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]
Poison The Waters
The Duskfall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little grey water wonÂ't hurt
A sample of your own mistakes
The more destruction, the higher the stakes
Climb down from your pediestal
If you canÂ't show us how to act
A little suffering is all it takes
Drain the world from what itÂ's got
Let the inhabitants drown in your sewage
Thirst for more
Stretch out to the heavens
And pull it down
No antidote for your followers
Greed survives lives morals
Your love fills up graveyards
And let children starve in their cradles
The Duskfall's song "Poison The Waters" speaks to the destructive power of greed and the consequences that come with it. The opening lines, "Take a sip of this my friend, a little grey water won't hurt," implies an offer of poison, symbolic of the idea that many individuals are willing to perpetuate destruction for personal gain. The lyrics suggest that this poisonous path leads to the downfall of both the individual and the world around them. The message touches on the idea that morality is not a static concept; how it is perceived may change based on individuals’ perceptions and selfish intentions.
The phrase "Climb down from your pedestal if you can't show us how to act," speaks to the notion that leaders often act hypocritically, espousing principles while disregarding them in practice. It suggests that we must recognize the flaws and shortcomings in our leadership before we can hope to change them. The lyrics further suggest that we need to recognize the adverse consequences of our actions before we can take the steps necessary to improve the world.
The refrain of "Poison the Waters" charges its listeners to "drain the world from what it's got, let the inhabitants drown in your sewage, thirst for more, stretch out to the heavens and pull it down," which speaks to the idea that greed and selfishness must be overcome to break free from the destructive cycle it creates. The song ends on a somber note, lamenting the terrible cost of greed and selfishness. "No antidote for your followers, greed survives lives morals, your love fills up graveyards and let children starve in their cradles." Ultimately, the song expresses that the consequences of greed and selfishness are harshly felt by both the individual and the world at large.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a sip of this my friend
Join me in this destructive path
A little grey water wonÂ't hurt
Small harmful actions won't have consequences
A sample of your own mistakes
Learn from the errors made in the past
The more destruction, the higher the stakes
Commit more harm for greater benefits
Climb down from your pedestal
Stop pretending to be better than everyone else
If you canÂ't show us how to act
Don't be a hypocrite
A little suffering is all it takes
Cause pain to others to achieve your goals
And you have so much to gain
Personal gain is more important than others' pain
Drain the world from what itÂ's got
Take advantage of the resources available
Let the inhabitants drown in your sewage
Others' wellbeing is not a priority
Thirst for more
Be insatiable with your wants and needs
Stretch out to the heavens
Aspire for limitless power
And pull it down
Acquire that power even if it hurts others
No antidote for your followers
Those who follow you will be poisoned as well
Greed survives lives morals
Unbridled desire for more overrules decency
Your love fills up graveyards
Your actions cause death and destruction
And let children starve in their cradles
The innocent suffer because of your selfishness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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