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
Halo of Flies
Throes of Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the streets
Came to witness
The miracle of death
All the children were there
Inhaling the foul air
Smiling at death
Their eyes shining
Bright and ignorant
And the flies were there
As a black halo
Above the body
Of a broken hero
Someone said
You are so beautiful
With a hole in your head
And the street became a sealed tomb
Filled with your silence
The mold built patterns
On the surface of your fading eyes
Your hands still reaching
For the azure sky
"Life is a brief drama
For the amusement
Of the true masters
You will learn
To despise your kind
For when you fall
We shall all walk over you"
The lyrics to Throes Of Dawn's song Halo of Flies describe a gruesome scene where people gather around to witness the death of someone, possibly a hero. The first few lines paint a picture of a crowd gathering on the streets to watch this event unfold. The lyrics suggest that death is seen as a miracle, and the spectators seem curious about what's happening.
The second paragraph takes a darker turn, as it describes children among the onlookers "inhaling the foul air" and "smiling at death in infant glory." It's a disturbing image, implying that these children have become desensitized to violence and death. Meanwhile, the flies hovering over the body of the fallen one are likened to a black halo, further emphasizing the bleakness of the situation.
The final lines of the song offer a nihilistic perspective on life, where people are merely pawns for the "true masters" who derive amusement from our suffering. The message seems to be that life is fleeting and ultimately meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
And all the good people
The people who are considered good by society
From the streets
People who came from the streets
Came to witness
Arrived to see something important
The miracle of death
The unexplainable and unexpected event of dying
All the children were there
All the kids made it to the same location
Inhaling the foul air
Breathing in the unpleasant, polluted atmosphere
Smiling at death
Showing happiness during the event of dying
In infant glory
A glorious moment in the beginning of life
Their eyes shining
The excitement in their eyes was noticeable
Bright and ignorant
Not aware of what was happening around them
And the flies were there
Insects were also present at the scene
As a black halo
Surrounding something like a dark ring
Above the body
Above the physical form of a person
Of a broken hero
A hero who was damaged or defeated
Someone said
An individual mentioned something
You are so beautiful
A compliment directed towards somebody
With a hole in your head
With a visible injury in the head region
And the street became a sealed tomb
The location turned into a place nobody could escape from
Filled with your silence
Containing the absence of sound or noise from the person
The mold built patterns
Imprints produced by molds
On the surface of your fading eyes
Giving an indication of eyes slowly losing sight
Your hands still reaching
Arms and fingers trying to touch something
For the azure sky
Towards the blue sky
Life is a brief drama
Life is a short performance
For the amusement
Intended to entertain somebody
Of the true masters
Of those who hold the power to rule or control
You will learn
You will eventually discover or come to understand something
To despise your kind
To start to hate or strongly dislike others of your own kind
For when you fall
For the time you fail or become defeated
We shall all walk over you
We will take advantage of your defeat and ridicule you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephan van Ettinger
Awesome song! The combination of the growls with the clean whispered vocals and the lyrics is just enthralling!