Artifacts of the Black Rain Lyrics

Read the complete lyrics to “Artifacts of the Black Rain” by In Flames from the album “Songs”. Browse more In Flames songs or search for other tracks.

Artist In Flames

Album Songs

Length ~1 min read (162 words)

About “Artifacts of the Black Rain”

“Artifacts of The Black Rain” is one of The Jester Race’s most popular tracks, as well as one of In Flames' most beloved songs. It features what is considered to be one of the sweetest riffs in melodic death metal. Lyrically it deals isolation and misanthropy, themes In Flames will touch on a lot throughout the rest of their career. This song is about a misatrophic outsider who curses the soulless mass. He witnesses the self-destruction of people through pollution, dependence on machinery or overpopulation. He waits eagerly for the night, which is like salvation. However, this will not come and thus he collects the “artifacts of the black rain”. These are just vicious and he struggles to “feed” his “gallery” with it. His heart is getting darker and the dead will follow. After all, the “silent warrior” is the outsider, who actually acts virtuously and wants to save the world and our creator. In the last stanza, people are repelled by nature and never return.

[Verse 1]
Stood there leaning to the city moon
Casting silhouettes tall to grip her white rooms
The black-clad voyeur in his black-clad masque
In the serpentine sun of tragedy basked

[Verse 2]
Stood there cursing at the soul-dead mass
With their fabled illusions, the vain dreams that passed
Splinters of a life rushing by in the whirl
Alone, silent warrior in a fantasy world

[Chorus 1]
He cried for night
But the night could not come
So, swept in the shroud
Of misanthropy he went away

[Verse 3]
And fed the empty galleries
With the artifacts of the black rain
Sunken into the shadows
With a dry, sardonic smile

[Chorus 2]
He made the footprints a part of his heart
To rouse a sacred confrontation

[Verse 4]
Stood there carving on the monument of lies
Digging of the Earth, making friends with the soil
As the all-mother rises and bares her bleeding thighs
He disappears into her cold and icy womb

Q&A — Song Meaning & Background

Who produced “Artifacts of the Black Rain” by In Flames?

“Artifacts of the Black Rain” by In Flames was produced by In Flames & Fredrik Nordström.

When did In Flames release “Artifacts of the Black Rain”?

In Flames released “Artifacts of the Black Rain” on February 20, 1996.

Who wrote “Artifacts of the Black Rain” by In Flames?

“Artifacts of the Black Rain” by In Flames was written by Jesper Strömblad, Björn Gelotte, Niklas Sundin & Anders Fridén.