Since 2011 their trademark erhu has been complemented with stringed instruments including the koto and shamisen, as well as Tibetan Bells and shakuhachi and pgaki flutes, the latter of which are traditionally used by the aboriginal people of Taiwan.[8] The band members are also acclaimed artists and political activists who advocate independence for Taiwan and self-determination for Tibetans and Uighurs. Singer Freddy Lim served as Chairman of the Taiwan chapter of Amnesty International from 2010 to 2014 and has been a legislator since 2016, representing the New Power Party. Since their formation, Chthonic has released eight studio albums. Their most recent full-length record, Battlefields of Asura, was released in October 2018.
Chthonic is also known for their unique stage costumes, which originally included corpse paint similar to that used by many Scandinavian black metal bands, from which Chthonic drew their early inspiration. Starting in 1998 Chthonic incorporated some Taiwanese elements and characteristics into their stage attire, such as the "8 Generals of Hell" glyphs on Freddy Lim's forehead. Keyboardist CJ Kao uses a cloth inscribed with Chinese characters wrapped around his head, which in mythology is a spell to raise Chinese Vampires from the dead.
With the release of the album Takasago Army in 2011, Chthonic changed to costumes inspired by Asian military or martial arts attire. They stopped using corpse paint because the band members found it tedious to put on before concerts. Fans often toss hell money during Chthonic's stage performances to pay tribute to the lost souls described in the songs and to create a dark atmosphere. People of Chinese culture who are unfamiliar with Chthonic may find this offensive or disrespectful because the practice is considered to be taboo. The band is also known for burning the flag of the Kuomintang Party, of whom the band are well-known critics, first doing so in the video for the song "Forty-Nine Theurgy Chains" in 2009. This aroused some controversy.
Bloody Gaya Fulfilled
Chthonic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unaware of danger approaching
Autumn winds starts
Icy omen
Seediq wrath gros, unjust oppression
Clan brothers meet, plotting rebellion
Colony flag flies
Sons of the Rmdax tasing
Silenced voices, inner clamor
Accumulations of crippling hate
Impossible to forgive
Dawn, greets the rising red sun
Led by the Elder Rudao Mona
Stealth, six clans united
To slake their thirst for revenge
Breaths cut off, as their heads fall
Shades formed as shodows shorten
Hunting knives hew down
Harvesting deaths
Woods shroud warrior attacks
Gun smoke marks their hurried passing
Breeze sweeps away sadness
Clearing the road to fiery hell
War Cries signaling the cleansing of enemies
Headless bodies
Litter the ground
Wrath-filled eyes scoured
Enemy base of former despots
Arrogance tarnished
Splattered by red
Wushe shaken, red sun flags fallen
Umbrage rises from dead comrades
Opposing wind seethe
Outraged, Provoked
Seediq, with unbridled fury
Blades stabbing holes, bleeding life
Colony flag torn
Broken beacon
Sons of the Rmdax Tasing
Dying gurgles glut their bloodlust
Seasons of scorn and derision
Freed by their actions
The song "Bloody Gaya Fulfilled" by Chthonic depicts the events leading up to, and including, the Wushe Incident in Taiwan in 1930. This event was a rebellion of the Seediq people against Japanese colonial rule. The first verse describes a seemingly innocuous festive day celebrated by high-ranks, who are unaware of the danger approaching with the autumn winds, which serve as an icy omen. The second verse introduces the Seediq people, who are depicted as being oppressed by unjust means by the colonial powers. The clan brothers meet and plot rebellion, while the colony flag flies as a mocking beacon.
The third verse delves into the actual rebellion, where six clans unite to slake their thirst for revenge under the leadership of Elder Rudao Mona. The line "breaths cut off, as their heads fall" emphasizes the violence of the rebellion, while the "harvesting deaths" describes the Seediq's goal of reaping vengeance. The fourth verse describes the aftermath of the rebellion, where the enemy base of former despots is left tarnished and splattered with red. The song ends with the Seediq people filled with unbridled fury, their colony flag torn and beacon broken, and dying gurgles glutting their bloodlust.
Line by Line Meaning
Festive day, celebrated by high-ranks
Amidst a joyous atmosphere, people in power are rejoicing
Unaware of danger approaching
The imminent sense of danger is unrecognized
Autumn winds starts
The arrival of autumn season is marked
Icy omen
A warning of the cold, dark times to come
Seediq wrath gros, unjust oppression
The Seediqs are seething with anger due to the unjust oppression they face
Clan brothers meet, plotting rebellion
The Seediq clans unite to plan a rebellion
Colony flag flies
The colony flag represents the oppressors' dominance and flies high
Mocking beacon
The oppressors' beacon mocks the Seediqs' plight
Sons of the Rmdax tasing
The Seediq warriors of the Rmdax tasing tribe
Silenced voices, inner clamor
The warriors' inner voices are drowned by the oppression, leaving them with an inner turmoil
Accumulations of crippling hate
The hate intensifies and grows stronger over time, becoming debilitating
Impossible to forgive
The oppression is beyond redemption and forgiveness
Dawn, greets the rising red sun
The red sun rising at dawn heralds the beginning of a new day
Led by the Elder Rudao Mona
The Seediq rebellion is led by the wise Elder Rudao Mona
Stealth, six clans united
The united clans proceed stealthily
To slake their thirst for revenge
Their thirst for revenge needs to be fulfilled
Breaths cut off, as their heads fall
The warriors' lives are snuffed out as their heads roll
Shades formed as shodows shorten
As the day progresses and the sun moves, the warriors' shadows form a shade on the ground
Hunting knives hew down
The warriors use their hunting knives to strike down their enemies
Harvesting deaths
The warriors gather their enemies' lives as they fall in battle
Woods shroud warrior attacks
The forest conceals the warriors' attack
Gun smoke marks their hurried passing
The gun smoke from the warriors' weapons marks their swift retaliation
Breeze sweeps away sadness
A gentle breeze clears away the sadness left behind by the warriors' actions
Clearing the road to fiery hell
The warriors' actions pave the road to a fiery inferno
War Cries signaling the cleansing of enemies
The warriors' war cries signify the need to eradicate their enemies
Headless bodies
The slain enemies' bodies are decapitated
Litter the ground
The ground is littered with the slain enemies' corpses
Wrath-filled eyes scoured
The warriors' eyes search for their next target, filled with wrath
Enemy base of former despots
The oppressors' base is now an enemy's stronghold
Arrogance tarnished
The oppressors' arrogance is no longer justified
Splattered by red
The color red splatters on the surroundings
Wushe shaken, red sun flags fallen
The Wushe people's unrest shakes the land, causing the red sun flags to fall
Umbrage rises from dead comrades
The warriors' anger rises after seeing their comrades fall in battle
Opposing wind seethe
The wind blows fiercely, opposing the warriors' actions
Outraged, Provoked
The warriors are filled with outrage and provoked to retaliate
Seediq, with unbridled fury
The Seediq warriors unleash their uncontrolled fury
Blades stabbing holes, bleeding life
The warriors' blades pierce through their enemies, causing fatal injuries
Colony flag torn
The symbol of the oppressors' dominance, the colony flag, is ripped apart
Broken beacon
The oppressors' beacon is broken, signifying the end of their dominance
Sons of the Rmdax Tasing
The warrior sons of the Rmdax Tasing tribe
Dying gurgles glut their bloodlust
The sound of the dying enemies satisfy the warriors' craving for blood
Seasons of scorn and derision
The enduring ridicule and harsh treatment by the oppressors continue across seasons
Freed by their actions
The Seediqs are emancipated by their victorious rebellion
Contributed by Kaylee K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.