The band’s original line-up released their Warcon Records debut Built By Blood in 2005, after already releasing two earlier EPs on their self-run Maphia Records. They have gained fans everywhere from Tennessee to Tokyo as the breakout act on festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and RockStar Taste Of Chaos Tour, playing alongside platinum-selling acts like My Chemical Romance, The Used and Hawthorne Heights. They opened for Dir en grey on the Inward Scream Tour along with Fair To Midland.
KILLER INSIDE is the band’s follow-up full length for Warcon Records. Of the album, guitarist Dave Aguilera simply states: “Our goal for this record was to make a disc that we would enjoy and hopefully other people would enjoy too. I hope we can continue to have fans who are 50 years old and like watching football and 15-year-old kids who love going to the mall,” referring to the band’s remarkably diverse fan base. “It’s such a trip.”
While it would have been easy for BLEED THE DREAM—guitarist Aguilera, bassist Keith Thompson, and the recent additions of drummer Tom Breyfogle and vocalist Mark Holmes—to follow up their debut with a collection of post-hardcore anthems, the group felt the need to evolve with their latest disc. Produced by acclaimed producer Garth “GGGarth” Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, Atreyu), Ben Kaplan and BLEED THE DREAM, the album is like nothing fans have heard from the band before.
The current line-up helped BLEED THE DREAM create music that better represents what the band has become today. “As far as our progression goes, we’re all music lovers and we love everything from country to metal to pop to hardcore,” Aguilera explains. “We really pushed our ability as songwriters and musicians on this new record. A lot of the songs are both more interesting to listen to and more difficult to play than anything on our first disc,” he adds. “We just wanted to keep it fun and interesting.”
The result is an album that is equally aggressive and melodic, relying more on moods and layered arrangements than throat-shredding screams to convey the band’s vision. The opener “Voices” is both rocking and intriguingly atmospheric; the anthemic “Drowning Is Painless” has a chorus hook so instantly memorable that you will be humming it for weeks; and the driving “Considering, This Time It Was Me” showcases Holmes’ impressive vocal range. While all of these songs sound different, they flow together seamlessly to create a work that feels like a complete work rather than simply a collection of songs.
Looking back on the past few tumultuous years surrounding the creation of KILLER INSIDE, the darkly beautiful and emotive tracks on the album are poignant. KILLER INSIDE is a tribute to Scott Gottlieb, the band’s original drummer who lost his battle to cancer in April 2006. “Musically, these are the best songs we’ve ever written,” Aguilera stoically notes when discussing the band’s decision to continue after losing Scott. “That’s all you can do in life…keep going.”
A strong DIY ethic and positive attitude is something that BLEED THE DREAM has practiced since day one and it is now paying off. To support their 2003 debut EP, BLEED THE DREAM joined the Vans Warped Tour “guerilla style.” Although not officially confirmed to play on the tour, BLEED THE DREAM attended many shows and sold their EP to fans. Eventually, they landed a performance slot on thirteen straight dates under the radar. Tour founder Kevin Lyman subsequently booked the band for the 2004 and 2005 summer tour and ultimately signed them to his own Warcon Records.
Instead of taking a well-deserved break prior to the next endless touring cycles--which includes everything from club shows to a two-month tenure on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour--BLEED THE DREAM is already penning songs for the follow-up to KILLER INSIDE. “I know it sounds crazy that we’re still writing when our new album hasn’t even come out yet, but we can’t stop,” Aguilera explains.
Members:
Brandon Thomas - Vocals (2003-2006, 2008-present)
Dave Aguilera – Guitar (2003-present)
Keith Thompson – Bass/Vocals (2003-present)
Christian Rivera - Guitar (2014-present)
Justin Posner - Drums (2015-present)
Mark Holmes – Vocals (2006-2007)
Tom Breyfogle – Drums (2006-2007)
Scott Gottlieb – Drums (2003–2005) Rest In Peace
Villain
Bleed The Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little book of break-ups
So spinnerule but even now
I could be your page in your
Little book of break-ups
I'm never letting go.
(Myself, myself)
My skin rips like paper.
I'll never touch myself again.
(Myself, myself)
Your heart breaks like glass.
I should have been the hero in your
Little book of make-ups
But that anyone should say to you
I should have been the figure in your
Little book of make-ups
Your heart breaks like glass
Still I find a way
To fight the brilliance of your inside in this lifetime
I won't regret
I won't regret it.
In Bleed The Dream's song "Villain," the singer takes on the role of the "villain" in their ex-partner's "Little book of break-ups." The singer acknowledges that they could be remembered as the reason for the break-up, but even so, they want to be remembered in their ex's book. The following lines reveal a sense of self-harm: "I'd tear into myself again. My skin rips like paper. I'll never touch myself again." The singer then shifts focus back to their ex, acknowledging that their heart breaks like glass, and that the singer should have been the hero in their ex's "Little book of make-ups." The singer regrets not being the one their ex chose, but still fights to honor what was brilliant about their ex in this lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
I could be the villain in your Little book of break-ups
I might have behaved badly in our past relationship and would be portrayed as the antagonist in the book you maintain to record break-ups.
So spinnerule but even now I could be your page in your Little book of break-ups
Despite moving on from our past, I still might be causing problems to your present and future relationships, thus earning another spot in your book of break-ups.
I'm never letting go.
I refuse to let go of the control I have over our relationship even after the break-up.
I'd tear into myself again. (Myself, myself) My skin rips like paper. I'll never touch myself again. (Myself, myself)
My emotional turmoil and regret are affecting me physically, making me prone to self-harm as a way to deal with the pain.
Your heart breaks like glass.
Your heart is fragile and easily shattered, making it difficult for you to handle emotional pain.
I should have been the hero in your Little book of make-ups But that anyone should say to you I should have been the figure in your Little book of make-ups
I regret my past wrongdoings so much that I wish I had been the perfect partner for you, one that you could have recorded in your book of make-ups, rather than the villain.
Still I find a way To fight the brilliance of your inside in this lifetime
Despite everything, I still find myself drawn to the best of you, wanting to fight for the love we once had.
I won't regret I won't regret it.
I will not regret trying to make things work between us again, even if there is a risk of being portrayed as the villain in your book once more.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTIAN ROBERT CRIPPIN, JACOB WILLIAM HOGGARD, THOMAS WALTER MACDONALD, DAVE ROSIN, DAVID ROBERT MADISON GENN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind