Trail of Tears is a band from Kristiansand, Norway that played a blend of g… Read Full Bio ↴Trail of Tears is a band from Kristiansand, Norway that played a blend of gothic metal and symphonic black metal. The band was formed in 1994 under the name of Natt (Norwegian for "Night"), but later changed its name to Trail of Tears in 1997, to reflect changes in sound and line-up. The band disbanded in 2013.

Through most of their career the band emphasized the use of contrasting soprano vocals and death grunt vocals, but with the release of Free Fall into Fear — in 2005 — the band switched this contrast mostly to tenor vocals and death growls, with rare soprano passages.

Kjetil Nordhus, Runar Hansen, Kjell Rune Hagen, and Jonathan Perez walked out in November 2006 due to bad organisation leading to monetary loss for all the members of the band and posted a statement on the Trail of Tears' website saying the band had split up. Ronny Thorsen soon issued a statement saying they would in fact be carrying on without them and that they couldn't have chosen a worse time to leave the band due to the upcoming tour for the album Existentia. All tour dates had to be canceled.

On February 1, 2007 it was stated that former Trail of Tears vocalist Cathrine Paulsen re-joined the band. The band was also confirmed for 2007's Sweden Rock Festival, which was then followed with an extensive North American headlining tour alongside Echoes of Eternity and Unexpect.

In August 2008, the band announced that they will enter Soundsuite Studio in Marseille, France with Terje Refsnes on November 3, 2008 to record their sixth studio album. Ronny Thorsen says that there are fourteen songs ready, with an additional four or five on the drawing board. The album was released in 2009.

The band's final album, Oscillation, was released in 2013.

Current members:
* Ronny Thorsen - Vocals - (Session for Blood Red Throne, Scariot, Tristania)
* Cathrine Paulsen - Soprano vocals - (Lucid Fear)
* Bjørn Erik Næss - Guitars - (Panomania, Lucid Fear)
* Pål Olsen - Guitars - (Guardians Of Time)
* Endre Moe - Bass - (Cutthroat (Nor), Dimension F3H (Live))
* Cato Jensen - Drums - (Cutthroat (Nor), Lucid Fear, Sarcoma Inc., Dimension F3H (Live))

Former members:
* Jonathan Perez - Drums - (Sirenia, Sonido Latino)
* Kjell Rune Hagen - Bass
* Kjetil Nordhus - Vocals - (Chain Collector, Green Carnation)
* Runar Hansen - Lead guitar
* Terje Heiseldal - Rhythm guitar
* Frank Roald Hagen - Synthesisers
* Ales Vik - Soprano vocals
* Helena Iren Michaelsen - Soprano vocals - (Black Widow, Imperia, Angel, ex-Sahara Dust)
* Vidar Uleberg
* Michael Krumins - Lead guitar

Albums:
1998 - Disclosure In Red
2000 - Profoundemonium
2002 - A New Dimension of Might
2005 - Free Fall Into Fear
2007 - Existentia
2009 - Bloodstained Endurance
2013 - Oscillation

Demos:
1996 - Natt
1997 - When Silence Cries...

Official site: www.trailoftears.no

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Trail of Tears Lyrics

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Deeply sown and never known
The mirror bleeds the truth
Deeply sown and never known
Your presence is fading

As I fill my glass and watch my own reflection
then I know that I'll be gone
As I raise my hand, try to comprehend what

I've been missing, I feel distracted

In the mist of my own perception
I bow before myself
The pressure is not withdrawn, I fall again
I catch a glimpse of my downright pretending self

As I take a step and fake my own conception
then I know that I'll be gone
As I raise my grin, show the world my sin
of being tempted, I feel distracted

A hopeful ride is hereby ending
Horrid fate, it's time to exit
I feel tampered with, I feel so empty
All I ever saw from my contaminated view
kept me looking for mercy
Yet illusions stay the same

I realise that it's wrong now that all is lost
and I have withered

Overall Meaning

The lyrics "Deeply sown and never known, the mirror bleeds the truth" suggest that something has been hidden or buried deeply within oneself and has never been fully acknowledged or recognized. The mention of the mirror bleeding the truth could signify the painful reality of facing oneself and the truth about oneself. The second line "Your presence is fading" could suggest that the singer is losing themselves or their sense of self.

The next few lines describe the singer looking at themselves in a glass and realizing that they will soon be gone. The lines "I raise my hand, try to comprehend what I've been missing, I feel distracted" suggests that the singer is trying to understand what they have not been able to see before, but is struggling to focus and is easily diverted. The mist referenced could represent the haze of confusion and uncertainty the singer feels about their own perception.

The second verse continues with the theme of the singer faking their own conception as they try to show the world a different version of themselves. The lines "A hopeful ride is hereby ending, horrid fate, it's time to exit" could suggest that the singer's time is coming to an end and they are realizing that their fate might be darker than they expected. The "contaminated view" they describe could represent the way they have been viewing the world and themselves through a distorted or unhealthy lens.

Overall, this song seems to be about the struggle to understand oneself and to see one's life and experiences clearly. The singer is realizing that they have been living in a distorted reality and that their time is running out to make things right.

Line by Line Meaning

Deeply sown and never known
Something has been planted and now it's grown, but no one ever realized it was there in the first place.

The mirror bleeds the truth
When looking at oneself in the mirror, the truth is revealed and it can hurt.

Deeply sown and never known
Repeating the idea that something has been planted and grown without anyone ever knowing about it.

Your presence is fading
Someone who was present before is not anymore.

As I fill my glass and watch my own reflection
The artist is drinking and observing themselves in the process.

then I know that I'll be gone
The singer realizes that they won't be around forever.

As I raise my hand, try to comprehend what I've been missing
The singer is trying to understand what they've been missing in life.

I feel distracted
The artist is having trouble staying focused on this introspection.

In the mist of my own perception
The artist's own perception of reality is foggy and unclear.

I bow before myself
The artist is humbling themselves before their own reflection.

The pressure is not withdrawn, I fall again
Despite trying to relieve oneself of the pressure, the singer slips back into old habits.

I catch a glimpse of my downright pretending self
The artist sees themselves as someone who is not genuine.

As I take a step and fake my own conception
The singer pretends to understand something they do not.

As I raise my grin, show the world my sin of being tempted
The singer is trying to hide a part of themselves that they know is wrong.

I feel distracted
Once again, the singer is having trouble staying focused.

A hopeful ride is hereby ending
Something the artist was hopeful about is coming to an end.

Horrid fate, it's time to exit
The artist is facing an unfortunate destiny and knows it's time to move on.

I feel tampered with, I feel so empty
The singer has been messed with and feels hollow inside.

All I ever saw from my contaminated view kept me looking for mercy
Looking at things from a biased, tainted perspective caused the singer to always seek forgiveness.

Yet illusions stay the same
Despite realizing the truth, their illusions remain unchanged.

I realise that it's wrong now that all is lost and I have withered
The artist recognizes that the path they were on was wrong now that they've lost everything and are depleted.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONNY THORSEN, RUNAR HANSEN, TERJE HEISELDAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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