The second album, 1988's ...From the Inside, remains one of the underappreciated classics of late-80s industrial music. Beginning with the rock-oriented "Bend My Body Armour", the album is remarkably varied for the genre, featuring post-funk-disco ("Choke"), ballads ("The Last Wave", the title track), and muscular club tracks (the dancefloor smash "Mambo Witch"). The album is notable for its peculiarly interesting lyrics, which feature odd, vaguely morbid phrasing ("muscles contorted in atrocity posture") that give the record a depth atypical of the genre. The subsequent single, "The Colosseum Crash" b/w "Muscle Machine", highlighted the Wax Trax! phase of the band's career.
While not as consistantly striking or varied, the followup Kiss of Fury has several songs worthy of its predecessor, notably the tense, moody "Crimewave" and the single "Firewalker". For the most part, the album picks up the rock-oriented direction of "Bend My Body Armour" with tracks such as "The Parallax View" and "Cold War in the Brainbox"; they contiune largely in this direction for their '90s records, Vengance C.O.D. and Megabyte.
Flesh and Fire, from 1991, collects some top-notch remixes of A Split-Second's 80s output. The Koen Tillie remix of "Flesh" is an ace example of early-90s techno; a piano-and-strings "Concerto" version of "From the Inside", newly titled "Taken In", mines the depth and emotion of the original; a dub-ish fusion of "Close Combat" and "Muscle Machine" further demonstrates the band's creativity.
Following a series of mediocre remix CD singles, Chrismarr Chayell left the band, while Mark Ickx continued recording under the A Split-Second moniker.
Flesh
A Split Second Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crimson and pale
Withers behind the blackened veil
The vacant flesh
A petrifying look, the choice is easy
The outcome always the same
The shortest way to cardiac arrest
This when you turn
To sanctimonious rituals
The duty of the beast
The lyrics to "Flesh" by A Split Second explore the idea of mortality and the inevitable decay of the human body. The first stanza describes the physical changes that occur as the body ages and ultimately dies. The use of the colors "crimson and pale" suggest that the once vibrant and full flesh is now drained of life and vitality. The phrase "withers behind the blackened veil" paints a dark picture of the body decomposing. The line "the vacant flesh" further emphasizes the lifelessness of the body, as it is now empty and devoid of spirit.
The second stanza deals with the idea of death being a choice. The line "the outcome always the same" suggests that regardless of how one dies, the end result is ultimately the same - death. The phrase "the flesh that dreams are made of doesn't last" is a reference to Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" and the line "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." This line suggests that human existence is fleeting and ephemeral, and that we are merely players in a grander scheme.
The final stanza describes the human struggle with mortality and our attempts to cope with it. The phrase "sanctimonious rituals" refers to religious customs and practices that are often used as a way to confront death and understand our place in the universe. The line "the duty of the beast" suggests that our physical bodies are inherently animalistic and that we must accept our mortality as part of our natural order.
Line by Line Meaning
This is when your flesh
At this point in time, your body
Crimson and pale
Covered in red and white tones
Withers behind the blackened veil
Slowly decaying behind a dark, ominous curtain
The vacant flesh
Empty, lifeless physical form
A petrifying look, the choice is easy
A terrifying appearance that makes the decision painless
The outcome always the same
The result is predictable and unchanging
The shortest way to cardiac arrest
The quickest method to cause heart failure
The flesh that dreams are made of doesn't last
The physical body that people idealize is temporary and fleeting
This when you turn
The moment when you become
To sanctimonious rituals
To hypocritical ceremonies
The duty of the beast
The responsibility of the animalistic nature within
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISMAR CHAYELL, MARC HENDRICKX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@silverseraph8233
This is when your flesh
Crimson and pale
Withers behind the blackened veil
The vacant flesh
A petrifying look, the choice is easy
The outcome always the same
The shortest way to cardiac arrest
The flesh that dreams are made of doesn't last
This when you turn
To sanctimonious rituals
The duty of the beast
@e93555
@@pandamutant6098 Yes!
A Split - Second – Flesh
Label: Antler Records – ANTLER 046
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
Country: Belgium
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: EBM, New Wave
https://www.discogs.com/A-Split-Second-Flesh/release/32777
@piotrb8434
80's forever! I love the Belgian scene of the 80's - Nacht Und Nebel, Front 242, Klinik, The Neon Judgement, a;GRUMH, A Split Second, Parade Ground, Siglo XX.
@simonmaxbarham9199
Back in 87. I played this to unsuspecting work colleagues at a work party, they weren't ready for this. Trip classic!!
@orlandocalderon1376
Okurrrrrrrr! Daz rite!
@almarahu
Haha classic
@PlasticGangsta
Trip at the Astoria?
@carlosazpar
Que maravilla 😍😍 lo bailaba 1989 de la ruta del bakalao cuando valencia era de viernes discoteca spook discoteca zona lunes por la tarde todo seguido de discoteca en discoteca la catedral Manamana Santa Pola Alicante España, el 8 de diciembre del 23 voy a verossssss abrazo 🫂🫂
@ThaGamingMisfit
I'm still amazed this was the original, heck almost 40 years old ! Still sounds modern, we made some badass music in the 80's !
@albertrosellmorales7333
Timeless Masterpiece💪💪💪
@tmlafrance
My 80s club days. I still have the vinyl copy.
@HowlingMoonCinemas
Love the tempo! Feels like you're a ninja chasing after your enemy about to get your revenge!