The band grew from the one-off reformation in 2008 of Caustic Thought, an early-90s group featuring Stroud, guitarist Ian White and drummer Bob Wagner (and, briefly, Devin Townsend, who replaced Jed Simon). As both Stroud's other main bands Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad were disbanded or inactive at the time, thought was given to continuing with Caustic Thought and Sho Murray was added to the line-up as a second guitarist. White turned down the vocalist role so Stroud contacted Bell, who accepted. Shortly afterward, Fear Factory re-activated but City of Fire nevertheless completed a self-titled album. In April 2010, the City of Fire album was released in Australia by Stomp Music. It was due for release in other markets in August or September 2010.
In September 2010, City of Fire did its first international tour, supporting Soulfly on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, with Jed Simon (Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole) filling in for White on guitar. Two days after that tour ended, Fear Factory played a week of shows as the major support to Metallica.
A video for the single "Rising" was uploaded by Stomp Entertainment in May, 2010 but has since been taken down. Breaking from the music-video conventions to be expected of typically dark metal fare, "Rising" uses a bright colour scheme with kaleidoscopic imagery.
In January, 2012, City of Fire released a new single through Metal Hammer magazine called "Bad Motivator". The band's new full-length album, Trail Through Fire, will be released in March or April, 2012.
Gravity
City of Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You wash it all away with the pain
When you're raining down
You bring me down
Please bring me down again
Your sorrow carries your dead weight
You lay it on me with your grace
You bring me down
Please bring me down again
You're breathing the life out of me
Your heart eclipses like the sun
You cast a shadow on our love
When your heart sets down
You bring me down
Please bring me down again
The lyrics of "Gravity" by City of Fire present the sorrow, pain, and emotional weight that someone can bring to a relationship. The main character seems to be in a toxic relationship where the other person's sadness and troubles are overwhelming him. He describes the partner's eyes as "thunderclouds and rain" that wash away everything with pain. He wishes to be brought down again, but it is evident that this down is not a positive one. The pain of the partner brings the main character down too. The partner's sorrow is so much that the main character feels he's being crushed under the weight of it.
The gravity of the partner's sadness is almost physical. They carry this "dead weight" everywhere, and it is evident when they "lay it down," it affects the main character severely. The relationship is suffocating, and the main character is running out of life, gasping for air. The last verse is particularly devastating, where the partner's heart eclipses like the sun, casting a shadow on their love. It's an image of the love being overshadowed by the partner's emotional state. The main character seems to be at his wit's end, desperate for some relief. Overall, the song describes the emotional turmoil and exhaustion that a toxic relationship can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Your eyes are thunderclouds and rain
Your eyes carry a storm inside, constantly releasing rainfall of sadness and tears.
You wash it all away with the pain
You try to ease your pain by drowning it out with even more pain.
When you're raining down
When you're feeling overwhelmed with emotions and crying uncontrollably.
You bring me down
Your sorrow and despair affects me and brings me down with you.
Please bring me down again
Despite the pain, I want to be there for you and share your struggles again.
Your sorrow carries your dead weight
Your sadness is so heavy that it's like carrying a dead weight around.
You lay it on me with your grace
You share your burden with me in a graceful way, without blaming me for it.
When you lay it down
When you finally reveal your heavy pain and confess your vulnerabilities.
You bring me down
Your unspoken suffering had been affecting me all along.
Please bring me down again
No matter how hard it is, I'm willing to bear the weight of your sorrow again and share it with you.
You're breathing the life out of me
Your constant sadness and despair is slowly draining the life and vitality out of me.
Your heart eclipses like the sun
Your heart, once bright and full of love, now seems to have an eclipsed shadow over it.
You cast a shadow on our love
Your pain and sadness have overshadowed the love that once shined bright between us.
When your heart sets down
When you give up on trying to heal, and let your heart rest in its painful place.
You bring me down
Even though you're not intentionally doing it, your pain brings me down with you.
Please bring me down again
I want to stay close to you, even when things get tough, because our love is worth it.
Contributed by Cooper R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terror Tarol
Fear factory is the best, but Burt C. do other very good projects too.
Shoma
aweosme
Scott Denja
Shoma. Slayer yesterday awesome. Ff city of fire
Gary420
Bro nice we grew up in delta tc wish the best,