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
The Everlasting
Virgin Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A faceless one roams for my soul
The air is dense behind me
It follows, brooding, a presence that clamors for
And strikes at my soul
Shadows slant, the darkness clings and coiled
Hiding in corners it conjures none but fear
Yet my muted children testify, the everlasting
By cacophonous chatter
It follows and strikes at my soul
It follows
Give me silence
Why can I never rest from this aloof pursuer?
Please give me my peace
A wavering shadow
I wake to find it looming
Touched but never held
Its hand stops my breath
I am mourning, my eyes are stained
I feel his sacred tears upon me
His sobs strike against my heart
The faceless, haunts me
Scared but perfect and beautiful
I see the face of
Lashed with my every burden
The air is dense before me
I cannot deny
But can I embrace?
The lyrics to Virgin Black's song "The Everlasting" utilize vivid imagery to convey a sense of fear and dread while exploring the concept of mortality and the afterlife. The opening lines reference a "faceless one" that is stalking the singer's soul, creating a sense of tension and unease. The use of repetition in the line "it follows and strikes at my soul" emphasizes the persistence of this presence and its impact on the singer's psyche.
As the song continues, the imagery shifts to focus on shadows and darkness, which serve to amplify the sense of fear and uncertainty. The mention of "muted children" testifying to the everlasting suggests a spiritual element to the song, perhaps referencing the idea of an afterlife or eternal soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Breathe
Take a deep breath to prepare for what is to come
A faceless one roams for my soul
An unknown entity seeks to harm or trap me spiritually
The air is dense behind me
I feel a heavy presence behind me that weighs on me
It follows, brooding, a presence that clamors for
The entity follows me, seemingly angry and demanding my attention
And strikes at my soul
It attempts to harm or attack my inner self
Shadows slant, the darkness clings and coiled
The shadows seem to twist and surround me in a claustrophobic manner
Hiding in corners it conjures none but fear
The entity tries to scare me by hiding in the shadows and appearing when least expected
Yet my muted children testify, the everlasting
Despite my fear and inability to speak, my inner strength and resilience remains forever present
Not a sound to my ears yet my spirit is defeated
The entity's torment is silent, yet it still manages to wear me down
By cacophonous chatter
The endless noise in my head, caused by the entity's presence, is overwhelming
It follows and strikes at my soul
The entity relentlessly follows and tries to harm me spiritually
It follows
The entity never stops pursuing me
Give me silence
I long for peace and quiet from the entity's constant presence
Why can I never rest from this aloof pursuer?
I wonder why I cannot escape the entity's grasp and why it seems so indifferent to me
Please give me my peace
I beg for the entity to leave me alone so I can find some sense of calm and serenity
A wavering shadow
The entity's presence seems to flicker and waver, always present but never quite tangible
I wake to find it looming
I wake up to find the entity's presence over me, like a dark cloud
Touched but never held
I can feel the entity's presence but it remains intangible and always just out of reach
Its hand stops my breath
The entity's presence is suffocating, choking me and stealing my life force
I am mourning, my eyes are stained
I am grieving and suffering, my eyes are filled with tears
I feel his sacred tears upon me
I sense the entity's sadness and grief, as if it too is experiencing loss
His sobs strike against my heart
The entity's grief resonates within me, causing me pain and heartache
The faceless, haunts me
The entity's lack of a face and mysterious nature make it all the more terrifying and haunting
Scared but perfect and beautiful
The entity is both fearsome and awe-inspiring in its ethereal and otherworldly appearance
I see the face of
I catch a glimpse of the entity's elusive face and true form
Lashed with my every burden
The entity seems to be associated with and the cause of all my problems and struggles
The air is dense before me
The entity's presence feels thicker and more oppressive than ever before
I cannot deny
I cannot ignore or dismiss the entity's existence and my own suffering
But can I embrace?
Despite my fear and suffering, I wonder if I can accept and find peace with the entity's presence and purpose
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yunus Aytaç
Lyrics
Breathe
a faceless one roams for my soul
the air is dense behind me
it follows, brooding, a presence that clamours for
and strikes at my soul
shadows slant, the darkness clings and coiled
hiding in corners it conjures none but fear
yet my muted children testify, the everlasting
not a sound to my ears yet my spirit is defeated
by cacophonous chatter
it follows and strikes at my soul
it follows
give me silence
why can i never rest from this aloof pursuer?
please give me my peace
a wavering shadow
i wake to find it looming
touched but never held
its hand stops my breath
i am mourning, my eyes are stained
i feel his sacred tears upon me
his sobs strike against my heart
the faceless, haunts me
scared but perfect and beautiful
i see the face of...
lashed with my every burden
the air is dense before me
i cannot deny
but can i embrace?
Yunus Aytaç
Lyrics
Breathe
a faceless one roams for my soul
the air is dense behind me
it follows, brooding, a presence that clamours for
and strikes at my soul
shadows slant, the darkness clings and coiled
hiding in corners it conjures none but fear
yet my muted children testify, the everlasting
not a sound to my ears yet my spirit is defeated
by cacophonous chatter
it follows and strikes at my soul
it follows
give me silence
why can i never rest from this aloof pursuer?
please give me my peace
a wavering shadow
i wake to find it looming
touched but never held
its hand stops my breath
i am mourning, my eyes are stained
i feel his sacred tears upon me
his sobs strike against my heart
the faceless, haunts me
scared but perfect and beautiful
i see the face of...
lashed with my every burden
the air is dense before me
i cannot deny
but can i embrace?
Beautiful Fantasy
I've been looking for this song for so long! I'm so glad I've found this masterpiece!
Israel González
Definitely, one of the darkest sounds I have ever listened to... I would love to see the apocalypse of this world while this song is played in the background
Scars Unseen
@Jessica B. October 2020: crosses fingers
Jessica B.
I do not want to see an apocalypse.
Trapped Flytrap
Majestic. Can't stop coming back to listen to this track
Jaroslav Hráček
10:13 !!! I love the metal side of this great band... All of their albums are superior...
Heart Of The Bereaved (Official)
I love this band. I'd like to hear a new album from them.
Heart Of The Bereaved (Official)
@Angstrom Levy Finally they did. Pianissimo has finally been released this year, and I could hardly believe it when I saw it.
Angstrom Levy
I would like if they finally released Pianissimo.