Combining painfully slow death doom metal styled riffs, solemn keyboards and sparse percussion with deep growling, they create songs that are both within the range of contemporary doom metal in terms of heaviness and slowness, yet far beyond the range of others where atmosphere and sound is considered.
Besides the music, Skepticism purposefully create a mysterious and abstract atmosphere, in terms of lyrics, artwork, contact with the outside world, and live performances.
Discography:
1991 - Towards My End (7")
1993 - Aeothe Kaear (demo tape)
1995 - Stormcrowfleet (full-length)
1997 - Ethere (EP)
1997 - Lead And Aether (full-length)
1998 - Aes (EP)
2002 - The Process of Farmakon (EP)
2003 - Farmakon (full-length)
2008 - Alloy (full-length)
2021 - Companion (full-length)
Pendulum
Skepticism Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These halls
Time barely passes
The floors
Silent for time
The doors
Still for air
The mirror
Time barely passes
Right hall
Shadows marking
Colored cover
Left hall
Light routes
Shall part
Pleasant ways
Hall behind
The pendulum
Through time
Through light
Through darkness
Through dust
The pendulum
The silent becomes loud
The absent becomes present
Each time barely passes
These halls
Hall behind
The pendulum
The lyrics to Skepticism's song Pendulum paint a picture of a dimly-lit, abandoned space where time seems to stand still. It describes each hall as silent and still, as if frozen in time. However, there is a sense of movement and direction implied through the use of words like "right hall" and "left hall," as well as the idea that light "routes" through them. The lyrics then focus on the "hall behind" and the pendulum, which is almost treated like a character or force that moves "through time, through light, through darkness, through dust." This pendulum seems to bring life back into the stagnant halls, causing the "silent" to become "loud" and the "absent" to become "present." It's unclear what the pendulum represents, but it seems to symbolize change or motion in an otherwise immovable space.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of eerie stillness and the slow passage of time, but also hint at the potential for movement and change through the presence of the pendulum.
Line by Line Meaning
Bare light enters
The light enters faintly, barely seen or noticed
These halls
The space being described is a series of corridors or walkways
Time barely passes
Time seems to pass slowly or at a pace that is barely perceptible
The floors
The surfaces of the walkways or corridors are quiet and still
Silent for time
The space has been quiet for a long time
The doors
The entranceways or exits are still, motionless
Still for air
The air is still or not moving
The mirror
There is a mirror in this space, but it is not reflecting any movement
Blind for movement
The mirror does not show any movement, even if it is there
Time barely passes
Time continues to pass slowly, almost imperceptibly
Right hall
The corridor or walkway to the right
Shadows marking
There are shadows on the walls, marking the passage of time
Colored cover
There are things covering or adorning the walls, such as artwork, in vibrant colors
Left hall
The corridor or walkway to the left
Light routes
The direction of the light is guiding someone on a path
Shall part
The path will divide or offer different options
Pleasant ways
The choices are favorable and rewarding
Hall behind
The space already traveled or left behind
The pendulum
This could be the metaphor for time, as it swings back and forth, marking its passing
Through time
It continues to swing through the ages
Through light
The light interacts with this motion, creating shadows and reflections
Through darkness
Even in the dark, the pendulum still swings, marking time
Through dust
The passage of time creates dust, adding to the stillness of the space
The silent becomes loud
The stillness and quiet of the space can become almost deafening
The absent becomes present
Because of the passage of time, things that were once absent or not noticed, become noticeable and present
Each time barely passes
Every time the pendulum swings, time continues to pass slowly or at a pace that is barely perceptible
These halls
The space being described is still the same corridors or walkways
Hall behind
The space that was previously traveled or left behind is also the same
The pendulum
Once again, the metaphor for time is mentioned
Contributed by Mia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HeartnSoul99
Totally flawless & demanding...great melody, great arrangments, and a modern approach of funeral doom, what to ask more? -thanks for the post, and probably soon I'll be running to get this record...
Josh Nihil
To me this band and Comatose Vigil are Funeral Doom.
The Chop Top's Podcast
Wow... everything became colder around me... GREAT!
Dekrapitator666
Godly band, great song
Addu Intense
I want instrumental version. To drown in it.
Addu Intense
2:37 the beginning
Franco Vildósola Medina
Skepticism.......Shape of Despair........Colosseum.... Perkele!!!
nurwer
And Mournuful Congregation.
aegrimonis
Now this is what I'm talking about..............