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

The Arcane
Trail of Tears Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here in the garden
Of the arcane delights
Dark shadows overwhelm us
And and we become blind.
Blind to the needs of
Those who would be free
From the breath of fear
And the prisons of the mind

Ahhhh...
Amidst the throes of perplexity,
Freedom moves amongst us
In her hand is held the seed
Extermination angels
Stood beside the road
In violent retribution for

The seeds that we have sown...
Ahhhh...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "The Arcane" by Trail of Tears speak of a garden where arcane delights are found, but dark shadows overwhelm those who enter it, causing blindness and neglect of the needs of those who seek freedom from fear and limitations of the mind. However, amidst the confusion and perplexity, there is still hope for liberation as freedom moves among them, holding the seed of change. The idea of extermination angels standing beside the road symbolizes the harsh consequences of the negative actions that lead to destructive outcomes. The last chorus repeats the sound of a sigh, representing the realization that it's too late to reverse the past.

The song's lyrics comment on the human condition, highlighting the duality of the potential for discovering exotic and fulfilling experiences while recognizing the pitfalls of that process. The "garden of the arcane delights" could be a metaphor for indulging in pleasure and knowledge, but it comes with consequences if not handled responsibly. The lyrics also suggest that freedom can be found even in the most constrained and oppressive circumstances if one can grasp the seed of change.

Line by Line Meaning

Here in the garden
We find ourselves in a mystical place

Of the arcane delights
Filled with hidden pleasures and secrets

Dark shadows overwhelm us
We are consumed by darkness and confusion

And we become blind.
As a result, we lose sight of what's important

Blind to the needs of
We fail to notice the struggles of

Those who would be free
The people who strive for freedom

From the breath of fear
Fear that controls and suffocates them

And the prisons of the mind
And the mental barriers that hold them back

Ahhhh...
Expressing a deep feeling of frustration

Amidst the throes of perplexity,
In the midst of confusion and bewilderment

Freedom moves amongst us
The idea of freedom is present within us