What’s the Soliloquium song “Famine” about? If you want to know more, you’re in the right place. Here is my deep-dive into the song’s themes and musical influences.
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
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“Famine” theme/backstory
Walking around in the dark Stockholm suburbs on some mundane mission for what felt like the hundredth identical day in a row gave birth to this song. I don’t think I had ever experienced such pure hopelessness before. Even more so, as I was literally having the time of my life before the “times of Famine” hit.
Lockdowns, uncertain future, division, societal and financial doomsday. I was trying to carve anything out of this time, but it was impossible to feel any hope. It truly felt like the vultures were circling the long dead rooftops.
What was next, if there was a next? I didn’t even remember what joy or any form of freedom or piece of mind felt like at this point. This song encapsulates that feeling, opening up the album. It’s also why I decided to have a Stockholm city theme for the lyric video below.
“Famine” musical influences
Musically, the song draws heavily from Nordic death/doom metal (surprise, surprise), circa Katatonia‘s “Sounds of Decay”. Leading it with slight dissonance is a conscious choice, as I didn’t want the song to sound pretty.
I also wanted to introduce the new desperate and cathartic direction influenced by bands like Amenra and The Ocean in the mid-song breakdown. This is not supposed to be an easy listen. I’ve heard some people say it jumps out at you, and that’s exactly what I’m aiming for.
Hopefully, the sonic and expressive choices makes sense and allows the song to come across as the catharsis I intend it to be. I wanted to continue down the dreamy and happy/sad direction of “Soulsearching”, but that just wasn’t where I was at, expressively. Maybe I can continue down that path later on, now that I’ve gotten the 2020-2021 storyline out of me?
Anyway, I hope that you guys dig the “Famine” song and album. I wanted to share something intensely personal on this record, and I hope it comes across in the music.
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