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".
City Of The Damned
Raise Hell Lyrics
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They're crawl around in dirt
Discussed by their own souls
Just waiting for it all to end
They're all waiting for the end
The city of the damned
Without words they talk
Waiting for the ride
So they all can ride
To the dark
Where we are safe the cold
It's time to go
To the city of the damned
The damned
To the city of the damned
Like you and me
Without faces they strife
Like hollow skeletons
We walk out last mile
At last...
...at the city of the damned
It's time to go
To the city of the damned
The damned
To the city of the damned
They crawl in dirt
Like zombies waiting for the city
Of the damned
The damned
The damned
The damned
The lyrics of "City of the Damned" by Raise Hell convey a sense of dreary hopelessness and despair. The song speaks of people who are lost and alone, searching for something better in a world that has left them behind. The imagery throughout the lyrics is bleak, comparing these lost souls to zombies and hollow skeletons. The phrase "just like me and you" is especially poignant, driving home the message that anyone could end up in this position.
The chorus of the song, with its repetition of "the city of the damned," serves as a kind of refrain, emphasizing the hopelessness of the situation. The song seems to suggest that the only escape from this bleak existence is death, and even that is uncertain. There is a sense of mournful resignation throughout the lyrics, as if the people depicted have already given up on any hope of a better life.
Overall, "City of the Damned" is a powerful expression of the darker side of the human experience. It speaks to the sense of isolation and despair that can sometimes come about as a result of living in a world that seems to have no place for us.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like me and you
The people who are suffering and waiting for the end are just like us
They're crawl around in dirt
They are struggling and living in difficult conditions just like worms crawling in dirt do
Discussed by their own souls
Their own thoughts and worries are causing them emotional harm and suffering
Just waiting for it all to end
They are eagerly counting down the time until they can escape their misery and pain by dying
They're all waiting for the end
The people in this state are united by their shared desire for death and release from their agony
Like zombies they walk
Their movements are slow and unfeeling, like the undead creatures from horror stories
Without words they talk
They communicate nonverbally, perhaps through gestures or facial expressions, as they are too tired or pained to speak
Waiting for the ride
They are waiting for something to take them away from their current state, such as death or another kind of release
So they all can ride
They are all hoping to find some escape or relief from their misery by 'riding' towards death or another form of release
To the dark
They are headed towards a bleak and dismal future, one that is full of death and destruction
Where we are safe the cold
The darkness and coldness of death bring a sense of safety and release from their current pain and misery
It's time to go
The sense of urgency and eagerness to escape their current state is building within them, telling them that it's time to move on to the next phase
Like you and me
The people who suffer and wait for escape are human, just like everyone else
Without faces they strife
Their pain and suffering has stripped away their individuality and humanity, leaving them unrecognizable and faceless
Like hollow skeletons
They are figuratively reduced to the very shells of their former selves, walking and waiting for the end without any of their previous vitality or life force
We walk out last mile
They are coming to the final stretch of their life journey, a last and difficult mile towards their escape
At last...
Finally, the suffering and waiting is coming to an end
...at the city of the damned
The destination of their journey, the place they are headed towards, is a city of damnation and darkness
They crawl in dirt
Just as they did at the beginning of the song, they are still struggling and living in physical and mental pain
Like zombies waiting for the city
Their movements and emotions are still slow and unfeeling, like the undead creatures from horror stories
Of the damned
They are still heading towards the grim and dismal destination of the city of the damned, waiting for death or another form of release.
The damned
The people in this state are considered damned or cursed, trapped in a never-ending cycle of pain and waiting for release
The damned
The repetition of this line emphasizes the grim and never-ending cycle of misery and waiting that these people are experiencing
The damned
The repeated line continues to emphasize the cursed and hopeless nature of this situation
The damned
The final repetition of this line serves as a bleak conclusion to the song, emphasizing that these people are trapped in an eternal state of suffering and pain
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.