Throes of Dawn is a dark/black metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed ba… Read Full Bio ↴Throes of Dawn is a dark/black metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed back in 1994 in the city of Vaasa by Henri Koivula (vocals) and Jani Heinola (synth). Throes of Dawn's music could be described as emotional dark metal with a progressive touch. Their sound is built on the combination of synths and guitars with screaming vocals and clean vocals. The lyrical concept of Throes of Dawn is often poetic and it deals with the deeper and darker aspects of the human psyche; like solitude, broken dreams and despair.

After getting the band a full line-up, the first demo tape was made, and the first deal was signed with Woodcut Records in 1995. This led to the release of “Pakkasherra” promo tape in 1996 and eventually “Pakkasherra” album, which was released in 1997.

The second album "Dreams of the Black Earth" was forged in the legendary Tico-Tico studio in late 1997. The music of Throes of Dawn had developed enormously from "Pakkasherra". Where "Pakkasherra" sounded raw and technical "Dreams of the Black Earth" showed much more mature and sensitive side of the band. One song from this album was released as a taster in "The Blackened Rainbow" MCD in 1998. "Dreams of the Black Earth" was released worldwide in 1999.

The recording sessions of the third "Binding of the Spirit" album took place once again at Tico-Tico studios during the autumn 1999. Armed with better sound quality and production, the band showed a darker and more depressive side of their dark metal. "Binding of the Spirit" was released through Wounded Love in Spring 2000.

After the third album, things got complicated for the other band members, when the founders of the band, Henri and Jani moved away from the hometown. The band had been practically dead for a few months, until they decided to bring the band back to life with a totally new line-up.

Through many trials, a new line-up began to take shape. Each new member had a past in familiar bands: Lead guitarist Juha Ylikoski had played in Rotten Sound, the bass player Harri Huhtala played previously in Cartilage and Vomiturition. The drummer, Jani Martikkala, had made his contibution in ...And Oceans, Black Dawn and Enochian Crescent.

Finally, after years of planning and intensive song writing, the recordings of the fourth album "Quicksilver Clouds" started in the autumn of 2003 at Sonic-pump studios in Helsinki. With "Quicksilver Clouds" Throes of Dawn took their music into totally new and exciting level: The depth and atmosphere in this album greatly exceeded all their previous releases. New elements were combined into the traditional Throes of Dawn sound, and this really opened new dimensions into their dark metal. The sound engineer Tero "Max" Kostermaa showed true dedication to his work, which resulted in brilliant and atmospheric soundscape. "Quicksilver Clouds" was released in 2004 by Avantgarde music.

February 19th 2010 was the release date of Throes of Dawn's fifth full length album "The Great Fleet of Echoes" released through Firebox Records. Says the singer Henri Koivula: ""The Great Fleet of Echoes" is a clear expansion in the bands songwriting. Showing more versatile, progressive and melodic approach into the gloom and melancholy our music reflects. A Firm and logical step forward." The album was welcomed with great reviews throughout the world.

Throes of Dawn has performed live with bands like Satyricon, Anathema, Orphaned Land and Green Carnation. The band produced a video of the song “Vertigo”, which has been of great promotional value: Several networks in Europe have broadcasted it, and it was also included in the metal DVD compilation of the Finnish inferno magazine.

Official website: http://www.throesofdawn.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/throesofdawn

Chloroform
Throes of Dawn Lyrics

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The closing darkness
A mouthful of your chloroform
Drifting inwards
All features liquify
The equation
Of all the goodbyes
Will soon
Open for you

I lost the cypher
Into your voided world
Do you still remember
Do you still feel the pain

The unseen hands
Holding our throats
The cold needle pushing
Through the tongue
Above the mute stars
Blazing high and numb
The silent witness
For the amputation
Of dreams

I was lost
Into your voided world

I was lost
Into your chloroform

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Throes of Dawn's song "Chloroform" are deeply evocative and poetic, conveying a sense of disorientation and surrender. The opening lines describe a descent into darkness, facilitated by the ingestion of chloroform. All sense of self dissolves as the singer "drifts inward" and "features liquify." This disorientation is mirrored in the repetition of the word "goodbye" - a clear indication that something irreversible is happening.

The second verse deepens the sense of disorientation and loss. The singer has lost the "cypher" - some kind of key or code - to the world they were once a part of. There is a sense of longing for a connection that has been severed. The song's central metaphor is then introduced: "the unseen hands holding our throats." This is a powerful image, evoking a feeling of being choked or suffocated. The "cold needle" pushing through the tongue adds to this sense of violation and powerlessness. The final lines of the verse are particularly poignant, with the "mute stars blazing high and numb" serving as a witness to some kind of dream being amputated.

The final verse recaps the sense of disorientation and loss introduced earlier. The singer has been "lost into your voided world" - the "your" implying some kind of personal connection or relationship. The use of "chloroform" as a title and recurring image adds to the song's sense of strangeness and disconnection - this is not an everyday experience, but one that is distant and disorienting.

Overall, "Chloroform" conveys a sense of unease and disorientation, with the use of powerful metaphors and rich imagery drawing the listener into a dreamlike state.

Line by Line Meaning

The closing darkness
The end is near, darkness is enveloping

A mouthful of your chloroform
Being overwhelmed and helpless in the presence of the person you loved

Drifting inwards
Surrendering to the experience

All features liquify
Everything you thought you knew is changing and dissolving

The equation
The balance of good and bad experiences

Of all the goodbyes
The accumulation of past farewells

Will soon
Inevitable

Open for you
To be confronted

I lost the cypher
I lost my understanding of you

Into your voided world
Being unable to find or connect with the person you once knew

Do you still remember
Do you still remember the good times?