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.
Still
Shape of Despair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bleeding inner to suffer with time
Endlessly lost and still searching
For something, someday
Obsession and deceit
To burn a mark for a lifetime
Boundaries to brake
To rebuild the past
For something that will everlast
Just searching for to find itself
In still-motion
For to hope
Whenever to find a closure
Find itself in still-motion
Get closer, closer to your own faith
Serve the frail mind
Escape through the lifetime
To glance for your dismal youth
Get closer, closer to your own faith
The lyrics to Shape of Despair's song "Still" speak to the human struggle with time, suffering, and the search for something meaningful in life. The opening lines, "Arisen in vain to a life / Bleeding inner to suffer with time / Endlessly lost and still searching / For something, someday," suggest a feeling of futility and pain in existence. The use of the word "bleeding" evokes a physical and emotional sense of harm, while "endlessly lost" conveys a persistent feeling of not knowing one's place in the world. The search for something comes across as an ongoing pursuit, with no clear end in sight.
The subsequent lines, "Obsession and deceit /To burn a mark for a lifetime / Boundaries to brake / Reached from the edge of time / To rebuild the past / For something that will everlast," build on this theme by suggesting that people are often driven by their obsessions and can be caught in a cycle of self-deception. The phrase "to burn a mark for a lifetime" implies a sense of permanence in the choices one makes, and "rebuild the past" suggests a way of holding onto what is familiar or comfortable. The final lines, "Just searching for to find itself / In still-motion / For to hope / Whenever to find a closure / Find itself in still-motion / Get closer, closer to your own faith," center on the idea of finding oneself and seeking hope in the midst of uncertainty. The phrase "still-motion" stands out as a paradoxical and intriguing concept that hints at the possibility of finding stillness or peace within the midst of constant motion.
Line by Line Meaning
Arisen in vain to a life
Started existing without any proper purpose or aim in life
Bleeding inner to suffer with time
Experiencing inner pain that continues to grow with time
Endlessly lost and still searching
Feeling directionless and continuously searching for something
For something, someday
Hoping to find something meaningful someday
Obsession and deceit
Being consumed by negative thoughts and dishonesty
To burn a mark for a lifetime
To make a permanent negative impact on oneself or others
Boundaries to brake
Breaking down barriers that limit self-growth
Reached from the edge of time
Overcoming time and space limitations to pursue something
To rebuild the past
Trying to fix something that has already happened
For something that will everlast
For something that will continue to exist for a long time
Just searching for to find itself
Trying to find one's true purpose or identity
In still-motion
Being in a state of inaction while still searching for something
For to hope
Hoping for something
Whenever to find a closure
Trying to find closure or resolution for something
Find itself in still-motion
Finding oneself in a state of inaction while searching for something
Get closer, closer to your own faith
Bringing oneself closer to their own beliefs or values
Serve the frail mind
Helping those with weak or vulnerable minds
Escape through the lifetime
Trying to escape from the struggles of life
To glance for your dismal youth
Looking back at one's unhappy past
Get closer, closer to your own faith
Bringing oneself closer to their own beliefs or values
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JARNO SALOMAA, NATALIE KOSKINEN, PASI KOSKINEN, SAMI ANTERO UUSITALO, SAMU RUOTSALAINEN, TOMI MIKAEL ULLGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heathen Pride
Maybe my personal fave Shape of Despair creation ever.
I can’t express what feelings this band and track brought me in so many years I’m into their music.
Slow, deep, cold and warm reflections about life, death, especially past and present. Still one of the best bands around.
AnUnhingedMind
I love the way it slows down more and more in the first half of the song. So powerful.
Vldmr Kldzhn
Это прекрасно 💔💘
Black Fire 2604
I want this to be played at my funeral.
Enzo Galli
Excellent!! Shape of Despair...Great band!!
Artur Pępek
Moja muzyka z przepływu zaświatowego .
Oscar Cartes
Excelente,gran grupo
Tiago Monteiro
Amazing atmosphere
Argenfinland
Increible canción....
James M
Haven't heard this much from S.O.D. the Sweet, Subded meaning of the song title in the second half.