Formed by guitarist Mikael Sandorf in Luleå, Sweden during 2001, The Duskfall emerged from the ashes of the legendary but short-lived melodic death metal band Gates Of Ishtar. Before they were named The Duskfall - at the time they were called Soulash - the group suffered from a number of line-up changes and technical problems with both Tommi Konu (bass) and Urban Carlsson (drums) leaving the band. After months of searching, an old friend from Gates Of Ishtar, Oskar Karlsson, came to the rescue as a drummer and Kaj Molin replaced Tommi on bass. Finally all seemed in place with a full line-up and in summer of 2001 their 5-track demo Deliverance was released with Sandorf performing vocal duties. Shortly after, vocalist Kai Jaakkola joined the band and all 5 demo tracks were re-recorded and re-arranged for their full length debut Frailty was released November 2002, produced by Daniel Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo (In Flames, Darkane, Thyrfing) who also mixed, engineered, and performed guest keyboards and guitar.
Their second CD, Source released December 2003 was recorded once again at Daniel Bergstrand's Dug Out Studios. They were joined by Joachim Lindbäck who performed guest solos. Critical response was good and the band projected their music forward with a more distinctive sound. After the release of Source, the lineup curse struck again - Kaj and Joachim decided to leave to band to focus on other things in life. This was a setback but the band got help from Antti Lindholm on guitar & bass, and Marco Eronen took over live bass duties from 2005-06.
Shortly after Antti joined up, a record contract was drawn up with Nuclear Blast and Lifetime Supply of Guilt was released in August 2005. This album was more straightforward than the previous two releases and was not as well received by critics and some fans. Daniel Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo once again produced. A music video was created for the song Shoot It In and the track was heavily featured in the video game The Darkness released in 2007 on PS3. Another Swedish extreme metal band, Defleshed (which Duskfall drummer Oskar Karlsson had been in) was also featured on the games' soundtrack.
Their fourth album The Dying Wonders of the World was released in October 2007 on Nuclear Blast, produced by Daniel Bergstand. Matte Järnil, who joined the band in 2006, played bass (and later joined related band Helltrain in 2009), giving Antti the opportunity to focus exclusively on guitar. Lawrence Mackrory (Darkane), who previously performed guest vocals on the debut album Frailty, returned to perform guest vocals once more. On this album, they somewhat returned to form and received a middling response from critics. This was the only album to not feature cover artwork by Seth Siro Anton.
On August 4, 2008, a statement on the official website stated that the band had decided to call it a day, following the departure of main songwriter and founder of the band Mikael Sandorf.
In Spring 2014, after much rumor, the band officially returned with a new lineup, notably including Fredrik Andersson on drums. Sandorf is the only remaining original member. Their upcoming sixth full-length album will be released on German label Apostasy Records.
Official facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDuskfallSweden
Official myspace: https://myspace.com/theduskfa11
Current line-up:
Mikael Sandorf - guitars [2001-]
Ronny Edlund - rhythm guitar [2014-]
Jonathan Storm - bass [2014-]
Fredrik Andersson - drums [2014-] (Amon Amarth, ex-A Canorous Quintet)
Magnus Klavborn - vocals [2014-]
Previous members:
Oskar Karlsson - drums [2001-08] (Helltrain, ex-Gates of Ishtar, ex-The Everdawn, ex-Sarcasm, ex-Scheitan, ex-Defleshed)
Kai Jaakkola - vocals [2001-08] (Deathchain, Deathbound, Monsterspank)
Antti Lindholm - guitar [2004-08] (Monsterspank)
Kaj Molin - bass [2001-05]
Matte Järnil - bass [2006-08](Helltrain)
Joachim Lindbäck - guitar [2003-04]
Glenn Svensson - guitar [2001-02]
Urban Carlsson - drums [2001]
Jonny Ahlgren - guitar [2001]
Tommi Konu - bass [2001]
Kim Bjäle - bass [2014]
Frailty
The Duskfall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Extracting the moments to live
What no one knows, cause theyÂ're never told
WeÂ're empty tilÂ' the day we die
Skip a breath and figure out the rest
YouÂ're one of the billions to go
Extract your heart, cause itÂ's fragile art
ItÂ's time to make peace with your fears
Take all the blows, donÂ't regret a thing
Our anthem will be sung out loud
Take all the blows, donÂ't regret a thing
DonÂ't show me how frail you are
Take all the blows, and let it go - we are empty now
I was there a night and I took my flight
To the place we once feared
Now IÂ've learned to live with all my heart
I know I wasnÂ't that far
Skip a breath and figure out the rest
YouÂ're one of the billions to go
Extract your heart, itÂ's fragile art
ItÂ's time to make peace with your fears
Take all the blows, and never bow
Find peace when in death
Take all the blows, and let it go
We are empty now
The Duskfall's song "Frailty" is a reflection on the inevitability of mortality and the importance of living life to the fullest. The lyrics speak of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making peace with one's fears before it's too late. The lines "What no one knows, cause they're never told / We're empty til' the day we die" speak to the universal experience of human beings in feeling an underlying sense of emptiness or restlessness until we come to terms with our mortality.
The song urges listeners to take risks and live boldly, even in the face of adversity. The repeated refrain "Take all the blows, don't regret a thing / Our anthem will be sung out loud / Don't show me how frail you are" serves as a rallying cry to embrace our own resilience and strength in the face of hardship. The lines "Find peace when in death / Take all the blows, and let it go / We are empty now" suggest that finding peace with our own mortality can bring a sense of comfort and closure.
In summary, "Frailty" is a powerful meditation on the fragility of life and the importance of living fully and fearlessly.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm here tonight with a will to find
I am present tonight with a determination to discover something meaningful.
Extracting the moments to live
Taking hold of the moments in life to enjoy them to the fullest.
What no one knows, cause they're never told
Few people know the truth because they are never informed.
We're empty til' the day we die
Our lives are incomplete until our demise.
Skip a breath and figure out the rest
Take a breather and work out the remaining details.
You're one of the billions to go
You are one among a billion others who will eventually pass away.
Extract your heart, cause it's fragile art
Take care of your heart because it is delicate and requires protection.
It's time to make peace with your fears
Now is the moment to reconcile with your concerns.
Take all the blows, don't regret a thing
Endure all that life may throw at you without any remorse.
Our anthem will be sung out loud
We will sing our praises loud and clear.
Don't show me how frail you are
Please, do not demonstrate how vulnerable you can be.
Take all the blows, and let it go - we are empty now
Accept all the hardships that come your way since we are incomplete beings.
I was there a night and I took my flight
I was present one evening and I departed from that place.
To the place we once feared
To the location that once ignited our trepidation.
Now I've learned to live with all my heart
I have discovered how to live with my entire being.
I know I wasn't that far
I comprehend that I was not that distant from my goal.
Take all the blows, and never bow
Withstand all the struggles without yielding or compromising.
Find peace when in death
Discover tranquility when passing on from this life.
We are empty now
We are currently incomplete beings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind