Formed in 1998, 40 Below Summer came together after drummer and Peruvian native Carlos Aguilar met with singer Max Illidge. Joey D'Amico later joined the duo, followed by Jordan Plingos and Puerto Rican-born Hector Graziani. Their first album Side Show Freaks (1999) and EP Rain (2000) were self released.
Invitation to the Dance (2001-2002)
Eventually, a deal was signed with London-Sire Records. Their debut major label album Invitation to the Dance was released on October 16, 2001, and was produced by GGGarth. Two months after its release, Warner Music Group dissolved the London-Sire label, and the album was reissued by Warner's Reprise label.
After performing on the Jägermeister Music Tour with Drowning Pool, Coal Chamber and Ill Niño, and then again with Slipknot, Fear Factory, and Chimaira, but only on select dates. They started to write material for their second album. While the band started writing almost immediately after the release of their previous album, they threw out some fifteen songs before coming up with twenty one that they reduced down to the final ten (plus a bonus track, "The Day I Died").
The Mourning After (2003-2005)
Unsigned at this point, Razor & Tie Records saw the band in February 2003 when they played in New York with E.Town Concrete. A deal was signed in June just as the band entered the studio. The band would later strike a licensing deal with Roadrunner Records for the album's UK release.
Their second album The Mourning After was released on October 28, 2003. Two singles were released from the album in "Self-Medicate" and "Taxi Cab Confession". The video for the former received a fair amount of airplay on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball. The band negotiated a release from their contract in 2004. Not long after this Jordan was temporarily replaced by Ty Fury. The band then recruited Ryan Juhrs (formerly of Flaw) to fill the spot officially and Carlos left soon after.
Ali Nassar replaced Carlos, and after playing two shows under the 40 Below Summer moniker, they decided to rename the project Black Market Hero. They were soon joined by another former member of Flaw, drummer Micah Havertape, who replaced Nasser. In January 2006, Graziani was forced to leave the band due to severe hearing loss he had suffered after years of performing. Former Confliction bassist Matt Fortin joined in August 2006. Black Market Hero's first single, "Freedom Dealer," was released in summer 2007.
The Last Dance (2006)
Despite breaking up, 40 Below Summer released The Last Dance on October 31, 2006 via Crash Music Inc. The album features nine demo versions of songs intended for their third LP, as well as a bonus DVD featuring footage of the band's "last" performance at the Starland Ballroom (September 2005). The album sold 1,095 copies during its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[1]
In October 2006, there was speculation that the band had reunited. This was later dismissed by guitarist Joey D'Amico who stated that the band was just going to do a few shows to promote the release of The Last Dance. However, D'Amico also stated that there was a possibility that 40 Below Summer would record a new album in the future.
The band filmed a music video for the single "Relapse" with director Frankie Nasso. The song was originally written by 2005 guitarist Ty Fyhrie (Fury). Ty went on to work with the band Murder Of Crows but now resides in the band Dirty Little Rabbits with Slipknot percussionist M. Shawn Crahan also known as Clown.
In a radio interview with All Knowing Force, Illidge stated that he expected 40 Below Summer would tour and play 5-10 shows a year. Although his main priority is with his new project Black Market Hero, he didn't rule out the possibility of the band one day recording another album. According to Max and Joey, 40 Below Summer is dead.
The band did however re-issued their independently released EP Rain with seven bonus tracks on July 31, 2007 via Crash Music. In addition to the five songs originally released, seven demo tracks have also been included, as well as all new cover artwork. Sideshow Freaks was also re-released on July 15, 2008 by ex-Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's record label Driven Music Group.
Reformation and new album (2011–present)
On July 12, 2010 it was announced that 40 Below Summer would play a reunion show on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. God Forbid played support. 40 Below played "Invitation to the Dance" from cover-to-cover.
On April 20, Max Illidge posted on his Facebook stating "Starting pre production for the new 40 below record. Oh boy." indicating the band has reunited for a new record. The band's next two albums, "Fire at Zero Gravity" (2013) and "Transmission Infrared" (2015) were released by Super Massive Media Group.
Alienation
40 Below Summer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It engulfed me and turned me into someone else
It is crashing right into your face
Everlasting it seems to suffer in this
Please release me, please release me
Nothing I can do will change my life
Everything I had was never mine to keep inside
If I could give myself a new face
Then maybe I could join the human race
Time has frozen for me the walls are closing in
I am sinking in greed and trapped inside my skin
I am running away and getting nowhere fast
I am thinking how long can this last
Erase me, please erase me
And I rise above it all
And I run away
The lyrics in "Alienation" by 40 Below Summer deal with the struggles of assimilating oneself into society and the ultimate feeling of never truly belonging. The opening line, "What it cost me to assimilate myself," refers to the price that the singer has paid in order to fit in and be accepted by those around them. They explain that this cost has completely engulfed them and turned them into someone else, leaving them feeling lost and disconnected from their true self. The following lines, "It is crashing right into your face, everlasting it seems to suffer in this," further emphasize the idea that the singer is struggling to come to terms with their place in the world.
Throughout the song, the singer pleads for release from the pain and isolation they feel, asking for a way to give themselves a new face so that they can finally join the human race. They express the feeling of time standing still and becoming trapped inside their own skin, ultimately leading to a desire to be erased completely. The final lines, "And I rise above it all, and I run away," suggest that the singer has finally found a way to break free from the constraints of society and embrace their true self.
Line by Line Meaning
What it cost me to assimilate myself
The price I paid to fit in with society and conform to their expectations.
It engulfed me and turned me into someone else
The societal pressure consumed me and caused me to lose my true identity.
It is crashing right into your face
The consequences of societal pressure are becoming apparent and unavoidable.
Everlasting it seems to suffer in this
The pain of trying to fit in seems to last forever.
Please release me, please release me
I am begging to be freed from the societal pressures that are causing me to suffer.
Nothing I can do will change my life
I feel powerless to change my situation and escape the pressures of society.
Everything I had was never mine to keep inside
The things that I thought defined me were actually given to me by society, and I feel like a fraud for pretending they were my own.
If I could give myself a new face
If I could start over and create a new identity for myself, free from societal pressures.
Then maybe I could join the human race
Then perhaps I could finally belong and find acceptance among others.
Time has frozen for me the walls are closing in
I feel trapped and suffocated by societal pressures, and time seems to have stood still as a result.
I am sinking in greed and trapped inside my skin
My desire to fit in and conform has turned into a destructive force, and I feel like I am drowning in my own skin.
I am running away and getting nowhere fast
I am trying to escape the pressures of society, but it feels like I am going in circles and getting nowhere.
I am thinking how long can this last
I am questioning how much longer I can continue to suffer under societal pressures without breaking.
Erase me, please erase me
I want to be rid of all the societal pressures that are crushing my spirit and identity.
And I rise above it all
I am determined to overcome societal pressures and be true to myself, even if it means going against the norm.
And I run away
I am choosing to leave behind the pressure to conform and create my own path instead.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind