But their biggest effort was, without any doubt, this fine thing called Mood (emerged around 1994). That five-piece combo was Hungary's very first doom metal band - during the eight years of Mood's career, they've made four great full-lengths and an EP full of pretty heavy, yet very melodic songs in the Trouble/Sabbath-vein (Vol 1.; Slow Down; Wombocosmic; The Fourth Ride Of Doomanoids and the Burning Slow EP - maybe you can still get some of these records from the band itself, check out the "contacts" file!). Mood was a well-known name in the Hungarian underground and it was a celebrated live-band: both the more conservative metal 'zines and the alternative press praised its name. They've organised Hungarian shows under the name of "Flag Of Doom" (with top bands like Crowbar, Beaver and Spirit Caravan) and "Doomanoids Festival" (with other Hungarian doom/stoner-rock bands). But, unfortunately, this band could just never reach its goals (a real tour, a suitable record company etc.) outside its homecountry. Nevertheless, this thing was not the cause of the band's split: in a nutshell, the whole thing - the music-side of the story as well as the personal relationships - have just grown tired around the second half of 2001. The other half of Mood plays now under the name of Stereochrist. It was time to move on.
Wall Of Sleep tries to move further in the path of Mood into a darker, deeper and gloomier musical world. But the attitude is just the same. As Gábor wrote: "We've formed this band to raise the flag of doom still high. All those musical traditions feed us that come from the legacy of the mighty Black Sabbath - the music that bands like St. Vitus or Obsessed kept alive during the years. A small, but enthusiastic, fanatic group of musicians, fans, record labels and fanzine editors working on and on to keep this music alive, the music that means so much more than some well-known melodies and slowed down riffs. We'd like to add our own thoughts and emotions to this special universe - our goal is that simple. Our motto is: Slow but not dead!"
They've found their partners in crime soon. Marek Ferenc, the bassist played on the second and on the third Mood-record, Greff András, the other guitarist plays in this doom/stoner-influenced Hungarian indy band called Convoy as well, and the drummer became Szolcsányi Szabolcs, a real local talent. The band's first gig (with warm responses) took place in a small festival (with metal bands) organised by the guys from the "heavymetal.hu" webzine; in february 2003, Wall Of Sleep was the support band in the High On Fire/Mastodon-tour's Hungarian stop in Gödöllő - again, a perfect evening with such great bands.
At the end of March 2003, PsycheDOOMelic Records (a new independent record label formed by Hegedüs Márk, the man behind the great Psychedelic fanzine) released the band's debut EP "Overlook The All" with four songs on it. This stuff was getting distributed in fifteen countries, mostly by small independent distributors with mail-order shops. The EP's got very warm and positive feedbacks from all over the world (from underground fanzines as well as bigger magazines like Germany's "Rock Hard" or the Netherlands' "Aardshock") and more than a thousand of copies have been sold worldwide. In the summer of 2003, the band has played at Hungary's biggest open-air event, the famous "Sziget"-festival. In October 2003 Wall Of Sleep did its first European clubtour with a couple of dates in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands with such cool bands like Thee Plague of Gentlemen or Elephantum - and this tour was a success, just as the band's late-October show in Budapest, Hungary opening for DC hardcore-stars Darkest Hour!
After the tour, the band recorded its first full-length called "Slow But Not Dead". This one is turned out to be a pretty diverse one: here you can hear some very heavy, dark and riff-driven songs as well as bluesy ballads or even a harsh sounding tune with a punk rock attitude! And of course the heart-shaking vocal and guitar melodies are still trademarks of this band! Slow But Not Dead was released in the first week of February 2004 by PsycheDOOMelic Records, and will be distributed worldwide. The band is playing a couple of bigger festival gigs in Hungary this spring, and they'll try to make another short European tour in early April. And Wall Of Sleep will be part of the second Doom Shall Rise festival (2nd and 3rd of April 2004, Göppingen, Germany), that's for sure - we are very proud of it, 'cause that's the biggest European event of this genre.
The River
Wall Of Sleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Banks of life are charred to the heart
White-hot eyes slowly fade
Embers of memories, smouldering faith
River flows, waves burn in their marks...
Can you hear my voice?
This flood is so high nowhere to run
Some passing looks and I'll be gone
River flows, waves burn in their marks
Banks of life are charred to the heart
Footsteps are to wash away
Eyes to close, shroud to lay
River flows, waves burn in their marks
Orbit of my questions
Orbit of your lies
Draws an arch over my melting days
Orbit of my questions
Orbit of your lies
Draws a court for life to believe in a play
Someone looks for a shepherd
Someone looks for a sheep
The same old story's told for thousands of years
Orbit of my questions
Orbit of your lies
Rising, falling and a couple of days between...
The River by Wall of Sleep is a haunting and reflective ballad that explores the themes of loss, memory and pain. The song begins with a powerful image of a river flowing, with waves that burn their marks on the banks of life - a metaphor for the way in which the passage of time can leave an indelible mark on the soul. The banks of life are charred to the heart, indicating a profound sense of loss and devastation. The singer's white-hot eyes slowly fade, suggesting a sense of resignation and acceptance.
As the song progresses, the imagery becomes more complex and layered. The flood of the river is so high that there is nowhere to run, and the sheet ice of life thaws, leaving the singer feeling exposed and vulnerable. The passing looks of others become increasingly significant, hinting at their transience and impermanence. The refrain, "River flows, waves burn in their marks," reinforces the inescapable nature of time and the inevitability of change.
The second half of the song is more introspective, with the singer reflecting on the orbit of questions and lies that encircle their existence. The court for life to believe in a play suggests the idea of life being a performance or a game, in which people struggle to find meaning and purpose. The song ends with the singer acknowledging the cycle of life and death, as someone looks for a shepherd and someone looks for a sheep, and the same old story is told for thousands of years.
Line by Line Meaning
River flows, waves burn in their marks
The river flows with waves that leave their mark.
Banks of life are charred to the heart
The banks of life are burned and damaged deeply.
White-hot eyes slowly fade
Passionate eyes slowly lose their fire.
Embers of memories, smouldering faith
The remaining memories and faith are slowly fading away like smouldering embers.
Can you hear my voice?
The artist is asking if anyone can hear their voice.
This flood is so high nowhere to run
The flood is so high that there is nowhere to escape it.
Sheet ice of life thaws...
The singer's cold and rigid outlook on life begins to melt away.
Some passing looks and I'll be gone
The artist believes that a few glances will make them disappear.
Footsteps are to wash away
The artist believes that their footsteps will be washed away.
Eyes to close, shroud to lay
The artist will close their eyes and be laid to rest.
Orbit of my questions
The singer's questions circle around and around.
Orbit of your lies
The lies of another person circle around in the artist's mind.
Draws an arch over my melting days
The lies create an arch over the singer's days which are becoming more and more fluid.
Draws a court for life to believe in a play
The lies make life into a drama that the singer can't really believe in.
Someone looks for a shepherd
Someone is searching for guidance.
Someone looks for a sheep
Someone is searching for something to follow.
The same old story's told for thousands of years
The artist believes that the same story has been told time and time again throughout history.
Rising, falling and a couple of days between...
Life is just a series of ups and downs with a few days of peace in between.
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernadett Horvath
I want to see some new video too - with the new songs! They are really great!
saar salem
legend by witchcraft- fucking amazing album frequencies from planet ten by orange goblin- also a great one jess and the ancient ones (self titled)-not sure if to consider them doom...well i guess they definitly have doom influence- a great album, great musicianship, great female vocalist. nice stuff here. cheers from israel
Gábor Lányi
Igen.A legnagyobb honi Doom-metal banda.
The Great Unifier
Nice doom metal! Greetings from Greece.
Daniel Timar
See you next Friday and live in Sopron you listening.