album onwards and became more of a thrash metal band and imo that's what caused them to lose momentum at the time. I also think that their choice of album covers (2nd, 3rd and 4th albums) didn't help them much