Shamrain from Finland creates dark atmospheric rock blended with ethereal, … Read Full Bio ↴Shamrain from Finland creates dark atmospheric rock blended with ethereal, dreamlike soundscapes.

In October 2000 Matti and Janne come up with an idea of a band playing slow, dreamlike material. During the winter, some songs were written and recorded. As they needed someone to vocalize their words scribbled down in distress, they asked Mika to try it out. Mika's voice fit the music perfectly and in autumn 2001 this trio gave birth to the first ShamRain release. Pieces EP saw the light of day February 2002.

In 2002 more songs were written and the first permanent guitarist, Kalle, joined the band. Later the band signed a deal with Watch Me Fall Records. The recordings of the debut album, Empty World Excursion, took place during the summer and autumn 2003. By this time, the band's music evolved into a combination of dark melancholic rock and slow, ethereal elements. EWE is put out by WMF in December and gains a lot of good reviews.

The following year, the band recorded a few unused songs written for EWE and a The Cure cover song. These were released on a The Cure tribute album and a 7" vinyl, simply called the ShamRain EP. New songs were written during the spring and summer. In autumn 2004, demo sessions for the 2nd album began and 13 new songs were recorded. At this time a second guitarist, Mikko, was recruited to enforce the band. The deal with WMF dissolves and a new deal was made with Firebox Records. In December recordings of a new album finally started at Akun Tehdas and the sessions stretched to last almost 4 months, before getting the final touch at FinnVox studios. The album is titled Someplace Else and was released in June 2005. It includes some new elements, still being a logical sequel to EWE. And as EWE, Someplace Else also gained a lot of great feedback, including many 'full points' reviews.

During autumn 2005 Shamrain recorded demos of new songs, which together with unused songs from the Someplace Else sessions formed the next release, Deeper into the night MCD. During the winter ShamRain recorded the MCD and finally played their first gigs. Deeper into the night was released April 2006 revealing ShamRain more uptempo than ever, whilst maintaining the quiet and slow moments that make their sound unique.

While getting the songs together for the 3rd album, Shamrain was offered a deal by Spikefarm Records. As soon as the deal was sorted out, the band escaped the summer brightness to the studio. The sessions turned out to be the hardest recording sessions ever. It took a lot of despair and disagreements, not to mention time, to get the album finalized, but it seems to be worth it. The new album represented the band more challenging and varieting as never before. The basic, ethereal Shamrain elements are still there, while the progress was getting the band into more rocking scales in the vein of British legends like Radiohead, The Cure, Placebo and Porcupine Tree. The album is titled Goodbye to All That, released 31.10.2007.

In 2011 Shamrain released Isolation, the first album featuring new female singer Minna Sihvonen

Line-up

Minna Sihvonen - Vocals
Kalle Pyyhtinen - Guitars, keyboards
Mikko Kolari - Guitars
Matti Reinola - Bass guitar, keyboards
Jukka Laine - Drums

Past members

* Janne Jukarainen - Drums
* Mika Tauriainen - Vocals
* Risto Ylönen - Keyboards

Published albums

* Pieces - MCD (2/2002)
* Empty World Excursion (12/2003)
* ShamRain (EP/2004)
* Someplace Else (6/2005)
* Deeper into the Night -EP (4/2006)
* Goodbye to All That (2007)
* Isolation (2011)

Funeral
Shamrain Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's still like a dream
the worst nightmare
that I've ever seen
Only this time's for real
This time's for real

I have to do this on my own
lay you down into your eternity

I try to keep you alive
in memories, deep inside
I try to keep you alive
I can't let go, can't let go

All of my love
it died with you
and all my dreams
can now ever be true
They died with you

I would give anything
if I could once more see your face

I would give my everything
if I could once more feel your embrace

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Shamrain's "Funeral" speak to the overwhelming sense of despair and loss experienced by the singer in the aftermath of the death of a loved one. The opening lines describe the feeling of disbelief that accompanies such a tragic event, as though one is living in a nightmare that cannot possibly be real. However, the singer realizes that the pain is all too real, and they must find a way to say goodbye and move on.

In the second verse, the singer grapples with the difficult task of letting go of their loved one and laying them to rest. They try to preserve their memories and keep their loved one alive in their hearts and minds, but ultimately they know that they must come to terms with their loss and find a way to move on without them. The chorus highlights the depth of the singer's grief, as they mourn not only the loss of their loved one but also the loss of all the hopes and dreams they shared.

Line by Line Meaning

It's still like a dream
The loss feels surreal

the worst nightmare
It's the most terrible experience ever

that I've ever seen
The first-hand experience of the nightmare

Only this time's for real
This time, it's not just a dream

This time's for real
The reality of the loss

I have to do this on my own
The burden of the final goodbye falls on the singer

lay you down into your eternity
The final act of saying goodbye to the deceased's physical form

I try to keep you alive
The artist tries to hold on to the memory of the deceased

in memories, deep inside
The memories of the deceased are kept within the artist

I can't let go, can't let go
The artist struggles with letting go of the deceased

All of my love
The deep love the singer had for the deceased