The band's untraditional aesthetic and approach to their music has led to Altar of Plagues appealing to a wide variety of listeners and this may be seen by the diverse range of acts Altar of Plagues have toured with, including Isis and Mayhem, as well as having appeared at festivals that focus on extreme metal and festivals that encourage experimentation and diversity.
In June 2013, the band announced via Facebook that they were splitting up and their final live performance would be at the Unsound Festival in Poland in October.
Members:
James Kelly - guitars, synthesizers, vocals;
Dave Condon - bass guitar, vocals;
Johnny King - drums.
http://www.altarofplagues.com
Through The Collapse: Watchers Restrained
Altar of Plagues Lyrics
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And now they collapse around us
As we fall into the cracks
Nothing shall remain as it once was
Hold on to these falling pillars and resurrect a passion
When silence sleeps to the beat of fists
Bury your head in the sand, and throw you heart to the sea
Birds are weak as their necks grow thin
Trees no longer stand
And like the soil, we too are made of grain
Like the death of young, it is finality
Assemble the masses at the cliffs
And we shall cast ourselves to the seas
Rain strips the skin from our bones
We fall into the cracks of the earth
Silence
Desolation
Silence
Desolation
The song "Through The Collapse: Watchers Restrained" by Altar of Plagues deals with the theme of destruction and collapse. The lyrics suggest that human beings have built their lives and societies like towers made of sand that are vulnerable to collapse under the slightest disturbance.
The opening line "We built our towers in sand" signifies the short-sightedness of humans who have ignored the risks and warning signs of impending disaster. The collapse of the towers metaphorically represents the collapse of everything that humans have come to rely on: social structures, moral values, the natural environment, etc.
The lines "Hold on to these falling pillars and resurrect a passion" and "Bury your head in the sand, and throw your heart to the sea" suggest that in the face of such collapse, the only way forward is to find a new passion or cause to hold on to or to surrender to the inevitability of fate.
In the end, the lyrics point towards a bleak future where even nature itself is unable to survive because of the human impact. The final lines "Silence, Desolation" convey a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
We built our towers in sand
Our achievements and accomplishments were built on unstable foundations that are bound to crumble.
And now they collapse around us
Our downfall is inevitable, as our foundations cannot support our ambitions.
As we fall into the cracks
Our society is breaking apart, and we are becoming divided and isolated.
Nothing shall remain as it once was
The world as we know it is coming to an end, and we must prepare for the unknown future.
Hold on to these falling pillars and resurrect a passion
We must find a new direction and purpose as the old ways crumble around us.
When silence sleeps to the beat of fists
Oppression and violence silence dissent and prevent progress.
Bury your head in the sand, and throw your heart to the sea
We must hide from our problems and abandon our emotions to survive the changing world.
For your children have no place to grow their bones
The world we leave behind is not fit for future generations to thrive in.
Birds are weak as their necks grow thin
Nature itself is suffering and dying as we contribute to its destruction.
Trees no longer stand
Our environment is being ravaged and destroyed, causing ecosystems to collapse.
And like the soil, we too are made of grain
We are not invincible, and can be ground down like any other natural resource.
Like the death of young, it is finality
The end is not just a change, but a permanent loss of what was once familiar and cherished.
Assemble the masses at the cliffs
We must gather together and face our fate as a united front.
And we shall cast ourselves to the seas
We must embrace the chaos and uncertainty of change, and give ourselves over to it.
Rain strips the skin from our bones
The destructive power of change is harsh and unyielding, and will hurt us deeply.
We fall into the cracks of the earth
We are not immune to the forces of nature that will reshape the world.
Silence
In the face of such overwhelming change, words fail us.
Desolation
Our world is becoming empty and hollow as it falls apart.
Silence
We are left with nothing to say as we watch our world end.
Desolation
Only emptiness remains as everything we know falls apart.
Contributed by Olivia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.