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".
I
Raise Hell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I always have you my friend
So shiny and cold, you always know what to say
You always been good to me
Reaching for my own hand
Drag myself and pulls me towards the abyss
Now you will have to pay with your life
It's your execution
You're guilty
So rise!
And take your final steps
Six feet to go
It's been a while maybe an hour or so
Twenty years or an eon who knows
What the hell did we do, explain it again
I'm guilty as one, but then...
Reaching for my own hand
Drag myself and pulls me towards the abyss
I declare you guilty
Now you will have to pay with your life
It's your execution
You're guilty
So rise!
And take your final steps
Six feet to go
Lights out
Satisfying their hunger for blood
Eyes shut
Falling deeper and deeper within
Show down
The spoken damnation of man
New crown
Worn by the rulers of the damned
I declare you guilty
Now you will have to pay with your life
It's your execution
You're guilty
So rise!
And take your final steps
Six feet to go
As they declared him guilty
And dragged him though the crowd
He looked up with a smile and laughing
Said: you all will follow some day
The lyrics of the song "I" by Raise Hell depict a narrative about the singer's guilt that leads to their execution. The first stanza expresses the singer's loneliness and the presence of a "shiny and cold" companion that always knows what to say. The second stanza is a reflection of the singer's guilt, as they drag themselves towards their downfall. The chorus implicates the singer's execution and urges them to take their final steps towards death.
The third stanza depicts the singer's confusion about the cause of their guilt and their complicity in the crime. The fourth stanza is a repetition of the second stanza, emphasizing the singer's self-destructive nature. The chorus repeats, and the bridge elucidates the situation of the execution, where the audience is hungry for the blood of the guilty. The last part of the stanza symbolically represents the rulers of the damned, who are crowned by the prophecy of the spoken damnation of man.
The final stanza portrays the singer's acceptance of their execution with a smile on their face, as they know that everyone will face a similar fate one day. The lyrics of the song have a macabre and nihilistic undertone that highlights the inevitability of death and the transience of human existence.
Line by Line Meaning
It's starting to get a little lonely in here
The singer is feeling lonely in their current situation.
But I always have you my friend
The singer finds comfort in their friendship with an inanimate object (possibly a weapon).
So shiny and cold, you always know what to say
The object has a shiny and cold exterior, but the singer values its reliability in difficult situations.
You always been good to me
The artist has had positive experiences using the object in the past.
Reaching for my own hand
The artist is in a state of desperation and is trying to convince themselves to take action.
Drag myself and pulls me towards the abyss
The singer is struggling to resist a self-destructive urge, which they compare to falling into an abyss.
I declare you guilty
The singer is passing judgement on someone or something.
Now you will have to pay with your life
The artist believes that the guilty party deserves the harshest possible punishment (death).
It's your execution
The judgement has been made, and the guilty party must now face the consequences.
You're guilty
The artist is reiterating the fact that the guilty party has been found guilty.
So rise!
The singer is urging the guilty party to accept their punishment and face it head-on.
And take your final steps
The guilty party is being led to their execution.
Six feet to go
The guilty party is about to be buried (six feet under the ground).
Lights out
The singer is describing the moment of the guilty party's execution (when the lights go out).
Satisfying their hunger for blood
The singer believes that the executioners are deriving pleasure from the act of killing.
Eyes shut
The guilty party is closing their eyes, either in anticipation of death or to prevent themselves from witnessing the execution.
Falling deeper and deeper within
The guilty party is losing consciousness and drifting towards death.
Show down
The singer is describing a confrontation between opposing parties (possibly the guilty party and their accusers).
The spoken damnation of man
The singer is describing a verbal condemnation of the guilty party by their accusers.
New crown
The artist is describing a shift in power, in which the guilty party is being dethroned and replaced.
Worn by the rulers of the damned
The artist is describing the new leaders who have taken the place of the guilty party.
As they declared him guilty
The artist is describing a scene in which someone has been found guilty of a crime.
And dragged him though the crowd
The guilty party is being physically moved through a crowd, possibly towards their execution.
He looked up with a smile and laughing
The guilty party is smiling and laughing despite their impending death, suggesting that they accept their fate.
Said: you all will follow some day
The guilty party is reminding the crowd that death comes for everyone eventually.
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.