Before joining Solid State Records, they existed as a band called "The Remnant" and released an independent self-titled album which can still be purchased at Becoming the Archetype shows.
In 2005, the band signed with Solid State and released their first nation-wide album Terminate Damnation. The album was critically acclaimed for blending elements of progressive metal, thrash, and hardcore with their metalcore sound.
In early 2006, the band announced that long-time guitarist Jon Starr would be leaving the band due to pursuing a career in recording. He was replaced with Alex Kenis of the death metal band Aletheian. The band also announced that they would be writing new material in the Spring.
It was announced on July 30, that longtime guitarist Sean Cunningham will be leaving the band to pursue his last semester in college and pursue a full-time career.
In late 2011, the remaining founding members Jason Wisdom (bass, vocals) and Brandon "Duck" Duckett (drums) left the band.
LINEUP
Seth Hecox – rhythm guitar
Daniel Gailey – lead guitar
Chris McCane - vocals
Codey Watkins - bass
Chris Heaton - drums
Ransom
Becoming the Archetype Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sea turns black
Solid darkness falls all around me
Makes it hard to breathe
Makes it hard to think
But the darkness is not empty
It is bearing down upon me
Makes it hard to breathe
And I know this can't go on
Oh death my worthy adversary
You've tormented me for far too long
He leapt into the arms of hell itself
That gave birth to corruption
And battled with the undead corpse
Until its face was smashed beyond recognition
My hands have taught me terrible things
His hands have SET ME FREE!
Becoming the Archetype's song Ransom is a powerful and emotional piece that delves into themes of struggle, redemption, and ultimately, freedom. The song begins with the sky growing pale and the sea turning black, and the singer finds themselves surrounded by darkness that makes it hard for them to breathe and think. However, the darkness is not empty - it is bearing down upon the singer, and they know that they cannot continue to live like this.
Next, the singer addresses death, their worthy adversary. Death has tormented them for far too long, and they are ready to break free from its grasp. The next lines of the song describe a battle with an undead corpse that is smashed beyond recognition, which is an allusion to the Christ's triumph over death and evil. The singer reflects on the terrible things that their hands have taught them, but they are ultimately set free by another's hands - the hands of Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky grows pale
The light is gradually fading away
And the sea turns black
The ocean is getting darker
Solid darkness falls all around me
Complete obscurity surrounds me
Makes it hard to breathe
Breathing becomes difficult in the midst of the darkness
Makes it hard to think
It makes it challenging to reason when the air is thick
But the darkness is not empty
The darkness is not vacuous
It is bearing down upon me
It is pushing down on me
And I know this can't go on
I realize that this situation cannot continue
Oh death my worthy adversary
Death, my worthy enemy
You've tormented me for far too long
You have been torturing me for too long
He leapt into the arms of hell itself
He jumped into hell's embrace
That gave birth to corruption
The birthplace of corruption
And battled with the undead corpse
And fought against the reanimated body
Until its face was smashed beyond recognition
Until its face was unrecognizably damaged
My hands have taught me terrible things
My hands have educated me on terrible things
His hands have SET ME FREE!
His hands have liberated me completely!
Contributed by Gabriella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.