The band released Awaken through Peaceville Records in 1996. Allender left during the recording of the band's follow up album, Mystica, released in 1997, again through Peaceville Records. Benjamin Ryan quit the band some time in April 1998, and by May, the rest of the unit folded shop and the band fell to ashes.
In 2002, Peaceville released The Blood Divine compilation album Rise Pantheon Dreams. The tracklist included songs from both Awaken and Mystica, as well as two previously-unreleased tracks ("Revolt" and "Forever Belongs"), a live version of "Aureole", and a live cover of The Osmonds' "Crazy Horses".
Allender later rejoined Cradle of Filth. Sarginson briefly joined Cradle of Filth before the band settled in with Swedish drummer Adrian Erlandsson.
So Serene
The Blood Divine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As today's dawn brings tears to my eyes
(though they are tears of the harsh wind)
So painful are these thoughts
Of sombre hopes for absolute rest
...That I feel so surreal (and so serene)
Ah... that silver Queen
Her cool rays reach down to me
And I breathe one last sigh
As I remember those torturous days
(When we suffered)
The pain...
It is the scars that brought us
together
(Now we are healing, now we
are recovering
And you're falling deeper
and deeper Within yourselves
Ah... serenity
It is threats to trinity that inspired me
Winter's grace, in a cold embrace
It feeds me
...That is why I am feeling so serene
As today's dawn brought tears to my eyes
(tears not of woe)
So painful are these thoughts
Of sombre hopes for absolute rest
You know I feel so serene
As the grey mist dies away
to silent deserted hills
I bury my head in my hands
The faint echoes of false
belief Are heard no more
And are crying for
me in the far.
The lyrics to The Blood Divine's song So Serene are a reflection on the beauty and pain of life. The reference to the "grey mist" alludes to the foggy, ambiguous nature of existence, and how it can be both haunting and serene. The tears shed at dawn are not ones of sadness, but rather a reaction to the harsh wind blowing. The singer is consumed by thoughts of finding peace and rest from the somber hopes of life's struggles. Despite the painful memories of suffering, the scars have brought the character to a place of healing and recovery. The feeling of serenity comes from the acceptance of the harsh reality of life while finding beauty in the cold embrace of winter's grace. With the death of the grey mist and the silence of deserted hills, the singer can bury their head in their hands, free from the echoes of false belief and the cries of their past.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written by Paul Allender, who later became the lead guitarist for the extreme shock rock band, Cradle of Filth. So Serene was originally released on The Blood Divine's album "Awaken" in 1996. Another interesting fact is that the band was formed by members of the gothic rock band, Fields of the Nephilim. The album "Awaken" was produced by Iain O'Higgins, who had previously worked with the renowned producer Flood. So Serene was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2000 movie, Heavy Metal 2000. The song was described as a standout track for its blending of complex melody with melancholic atmosphere.
The chord progression for So Serene is not readily available, but the song's instrumentation on the original recording includes electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, and vocals. Live performances of the song have featured additional instrumentation, including violin and cello. Another interesting fact about the song is that it has been covered by several bands, including Winter in Eden, a female-fronted symphonic metal band from the UK. The song's lyrics have been praised for their poetic and thought-provoking nature, marking The Blood Divine as a band with lyrical depth and musical sophistication.
Line by Line Meaning
...And I thought, "So haunting, is the grey mist"
I can't help but feel a sense of haunting beauty as I look out at the gray mist
As today's dawn brings tears to my eyes
The wind is so harsh, it's making my eyes tear up
(though they are tears of the harsh wind)
I'm crying not because of sadness, but because the wind is so painful to my eyes
So painful are these thoughts
These somber thoughts are really weighing heavily on me
Of sombre hopes for absolute rest
I'm hoping for some peace and quiet in my life
...That I feel so surreal (and so serene)
These thoughts are making me feel strange and dreamlike, but also peaceful
Ah... that silver Queen
I'm admiring the moon as it shines down on me
Her cool rays reach down to me
The moon's light is shining down on me and making me feel cool and calm
And I breathe one last sigh
I'm feeling a sense of relief and letting out a sigh
As I remember those torturous days
I'm reminiscing about some really difficult times in my life
(When we suffered)
We went through a lot of pain together
The pain...
That pain we went through was intense
It is the scars that brought us
Our shared scars brought us together
Together
We've been through a lot as a group
(Now we are healing, now we
But we're in a better place now and we're starting to heal
Are recovering
We're slowly getting back to our old selves
And you're falling deeper
And you're starting to really sink into that feeling of peace and calm
And deeper Within yourselves
You're really exploring your inner self at this moment
Ah... serenity
This feeling of peace and calm is really overwhelming in a good way
It is threats to trinity that inspired me
It was the idea of something threatening the balance or unity that inspired me
Winter's grace, in a cold embrace
I'm finding beauty in the gracefulness of winter, even though it's cold
It feeds me
This beauty and sense of calm is really nourishing to me
...That is why I am feeling so serene
All of these factors are contributing to my overall feeling of serenity
As today's dawn brought tears to my eyes
The harsh wind is still making my eyes tear, even though it's now daylight
(tears not of woe)
Again, these aren't tears of sadness, just tears from the wind
You know I feel so serene
I really can't stress enough how calm and at peace I feel right now
As the grey mist dies away
As the mist starts to clear up, revealing the landscape around me
To silent deserted hills
I'm surrounded by some deserted hills that are very peaceful and quiet
I bury my head in my hands
I'm trying to take it all in and process this feeling of serenity
The faint echoes of false
I keep hearing these echoes that seem fake or insincere
Belief Are heard no more
But those echoes are fading away and not bothering me as much now
And are crying for
Those echoes seem to be longing for something
Me in the far.
But I'm not sure what they're longing for, and I'm far away from whatever it is they're looking for
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENJAMIN RYAN, DARREN WHITE, PAUL ALLENDER, PAUL RYAN, STEVEN PAUL MALONEY, WILLIAM A. SARGINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind