Virgin Black is a gothic doom metal band formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1… Read Full Bio ↴Virgin Black is a gothic doom metal band formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1993. Virgin Black currently consists of the founding members and main songwriters Samantha Escarbe (lead guitar, cello) and Rowan London (keyboard, vocals), with Grayh (bass) and Luke Faz (drums) joining in 2007. The group explains the meaning of its name as "the juxtaposition of purity and humanity's darkness".

After the release of a self-titled demo album in 1996, the group began gaining international recognition with 1998's "Trance" EP, signing with the End Records a year later.
Boasting a complex cinematic sound both gothic and metallic in nature, their debut album "Sombre Romantic" followed in 2000 and saw their core lineup augmented by choirs and string sections in the studio, the better to embellish their grandiose mood metal.

The second album "Elegant...and Dying" (2003) has a sad, epic but romantic sound. The extremely emotional arrangements are further enhanced by Rowan London's unique mournful yet poetic singing style. The songs are presented with numerous angles and at times coming out as soundtrack scores, at others as classical compositions or even as subtle weeping lullabies that make the music as dynamic as it is dark and passionate.

On March 10, 2006, The End Records announced in a press release that Virgin Black would be releasing three albums. The trio of albums is collectively titled "Requiem". First, "Requiem - Pianissimo", a strictly classically-oriented album featuring instrumentation from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, choral singing, and solo singers. Second, "Requiem - Mezzo Forte", built on the styles Virgin Black used in their previous albums, with the band and the orchestra complimenting one anothers' sound and given roughly equal prominence. Lastly, "Requiem - Fortissimo", also featuring a classical influence, but primarily having a death doom metal sound heavier than anything Virgin Black had ever played before.
The centerpiece album, "Requiem - Mezzo Forte", was released in May 2007, coinciding with a show at the Elements of Rock festival in Switzerland followed by "Requiem - Fortissimo" in February 2008. The last in the series, "Requiem - Pianissimo" was released in November 2018.

Official webpages:
http://www.myspace.com/virginblackofficial
http://www.facebook.com/virginblackofficial

Rest Eternal
Virgin Black Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sorrow ever awaits on joy
And has rendered me to (pieces)
Sorrow ever awaits on joy
And has rendered me to (pieces)
Requiem, Kyrie, requiem

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Rest Eternal" by Virgin Black are a reflection of the complex duality of human emotions. The first two lines of the song read, "Sorrow ever awaits on joy and has rendered me to pieces." This line establishes the theme of the song as the balanced interplay of happiness and sadness in life. The songwriter suggests that joy is always accompanied by sorrow, and the two are inextricably intertwined. As much as joy brings happiness and fulfillment, it also leaves us vulnerable to pain and sorrow. The following line, "Requiem, Kyrie, requiem," suggests the singer is praying for peace to those who have passed away and concurrently for solace for self.

The song's title, "Rest Eternal," speaks to the idea of peace and tranquility that we all seek in the face of the ups and downs of life. The lyrics depict a person who has been broken down into pieces by the oscillation between sorrow and joy. The use of religious imagery, the requiem and Kyrie, adds to the sense of desperation and hopelessness that the song attempts to convey. A requiem is a Catholic mass for the dead, while Kyrie is a Christian prayer, a plea for mercy, and compassion. Together they reflect the singer's desire for peace and an end to their suffering.

Line by Line Meaning

Sorrow ever awaits on joy
Every moment of joy is overshadowed by the knowledge that sorrow will eventually come

And has rendered me to (pieces)
The constant presence of sorrow has broken me apart, leaving me shattered and vulnerable

Sorrow ever awaits on joy
No matter how much joy I experience, it is always tainted by the looming shadow of sorrow

And has rendered me to (pieces)
The weight of sorrow has crushed me, leaving nothing but broken fragments of who I used to be

Requiem, Kyrie, requiem
A prayer for rest eternal, a cry for mercy and peace in the face of overwhelming pain and suffering

Contributed by Elliot B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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