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)
War Within
Arkaea Lyrics
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All your intentions were here to stay.
Never thought it'd end like this,
My desolation is far from bliss.
So far away but I can still remember everything we had.
If I could change this life I'd give it all up just to have this back.
We must remember where we belong.
Never turn your back on this,
Our absolution must now exist.
So far away but I can still remember everything we had.
If I could change this life I'd give it all up just to have this back.
Just to have this back.
Death will find us all (death will find us all),
It doesn't matter who you are (no matter who you are).
And when the time has come (when your time has come),
You'll remember what you've lost (remember what you've lost).
We must live and learn.
Take back this war within me,
Take back this world around me.
Death will find us all (death will find us all),
It doesn't matter who you are (no matter who you are).
And when the time has come (when your time has come),
You'll remember what you've lost (remember what you've lost).
So far away but I can still remember everything we had.
If I could change this life I'd give it all up just to have this back.
So far away, so far away but I can still remember everything we had.
So far away, so far away but I can still remember everything we had.
The song "War Within" by Arkaea is a powerful ballad that reflects on the deep pain of losing someone important in life unexpectedly. The lyrics reflect the emotional turmoil that comes with accepting the loss of someone and coming to terms with grief. The first two lines of the song set up the theme of loss and the realization that everything we hold dear may not last forever. The pain of letting go and despair that comes with it is explicitly described in the line "My desolation is far from bliss."
The chorus of the song talks about the longing to go back to the past and relive the moments shared with the person who is no longer present. The desire to change one's life completely for that one chance to recreate those moments shows the depth of the love that was once shared. The song further emphasizes the importance of not wasting the time that is given to us and living our lives to the fullest. The lines "We must live and learn, take back this war within me, take back this world around me" highlight the need to overcome the pain and find the purpose in life once again.
Overall, "War Within" is a touching tribute to the pain of loss and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life after it has happened.
Line by Line Meaning
Never thought it'd be this way,
I did not expect everything to turn out like this.
All your intentions were here to stay.
You were committed to staying with me for the long haul.
Never thought it'd end like this,
I never anticipated that things would end the way they did.
My desolation is far from bliss.
The devastation I feel is anything but pleasurable.
So far away but I can still remember everything we had.
Even though you are far away, I still recall all the good things we shared.
If I could change this life I'd give it all up just to have this back.
I would sacrifice everything to go back to those happy times we spent together.
Never waste the time we have,
We should make the most of the time we are given.
We must remember where we belong.
It is important to not forget our place in this world.
Never turn your back on this,
We should not abandon what has true value in our lives.
Our absolution must now exist.
We need to come to a resolution in order to move forward from our troubles.
Death will find us all (death will find us all),
We will all pass away at some point in time.
It doesn't matter who you are (no matter who you are).
It does not matter what kind of person you are.
And when the time has come (when your time has come),
When our time on this earth has come to an end.
You'll remember what you've lost (remember what you've lost).
We will reflect on what we have left behind.
We must live and learn.
We need to learn and grow from our experiences.
Take back this war within me,
We need to take control of the inner struggles we face.
Take back this world around me.
We should exert effort and influence on the world we live in.
So far away, so far away but I can still remember everything we had.
Even though you are physically distant, my memories of us remain vivid.
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.