CJSS was formed by guitar wizard David T. Chastain during early 1984 with t… Read Full Bio ↴CJSS was formed by guitar wizard David T. Chastain during early 1984 with two other members of the band Spike, drummer Les Sharp and bassist Mike Skimmerhorn, and vocalist Russell Jinkens who had gained fame for his stint in local Cincinnati cover band Prizoner.

Spike had recorded and released the album 'The Price of Pleasure' in 1983. Spike toured the United States with many acts, the most well known being Black Sabbath. David was not satisfied with the commercial slant of Spike's material and was at constant odds with the band's management and booking agency whom had been trying to push the band in a even more commercial direction. In order to play the music they loved the four musicians decided to form the band CJSS.

The band's first show was October 4, 1984 at Bogarts. The club's management had expected a week night crowd of only a few hundred but were pleasantly surprised when well over a thousand fans showed up. This was just the beginning as CJSS regularly appeared at the Cincinnati venue drawing huge throngs throughout the 80's. Even to this day the band still holds all attendance records at the club. The largest being November 15, 1986 with a crowd of 1452 paid and more turned away at the door.

In the summer of 1985 the band went into the studio and recorded the album 'World Gone Mad.' This album was released in January 1986 and was received very favorably worldwide. This album included some of the band's classic cuts such as; 'Hell On Earth' 'World Gone Mad' 'Destiny' and the band's contemporary version of the Zeppelin classic Communication Breakdown.

After doing a short tour of the US the group went into the studio in the summer of 1986 and recorded the bands pinnacle release 'Praise the Loud.' The album was released in October 1986 to intense worldwide acclaim. The track 'Metal Forever' became a rallying cry for metal fans. The praise lavished upon the band was universal. CJSS had released two classic metal albums in the less than one year. A feat unmatched in metaldom.

It is safe to say that when musical historians look back at the metal era 'World Gone Mad' and 'Praise the Loud' will be considered metal classics.

The CJSS classic Cds "Word Gone Mad" and "Praise The Loud" has just been re-released by Lion Music on one new remastered and repackaged Cd "2-4-1" . This timeless collection still holds up well and is a must have for fans of traditional metal. Get your copy before they are all gone.

Welcome to Damnation
CJSS Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Welcome to damnation, your final destination
This is your place for eternity
The land of desolation breeds forth your isolation
You can only scream endlessly

Welcome to damnation

Welcome to damnation, your final destination

This is your life for eternity
In the heart of revelation you'll face annihilation
Your soul will burn endlessly

Welcome to damnation

Welcome to damnation, your final destination
This is your home for eternity
This is a proud nation as we live in anticipation
For that day we'll wait endlessly

Welcome to damnation.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Welcome to Damnation" by CJSS express the concept of eternal damnation in a very clear and grim manner. The song implies that once an individual reaches this destination, they will be isolated and left to suffer endlessly without any hope of escape. The land of desolation the lyrics refer to is an image of a barren and unforgiving environment that is void of any sign of life or hope. The song goes on to state that those who enter into damnation will face annihilation and will burn endlessly.

The repetition of the phrase "Welcome to damnation" throughout the song is a reminder that once you enter this realm, there's no way out. The lyrics also suggest that the inhabitants of the land take pride in their situation as they anticipate the arrival of newcomers. The phrase "For that day we'll wait endlessly" implies that they believe that more and more people will be joining them in this eternal punishment.

Line by Line Meaning

Welcome to damnation, your final destination
You have arrived at your final destination, which is damnation.

This is your place for eternity
You will be in this place for an indefinite amount of time.

The land of desolation breeds forth your isolation
The barren land amplifies your sense of loneliness and abandonment.

You can only scream endlessly
Your cries of despair will go unheard and unanswered.

In the heart of revelation you'll face annihilation
When the truth is revealed, you will face complete destruction.

Your soul will burn endlessly
Your inner being will be consumed by everlasting flames.

This is your home for eternity
You will never leave this place, it is your permanent dwelling.

This is a proud nation as we live in anticipation
The inhabitants of this place proudly await the arrival of new arrivals.

For that day we'll wait endlessly
They will wait indefinitely for the next soul to join them.

Welcome to damnation.
You are welcomed to the place of eternal suffering and misery.

Contributed by Elizabeth H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.