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".
Ghost I Carry
Raise Hell Lyrics
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Made sure I nailed well and buried it with stones
I checked there was no pulse
So how can it be, is it haunting me
Hiding furthing inside my sacred sanctuary
Like nails scratching windows
The chills on my back drags me closer...
The ghosts I carry
Don't deny me again
Unsafe in a sanctuary
Now that it whispers from the dark into my soul
I come to realize it always been there, just don't know where
I look the gates well do what I can to keep it away
But still it's here now staring by my side
Like nails scratching windows
The chills on my back drags me closer...
The ghosts I carry
Don't deny me again
Unsafe in a sanctuary
In "Ghost I Carry," Raise Hell performs a haunting song about the ghosts that we carry with us. The lyrics tell a story of a mysterious coffin that the songwriter has buried and nailed shut in their sacred sanctuary. The singer checks for a pulse, but there is none. However, the ghost still haunts them and scratches at their soul like nails on a window. The chills on their back draw them closer to the ghost, leaving them feeling unsafe in their own sanctuary.
The lyrics suggest that the ghost in question is not a literal one, but rather a metaphor for a guilt or trauma that the songwriter has tried to bury deep within themselves. The ghost represents the emotional baggage that we often try to hide away but can never truly shake off. The line "Now that it whispers from the dark into my soul, I come to realize it always been there, just don't know where" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the songwriter has been carrying this burden for a long time without even realizing it.
The melody of the song serves to underscore the haunting and melancholic tone of the lyrics. The use of heavy guitar riffs and the singer's soaring vocals add an extra layer of emotional intensity to the already poignant lyrics. The overall effect is a powerful and memorable song that will stay with the listener long after it has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside the coffin it shouldn't be, it's a mystery
I buried something that should have stayed buried, and now it's back and I don't know how
Made sure I nailed well and buried it with stones
I took extra precautions to make sure it couldn't escape its grave
I checked there was no pulse
I confirmed it was dead before I buried it
So how can it be, is it haunting me
I don't understand how it could be back, and now it's haunting me
Hiding furthing inside my sacred sanctuary
It's now in my safe space, and I'm not sure how to get rid of it
Now that it whispers from the dark into my soul
It's now inside me, haunting me from within
I come to realize it always been there, just don't know where
I'm starting to realize that it was always within me, I just didn't know it
I look the gates well do what I can to keep it away
I'm trying to keep it from entering my mind and taking over
But still it's here now staring by my side
Despite my efforts, it's still with me, haunting me
The ghosts I carry
The burden of my past mistakes and trauma that I can't escape
Don't deny me again
I can't keep running from it, I need to face it now
Unsafe in a sanctuary
Even my safe space is now tainted by the ghosts I carry
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.