Sinphonia was originally formed by drummer Dennis Buhl and bassist Thor Jep… Read Full Bio ↴Sinphonia was originally formed by drummer Dennis Buhl and bassist Thor Jeppesen in the last months of 1998. The idea was to play a progressive metal in the vein of Symphony X, Hexenhaus, and more. In spring 99 guitarist Henrik Rangstrup and keyboardist Jakob Thinggaard entered the band. But it wasnt until singer Monika Pedersen joined in, that the genre of the band started taking real shape.

Monika was not at all the voice originally intended for the band, but her talent could not be ignored. The style of the band changed quickly and automatically into a darker version of the progressive metal.
Only 3 months after Monika joined the fold, Sinphonia recorded a 5 track demo at Jacob Hansen Studios (Mercenary, Invocator, Ancient). With this demo in hand, it only took the band few months to find both a management and a record deal.
Thus, in the late summer of 2000 the band issued their debut "When the tide breaks" through Italian label Lucretia Records (Angra, Time Machine, and more). Consisting of the 5 tracks from the demo and 3 new recordings with new keyboard player Peter Jensen, the album received very positive feedback from the media. Following the release the band played a number of shows in Denmark.
In between shows Sinphonia continued working hard on new material to be able to quickly record the follow up album. The style continued getting darker, and the band started experimenting more with the setting of moods and atmospheres. In the same time, the lyrics started taking shape as an ongoing story, and the songs were constructed around this idea.

It was autumn 2001 when the band entered the studio to record "The Divine Disharmony", after resigning with Lucretia Records. This time one of the most well renowned studios of Denmark was chosen. Amongst other because of the number of famous Danish rock bands recording there, and because the studio is situated in the town where Sinphonia lived.
Unfortunately, this choice was the first line of a dark chapter in the life of Sinphonia. The producer showed to be very uninterested in the band, and the final product was not at all what the band had hoped for. Still, the band was nothing but happy with the music and ideas included in "The Divine Disharmony". Sinphonia had come a step closer to their own sound.
After a long period waiting for the mix to be done, the band could finally send the master to the label. Where after an even longer wait began. "The Divine Disharmony" was not released until 18 months after the recordings. In the meantime the bandmembers had become so fed up with wasted hope and numerous lies, that they decided to have a break of undefined length.

When "The Divine Disharmony" was released, it showed to be a very strong album. In spite of the weak production the album received many top reviews, as well as license deals for South America and Russia.
A lot of changes took place after the break. Monika, Thor and Dennis moved to the capitol of Denmark, Copenhagen, while Henrik moved as far as to Italy. The members all started with new band projects, as Dennis joined Evil Masquerade (Frontier Records) and Henrik formed Chaoswave (DVS Records). Monika did guest vocals for several bands, a.o. Mercenary (Century Media) and Manticora (Massacre Records).

Consequently, the band members all thought that Sinphonia was a finished chapter. But simultaneously a growing amount of fan mails were arriving and with the reviews that were given "The Divine Disharmony", the band slowly understood that the book might had been closed to quickly.
An internet chat in March 2004 between Henrik and Monika revealed that both had regained a strong will of adding new pages to story. Henrik thus composed a bit of new material to present to Thor and Dennis, and it didnt take long for them to be convinced that Sinphonia was still alive.
Due to the new geographical situation of the band, the way of writing obviously had to be reinvented. Discussions took place if it would be possible at all, but looking around and seeing many bigger bands having to deal with the same problem, it was agreed that this should and would not be an issue. Each member of Sinphonia has 12-15 years of experience, and they know very well the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
Composing, earlier a group concern, is now mainly done by Henrik Rangstrup. Songs are fully written and arranged on computer, and sent for feedback to the different band members. This is also the way that the present cd has been created.
Henrik entered the studio in Italy in December 2004 to record guitars and keyboards together with session keyboardist Davide Cisci. Between Christmas and New Years Eve he then went to Denmark to assist with bass recordings and demoing the vocals, as well as having a rehearsal room listen to the drums that Dennis made. Drums and vocals weere recorded during January, and mixing was done in March.

In fact the "Silence" promo has been recorded without the band ever playing the songs together. Still, they all consider this by far the strongest material they ever made. The songwriting is now much more focused on creating good and memorable songs, without loosing the dark atmosphere and the technical, aggressive riffing.

2007: Sinphonia has yet not found the right record label for their next album. The band is neither split neither active. Just waiting for the right moment and chance to continue. In these days Monika is very busy as the singer for Norwegian SIRENIA, Henrik is more than occupied with Italian CHAOSWAVE, and Dennis is spending his time for Danish THE DOWNWARD CANDIDATE and Swedish/Danish EVIL MASQUERADE.

In November 2007 Monika Pedersen (Ex-Sirenia) reactivated Sinphonia. Ex-Sirenia singer Monika Pedersen, Hatesphere drummer Dennis Buhl and Chaoswave guitarist Henrik Rangstrup are the backbone of the dark melodic metal band Sinphonia.

The Reflective and the Sleeper
Sinphonia Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(GODS:) She claims to withhold wisdom, while She misleads her sleepers with a
self-inflicted truth. Yet, she is but the core of another comedy, another
character in the divine disharmony. Our next act will define the doubt in
her mind.

(SHE:)

Float numb in the water

Wait for the end of your strength
Rest your ears beneath the surface
And focus your eyes in the grar sky

You're a shadow in a shadowland
Insensible, indistinct
Drifting with the breeze
Allowing the sleep to set in

I despise you, the sleepers, for not being me

(Chorus:)
We all have to choose
Between the reflective and the sleeper
Between too much or nothing at all

Now look at me
I've ley red light into my eyes
I have risen from the water
Opened my eyes to the mirrors

I'm a mirror in a mirrorland
Insensible, indistinct

(Chorus)

I despise myself for not being you

Overall Meaning

The song "The Reflective and the Sleeper" by Sinphonia explores the themes of identity, self-doubt, and deception. The lyrics suggest that there is a disconnect between the truth that we believe about ourselves and the reality that we experience. The gods in the song accuse someone of misleading others with a self-inflicted truth, implying that they are deceiving themselves in some way.

The verses are written from the perspective of someone who feels disconnected from themselves and their surroundings. They describe the feeling of being adrift and disconnected, not fully present in their own life. The juxtaposition of being a shadow in a shadowland highlights the sense of disconnection and numbness that this person feels.

The chorus introduces the idea that we have to make a choice between being reflective or being a sleeper, between being engaged with our lives or being passive and detached. The use of the mirror as a symbol suggests that we can only truly know ourselves by reflecting on our experience and acknowledging our own flaws and limitations. The final line of the song, "I despise myself for not being you," suggests that the singer realizes the value of being engaged and present in their own life, and feels regret for not having done so sooner.

Line by Line Meaning

She claims to withhold wisdom, while She misleads her sleepers with a self-inflicted truth.
She pretends to possess knowledge but actually guides her followers with a selective truth that serves her purpose.

Yet, she is but the core of another comedy, another character in the divine disharmony.
However, she is just one part of the chaos that exists between the divine beings, another pawn in their game.

Our next act will define the doubt in her mind.
Our forthcoming actions will create uncertainty in her thoughts.

Float numb in the water
She is motionless, suspended in the water.

Wait for the end of your strength
She waits for her power to diminish.

Rest your ears beneath the surface
She drowns out the outside noise and listens to her inner voice.

And focus your eyes in the gray sky
She stares at the bleak sky, lost in thought.

You're a shadow in a shadowland
She is insignificant, just a silhouette in a world of darkness.

Insensible, indistinct
She feels numb and unclear about her identity or purpose.

Drifting with the breeze
She is aimlessly floating around, being carried by the wind.

Allowing the sleep to set in
She resigns herself to inaction and letting her innermost desires remain dormant.

I despise you, the sleepers, for not being me
She resents those who don't share her self-absorption, wishing they had her sense of importance.

We all have to choose Between the reflective and the sleeper Between too much or nothing at all
We have to decide whether to be reflective, looking inward to understand ourselves, or be a sleeper, surrendering to aimless numbness, and the struggle between too much and too little.

Now look at me I've let red light into my eyes I have risen from the water Opened my eyes to the mirrors
Now, she has opened herself up to new experiences and ways of seeing herself, dramatically emerging from the murky water with a new perspective.

I'm a mirror in a mirrorland Insensible, indistinct
She is just a reflection of reality, indistinct and ambiguous.

I despise myself for not being you
She is dissatisfied with herself and wishes she could be like someone else.

Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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