Susperia may have their roots in Norway’s black metal scene, but that is merely a starting point for a band that describes their music as “extreme metal with melodic twists”. Their simple philosophy of “no boundaries” – as reflected on the album ‘Unlimited’ – demonstrates how Susperia have no hesitation in embracing and exploring a variety of musical avenues with ease. They feel that originality is the essence of surviving the music industry today and their willingness to experiment has seen development and progression over their three-album career, to a point where they are managing to carve out their own identity within the metal genre.
The origins of the Oslo based band can be traced back to 1998 when Tjodalv, then occupying the drum seat with Dimmu Borgir, and long time friend Cyrus (Satyricon, Old Man´s Child) would get together regularly to share ideas and write songs. These sessions developed rapidly into the foundations of what would eventually become the band Susperia. By March 1999 Tjodalv had left Dimmu Borgir to concentrate fully on building a band that was capable of sharing one vision and performing a challenging style of music. A chance meeting between Athera and Tjodalv at 1999’s Wacken Festival in Germany proved to be beneficial and would eventually lead to the completion of the Susperia line up. Athera had been handed a CD of ideas that Tjodalv and Cyrus had been working on. Suitably impressed by what he heard, Athera wasted no time in agreeing to join the fledgling band, bringing along with him from his own band, bass guitarist Memnock and guitarist Elvorn.
With the line up complete Susperia entered Pitfire Studios near Oslo to record the five-song ‘Illusion Of Evil’ demo, which immediately caused a buzz with various record labels. A bidding war ensued with ten labels chasing the bands signature. Susperia eventually opted for Nuclear Blast, finalising their deal in early 2000. October of the same year saw the band hard at work in the legendary Abyss Studios, Sweden producing their debut album ‘Predominance’. The album was released to critical acclaim in March 2001, with the international press praising Susperia as one of the freshest and most interesting bands around at the time. Tours with In Flames, Nevermore, Lacuna Coil, Dimmu Borgir and a headline appearance at Portugal’s Extremo Open Air Festival followed, placing the band in front of excited audiences around Europe.
The second album ‘Vindication’ followed in 2002 with the band once again utilising Abyss Studios for the recording. ‘Vindication’ equally impressed both fans and critics alike, being championed as one of extreme metals’ groundbreaking albums. However cracks were beginning to appear in the bands’ relationship with Nuclear Blast, mainly due to a lack of live promotional support from the label. As a result the band took their destiny into their own hands and asked to be released from their contract. They subsequently parted company with the label on amicable terms. Summing up the situation at the time, vocalist Athera commented, “we couldn’t sit on our arses waiting for something to happen”. Despite the upheavals, Susperia still managed to get out on the road, appearing mainly at European festivals, but also fitting in a performance at the Milwaukee Metalfest in the USA.
By 2003 the band were fielding offers from various labels, eventually finding a new home with upcoming Norwegian label TABU – a division of TUBA Records. After sorting out their business affairs, Susperia set about writing their new album. Retreating to the tranquillity of Memnock’s cabin in the Norwegian woods, they shut themselves away for four weeks and aided by a touch of alcohol, wrote the songs that would appear on ‘Unlimited’. Recording of the album took place at Subsonic Studios in Norway and Studio Fredman in Sweden, with production duties handled by the band. However prior to entering the studios to record the album, Susperia had a couple of “firsts”, undertaking tours of the UK and headlining dates in Mexico for the first time.
With ‘Unlimited’ Susperia came of age, producing their best selling album to date. It was an album that showed a new maturity in song writing and performance. The five highly skilled musicians combined their technical prowess and individual personalities to deliver one of the metal genres outstanding albums of 2004. Entering Norway’s ‘Official Album Chart’ at Number 43, the album quickly became a favourite with both fans and media around the world. Further recognition came with a nomination in the 'Metal' category for Norway's respected ‘Alarm’ awards. In the USA, ‘Unlimited’ made an immediate impact, becoming the third most added album at influential CMJ Loud Rock Radio and achieved the number three position on the ‘Crucial Spin Charts”, while the video for the song ‘Chemistry’ received regular TV airplay on MTV Headbangers Ball and Havoc TV amongst others. The band was creating an impact in both Europe and the USA. An exhausting nine-week European tour in support of ‘Unlimited’ late in 2004 established the band as a great live experience.
The increasing profile paid off in 2005 when the band was invited to be the main support on the ‘Reunion European Tour’ of Bay area thrash legends Testament. September 2005 saw Susperia release the ‘Devil May Care EP’ which contained a collection of original and cover songs along with promo videos. The EP was intended to be a low-key affair whilst the band worked on material for their next full-length album, but the release took everyone by surprise when it reached number 19 on Norway’s official ‘Hit List’. As a result the band created a piece of music history by becoming the first home grown act in the metal genre to achieve a Top 20 hit in the country. A short headline European Tour rounded the year off, leaving the band ready to concentrate on recording their fourth studio album in 2006.
As the band set to work on their fourth full length album, a new chapter is ready to unfold as Susperia look to expand their grasp on the music that has impressed so many.
Brother
Susperia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They lied, you tried, bend the truth, they won't allow mistakes
You're alive and doing good
Just as long as you can hunt
You will be like this forever
You're never coming home
They lied, you tried, every day they laughed at you
Death, my brother, I told him never to go there
Remorse, my bother, they had him taken on his way to war
War- he's taken ill
War- and then some more
War- it's everyday
War- it's everywhere
Still alive and feeling well, wont you come and join us
We will be here for a while, our time is all we've got
We're alive and feeling well, do we wanna change this
What the hell is going on, do we deserve the pain
So they said you will defend your country in every way
But they lied, and they tried to hold you into their pride
Hate, my brother its waiting for a no good cause
Belive, my brother, one day you will come back home from war
War- he still exists
War- he's nothing more
War- he's had enough
War- can take no more
We're alive and feeling well, do we wanna change this
What the hell is going on, do we deserve the pain
Dead, my brother, I told him never to go there
Sorrow, they took him away, please make me understand
The lyrics of Susperia's song "Brother" seem to be an exploration of the toll that war takes on soldiers and their families. The opening lines allude to the idea that the soldier being addressed has been misrepresented by his superiors - he was promised that he would be given the best of everything but instead he is laughed at for trying and is now stuck in a situation that he can never escape from. The second verse introduces the idea that the soldier's brother has also been taken away to war and has since died. The chorus repeats the phrase "we're alive and feeling well" but questions whether or not it's worth it to experience the pain associated with war.
There is a sense of ambiguity in the lyrics that allows for multiple interpretations. It is unclear whether or not the soldier is alive or dead, and it is also unclear whether or not the singer of the song is the soldier's family member or a fellow soldier. The lyrics seem to be calling attention to the futility and senselessness of war, and how it can leave people feeling trapped and without hope.
Overall, the lyrics of "Brother" are a poignant commentary on the long-term effects of war on soldiers and their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
They said you knew how to kill and how to maim
People thought you were skilled at hurting others
They lied, you tried, bend the truth, they won't allow mistakes
However, you made mistakes and were not allowed to make excuses
You're alive and doing good
Despite everything, you are still alive and doing well
Just as long as you can hunt
As long as you can continue to harm others
You will be like this forever
You will always be known for your violent tendencies
You're never coming home
You can never truly escape your past
They said you would get the best of everything
People promised you success and happiness
They lied, you tried, every day they laughed at you
But they were lying, and instead they ridiculed you for your failures
Death, my brother, I told him never to go there
The artist warns their sibling about the dangers of death
Remorse, my bother, they had him taken on his way to war
Their other sibling was taken to war and may feel regretful about it
War- he's taken ill
The sibling at war was injured or became ill
War- and then some more
The war continues on with no end in sight
War- it's everyday
The war affects the characters every single day
War- it's everywhere
The war is all around them and cannot be escaped
Still alive and feeling well, wont you come and join us
Despite the hardships, the characters are still hopeful and want others to join them
We will be here for a while, our time is all we've got
They know that time is limited and want to make the most of it together
We're alive and feeling well, do we wanna change this
Even though they are doing well, they question if they really want to continue down this path
What the hell is going on, do we deserve the pain
They are questioning if they deserve the hardships they have faced
So they said you will defend your country in every way
The characters were told they would be defending their country in the war
But they lied, and they tried to hold you into their pride
The reality was different, they were used for others' egos
Hate, my brother its waiting for a no good cause
The artist warns their sibling about the dangers of hatred
Belive, my brother, one day you will come back home from war
The artist is hopeful that their sibling will come back home safely from the war
War- he still exists
The effects of the war linger on even after it has ended
War- he's nothing more
The reality of war is that it is truly meaningless and pointless
War- he's had enough
The characters are tired of the war and it's toll on their lives
War- can take no more
The war has reached its breaking point
Dead, my brother, I told him never to go there
The character's brother died and the singer wishes they could have stopped them from participating in the war
Sorrow, they took him away, please make me understand
The artist is grieving and wants answers to make sense of their loss
Contributed by Annabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
illlanoize23
The amount of badass is astounding!
Brandon
I played this song on my ipod while I was jogging, I ran at full speed, a mile. lol xD
Kosta4243
Electro in the suggested --------> My fault