After several personnel changes, Kano and Brown recorded an eight song EP in 1995 with bassist Alex McKinney and lead guitarist Grey Brewster. The "Green Album," as it is widely known, sold about 10,000 copies.
In 1996 the band was signed by Atlantic Records. They released their major label debut, Radiance, in 1998. The first single, "What I Didn't Know," was a minor hit. During the recording phase for their next album, Brown left the band to attend college. He was replaced by Jeremy Vogt, who performed with the likes of Tonic and The Connells. Brewster also dissolved his membership with the group and was replaced by Mike Garrigan, the lead singer and songwriter of Collapsis.
This new line up played their first show on March 31, 2001, at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The new set included Garrigan's Collapsis anthem, "October". [correction they actually played their first show with this lineup in Boone, NC]
Athenaeum's sophomore album Athenaeum was released on September 18, 2001. However, it received little promotion in the wake of the September 11th attacks.
Athenaeum was eventually dropped by Atlantic Records. They toured for an additional three years and released their final record, Hourglass, a collection of rare outtakes and demos, before performing their last show at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on December 28, 2004.
Kano and Garrigan subsequently formed the band mg4 (with Alex McKinney, the original bassist for Athenaeum and Jeremy Vogt), who released an EP in the summer of 2004 titled Gravity Affects Me. "mg4" continues touring to date and information on shows can be found at Mike Garrigan's official website.
Discography and stand-out tracks :
- Radiance (1998): "What I Didnt know", "Flat Tire", "Radiance"
- Athenaeum (2001) : "Comfort", "Frozen in time", "Suddenly"
- Hourglass (2002) : "On Her Way", "Family Tree", "One Day at a time"
Sweeter Love
Athenaeum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have bit off all my fingernails
I will never wash these sheets again
You know the ones you left me in
There's no sweeter love
There's no sweeter love
There's no sweeter love than mine
So what are you thinking of?
There's no sweeter love than mine
And if you disagree
Set me free
I did not believe in self defense
'till you crushed me like an ornament
When you hung me from your kissing tree
You flaunted me
You fucked with me
There's no sweeter love
There's no sweeter love
There's no sweeter love than mine
There's no sweeter love
So what are you thinking of?
There's no sweeter love than mine
And if you disagree
Set me free
If you disagree
Set me free
The lyrics of Athenaeum's song Sweeter Love are focused on the pain of a heartbreak caused by someone who was once loved deeply. The first stanza is filled with metaphors that show the agony of the singer, who cannot believe in fairy tales or hope anymore. The singer is so disturbed after the break-up that he has bitten off all his fingernails and he won't even change the sheets, which are the last remnants of his former lover. The second stanza is filled with anger and provocation towards the ex-partner who has caused so much pain. The metaphor of being crushed like an ornament conveys the helplessness of the situation, while being hanged from the kissing tree shows the humiliation that was inflicted. The singer accuses the ex-partner of flaunting him, and using him.
However, the chorus talks about the love that still remains in the singer's heart, despite everything. They claim that there is no sweeter love than theirs, and they ask the ex-partner what they are thinking of. The request to set them free indicates that the singer still wants to hold on to this love and is willing to forgive, but only if the ex-partner is in agreement. The song is a reflection of the complex emotions that follow a heartbreak, including the feeling of loneliness, betrayal, and anger, and the hope of reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
do not believe in fairy tales
I am a skeptic and do not believe in stories with happy endings
I have bit off all my fingernails
I am anxious and stressed to the point of compulsively biting my nails
I will never wash these sheets again
I refuse to get rid of the memories we shared together
You know the ones you left me in
The sheets you left behind serve as a reminder of our time together
There's no sweeter love
Despite the pain and heartache, there is no love that compares to mine
So what are you thinking of?
What is it that you're considering, that makes you doubt our love?
And if you disagree
If you don't feel the same way as me
Set me free
Let me go and move on from this broken relationship
I did not believe in self defense
I never thought I'd have to protect myself from someone I love
'till you crushed me like an ornament
But you broke my heart like it was nothing
When you hung me from your kissing tree
You used me for your own pleasure and then discarded me
You flaunted me
You showed me off like a trophy, without truly valuing me
You fucked with me
You played with my emotions and manipulated me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK KANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind