Mika and Kopone joined him on the same path. The first incarnation of the band was called Zealot. After some more noble warriors, Pepe Ruponen and Atte Pesonen joined the party, the creation of the first musical epic and playing in public took place. The first demo Bloodthroned was recorded in 2003-2004. As the result wasn't as good as the band would have expected, the bricks of foundation were still layed in place and the general feedback was good. The optimistic band leader thus didn't have a reason for harakiri and whipped his slaves even harder in order to reach the eternal gardens of cherry blossoms. Some warriors had a different calling and weren't ready to part from the skin on their spine, so new flesh was needed. After several candidates were tested, two of them were found decent to follow the way of the Sword.
Most recent members of Whispered are Toni Pöllänen and Valtteri Arvaja, who have proven the spirit of a true samurai dwells in their minds. With the new line-up Whispered took the listeners on a new oriental joyride,
releasing a demo called Wrath of Heaven in 2007 with hugely positive reactions from the public. As the group has proven itself worthy also on the battlefield, it might be the sun rises from the East from now on also.
The great shoguns in the clan Redhouse Finland Music Publishing were convinced by our skills
so Whispered gained a record deal in July 2008. Whispered’s compositions are carefully pushed to the limits and band marches to studio to record their very first album Thousand Swords. As for the result, just listen.
The journey has just begun...
Their second album Shogunate Macabre is released on Feb 7th 2014.
The journey continues...
Official Albums:
Shogunate Macabre (2014.02.07)
Thousand Swords (2010)
Videos:
Sakura Omen
Jikininki (Single Version)
Lady of The Wind
Blindfold
Singles:
Sakura Omen - Sakura Omen
Jikininki (2013) - Jikininki (Single Version)
Demos:
Faceless (2009)
Wrath of Heaven (2007)
Blindfold (2006)
Links:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whispered/152411565720?fref=ts
www.whisperedband.com
www.myspace.com/whisperedband
www.mikseri.net/whispered
http://whisperedmetal.freeforums.org/
Lineup:
Jouni Valjakka - Guitars & Vocals [also composing, web-mastering... etc.]
Mikko Mattila - Guitars
Kai Palo - Bass & Vocals
Jussi Kallava -Drums
Previous Members:
Jaakko Nylund - Drums
Valtteri Arvaja - Bass
Pepe Ruponen - Guitar
Mika Karjalainen - Keyboards
Blade in the Snow
Whispered Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Part II: A Master and a Servant
Scars of countless number
Carved with the knife of time
Gone are fights for pain inside
Once was he invincible
Once walked above the gods
Beat by unlikely champion
Now he kneels before a man
All was changed, a fateful night
Battle for the thousandth blade
Humble mind over haughty matter
In a master a servant revealed
‘’Flakes cold, white slowly fall
Grows silent the land again
Leaves wither, speak the words unheard
Yet true for a tormented soul seeking answer’’
‘’Flakes cold, white slowly fall
Grows silent the land again.
Silent are the woods, silent are the waters,
Silent is the bridge once surrounded by a wall of steel
One arrived, two walked away, nothing stayed the same
To feel the life in every breath, every soul he takes
That is the way of a warrior.’’
Stars so far away, alone they stay, like now my blade in the snow
No more there’s a need to ask the questions
Stars they guide me, they give my peace, as I leave my blade in the snow
No more there’s a need to find an answer
Stars so far away, alone they stay like now my blade in the snow
Now I’ve found the path, now’s there a meaning for my war
Free from all, he joined a war
No longer one his own
Once alone, now gives his swords
To serve his master’s cause
(Solo: Pepe, Jouni , Mika, Matias)
Part III : Betrayal and standing death
Traitor, a betrayal, a fallen among them
Serpent, poisons me, it’s venom my own blood
Despair, defeat draws near, no way to change the course
Only one, after nightfall still stands on his feet.
Part IV : River Sanzu/ Birth of a legend (instrumental)
Part V : Blade in the Snow
Stars so far away, alone they stay, like now my blade in the snow
No more there’s a need to ask the questions
Stars so far away, alone they stay, like now my blade in the snow
No more there’s a need to ask the questions (please give me peace)
Stars, they guide me, they give me peace, I leave my blade in the snow
Stars please guide me
‘’Flakes cold, white slowly fall
Grows silent the land again
Earth, mountains, rivers – hidden in the nothingness
In the nothingness – Earth mountains, rivers revealed
It is our path defining our desires
Our desires defining our goal
Our goal defining our deeds
Our deeds defining who we are
Spring flowers, winter snows
There’s no being or non-being , nor denial itself.
I’ve been set free
The song Blade in the Snow by Whispered is a story of a warrior who was once invincible and walked above the gods but was later defeated by an unlikely champion. The lyrics suggest that he was scarred by countless numbers, carved with the knife of time, and went through many fights. However, gone are the fights and the pain inside - flames smothered by defeat. A master-servant relationship is revealed when a humble-minded servant defeats a haughty master in a battle for the thousandth blade. The warrior is then set on his own path, defining his desires, goals, deeds, and ultimately, his identity. The song ends with the warrior finding his peace, guided by the stars, and leaving his blade in the snow.
Throughout the lyrics of Blade in the Snow, the modes of writing involve a narrative journey that tells a captivating story of a warrior who has gone through many challenges. The use of poetic language also creates vivid imagery, like the mention of 'flakes cold, white slowly fall, grows silent the land again,' and 'spring flowers, winter snows'. Moreover, the song uses a range of various musical instruments, creating a unique sound that adds intensity to the storytelling.
Line by Line Meaning
Scars of countless number
There are many scars, each one representing an event in the past.
Carved with the knife of time
Each event that resulted in a scar was something that happened over time and could not be avoided.
Gone are fights for pain inside
The internal struggles that once caused pain have been resolved.
Flames smothered by defeat
The passion that once burned hot has been extinguished by the defeat suffered.
Once was he invincible
There was a time when he felt unstoppable and untouchable.
Once walked above the gods
He was once so powerful that he felt like he was above even the gods.
Beat by unlikely champion
He was defeated by someone he didn't expect to win.
Now he kneels before a man
The person who defeated him is now his superior.
All was changed, a fateful night
Everything was different after a specific night, a turn of events.
Battle for the thousandth blade
The battle was for a specific prize, a valuable blade.
Humble mind over haughty matter
It's better to have a modest attitude than an arrogant one.
In a master a servant revealed
The defeated party has become the servant of the victor.
Flakes cold, white slowly fall
Snow is falling gently and peacefully.
Grows silent the land again.
The snow is hushing everything around, making it quiet.
Silent are the woods, silent are the waters,
The snow has even made the woods and rivers still and silent.
Silent is the bridge once surrounded by a wall of steel
The bridge, which was very busy and loud, is now completely silent with only the falling snow to be heard.
One arrived, two walked away, nothing stayed the same
By the time two people leave this place, nothing will be the same again.
To feel the life in every breath, every soul he takes
The warrior is very sensitive and understands the value of every living thing he encounters.
That is the way of a warrior.
This behavior reflects the honorable nature of a true warrior.
Stars so far away, alone they stay, like now my blade in the snow
The stars are distant and unapproachable, just like his blade stuck in the snow.
No more there’s a need to ask the questions
He no longer needs to ponder and have many questions, he has peace within.
Stars they guide me, they give my peace, as I leave my blade in the snow
The stars serve as a guide and calmness as he decides to leave his blade behind in the snow.
Now I’ve found the path, now’s there a meaning for my war
He has found his purpose or reason for fighting.
Free from all, he joined a war
He entered a battle without any hang-ups or ties or worries from his past.
No longer one his own
He now fights under the command of someone else, he isn't just fighting for himself.
Once alone, now gives his swords
Before he was solitary, but now he offers his sword to a greater cause.
To serve his master’s cause
He has a duty to serve whomever he calls master.
Traitor, a betrayal, a fallen among them
Someone he once thought of as a friend betrayed him and he suddenly found himself occluded or excluded from their circle.
Serpent, poisons me, it’s venom my own blood
The betrayer has tainted him in some way, and he feels the venom of their action deep in his veins.
Despair, defeat draws near, no way to change the course
He feels hopeless as his defeat is guaranteed, and there is no way to alter the outcome.
Only one, after nightfall still stands on his feet.
He is the only one still able to take a stand after everyone else is defeated.
Earth, mountains, rivers – hidden in the nothingness
In the vast expanse of space, earth, mountains, and rivers are mere specks on nothingness.
In the nothingness – Earth mountains, rivers revealed
Without the darkness of space, we would not be able to appreciate the beauty of earth, mountains, and rivers.
It is our path defining our desires
Our path to our goals is shaped by what we covet or crave.
Our desires defining our goal
Our goals are a culmination of everything we desire.
Our goal defining our deeds
What we do is a direct result of our goals.
Our deeds defining who we are
Who we are is defined by what we do.
Spring flowers, winter snows
Seasons come and go, bringing both life and death.
There’s no being or non-being , nor denial itself.
There is only a transient existence without any notion of rejection or denial.
I’ve been set free
Having analyzed his journey and extracted whatever learns he could from it, he now feels absolved.
Contributed by Samantha F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.