BAND NAME: Flowering Shrubs
GENRE: Ambient / Death Metal (first demo), Freak Folk, Experimental (early), Raw Black Metal, Depressive / DSBM, Dark Ambient, Noise (now)
STATUS: Active
LOCATION: USA (Bradford, Tennessee, early), International (now)
Flowering Shrubs was formed on 24 May, 2021 as a continuation to one of Kazupathry's older projects (Nostalgic Haze). Flowering Shrubs was conceived as a death metal project. The first demo was in this style, but didn't turn out as intended and "ended up sounding more like Dark Ambient".
Eventually Nostalgic Haze's music, and one of his other side projects "Glazed Doughnut" ended up being merged into Flowering Shrubs.
Most of the project's lyrics are improvised during recording and thus aren't currently known.
Lineup:
Kazupathry / Kazu - All instruments, Some vocals
Sikaydah - Vocals, Kazoo (early), "Various instruments" (now)
Micky Holland - "Various instruments"
Coda - Guitars, "Other"
Lucke - Guitar, Bass
Deja - Flute, Trombone
Past members:
Andy Arnold - Vocals, Keyboards
Links:
YouTube (Kazupathry)
Bandcamp @ archive.org
Discography:
The band has a vast number of releases that aren't listed here. Most of them are basically secular, while a few have individual songs with Christian themes (such as track 11 on "Woodland Sorrows"). This page only documents the releases Kazu considers to be outright "Christian" / "unblack" / etc. The main idea here seems to be personal expression, and since Kazu is a Christian, Christian topics appear in his music sometimes. [Pozar] is a similar example.
Try Again Tomorrow (EP)
22 August, 2021, Independent, Bandcamp, link expired
17 July, 2023, Lucid Haze Productions, Bandcamp
1) When the Light Takes Us
1:42, lyrics:
When the light takes us all,
There is no coming back at all,
There is no coming back at all,
I do believe in,
I do believe in a God of some sort,
And I do believe that,
Oh I do believe that we'll all be fine,
And I can't get no sleep at all,
And I can't get no peace of mind at all,
Oh I can't get none of it at all,
Please, please, please,
Oh please God oh God,
If you can really hear my pleas,
If you really do exist somewhere out there
Keep us safe please keep us calm,
Please that's all I ask of you
That's all I want nothing more.
2) Little Things
2:43, lyrics:
I looked into the mirror than in my eyes
Saw that of which is malevolent,
Saw shadows jumping,
Seeing things that aren't there,
Some little things have fallen,
Some little things have fallen out of place,
Saw it right before my eyes it seemed so clear,
Is my mind playing tricks on me or is this real?
I looked through my window the world was burning,
I looked again not anymore,
Some little things have fallen,
Some little things have fallen out of place,
Is this real? What is real?
I looked around than tried to feel something,
Something that is anything,
Set me loose, knock me free,
Some little things have fallen,
Some little things have fallen out of place,
Is this the part that sets us free?
I tried to see it through but the eyes of deceit stared back at me,
Never again, never again.
3) We're All Fighting
2:16, lyrics:
Watching I smile,
Everyone has something,
I swallow and get a taste of what everyone is,
Forced down back to the ground and left to die,
Got my senses together and pushed back up,
With the thoughts and my determination inside me,
Deep inside of me,
And I say I'll never ever leave without drawing my blood,
I live without fear stuck in my head,
I would never stop fighting for life,
For all my life I still live for us,
I could not sleep for all this time,
I finally will now could not ask for more,
We're all fighting,
We're all fighting for rest we all are.
4) I'm Lazy
2:03, lyrics:
I'm lazy I'm lazy I'm lazy,
I'm tired of this I'm tired of that,
What does it matter anymore?
What is the matter?
No idea don't know anymore,
All I do is sit around,
All I do is sit around,
Because I'm lazy I'm lazy I'm lazy,
Like I care anymore,
Like I contradict,
I'm tired I'm tired I'm tired,
Looking at potential that's yet to happen,
Looking at dreams yet to unfold,
Reaching for something than falling down,
Why is that?
I know what it is but I'm lazy I'm lazy I'm lazy,
This is my issue and it's not anyone else's,
This is my issue and I'll resolve it myself,
I have a weight I'll fix it,
I have a conflict and that's fine,
I've sought it through I know what to do,
But I'm lazy I'm lazy I'm lazy,
Damn this to hell I'll fix this burden of mine.
5) Closer Than You Think
2:38, lyrics:
It seems some yet to understand,
That of which seems so complicated,
But the understanding of that,
Is so over complicated by people,
So relax yourself and clear you're mind,
For the answer of the question,
Was always right before you're eyes,
Yet shrouded when over complicated,
Something that is truly more simple than you thought,
Well it's a weird and wonderful life,
Once you've figured it all out almost,
Still not knowing everything,
Realizing that's just another beauty of life,
Most come to accept,
Goodbye to sadness,
Goodbye to worry,
This life and death more precious than anything,
This life and death so funny why take it so seriously?
Just sit back and relax don't worry anymore let it all go,
Walk into this world with you're head up high,
Don't let it get to you ever again.
6) The Emergence
3:40, lyrics:
Midnight wonders before my eyes,
Do we really exist or is it all a dream?
And I try my best to catch my breath,
And keep up floating gently lost in time,
So beautiful cannot comprehend,
What is so stunning in my head,
My soul wanders away for I am lost,
But that's not a bad thing,
The people keep fighting too consumed in disarray,
To see what is so wondrous,
So immaculate,
And yet I am reluctant to feel as they do,
Won't you come run away with me?
Let us wash away are pains together,
Behold what is so divine,
Unfolded these worries to nothing more,
Emerge once more,
Awake for we where always asleep,
Waiting for our time to rise.
7) Jesus Loves Me
8:09, lyrics unknown
Brooding Delirium (album, 21 January, 2022, Lucid Haze Productions)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
1) Obscured Visionary 14:37
2) Embracing Darkness 14:46
3) Brooding Delirium 14:44
4) Redacted Past 14:00
5) God's Creation 11:21
6) Eluding Light 10:10
7) Delusional Mind 8:16
8) Breathing Nostalgia 14:43
9) Laughing Man 14:07
10) Approaching Nihilism 7:13
11) Broken Mirror 14:38
12) Descending Further 6:04
13) Life Denied 8:10
14) Deceptive Betrayals 14:28
15) Come Up Hither 11:02
The Narrow Path (demo, 2 February, 2023, Lucid Haze Productions)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
1) Two Feet in Hell 1:23
2) Crossing the Narrow Path 2:52
3) Pluck Your Eye Out 2:51
4) Eternal Punishment 2:24
5) Brimstone and Fire 1:31
6) They Have No Rest 1:09
7) Gnashing of Teeth 1:04
Prayers & Curses (album, 27 November, 2023, Lucid Haze Productions)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
No drums on this release, with the exception of track 9 where Micky played them.
Written on Bandcamp:
"Behold these incantations for the Lord,
Feel the might of his sword within thee,
As the blood drips down sorrowful nights,
Rid yourself of all the worlds frights."
1) Cries from Ancient Souls
1:25, lyrics unknown
2) Whispers in the Dark
4:19, lyrics unknown
3) Enter the Abyssal Lands
2:39, lyrics unknown
4) Hatred of Deceased Avians
4:58, lyrics unknown
5) Olden Days of Tragity
1:42, lyrics unknown
6) Tonight, Tonight
6:39, lyrics:
You must die tonight,
For the Lord,
Despair tonight,
Tonight tonight tonight tonight,
Tonight tonight,
Tonight tonight,
Despair tonight,
Tonight,
Tonight.
7) To the River of Mystery
00:40, lyrics unknown
8) Pendulum Slip PT. 2
4:17, lyrics:
"For a million years
These ancients have ruled,
With their thousands of swords
Forging the land and all it's wonders,
But tonight the pendulum slips,
As time has fallen out of place
And the world prepares itself,
To be reset once again.
Tonight the doorway is revealed,
As has been foretold for centuries,
The four keys are set into place
And the ancients show their might,
Over nigh a thousand swords stand
Tall and proud in the midst of being,
The spiders web has been formed
Covering the horizons dim light.
The sun has left this world,
One last time the pale moonlight shines,
As the ancients rise through the fog
To reclaim their places high above,
The heavens welcome their souls
And through the doorway they go,
Far away to a land beyond this realm,
The final frontier for this world dawns."
9) Jesus and His Disciples Jam
5:59, lyrics unknown
10) Distant Lands of Wonder
3:47, lyrics unknown
11) Moss Covered Remains
2:53, lyrics unknown
12) The Decade of Hate
2:27, lyrics unknown
13) Melody for John the Baptist
1:40, lyrics unknown
14) Alone Tonight (bonus track)
3:42, lyrics:
And she calls for her lover,
But she won't understand,
His decrepit life is over,
But she won't understand,
And she'll sleep alone tonight,
The cold and the fright,
Of this unforgiving life,
The dreary dreams and insights,
Of this unforgiving life,
But life goes on without her,
As life went on without him.
_________________________
NotOnMA, SimilarTo
Miscellaneous stuff:
The logo from "Void of Reflection" (not cropped very well, honestly)
Similar to: [SECULAR] Manierisme, Twilight Falls, Write to Forget, Draconis Necromantorvm, Mourning Souls, Zarach 'Baal' Tharagh, Glistening, Λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεο(...), Sanguine Relic, Grausamkeit, 憂い / Urei, Merkithaasikha, [CHRISTIAN] Moyen, Catholic Soldier, Anti Katholisch, Calvarium, Lidande, Trinitas Sanctus, Vibrant Life, Ad Gloriam, Asperger Syndrome, Cautionary Tale, early Cryptic Rising, Bloedoffer, Winterkou/Jordskaelv, Întristare, Frostbreath, (probably more that can be added to both lists at some point)