1) Formed in 1991… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with the name Criminal.
1) Formed in 1991 in Santiago, Chile, Criminal’s intense blend of thrash metal, death metal and hardcore made them rise quickly to the forefront of the thriving South American metal scene.
After releasing two demos that created a buzz in the South American and worldwide metal underground and supporting bands such as Kreator and Sepultura, Criminal signed a deal with major label BMG. Their first two albums, “Victimized” (1994) and “Dead Soul” (1996), went on to sell in excess of 10,000 copies each in their home country alone whilst the band enjoyed extensive video airplay on MTV Latino, touring most of the subcontinent including support slots with heavyweights such as Slayer, Exodus, Motörhead and Bruce Dickinson. The video clip for the song “Collide” (off the album “Dead Soul”) was nominated in the “Best Rock Video” category for the MTV Latino Video Music Awards, and Criminal played in front of over 50,000 people at Colombia’s prestigious Rock al Parque festival.
In 1998 Criminal embarked on their first ever US tour, taking part in the famed Milwaukee Metal Fest as well as supporting the likes of Testament, The Haunted and Overkill at selected club shows.
Upon their return from the US and being forced to part ways with the semi-bankrupt Chilean BMG branch, Criminal took matters into their own hands releasing the self-produced “Cancer” album (1999). Just like their previous output “Dead Soul”, “Cancer” was snapped up for the European market by Metal Blade Records, being greeted with an overwhelming response from both metal press and fans.
Frustrated with the state of the South American music scene, the creative core of the band (guitarist/vocalist Anton Reisenegger and guitarist Rodrigo Contreras) relocated to Europe in 2001, soon regrouping in a half-Chilean, half-British line-up with drummer Zac O’Neil (ex-Extreme Noise Terror) and Robin Eaglestone (ex-Cradle of Filth). The line-up also featured additional keyboards by Mark Royce. One of the band’s first live appearances on European soil was at Wacken Open Air, where they played one of the main stages to an enthusiastic crowd despite the early hour.
Criminal soon released the album “No Gods No Masters” (2004), a boldly experimental affair which reflected changes the band had been through in recent times, resulting in extreme, genre-bending songs. Bass duties on “No Gods” were handled by both guitarists, as Eaglestone had been ousted due to personal and business differences.
After touring Europe supporting Six Feet Under, Criminal returned to the four-piece format and the visceral thrash riffs of their early days to release “Sicario” (2005), their most accomplished piece of work to date, only a year after “No Gods”. Featuring original bass player Juan Cueto to temporarily replace the departed Eaglestone, “Sicario” was hailed by the metal press as one of the year’s top thrash albums, being voted by the readers of Terrorizer magazine into the Top Ten Albums of the Year. Criminal played successful shows in support of their new release, opening shows for acts like Chimaira, Brujeria and Lamb of God, as well as taking part in several festivals in Mainland Europe.
With a new line-up featuring Reisenegger, Contreras, O’Neil and new addition Dan Biggin (bass), Criminal released their new album 'White Hell' on 27th February 2009.
2) Criminal is an Ambient and Wave producer releasing "psychoactive recordings" on Delysid.
3) Criminal is a podcast about crime.
4) Criminal is a rock band from the 80s, featuring Patty Zander.
No Return
Criminal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A wasted life
A restless soul insane
No return
Gone too far
No one else left to blame
Fade away
From this life of misery
Fade away
Die away
Only death will make you free
Once i was free
Savage and ready to kill
In my blood
All the tides
Of all times gone by
Fade away
Die away
From this life of misery
Fade away
Die away
Only death will make you free
Distorted shadows
Memories haunt me
Tormented faces
Demons surround me
Life still alive
New days are bleeding
The skies
No return
No regrets
Until the end of my
Times
Fade away
Die away
From this life of misery
Fade away
Die away
Only death will make you free
The lyrics to Criminal's song "No Return" depict a life full of pain, restlessness and self-inflicted harm. The singer is at a point of no return, having gone too far down a path that has left them with a wasted life and an insane soul. They are unable to blame anyone else for the state they are in.
The chorus which repeats "Fade away/Die away/From this life of misery/Fade away/Die away/Only death will make you free" gives a sense of finality and surrender to the singer's fate. The only way they can be free from the misery is through death. The lyrics seem to suggest that once upon a time, the singer was free, savage and ready to kill, with tides of all times gone by in their blood. They were in control of their life, but something changed, leading them down a path of self-destruction that they can't come back from.
The second verse continues with the imagery of distorted shadows and tormented faces that haunt the singer. Demons surround them, and yet, life is still alive, and new days are bleeding through. The skies are open, and there is no return and no regrets - the singer seems to have accepted their fate.
Line by Line Meaning
Self inflicted pain
The pain that I am experiencing is a result of my own actions and decisions
A wasted life
My life has been a waste, I have not made use of the opportunities I had and have made bad choices
A restless soul insane
My soul is in turmoil and confusion due to the way I have lived my life
No return
There is no going back from the point I have reached in my life, I am stuck with the consequences of my actions
Gone too far
I have gone beyond the point of no return and there is no hope for redemption
No one else left to blame
I cannot blame anyone else for my current state of affairs, it is solely my own fault
Fade away
Gradually disappearing from existence
Die away
Slowly and painfully ceasing to exist
From this life of misery
I am currently living a miserable existence that I wish to escape from
Only death will make you free
The only way to be released from the misery of life is through death
Once i was free
There was a time in my life when I was free from the burden of my mistakes and bad choices
Savage and ready to kill
I was wild and destructive, capable of causing harm without regard for others
In my blood
These tendencies are deeply ingrained in my nature and are difficult to change
All the tides
All the experiences and events of my life that have shaped who I am now
Of all times gone by
All the past moments that have led me to where I am now
Distorted shadows
The memories of my past are distorted and twisted, causing me distress
Memories haunt me
My past mistakes and bad choices are still haunting me now
Tormented faces
The faces of those I have wronged haunt me, causing me guilt and shame
Demons surround me
The consequences of my actions are manifesting themselves in the form of demons, reminding me of my past actions
Life still alive
Despite my mistakes and regrets, I am still alive
New days are bleeding
There are new opportunities for me to make better choices, but they are being ruined by the scars of my past actions
The skies
The limitless possibilities that life can offer, but which seem unreachable to me now
No regrets
I have no regrets for the choices I made in my life, even if they led me to this miserable state
Until the end of my Times
Until my death, I will continue to live with the consequences of my actions
Contributed by Molly L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.