Their only full-length release, Smiles Upon The Stroke That Murders Me, was produced by Steve Austin and was released in 1998 on Ellington Records.
The Funeral
Barrit Lyrics
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The lyrics to Barrit's song The Funeral are filled with vivid imagery and emotional depth. The singer describes his experience of staring at dead bodies for an entire week, and how this has affected him. He notes that death is inevitable and that everything eventually comes to a halt, even the most vibrant life will eventually fade to "divine straight to rust." The lifeless bodies lie before him, bound and gagged, rob of motion and free will.
The singer laments about how these lifeless bodies have impacted his motivation and spirit, robbing him of his zest for life as he is forced to stare into a "haze." The pitch-white funeral march that follows is symbolic of the death of hope and faith, as the once vibrant and beautiful memories are now devoured, leaving nothing but charred remains. The life-taking gears grind tight and clean, lubricated with the remnants of our faith, fueled by our hopes, and tuned in with every action.
Finally, the singer questions the sincerity of the experience, noting the ironic cleanliness of the slate, now corrupted with singed flesh. Even as death always looms, it is hard for us to let go, we must all "step forward". Yet even in death, we remain shallow, mere boxes in the hollow ground, a mere diet for the worms.
Line by Line Meaning
i have been staring at these cold bodies all week.
For the past week, I have been gazing endlessly at these lifeless and cold bodies.
divine straight to rust.
The natural beauty and divinity that once resided in these bodies has now decayed and withered away.
lifeless, stagnant.
These bodies are devoid of life and are motionless and unchanging.
bound and gagged forced to stare into this haze.
These bodies are trapped and unable to move or speak, forced to look into a hazy and unclear future.
your motivation smashed.
Whatever drive or desire these bodies had has been destroyed and shattered.
pitch white funeral march.
The funeral procession is bleak and somber, filled with sorrow and mourning.
now a murder machine devours charred memories.
Death has consumed and obliterated any memories or experiences these bodies once had, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
watch the life taking gears grind.
Witness the destructive machinery of death as it grinds away at life.
tight and clean lubricated with our faith.
Death is efficient and smooth, fueled by our belief and trust in its inevitability and purpose.
fueled by our hope.
The promise of an afterlife or existence beyond death serves as fuel for the machinery of death.
tuned with our every action.
Death is intricately entwined with every aspect of our lives and actions, affecting everything we do and every decision we make.
doubt the sincerity. isn't this slate so clean?
Question the genuineness and authenticity of the mourning and grief surrounding death. Despite the sorrow, it presents a clean slate, wiping away all flaws and imperfections.
tarnished with singed flesh.
Despite the appearance of cleanness and purity, the bodies have been scarred and damaged by the process of death.
now we all have to step forward.
We must all confront the reality and finality of death, and move forward despite the pain and sadness it brings.
shallow box, hallow ground.
The burial site for these bodies is shallow and meaningless, a hollow and empty place.
diet for the worms.
The remains of these bodies serve only as sustenance for the earthworms and other creatures that will consume them.
Contributed by Austin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
IlSonorousll
I have not listened to this in a very, very long time. Thanks for uploading it!
Jimbo Fitzpatrick
I also haven't listened to this in forever, god damnit i loved these guys. I saw em play a bunch of times too, great shit.
Eric B
This song has so many awesome parts I can't even begin.
Rudi Vincent
Seriously though
Jeff Wiersma
You aren't kidding
Tim Fritz
This album was brutal...
Pist-N- Broke
Wow what a blast from the past thank u for uploading
dano8801
I listened to almost nothing but hardcore when I was a young teen in high school. I eventually grew out of most of it and don't enjoy the majority of the bands I used to, but this fucking album is amazing and nearly 20 years later I still can't get enough of it.
Greg Giorgio
same.
Renard GVA
excellent!