Winds is a progressive metal band from Norway with symphonic touches. Its m… Read Full Bio ↴Winds is a progressive metal band from Norway with symphonic touches. Its members are vocalist Lars Eric Si (Jack In A Box, Before the Dawn, Khold), guitarist Carl August Tidemann (Arcturus, Tritonus), drummer Hellhammer (Jan Axel von Blomberg) (Mayhem, Arcturus, The Kovenant) and keyboardist Andy Winter (Age of Silence). A key feature of their music is the tight integration of the traditional components of a metal band with a string quartet.

Winds came into existence in 1998 when four Norwegian musicians from different backgrounds happened to cross musical paths. This was a result of previous work some of them had done with each other and through mutual acquaintances who lead them together. These individuals were already renowned within their specialties: Lars Eric Si as a vocalist with a truly unique voice, Carl August Tidemann as a neo-classical guitar virtuoso, Jan Axel von Blomberg as the most highly regarded metal drummer of our time, and Andy Winter as a classically inspired pianist.

Looking back at the history of the band, as the first recording “Of Entity And Mind” was completed in 2000, Avantgarde Music made an offer to sign Winds for two records. This deal was inked without even presenting the music to any other labels. “Of Entity And Mind” was received with awe by the fans as they didn’t anticipate Winds’ uncompromising combination of classical, progressive and metal music with sounds and harmonies. It was unlike anything else done before.

As “Of Entity And Mind” continued receiving positive feedback, the band had not been idle and was already far into the process of composing the follow-up, to be entitled “Reflections Of The I”. After this record was completed, The End Records, who inquired about licensing the album for America, contacted the band. Avantgarde Music was consulted and accepted the offer. “Reflections Of The I” was released in 2002 and hosted great reviews and critical acclaim, receiving top scores in virtually every significant publication related to their style of music.

As before, the band was still on a creative rollercoaster and had almost completed ideas for all the tracks to a third album even before the previous was released. Having fulfilled their contract with Avantgarde Music, Winds was now free to accept offers from other labels. Once again, The End Records was quick to put an offer on the table, this time to take on the band worldwide. The band accepted the offer without hesitation, and although other labels had showed interest, the band signed to The End Records for three more albums.

So the time came to start recording the third album. The drums were recorded first, along with some basic guitar and piano ideas that were to be re-recorded later. As life went on for the Winds members, while also occupying themselves with other bands and projects, tours and recordings, suddenly a whole year had gone by before any serious activity had happened with the band since the drum recordings. The band members now found themselves in a situation where activity in other bands had started to slow down, and their involvements in many of their other bands and projects had either been put on hold or even abandoned altogether. This was quite a significant time for Winds as it allowed the band to refocus their activity on completing the record and it also made them realize that this band was indeed a top priority for all the members.

After six months of being in and out of the studios (Toproom and Fagerborg in Norway, and The Factory in Vancouver for mixing) the album was finally completed. The third Winds effort is entitled “The Imaginary Direction Of Time”. Following in the vein of the previous albums with philosophically charged lyrics, the new album takes Winds to new heights both in the lyrical and musical field. This is without a doubt the band’s most elegant album to date, and it also has a new and added dimension of intricacy because of the increased collective effort in the compositional process. The members’ personal growth and accomplishments on their instruments also shine through on this record, and the band feels this is the most accomplished record they have ever worked on, featuring the best individual performances they have ever done but also their best collective effort through carefully designed arrangements and a world class production that can compete with any other top release in the world today

(official site: www.winds.ws)

Under The Stars
Winds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Under the stars and beneath the sun, in this indefinite realm
Being is beyond understanding, life-like yet just a dream

There are whispers from the other side, calling for a path to reason
But the desire of a lesser kind holds strong in a world of treason
It is only when the darkest hour approaches that our true nature is exposed

So the voice of reason remains but a whisper in the dark

Everything that begins ends with the last of the two
Until they anew will rise from the ruin of that single spark
The one which is no more and that never was

For under the stars and beneath the sun, there is really nothing at all

Yet even so we choose this path, for only to watch the aftermath
Knowing all things that come to an end, leave only broken pieces to mend

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Winds' song "Under The Stars" describe an ethereal environment where being transcends understanding, and everything around us seems like a dream. However, amidst these whispers and the call for rationality, we remain committed to our desires even as we operate in a world of betrayal. Our true nature, however, is only revealed during trying times. The voice of reason may be present, but its effect remains inconsequential amidst great chaos.

In the following verses, the song describes the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Although there is nothing substantial under the sun and stars, humans still choose to live knowing that everything will eventually come to an end. The song's core message seems to be that, although we are insignificant and surrounded by chaos, we can still choose to pursue a path that brings us joy and fulfillment.

Line by Line Meaning

Under the stars and beneath the sun, in this indefinite realm
Existence is mysterious and indefinite, yet tangible beneath the celestial bodies

Being is beyond understanding, life-like yet just a dream
The essence of existence surpasses comprehension, it feels real but could be fictitious

There are whispers from the other side, calling for a path to reason
A voice from the unknown beckons logic and rationale

But the desire of a lesser kind holds strong in a world of treason
However, worldly temptations remain potent in a world of betrayal and deceit

It is only when the darkest hour approaches that our true nature is exposed
Adversity brings out our authentic selves, revealing what's hidden in the dark

So the voice of reason remains but a whisper in the dark
Even with compelling arguments, logic often goes unheard and ignored

Everything that begins ends with the last of the two
All things have a beginning and an end, but it's the latter that counts

Until they anew will rise from the ruin of that single spark
Yet, from the ashes of what was, a new beginning may sprout

The one which is no more and that never was
However, some things never truly existed, regardless of their appearance

For under the stars and beneath the sun, there is really nothing at all
Despite the awe-inspiring nature around us, life may lack objective meaning

Yet even so we choose this path, for only to watch the aftermath
Nonetheless, we persist in experiencing life, despite its inevitable consequences

Knowing all things that come to an end, leave only broken pieces to mend
Understanding the finality of everything, it's inevitable that things will break, requiring repair

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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