By 1999, this was already clearly evident, when Frédéric Guillemot (Drums) and Vincent Danhier (Bass) decided to join and secure the line-up. The press and fans enthusiastically praised and welcomed the band’s first release: a mini-CD, “The Blossom”.
This promising debut took a sudden tragic turn, when Frédéric Guillemot committed suicide just a few months later. The band members were inspired to exorcise the dramatic loss of their close friend by expressing the darkest feelings and frustration this trauma provoked in a new concept album. The result was “The Nameless Disease”, produced by Andy Classen (Legion Of The Damned, Dew-Scented, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Disbelief, Graveworm…) and mastered by Goran Finberg (IN FLAMES, Opeth, Dimmu Borgir…), an album which carried a powerful, aggressive and modern sound. In 2002, the band signed a deal with Season of Mist which finally gave Frédéric’s epic eulogy a proper release. The Old Dead Tree performed several shows and toured at various festivals for the record, with the likes of Opeth, Katatonia and Paradise Lost.
Franck Métayer, at the drums since 1999, decided to leave in 2004, later joined Breaklose for a couple of years, and is now a member of Interria. He was replaced by Foued Moukid (now in Arkan) whose debut performance with the The Old Dead Tree appeared on the 2005 album, “The Perpetual Motion”. The band played at several high profile festivals over the summer of 2005 to promote the album’s release, including at “Summer Darkness” (NL) and “Fury Fest” (FR).
Sophomore album “The Perpetual Motion” was fully produced by Andy Classen at the Stage One Studio (Germany) and the collaboration proved to be particularly successful. The album received raving reviews late Summer 2005. Throughout the fall and winter of that year, The Old Dead Tree hit the road with Dutch gothic metallers Epica for a full European tour, and performed several shows as headliners in France and the Benelux.
On May 2006, guitarist and founding member Nicolas Chevrollier called its quits to focus on his family, as he would soon become a father. The strong friendship binding the members of the band made the decision particularly difficult. A replacement was found in Gilles Moinet (main composer of doom metal act Luc Incerta), a man with a deep sense of melody who quickly found his place and brought new influences to The Old Dead Tree.
After several more shows, the band members started working on their third album early 2007. The recording sessions and the whole mixing and mastering process took place in June at the Stage One Studio, once again with irreplaceable producer Andy Classen. The wait is now over and The Old Dead Tree have given birth to their new album “The Water Fields”. This title is based upon an imaginary place where one finds refuge from pain and everyday doubts. “This is a concept album about avoidance, kidding oneself, and the urge we have to hide from reality and to remain passive when we are on tenterhooks...” says Manuel Munoz. “The band went further again, reaching a new stage in terms of song writing and maturity. This album is much heavier and darker, but also more diverse and full of sheer emotion! Even the production of Andy Classen outdoes the job on our previous material…”
The Old Dead Tree disbanded in November 2009.
In January 2013, The Old Dead Tree announced their reunion and that they will play at the Hellfest festival. The 2013 line-up is Manuel Munoz (vocals & guitar), Nicolas Chevrollier (guitar), Gilles Moinet (bass) and Raphaël Antheaume (drums)
Dive
The Old Dead Tree Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don’t know what to say to them.
Your parents come to your home,
They look for a way to save you from yourself…
But they feel as distraught as you are,
You were so strong you’re now so far.
So far from who you were!
You’re no longer the man they knew,
Something‘s broken inside of you.
No one seems to realise
How low you’ve dived,
They all think that you’re still far from
hitting the bottom.
When they look at you they just see
An empty shadow of the man you used to be.
And you can feel how disappointed they are,
Each one of their looks becomes a new scar.
And you dive, dive into the fields
Trying to escape from this unbearable pain;
Yes you dive, the water fills your lungs,
The mud blinds your eyes,
But here you can rest and try to forget.
All this pain that you feel
Is so old that you think
It’s a part of you.
So deep in the flesh sleeps the pain,
So much frustration, in your brain.
Nobody seems to understand
That their love kills you.
Please open your mouth and spit out the truth,
Let it be!
The Old Dead Tree's song Dive conveys a powerful message about the repercussions of mental illness and how it affects us and the people we love. The song opens with a reference to the well-meaning support of friends and family, but the singer is unable to communicate his pain to them effectively. The next verse describes the attempts of his parents to help him, but even they feel powerless to save him. The lyrics convey a sense of despair and hopelessness in the face of mental illness, demonstrating how it can fracture relationships and expose our vulnerabilities, leaving us struggling to find a way back to who we were before.
The chorus describes the singer's dive into a field of water, using metaphor to convey his desire to escape the unbearable pain he feels. The water fills his lungs, the mud blinds his eyes, but in this dark, peaceful space, he can rest and try to forget. The second verse emphasizes the disconnect between the singer's inner pain and the way he appears to others, with everyone seeing only an empty shadow of the man he used to be. The final lines urge him to speak his truth, to open his mouth and let out the frustration and pain.
The song is a poignant depiction of how it feels to be trapped in one's mind, dealing with mental illness, and struggling to communicate the pain to others effectively. The lyrics are raw, authentic, and relatable, and they convey a powerful message about the importance of talking openly about mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
Of course they’re anxious to help you,
It's natural for your loved ones to want to help you.
But you don’t know what to say to them.
You're struggling to communicate your feelings to them.
Your parents come to your home,
Your parents visit you.
They look for a way to save you from yourself…
They are trying to find a way to help you.
But they feel as distraught as you are,
They are just as upset as you.
You were so strong you’re now so far.
You used to be strong, but now you feel distant.
So far from who you were!
You're not the same person you used to be.
You’re no longer the man they knew,
You've changed so much that your parents don't recognize you.
Something‘s broken inside of you.
There is something wrong inside of you.
No one seems to realise
Nobody understands.
How low you’ve dived,
You've hit rock bottom.
They all think that you’re still far from
They believe you are not as bad as you really are.
hitting the bottom.
Reaching the rock bottom.
When they look at you they just see
They see an empty shell of who you used to be.
An empty shadow of the man you used to be.
You're just a shadow of your former self.
And you can feel how disappointed they are,
You can sense their disappointment in you.
Each one of their looks becomes a new scar.
Their disapproving looks hurt you deeply.
And you dive, dive into the fields
You try to escape by diving into the unknown.
Trying to escape from this unbearable pain;
You're trying to get away from the pain you feel.
Yes you dive, the water fills your lungs,
You're diving so deep that you're running out of breath.
The mud blinds your eyes,
You can't see because of the murky water.
But here you can rest and try to forget.
You find solace in this quiet place.
All this pain that you feel
The emotional pain that's tormenting you.
Is so old that you think
It's been there for so long that it feels like a part of you.
It’s a part of you.
You've carried this pain with you for so long that it's become a part of who you are.
So deep in the flesh sleeps the pain,
The pain is buried deep inside you, hidden from sight.
So much frustration, in your brain.
You're overwhelmed by the frustration you feel.
Nobody seems to understand
No one is able to comprehend the depth of your pain.
That their love kills you.
Even though they mean well, their love is suffocating you.
Please open your mouth and spit out the truth,
It's important for you to speak up and be honest about how you feel.
Let it be!
Stop holding back and let your emotions out.
Contributed by Alexandra R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben Flap
definitely one of their best songs!
MandyTheWIld
Perfect mix of heavy and psychedelic...youtube algo should spread it more