1. The Birmingham-based death … Read Full Bio ↴Two Bands go by the name Benediction:
1. The Birmingham-based death metal band Benediction were formed back in February 1989 with the original line-up of Paul Adams (bass), Peter Rew (guitars), Darren Brookes (guitars) and Mark "Barney" Greenway (vocals). With the demo The Dreams You Dread, released in the same year, they drew the interest of Nuclear Blast Records resulting in a record deal. Their first album, Subconscious Terror was released in 1990, followed by the departure of Barney, who joined Napalm Death. The debut was received well and a new vocalist, Dave Ingram was found soon. An extensive touring schedule in 1991 saw the band back out with Bolt Thrower and Nocturnus.
2. Gothic rock band from the UK. "Originally formed by Marc Helliwell (Keys/Sequences/Samples), and Rob Ascough (Guitars)in 1987 after they split away from their previous band "The Abyss" and moved closer to London in the search of Fame and Fortune. Initially Mike "Count" Klimsak the vocalist from "The Abyss" fronted the outfit, however this was short lived as he wasn't willing to move from the Devon Cider Country to the Bright Lights of the City. So in 1988 the Band was joined by ex-Four Came Home Singer, Sharon Lane. Benediction have played many gigs throughout the UK, which have included tour support dates with the Claytown Troupe, Altered States, Shark Taboo, Primal Scream, Felt and a few others."
Shadow World
Benediction Lyrics
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Forgotten in the battle between death and birth
Other self ignite, ignore the fremesence
Look towards the inner sun and dread suspense
Distortion, control
Our Shadow World
They gain control
Marring our judgment
Slaving our souls
No more conquest, no regret
Man's inhumanity, our inner destiny
Bring forth our filth and evolves
Eaten away as we decay, our world is dark
Suffering the wrath of aeons
Harmony cries, take control! Take control!
But slowly our vision dies, shadow hood the foe
Debased to Anarchy, open up the pit
Spilling a deluge of black
Swallowing the light, crushing all heart
Shadows arise and attack
Violent descendance, regress unto war
Drowning in a stenchland of the shadow law
Succumb to death so slowly find no end to see
Shadow World evolving for eternity
No more conquest, no regrets
The song Shadow World by Benediction is an existential reflection upon the human condition, the constant struggle between light and darkness, creation and destruction, life and death. The lyrics depict the Earth as a forgotten place where the battle between death and birth takes place, a place where the self is divided between the actual and the potential, between the conscious and the unconscious, between the light and shadow. The inner sun, representing the source of life and consciousness, is contrasted with the dread suspense of the shadow, representing the unknown, the repressed, the destructive.
The chorus of the song, "Distortion, control, our Shadow World", highlights the power of the shadow to distort and control our perception of reality, to impose its own laws upon us. The darkness is depicted as a force that gains control at the darkest hour, marring our judgment and enslaving our souls. The consequences of this are described as the descent into anarchy, the opening up of a pit of blackness that swallows the light and crushes all heart. The ultimate fate of humanity is to succumb to death slowly, finding no end to see, as the Shadow World evolves for eternity.
The message of the song seems to be that humans are caught in a cycle of life and death, creation and destruction, and that the shadow is an inextricable part of this cycle. The call to take control of our Shadow World is a plea to embrace the darkness as well as the light, to integrate the unconscious and the repressed aspects of ourselves into our conscious awareness, and to seek harmony between the two.
Line by Line Meaning
Off the beaten track here lies this Earth
This Earth is hidden and overlooked.
Forgotten in the battle between death and birth
The important battle between life and death has made this Earth forgotten.
Other self ignite, ignore the fremesence
Find your inner peace and ignore external factors.
Look towards the inner sun and dread suspense
Be aware of the dangers that light can bring.
Distortion, control
Our world is controlled and distorted by external factors.
Our Shadow World
We live in a world that is overshadowed by darkness.
At the darkest hour
During the most difficult times.
They gain control
Negative influences take over.
Marring our judgment
Our ability to make good decisions is negatively affected.
Slaving our souls
We become trapped and enslaved by our negative thoughts and actions.
No more conquest, no regret
We should not strive for power and domination without regard for the consequences.
Man's inhumanity, our inner destiny
Being cruel and callous is a part of human nature.
Bring forth our filth and evolves
Our negative actions create more negativity and lead to our downfall.
Eaten away as we decay, our world is dark
Our negative actions slowly destroy us and our world.
Suffering the wrath of aeons
We experience the consequences of our actions over long periods of time.
Harmony cries, take control! Take control!
We should strive for inner peace and control over our negative impulses.
But slowly our vision dies, shadow hood the foe
Our ability to see the light is slowly diminished by the darkness around us.
Debased to Anarchy, open up the pit
We become chaotic and destructive, leading us into further darkness.
Spilling a deluge of black
Our negative actions lead to the spread of more darkness and negativity.
Swallowing the light, crushing all heart
The darkness consumes everything, including our positive qualities.
Shadows arise and attack
The darkness becomes more powerful and aggressive.
Violent descendance, regress unto war
We become more violent and return to a state of war and conflict.
Drowning in a stenchland of the shadow law
We become trapped in a world ruled by darkness, where negativity is the norm.
Succumb to death so slowly find no end to see
Our negative actions slowly lead to our demise without us realizing it.
Shadow World evolving for eternity
The darkness continues to spread and evolve, becoming a permanent part of our world.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DARREN BROOKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind