The band was formed by Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera (formerly of Fear Factory) who had recorded a demo for a new band. They sent the demo to Threat Signal vocalist Jon Howard and Arkaea was spawned. They tried to obtain Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit for bassist, who was all for it but then decided to back down due to location. Ryan Martinie of Mudvayne then offered his services for the album but it was felt it would be too difficult for another bassist to replicate his unique basslines live as he could not tour due to Mudvayne commitments. After some time spent searching for the perfect bassist, another Threat Signal member, Pat Kavanagh, was finally chosen.
Their debut entitled Years in the Darkness was set to be released on March 3, then March 10 but was not released until July 14, 2009, selling roughly 980 units in its first week. Half of the songs that appear on the album were originally intended to be for a possible new Fear Factory album. In addition to a 5 minute long sampler the band posted the opening track "Locust" on their Myspace.
Members
Jon Howard - Vocals (Threat Signal)
Christian Olde Wolbers - Guitar (ex-Fear Factory)
Pat Kavanagh - Bass (Threat Signal)
Raymond Herrera - Drums (ex-Fear Factory)
Beneath the Shades of Grey
Arkaea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me what the fuck am I doing here.
Denial sets in my mind as you choke.
Face down in the ashes of all my own fears,
Felt enough pain for a thousand years,
Unable to set myself free to save you.
Lost in this world,
Lost inside this world without you.
As I'm calling out your name you slowly disappear.
It's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey.
Burning flesh awakens me now from this dream,
What I have dread became reality,
Defiled and broke I begin to recall.
Trapped beneath the wreckage encaged in the steel,
With your only breath you reach out to me,
Your eyes have given me more than you know.
Lost inside this world without you,
Lost in this world,
Lost inside this world without you.
As I'm calling out your name you slowly disappear.
It's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey.
I never thought,
This world could tear us both apart.
And now my heart's beneath the ground where you now lay.
I never knew you,
And all we needed was time.
I never knew you.
I never thought,
This world could tear us both apart.
And now my heart's beneath the ground where you now lay.
As I'm calling out your name you slowly disappear.
It's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey.
Beneath the shades of grey. [x4]
The lyrics of Arkaea's song, Beneath the Shades of Grey, depict a person who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. The opening lines with the blood running down the face and holding back tears convey the intense emotions that the person is experiencing. The denial sets in as the person tries to choke back the feelings of grief, but they are unable to set themselves free and save the person they lost.
In the following lines, the person remembers the pain and fear they felt after losing their loved one. They feel lost in the world without the person they love and are calling out their name, but they slowly disappear, leaving the person feeling alone and trapped beneath the wreckage of their emotions.
The chorus repeats the lines "lost inside this world without you" and "it's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey," highlighting the theme of loss and the darkness that has taken hold of the person's life after the death of their loved one.
The lyrics end with the person lamenting that they never knew the person well enough and that they never thought the world could tear them apart. As they continue to call out the person's name, they realize that they are gone forever and that their heart now lies beneath the ground where the loved one now lays.
Line by Line Meaning
Blood runs down my face as I hold back the tears,
I am traumatized and trying to keep my composure
Tell me what the fuck am I doing here.
I am questioning why I am in this situation
Denial sets in my mind as you choke.
I am struggling to believe what I am seeing
Face down in the ashes of all my own fears,
I am surrounded by my own anxieties and insecurities
Felt enough pain for a thousand years,
I am experiencing unbearable agony
Unable to set myself free to save you.
I am powerless and unable to help someone else
Lost inside this world without you,
I feel directionless and alone
Lost in this world,
I am overwhelmed by the difficulties of life
As I'm calling out your name you slowly disappear.
I am losing someone I care about
It's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey.
Things are not as they seem and there is an underlying darkness
Burning flesh awakens me now from this dream,
I am jolted back to reality by something gruesome
What I have dread became reality,
My worst fears have come true
Defiled and broke I begin to recall.
I am hurting and trying to remember what happened
Trapped beneath the wreckage encaged in the steel,
I am stuck and unable to move after a tragic event
With your only breath you reach out to me,
Someone is clinging to life and trying to communicate with me
Your eyes have given me more than you know.
I am touched by someone's gaze and can feel their emotion
I never thought,
I did not predict the outcome of this situation
This world could tear us both apart.
The world's difficulties are pulling us apart emotionally
And now my heart's beneath the ground where you now lay.
My loved one has passed away and I am heartbroken
I never knew you,
I did not fully understand or appreciate the person
And all we needed was time.
Given more time, things could have been better
As I'm calling out your name you slowly disappear.
I am losing someone I care about
It's never quite the same beneath the shades of grey.
Things are not as they seem and there is an underlying darkness
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.