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.
Monotony Fields
Shape of Despair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
gone my will
touch the ground
perpetual void
beneath a voice
a sigh from afar
moments between
remember still
and not found
all that was lost
on these monotony fields
folding in
ever deeper
into the undertow
of thoughts
drifting through
the pale landscapes
of the withering mind
it would have been so different
without this burden
this sense of nothingness
the lifelong defeat
that took us here
to a distance unreachable
to a grey indifference
into these vast
monotony fields
In the song Monotony Fields by the Finnish funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair, the lyrics capture a sense of hopelessness and despair. The singer seems to have lost their will and is resigned to their fate. Through the imagery of a perpetual void and sighs from afar, the lyrics convey a sense of emptiness and loneliness. The singer seems to be looking back at moments in their life, remembering what they had sought but ultimately failed to find. The monotony fields represent a bland and unfulfilling existence, a life without purpose or passion.
The song goes on to describe the singer's descent into deeper levels of despair, symbolized by the undertow of thoughts. The mind becomes a withering landscape, filled with pale and lifeless images. The burden of the sense of nothingness weighs heavily on the singer, leading to a lifelong defeat. The distance to any hope or joy seems unreachable, and the greyness of indifference pervades everything. The song is a haunting and poignant depiction of the human condition, capturing the sense of loss and despair that can accompany a life without meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Taken down
Feeling defeated and weakened
gone my will
No longer having the motivation to continue
touch the ground
To feel grounded or attached to reality
perpetual void
A never-ending emptiness or lack of meaning
beneath a voice
Underneath the surface level of thought or consciousness
a sigh from afar
A distant and almost inaudible sound of despair or sadness
moments between
Short periods of time where there was solace or contentment
remember still
To still hold onto memories despite them being painful or difficult
what was sought
The things that were pursued or desired
and not found
That were ultimately unattainable or elusive
all that was lost
The things that were sacrificed or left behind in pursuit of what was sought
on these monotony fields
On the bleak and repetitive landscape of life
folding in
To retreat inwardly and become more withdrawn
ever deeper
To descend into a deeper state of despair or hopelessness
into the undertow
Into the powerful force of negative thoughts or emotions
of thoughts
The constant barrage of negative thoughts and emotions
drifting through
To be aimlessly carried along by circumstances or events
the pale landscapes
The bleak and colorless surroundings of this mental state
of the withering mind
The deteriorating state of mental health and well-being
it would have been so different
If circumstances or events had been different, the outcome would have changed
without this burden
Without the weight of this emotional or mental struggle
this sense of nothingness
The overwhelming feeling of emptiness and lack of purpose
the lifelong defeat
The feeling of always being defeated or never achieving what was desired
that took us here
That led us to this point of despair and hopelessness
to a distance unreachable
To a level of sadness or despair that cannot be overcome or reached from where one currently stands
to a grey indifference
To an apathetic and emotionless state
into these vast
Into the expansive and all-encompassing
monotony fields
The never-ending and repetitive nature of life that can lead to despair
Contributed by Aria K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Binks-cn6mc
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written
written
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written
ever
ever
ever
ever
ever
choruses
choruses
choruses
choruses
choruses
powerful
powerful
powerful
powerful
powerful
most
most
most
most
most
the
the
the
the
the
of
of
of
of
of
One
One
One
One
One
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moment
moment
moment
moment
moment
blessed
blessed
blessed
blessed
blessed
a
a
a
a
a
is
is
is
is
is
25:00
25:00
25:00
25:00
25:00
@janahausknechtova4725
Excelentní album 👌😈🤘...miluji tuhle muziku 🖤🖤
@-Skaal-
Best album of Shape Of Despair. With Angel Of Distress.
Hypnotic...
@Crazeefish313
This album seriously makes me happy and I know how ass backwards that is when you listen to it. Amazing band
@BlackSailPass_GuitarCovers
25:00 is a blessed moment. One of the most powerful choruses ever written.
@moshlem666
... 🤘 🇫🇮
@Emperor_Atlantis
Totally agree. I saw them live when they just released this album. It was really on a different level. Soo intense
@Binks-cn6mc
.
.
.
.
.
written
written
written
written
ever
ever
ever
ever
ever
choruses
choruses
choruses
choruses
choruses
powerful
powerful
powerful
powerful
powerful
most
most
most
most
most
the
the
the
the
the
of
of
of
of
of
One
One
One
One
One
.
.
.
.
.
moment
moment
moment
moment
moment
blessed
blessed
blessed
blessed
blessed
a
a
a
a
a
is
is
is
is
is
25:00
25:00
25:00
25:00
25:00
@azaleadark
thanks for finding you 🖤🖤🖤😌😌🔥🔥🤘
@anyanwuobinna3162
I felt the touch of immortality. I am what I am.
@privilegius666
One of the best doom albums ever...