After diving into the first-ever Soliloquium song “Garden of Truculence”, I figured it would be fitting to move on to the next release in 2013, and another seminal song in the band’s journey: “Crossroads”. This was probably the first time I felt that Soliloquium had something special, and that I could put my soul into it in a different way than my death metal projects. But how did the song come about? What does “Crossroads” mean? Let’s dive into the song, musically and lyrically.
About me – deathdoom.com, music and more
- Stefan Nordström
- Musician, songwriter, content creator, digital freelancer
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Bands: Desolator, Soliloquium, Ending Quest, Ashes of Life, Trees of Daymare, The Ashen Tree
- Social: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Listen to “Crossroads”
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“Crossroads” lyrics and themes
Rampant are the storms
Devious, these seas
These forces we try to master
Constant weakness to evade
A strife against the inborn
Nature of defeat
Exposure to noxious elements
The roads we blindly tread
Solitary ruin
Befalls me
The dreaded steps
From abandoned dreams
Tired well
Repeating stream
The concept of escape
It seems
We soldier on
An unknown path
For passions and dreams
No one shares
What happens when legs grow weary?
When life’s crossroads are but woes to suffer?
When I’m enclosed in my own mind
The repeating echo of spinning thoughts
A reflection in the window, what’s there to see?
A pale face, veil for vacant crowd
A year of sorrows, here we stand
No companion but smoldering remnants of dying dreams
Lyrically, the song deals with inner turmoil, meaning and existential despair. It’s a common topic in later Soliloquium albums, but this was probably the first song that truly explored those themes. I’m not super-happy with these lyrics, as they feel a bit unspecific, not to mention melodramatic. A nice bonus is that the last line leads right into the next song, “Remnants of Dying Dreams”.
If I’d pick a favorite line, it’s probably “a strife against the inborn nature of defeat”. It captures the feeling of many people with mental issues, I’d say. Positive vibes and well-being is just temporary, and the darkness and depression is always the baseline. It’s obviously not true, but that’s what the disease tells you.
“Crossroads” musical ideas and influences
The lyrics themselves don’t do the trick, in my opinion, but the musical delivery mostly does. The “A reflection in the window..” part was the first time I started going into screaming and black metal territory, something that later would become commonplace in Soliloquium. This was the first sign of the more cathartic and varied vocal approach I would start using later on.
Interestingly, I wrote this song last minute after having the other two ready. I borrowed the Guitar Pro drum patterns from Insomnium’s “Down with the Sun”, a song I’d later wind up covering. It’s surely a nice tempo for a Nordic doom song (straight up copy pasting it also says a lot about my level of knowledge at this point)! What I appreciate is the strong signature vibe and constant drive in the main melody, that makes it way more memorable than the other songs on the EP. Inspiration-wise, I’m definitely looking to Finnish bands, like Insomnium, Swallow the Sun and Rapture in this song.
Having real drums was a huge step forward, too, as it added an organic heaviness that wasn’t present on the debut EP. The audio mix and the playing is also way better in all aspects. Off-kilter mid-section aside (02:50-03:23), identity and fluency is what this song does really well. I tend to go frantic and all over the place, which is just my nature. “Crossroads” is one the exceptions, being more rooted in classic melodic death/doom metal.
Would I change anything about the song today?
The clean singing is quite mediocre, and the major downfall of the song. I just didn’t know how to do it properly at this point (2013). Aside from that I really enjoy “Crossroads” – I consider it the first truly good Soliloquium song. Today, I’d probably slap on some electronic layers to make it bigger-sounding, but other than that and the singing, it’s pretty solid.
What do you think of “Crossroads”? Which song should I do next? Please tell me on Instagram or Facebook and I’ll consider it!
I hope you found this “Crossroads” analysis interesting. I’ll try to keep them coming, to offer deeper insight into my music. If you want to support my music and other creative endeavors, buy some music or merch over at the Soliloquium Bandcamp page. Helps a lot!
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