The band… Read Full Bio ↴Shape of Despair is a funeral doom metal band from Finland.
The band was founded in 1995 as Raven by Jarno Salomaa (guitars, later also keyboards), Tomi Ullgrén (bass, later also guitars) and Toni "Otso" Mäensivu (drums, later also vocals) as a faster, instrumental black metal-isch band following the footsteps of their contemporaries like Strid, Burzum, Darkthrone and Unholy. The trio soon realized that the music they played wasn't as good as they would have wanted, lacking the atmosphere and emotion of the bands that influenced them. They needed to either step up their songwriting game or try something else completely. During the summer of '95 Raven recorded their rehearsals with a simple cassette recorder, capturing all the songs that later became the Alone In The Mist demo, for the first time on tape. After listening to the rehearsal tape and realizing they actually had something in their hands they could stand behind, Raven wanted to record the tracks in a proper studio. It took the band three years to do it. Raven entered Arkki-studio in early '98. They still hadn't tried any vocals until the very last minute, when they decided they wanted to test how the songs would sound with Mäensivu's vocals and were surprised how well they actually fit. The Alone In The Mist demo [1] was not released until 2016, when the band thought it was the proper time to do it. They changed their name in September 1998 to Shape Of Despair. The decision to change the name came down to basically not wanting to be confused with the UK hard rock stalwarts Raven. Obviously, their new moniker fit their new sound better too.
In 2000 they signed a deal with Spikefarm Records and released their debut album Shades of...with Samu Ruotsalainen on drums.
The second album Angels of Distress, released on September 2001, featured Pasi Koskinen on lead vocals. Sami Uusitalo joined up in 2002 to play bass for the third album Illusion's Play. It was released in 2004.
In 2005, the band released a compilation titled Shape of Despair, featuring rare and unreleased material from the group, including tracks from the band's first demo Alone in the Mist and a new song called Sleeping Murder, recorded over a four-day period at Sundicoop Studios in Savonlinna, Finland. After a 5-year lull the band released the EP Written in My Scars and a split EP with Before The Rain.
Their 4th full-length album Monotony Fields was released on June 15, 2015 by Season of Mist.
Angels of Distress
Shape of Despair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And let your angels fly away.
As I am, forgiven by them
Mine angels.
Feel mine cleansing touch
Fall through your worlds
Fall
Let me caress you
Let me take you through mine worlds.
Let them (mine angels) taste you with this night,
With this tongue of this might.
Perish
Onto us
Feel your mind weaken, your cold body withered
Let us
Take you far of this night,
Far away within distress to die
The lyrics of Shape of Despair's song Angels of Distress are quite open to interpretation, but they seem to describe a person who is seeking redemption and forgiveness from their angels. They are asking the listener to come closer to them, while also encouraging their angels to fly away. They claim that they have been forgiven by their angels, and seek to help others find the same sense of forgiveness.
The lyrics also suggest that there is a sense of cleansing and purification taking place, as the person invites others to feel their "cleansing touch" and asks them to "fall through [their] worlds." They seem to be offering a kind of escape from the struggles and pain of everyday life, perhaps through some kind of transformative experience. However, there is also a sense of danger and darkness, as they describe the listener's mind weakening and their body withering.
Overall, the lyrics to Angels of Distress are rich with emotion and symbolism, and could be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the listener's perspective and experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Come closer for myself
Approach me, for my sake
And let your angels fly away.
Release your guardians and let them depart
As I am, forgiven by them
Because I have been absolved of wrongdoing by them
Mine angels.
Those angels who belong to me
Feel mine cleansing touch
Experience the purifying sensation of my touch
Fall through your worlds
Descend into your own realms
Fall
Come down
Onto me.
Towards me
Let me caress you
Allow me to touch you gently
Let me take you through mine worlds.
Allow me to guide you through my own territories
Let them (mine angels) taste you with this night,
Permit them (my angels) to savour you during this night,
With this tongue of this might.
With this method of communication, which is potent
Perish
Suffer total destruction
Onto us
Upon us
Feel your mind weaken, your cold body withered
Experience your cognitive faculties waning and your frigid body deteriorating
Let us
Allow us
Take you far of this night,
Remove you from this current evening
Far away within distress to die
Far off to a place within misery to perish
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JARNO SALOMAA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-do5bn4eq1p
Это шедевр на десятилетия. Это уносит тебя туда, где ты обретаешь покой, варясь в адском огне и при этом получаешь от этого удовольствие. Это как пришел в церковь своей души. Браво! Превзойти вас ещё никто не смог.
@yoga_girlz
Гарно сказано☺️ і що найголовніше – дуже точно описує ті відчуття, які виникають в твоїй свідомості під час прослуховування цьої композиції
@ocno
Shit, it's been 20 years... This has always stuck with me, I come back to this album again and again and I'm transported back to a place of despair, decisive, beautiful and timeless. What a fucking masterpiece.
@michyv1000
All your pain and sorrow , fear, hatred and loneliness played out loud...beautiful
@journeystarr
The kind of song I want to blast at an old church just to hear it bounce off of the walls, and make the candles flicker, while the aroma of candle wax and smoke fills the church
@ryanhenry9987
One of the most epic songs ever recorded.
@Rupert_chiesa_gigliotti
👍👍👍
@lordbanhmi3389
Yes. Crushing, Hateful, Mellow, Pretty, Mournful.
@olehwolansky1952
And bands
@enzogalli5506
Un pezzo maestoso, immenso, magnifico...