In 1989, Stephan Groth and Jon Erik Martinsen formed Apoptygma Berzerk in Norway. They wrote several songs, one of them "Ashes To Ashes" would later be released as a 12" single on the Norwegian label Tatra Productions in 1991. Martinsen left the band shortly afterwards feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the band's music. Since then the band had many lineup changes, Groth being the only constant members.
Stephan Groth claims that the band name was randomly picked out of a dictionary. Apoptygma is an old Greek word for the fold of a woman's garment. Technically the 'y' ought to be pronounced like a long 'u', but the band's name is commonly pronounced a-pop-TIG-ma or a-pop-TEEG-ma.
Apoptygma Berzerk released six studio albums so far: Soli Deo Gloria in 1993, 7 in 1996, Welcome To Earth in 2000, Harmonizer in 2002, You and Me Against the World in 2005, and Rocket Science in 2009.
The first two albums, Soli Deo Gloria and 7 were a similar style of synthpop and EBM. Welcome to Earth featured an evolved EBM/synthpop sound. Harmonizer featured a softer, more synthpop-oriented direction. You and Me Against the World represented an almost complete change in style for the band, from EBM to indie rock-oriented sound. Rocket Science continued the rock-oriented direction of their sound.
They also released three compilations (The Apopcalyptic Manifesto in 1998, The Singles Collection in 2003 , Sonic Diary in 2006), three live albums (APBL98 in 1999, APBL2000 in 2001, Imagine There's No Lennon in 2010) and three live DVDs (APBL2000 in 2001, The Harmonizer DVD in 2004, Imagine There's No Lennon in 2010).
In total, the band issued six EPs: Victims of Mutilation in 1990, The 2nd Manifesto in 1992, Mourn EP in 1997, Unicorn EP in 2004, Black EP in 2006, and Green Queen in 2009.
List of former band members:
Jon Erik Martensen: keyboards (1989)
Per Aksel Lundgreen: keyboards/manager (1991–1994)
Anders Odden: guitars (1992-1999)
Geir Bratland: keyboards/backing vocals (1995-2009)
Fredrik Darum: producer/live guitarist (1999–2001)
Ted Skogmann: drums and guitar (1999–2002)
Fredrik Brarud: drums (2002-2009)
Audun Stengel (Angel): guitars (2002-2009)
Anders Odden: guitars (2003-2006)
Official site: http://www.apoptygmaberzerk.de
Weight of the World
Apoptygma Berzerk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shatter illusions, connect the dots and yell the truth
They'll trade fame, sex and gold
For a piece of your soul
Deceit, it will kill ya
Defeat, it will show what you're made of
Retreat, never surrender
Guess who's carrying you...
So no one told you they've been lying to us all along
They thought control us, 1984 is now
Imagine there's no Lennon
It might be hard, but give it a try
Deceit, it will kill ya
Defeat, it will show what you're made of
Retreat, never surrender
You say you carry the weight of the world
Guess who's carrying you...
The lyrics to Apoptygma Berzerk's song Weight of the World touch upon themes of disillusionment, deceit, and the burden of responsibility. The opening lines suggest a confrontational stance, with the singer announcing the band's intention to "drop bombs" and "yell the truth." It's clear that the band is taking a stand against something, though it's not entirely clear what. The subsequent lines offer some clues: "They'll trade fame, sex, and gold / For a piece of your soul." This seems to suggest that there's some kind of power-hungry entity that's willing to prey on people's vulnerabilities in order to gain more influence - a common target for criticism in music about politics and society.
As the song continues, the lyrics become more specific in their critique. The chorus highlights the issue of responsibility and the dangers of deception. The lines "Deceit, it will kill you / Defeat, it will show what you're made of / Retreat, never surrender" are a warning to listeners not to let themselves be taken advantage of. The last line of the chorus is particularly impactful: "You say you carry the weight of the world / Guess who's carrying you..." Here, the singer is reminding the listener that they too are a burdened individual, and that they need to be wary of those who would exploit their vulnerability.
The later verses of the song make more explicit references to political control and censorship. The line "They thought control us, 1984 is now" is a reference to George Orwell's novel "1984," which is often used as a metaphor for oppressive and totalitarian regimes. The line "Imagine there's no Lennon / It might be hard, but give it a try" is a nod to John Lennon's famous song "Imagine," which is itself a utopian vision of a world without boundaries or restrictions. Apoptygma Berzerk's Weight of the World is an urgent and impassioned plea to listeners not to fall victim to the forces that seek to control and exploit them.
Line by Line Meaning
Pleased to meet you, we came to drop bombs on you
We're here to challenge your beliefs and make you see things differently through our music
Shatter illusions, connect the dots and yell the truth
We want to break down any false perceptions and show you the reality of the situation
They'll trade fame, sex and gold
People in power will offer you superficial things in exchange for your integrity or morals
For a piece of your soul
They want to take away your true self and make you conform to their expectations
Deceit, it will kill ya
Lies and dishonesty will ultimately lead to negative consequences
Defeat, it will show what you're made of
Losing or failing will reveal your true character and strength
Retreat, never surrender
Don't give up or back down, keep fighting for what you believe in
You say you carry the weight of the world
You feel burdened by the struggles and injustices of the world
Guess who's carrying you...
In reality, the weight of the world is being carried by others, such as the underprivileged or oppressed
So no one told you they've been lying to us all along
There has been a long running deception perpetuated by those in power
They thought control us, 1984 is now
Those in power have been using manipulation to control us, much like the dystopian society depicted in Orwell's novel 1984
Imagine there's no Lennon
Imagine a world without the positive influence and message of John Lennon's music and activism
It might be hard, but give it a try
It may be difficult to imagine a better world, but we need to strive for it nonetheless
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HybridTheory98
A friend lent me Rocket Science, and, oh my God that band is so great !
Weight Of The World my favourite for the moment !
a-Ga
Amazing work, efforts, activity to help us in this Awakening. Stephan was so willing and patient in explaining , gave so many interviews (still on yt).
"Asleep or awake?" - that's the question and the core.
I'm so grateful! 💓
Daniel
"1984 is now" - yeah, I feel that every day
pdude1911
Great song and video! I need to find this 1956 version of the movie Nineteen Eighty-Four, I've only seen the 1984 version which is brilliant.
BorkFate
Badass song buy a badass band that inspired me to get off drugs buy a rando concert interview
Bernd Kupke
I don't like this song - I LOVE it!
BorkFate
Best memories of my life are being a vagabond with my apop collection. It was stolen when I settled down.
Glen Bailey
Class in einer glass :-)
sleepwalkDE
Beängstigend was in Europa abgeht, ins besondere in Deutschland! Wir sind auf dem besten Weg... möge und Gott zur Seite stehen!!!
loki timelord
russia today.