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.
Indigenous Laceration
Chthonic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ceaseless foreign invasion
Sukuladan, ever still mighty
Rivers weep unceasingly
Alien rule exacts hefty
Tribute, scar-pits Motherlands
Lineages of honor-marked faces
Fade like wilting cherry blossoms recite
Crowning the axis of the Motherlands
Nigh sky, the Mountains tru sons
Seediq, scattered petals on wind
Winter, years, four centuries
Ceaseless foreign invasion
Sukulada, ever still mighty
Weeps for despoiled forests
Bunohon Mountains endured centuries of pillage
Patterned faces blanch under suffering, consumed by
Impotence in defending the Holy Land, evanesce
Bunohon Mountains endured centuries of pillage
Patterned faces blanch under suffering, consumed by
Impotence in defending the Holy Land, evanesce
Paso Kofuni Great Woods,
Ancient advice hangs ragged amidst outgrowth
Seediq spirit, downtrodden slaves under the Red Sun Empire
Valor makrs evaporate in
Smoke, extinction nears
The song "Indigenous Laceration" by Chthonic is a tribute to the indigenous people of Taiwan, particularly the Seediq tribe, and their struggle against centuries of foreign invasion and oppression. The first stanza describes the winter years, a period of four centuries of ceaseless foreign invasions that devastated the land and its people. The mighty Sukuladan river weeps unceasingly, witnessing the scarred Motherlands due to the heavy tribute imposed by the alien rule. The lineages of the honor-marked faces fade like wilting cherry blossoms, as the fog wounds surround the serrated peaks crowning the axis of the Motherlands. The nigh sky and the mountains witness the true sons of the land, the Seediq, scattered like petals on the wind. The song speaks of the pain felt by the land and its people, evoking images of nature in despair, mountains and rivers scarred by the cruelty of their invaders.
The chorus emphasizes the enduring centuries of pillage experienced by the Bunohon Mountains. The patterned faces of the indigenous people are blanched under suffering, consumed by impotence in defending their Holy Land, and they gradually evanesce into extinction. The Great Woods of Paso Kofuni, where ancient advice hangs ragged amidst the outgrowth, represents the spirit of the Seediq tribe, downtrodden slaves under the Red Sun Empire. The valor marks of the Seediq people evaporate in smoke, as extinction nears.
Line by Line Meaning
Winter years, four centuries
The passage of four centuries has seen times of hardship and coldness
Ceaseless foreign invasion
The constant invasions of outsiders never seem to stop, causing harm and destruction
Sukuladan, ever still mighty
The great Sukulandan mountain never loses its grandeur, standing strong against the trials of time
Rivers weep unceasingly
The rivers constantly mourn the damage and devastation caused by never-ending foreign intrusion
Alien rule exacts hefty tribute, scar-pits Motherlands
The invading force requires a large payment and leaves permanent scars on the once-great homeland
Lineages of honor-marked faces
Faces once adorned with symbols of respect and honor now display the pain and suffering of the people
Fade like wilting cherry blossoms recite
The once-vibrant people and culture begin to wither, like the falling cherry blossoms that continually remind them of their loss
Fog wounds, surrounds serrated peaks
The misty fog is like an injury that surrounds the jagged mountain peaks, further adding to the feeling of despair
Crowning the axis of the Motherlands
At the center of the homeland lies the mighty mountain range that stands as a testament to the land's historical significance
Nigh sky, the Mountains tru sons
The evening sky is a tribute to the majestic mountain range, shining with a light that exemplifies its grandeur
Seediq, scattered petals on wind
The Seediq people are like scattered flower petals blowing in the wind, symbolizing their fragile state of being
Winter, years, four centuries
The recurring theme of winter and time emphasises the ongoing struggles faced by the people over the course of centuries
Weeps for despoiled forests
The mournful cry of the land bemoans the loss of once-beautiful forests, now in ruins due to the impact of foreign invaders
Bunohon Mountains endured centuries of pillage
The continual ransacking of the Bunohon Mountains has lasted for hundreds of years
Patterned faces blanch under suffering, consumed by
The people's marked faces show the impact of relentless pain and the onslaught of invaders
Impotence in defending the Holy Land, evanesce
The people's inability to protect their sacred homeland leads to a gradual disappearance of their culture and way of life
Paso Kofuni Great Woods, Ancient advice hangs ragged amidst outgrowth
The great woods of Paso Kofuni contain ancient wisdom that is slowly being consumed by the unruly growth of nature
Seediq spirit, downtrodden slaves under the Red Sun Empire
The Seediq people are downtrodden by their oppressors, who wield power over them like slaves under the Red Sun Empire
Valor marks evaporate in Smoke, extinction nears
The marks of valour that once adorned the people are gradually disappearing, and with it, their fight for survival approaches its final moments
Contributed by Alexander R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HeadbangingPizza
I discovered these guys a long time ago by complete accident, and haven't looked back.
Reddusk Ironsky
This version goes better with the rhythm of the song imo. Some of their releases sound better in Chinese but Seediq Bale to me sounded way more catchy in English, not because I dont undeestand Chinese but because the lyrics in Chinese sometimes sound super stretched out to fit the rhythm. But Im super glad they kept the female vocals in their original language, it adds something super cool!
XilonVampyR
It's so odd to see no one has made a playlist of this album, you are the only one that uploaded all songs with album cover, wel, you're just missing track 1 City Of Obscurity which is a perfect intro for the album.
Aaron Tumilty
one of their best
Markus Michell
This is sick!
Bee M High Fives Everybody
They were better than all bands on Ozzfest
Gerardo Murillo
indeed
YuGiong
this song's chinese name call "黥面卸"
just copy it if you want to watch MV