Chthonic (sometimes stylized as ChthoniC or ChThoniC, and also known in the… Read Full Bio ↴Chthonic (sometimes stylized as ChthoniC or ChThoniC, and also known in their native Chinese as 閃靈) is a Taiwanese black metal band, formed in 1995 in Taipei. They have been called "the Black Sabbath of Asia." The group incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music, including adaptations of folk songs and the use of traditional instruments, most notably the erhu (often called the hiân-á [絃仔] in the band's native Taiwanese). Their stated goal is to use their music to bring ancient history and mythology into the modern era via a pan-green focus, especially to build awareness of the myths of Taiwan and tragic events in that country's history (for example, those experienced by the Seediq people).

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.

Invasion
Chthonic Lyrics

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Rode with gloomy wind and magical clouds
Soldiers equipped with devine weapons
Marched to waste land.

The headquater of sina ordered four armies
The leaders put armies into battle array
All minds were the same one
Light to win the final war

Everyone got excited to kill

Rode with gloomy wind and magical clouds
Soldiers equipped with devine weapons
Marched to waste land.

The land once occupied came to their eyes
There was millions soldiers defenced on the border.
The sina leaders exployed their troops
Used the strategy for attack
Sea moved and waves whirled into sky

"all troopers of sina gods, follow me! the envory will be your vanguard! defeat them! march into frontier for revenge!

Before attack, there was only slience suddenly rocks blew up to sky
Earth shook, mountain collapsed river flooded thunder rolled all mortal gathered.

Kill tore tranquillity shock the isle
As armies marched, barrier turned into crimson
The sina gods
Had the dream of dominion
Fought fot harass againist isle's gods
To disguise their ambitions

Isle gods resisted in the barrier
Gods killed each other, bloof spilled over

All isle gods decided
To kill enemy for guard

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Chthonic's song Invasion describe a warlike scene where soldiers, equipped with divine weaponry, are marching towards a waste land, ready to fight a battle. The leaders of the four armies have put their minds together to strategize and win the final war. The troops are excited to kill and are riding with the gloomy wind and magical clouds. As they approach their destination, they see millions of soldiers defending the border, but the sina leaders know what to do. They use their strategy to attack, and the sea moves, while waves whirl into the sky.

Before the attack, there was only silence. Suddenly, rocks blew up to the sky, earth shook, mountains collapsed, rivers flooded, and thunder rolled. All mortals gathered, and as the armies marched, the barrier turned into crimson. The sina gods had the dream of dominion, fought for power against the isle's gods, and disguised their ambitions. Meanwhile, the isle gods resisted in the barrier, and as gods killed each other, blood spilled over. Finally, all isle gods decided to kill the enemy to guard their land.

The song portrays a scene of war and destruction, where gods fight each other with the aim of gaining power and dominance. The lyrics reveal a story of conflict and aggression, where one group seeks to take over another. The song's theme is prevalent in many mythologies, where gods and mortals engage in battles of supremacy to gain power, fame, and glory.

Line by Line Meaning

Rode with gloomy wind and magical clouds
The Sina soldiers rode their horses through an eerie atmosphere of ominous winds and fantastical clouds.

Soldiers equipped with devine weapons
The soldiers were provided with weapons that were believed to have been blessed by the gods themselves.

Marched to waste land.
They marched towards a barren land that had been laid to ruin by previous wars.

The headquater of sina ordered four armies
The leaders at Sina headquarters commanded four battalions of soldiers to launch an attack.

The leaders put armies into battle array
The leaders formed their armies into a military formation designed for combat.

All minds were the same one
All of the soldiers had a shared understanding of their mission and were united in their purpose.

Light to win the final war
The soldiers were determined to emerge victorious in the ultimate battle.

Everyone got excited to kill
The soldiers were eager and enthusiastic to engage in combat and take the lives of their enemies.

The land once occupied came to their eyes
The soldiers laid eyes on the land that they had previously conquered and held dominion over.

There was millions soldiers defenced on the border.
The enemy forces had deployed millions of soldiers to defend their borders.

The sina leaders exployed their troops
The leaders of Sina strategically deployed their troops in preparation for battle.

Used the strategy for attack
The Sina forces executed a pre-planned strategy to launch their offensive campaign.

Sea moved and waves whirled into sky
The aftermath of their attack caused great destruction, with the sea shifting and waves rising high into the sky.

"all troopers of sina gods, follow me! the envory will be your vanguard! defeat them! march into frontier for revenge!
The commander rallied his troops by encouraging them to follow him and promising that they would be victorious if they conquered the enemy. They were fueled by a desire for revenge.

Before attack, there was only slience suddenly rocks blew up to sky
Before the attack, there was an air of uneasy silence. Suddenly, there was a violent explosion that sent rocks flying into the air.

Earth shook, mountain collapsed river flooded thunder rolled all mortal gathered.
The ensuing fight caused an earthquake, avalanches, and flooding. All the living beings in that area gathered together to witness the spectacle.

Kill tore tranquillity shock the isle
The violence of the attack shattered the peacefulness of the isle and left death and destruction in its wake.

As armies marched, barrier turned into crimson
The armies fought in such a fierce manner that the barriers that were once holding them apart became stained red with blood.

The sina gods
The leaders of the Sina forces who believed themselves to be gods.

Had the dream of dominion
Their ultimate goal was to take control and rule over the entire region.

Fought fot harass againist isle's gods
They engaged in battle with the gods who were native to the isle in an attempt to disrupt their way of life and gain dominance.

To disguise their ambitions
The Sina leaders masked their true intentions and greed for power with the guise of a holy mission.

Isle gods resisted in the barrier
The native gods fiercely fought to protect their home and defend their land against the invaders.

Gods killed each other, bloof spilled over
In the heat of battle, even the gods fought and killed each other, leading to a massive loss of life and bloodshed.

All isle gods decided
The native gods came to a mutual decision to band together and defeat the enemy at all costs.

To kill enemy for guard
The isle gods were willing to take up arms and kill the enemy invaders in order to protect their land and keep their people safe.

Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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