<… Read Full Bio ↴To-Mera is a progressive metal band from London, U.K., formed in 2005.
To-Mera began life as a project of Julie Kiss (ex-Without Face) and Lee Barrett (ex-Extreme Noise Terror, Disgust, Mussolini Headkick). After a series of lineups, the band stabilised in early 2005, after Tom MacLean met Kiss and offered his services as a guitarist. Kiss then enlisted the help of Ákos Pirisi as drummer for the band, and work commenced on writing material for a demo.
The intention was to fuse the musical interests of each of the members within a dark and atmospheric framework. As a result, To-Mera's style can be described as a mixture of the assorted metal sub-genres, classical music, and jazz.
The demo received a positive response on the internet and in various print publications (including being awarded "demo of the month" in both Zero Tolerance and Organ magazines), the demo was finally picked up by U.K. label Candlelight, and the band were offered a deal.
Once a permanent keyboardist was found in the form of Hugo Sheppard, the band spent the winter 2005/2006 writing material for their debut album. Transcendental was recorded in May 2006 at locations in west Hungary and London, again with producer Brett Caldas-Lima at the reins, and released worldwide in September the same year. Shortly before its release it was decided that, in order to function as a fully active band, continuing with a drummer based abroad would be logistically impossible; the decision was taken to part ways with Pirisi and Paul Westwood was brought in as his replacement in time for the band's debut shows.
Later in 2007, keyboardist Sheppard left the band for personal reasons. Hen, the guitarist and keyboard player from ultra-prog metal band Haken, replaced Sheppard shortly afterwards.
To-Mera worked on the follow-up to Transcendental throughout 2007. The album, Delusions, was released on 18th February 2008. A few days later, bassist and founding member Lee Barrett announced his departure from the band, stating that he would be "unable to fulfill any possible future touring or musical commitments" due to his other work. A replacement was quickly found in Mark Harrington.
www.to-mera.com
Born of Ashes
To-Mera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So harsh is the touch of the air
Beauty...
Can you not see the rays of the light
Shining through my eyes
My love
Is free for your heart
Do you care if it drowns me
Slowly
In a cloud blood red
Cut my wings
My strength
Oh save yourself
I need a moment
To feel your care
Save yourself
Don't let me drown into
This life
Away from the dark, afraid of the light
Shadows around... The Emptiness cries out
Into the darkness of senses to try and forget
The morning waits outside the night
Cut my skin and hurt me
Kiss me and comfort me
I want to feel reality struggle through my brain... my veins
Wondering dreaming illusions of life throughout our days
And wake up with empty eyes to pretend another day
Will bring something to live for... to live for today
Wish I'd stayed there in the dark
Wish I never crawled into the light
Wish there was enough light to fill my heart
Away from the dark, afraid of the light
Shadows around... The Emptiness cries out
Into the darkness of senses to try and forget
The morning waits outside the night
The song "Born of Ashes" by To-Mera is a song that deals with inner turmoil and the struggle to find meaning in life. The opening lines reveal a sense of quiet strength amidst harsh surroundings. The singer refers to the beauty that is present in the world, but notes that it cannot be seen unless one is open to it. The singer's love is offered freely, but is met with a sense of indifference from the listener. The singer is left feeling wounded and drowning in emotion, but still reaches out for a moment of comfort.
Throughout the song, the singer describes the struggle between light and dark, and the difficulty in finding balance between the two. The emptiness within is contrasted with the hope of finding something to live for. There is a sense of longing for the peace of the darkness, but at the same time a desire for the light to fill the heart.
Overall, "Born of Ashes" is a powerful and introspective song that deals with the human condition and the search for meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
So strong is the silence
The absence of sound is so intense and impenetrable
So harsh is the touch of the air
The feeling of the environment is so rough and bitter
Beauty...
An interruption in thought, possibly alluding to a contrasting idea or realization
Can you not see the rays of the light
Are the signs of positivity and hope not visible?
Shining through my eyes
Emanating from me or from within myself
My love
My affection, devotion and kindness
Is free for your heart
Available for the taking, offered willingly to someone else
Do you care if it bleeds me
Would it matter to you if my emotions cause me pain or distress?
Do you care if it drowns me
Would it matter to you if the weight of my own feelings overwhelms me?
Slowly
Taking time, not rushing
In a cloud blood red
Imagery of being submerged in a terrifying and suffocating situation
Cut my wings
Take away my ability to soar or achieve my full potential
My strength
My inner power, motivation, and perseverance
Oh save yourself
Preserve your own well-being and stability
I need a moment
I require some time to process my emotions and regain my composure
To feel your care
To experience empathy, love and support from someone else
Save yourself
Take care of your own needs first, without sacrificing your own welfare
Don't let me drown into
Prevent me from being overwhelmed or consumed by darkness or negativity
This life
Existence filled with challenges and struggles, not always positive
Away from the dark, afraid of the light
Trying to escape from the negative feelings and finding the bright side, but feeling scared of hope
Shadows around... The Emptiness cries out
The darkness and negativity is ever present, causing one to feel hollow and incomplete
Into the darkness of senses to try and forget
Diving deeper into negative emotions, attempting to mitigate or escape from them
The morning waits outside the night
The opportunity for a positive change or new day poses itself at the end of the negative experience
Cut my skin and hurt me
Physical pain and suffering as an alternative to emotional or mental struggles
Kiss me and comfort me
Longing for love and affection as a source of solace and hope
I want to feel reality struggle through my brain... my veins
Desiring to experience a profound change in perceptions, thoughts and emotions
Wondering dreaming illusions of life throughout our days
Daydreaming, fanciful and imaginative, about a life that may never come to fruition
And wake up with empty eyes to pretend another day
Facing the mundane existence of daily life with apathy and disengagement
Will bring something to live for... to live for today
Hoping for something to look forward to, a reason to keep going every single day
Wish I'd stayed there in the dark
Regretting making positive changes and attempting to leave negativity behind
Wish I never crawled into the light
Regretting one's decision to leave a dark place and step towards hope and positivity
Wish there was enough light to fill my heart
Communicating disappointment and an unmet sense of fulfilment
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.