Death Angel is often referred to as one of the key bands in the Bay Area thrash metal movement of the 1980s, and secured opening slots at club venues that decade, including opening for their peers Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Testament, Overkill, D.R.I., Mercyful Fate and Possessed. They are also often credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of thrash metal movement from the 1980s, and considered to be one of the "big eight" of the genre (along with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Exodus and Overkill), as well as one of the so-called "Big Six of Bay Area thrash metal" (alongside Exodus, Testament, Lååz Rockit, Forbidden and Vio-lence). Following the underground success of their first two studio albums, The Ultra-Violence (1987) and Frolic Through the Park (1988), Death Angel signed to Geffen Records in 1989, and released their only album for the label, Act III, the following year. While they were touring in support of Act III, then-drummer Andy Galeon was injured in a tour bus accident and needed more than a year to fully recover. This resulted in the band's break up in 1991. However, Death Angel reformed in 2001 (without original rhythm guitarist Gus Pepa) at the Thrash of the Titans benefit concert for Testament singer Chuck Billy. The band has since released six more albums, including Humanicide (2019), to which the title track gave Death Angel their first-ever Grammy Award nomination.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Angel
Studio albums
The Ultra-Violence (1987)
Frolic Through the Park (1988)
Act III (1990)
The Art of Dying (2004)
Killing Season (2008)
Relentless Retribution (2010)
The Dream Calls for Blood (2013)
The Evil Divide (2016)
Humanicide (2019)
5 Steps Of Freedom
Death Angel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And pace the cell that's stuck in time
Immune to change and far from love
I curse this world and God above
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
Need to kill this painful lie
Look over shoulder with my hand on knife
I can't keep living my life this way
I'll do my time but I won't behave
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
The road to hell is paved with good intent
Pass barbed wire and cyclone fence
Destiny lies far from this place
A cemetery plot my final resting place
Got to break this soulless cage
Return my life to human shape
A hell on earth is what they say
Kill or be killed same shit different day
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps
5 steps
5 steps
5
"5 Steps of Freedom" by Death Angel talks about feeling trapped in a mental and physical prison. The song is centered around an individual in jail, who has lost all hope and is now reconsidering their life choices. The opening lines “Grip the bars that hold my mind, And pace the cell that's stuck in time” shows how the singer is struggling with their own thoughts and size of their confinement. The singer feels immune to change and love in this environment, and as a result has lost faith in the world and God himself.
Life is portrayed as a cage when someone is framed or trapped, and the sentence of pain (25 to life) only makes matters worse. The singer reminisces about their past and realizes that they have reached the end of their rope; something has to change. They have a desire to break free from this soulless cage, even if it means breaking the rules or resorting to violence. “Got to break this soulless cage, Return my life to human shape, A hell on earth is what they say, Kill or be killed same shit different day.”
The five steps of freedom could be interpreted as different stages of the liberation of the individual from their mental and physical confinement. These steps are left open for interpretation and are up to the listener to decipher.
Line by Line Meaning
Grip the bars that hold my mind
Feeling trapped and controlled by my own thoughts and emotions
And pace the cell that's stuck in time
Feeling confined and stagnant in my current situation
Immune to change and far from love
Unable to accept change and feeling cut off from love and connection
I curse this world and God above
Feeling angry and resentful towards the world and higher powers
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Feeling trapped and powerless in my current circumstances
Sentence of pain 25 to life
Feeling like I'm serving a life sentence of pain and suffering
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
Longing for a better time and place, feeling nostalgic for the past
And realize these are my last
Recognizing the finality of my current situation and my own mortality
Need to kill this painful lie
Desperate to break free from the lies and illusions that keep me trapped
Look over shoulder with my hand on knife
Feeling paranoid and ready to defend myself at all times
I can't keep living my life this way
Realizing that my current way of life is not sustainable or fulfilling
I'll do my time but I won't behave
Willing to accept the consequences of my actions, but refusing to conform or surrender
The road to hell is paved with good intent
Understanding that even well-intentioned choices can lead to negative consequences
Pass barbed wire and cyclone fence
Pushing past obstacles and barriers to reach my goals
Destiny lies far from this place
Believing that my true destiny is elsewhere, outside of my current circumstances
A cemetery plot my final resting place
Acknowledging the possibility of death and the inevitability of mortality
Got to break this soulless cage
Determined to break free from the emotional and mental constraints that keep me trapped
Return my life to human shape
Longing to feel more human, to reconnect with my emotions and humanity
A hell on earth is what they say
Feeling like my current situation is a living nightmare or hell
Kill or be killed same shit different day
Feeling like I'm constantly in survival mode, with little hope for a better future
5 steps of freedom
Believing that there are concrete steps or actions that can lead to freedom and liberation
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW VICTOR GALEON, DENNIS A. PEPA, MARK OSEGUEDA, ROB CAVESTANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nessa
Lyrics:
Grip the bars that hold my mind
And pace the cell that's stuck in time
Immune to change and far from love
I curse this world and God above
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
Need to kill this painful lie
Look over shoulder with my hand on knife
I can't keep living my life this way
I'll do my time but I won't behave
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
The road to hell is paved with good intent
Pass barbed wire and cyclone fence
Destiny lies far from this place
A cemetery plot my final resting place
Got to break this soulless cage
Return my life to human shape
A hell on earth is what they say
Kill or be killed same shit different day
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps
5 steps
5 steps
5
Sam pelletier
One of the best song of this album 🔥
llongone2
Such a great song. Death Angel rules!
Nessa
Lyrics:
Grip the bars that hold my mind
And pace the cell that's stuck in time
Immune to change and far from love
I curse this world and God above
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
Need to kill this painful lie
Look over shoulder with my hand on knife
I can't keep living my life this way
I'll do my time but I won't behave
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
The road to hell is paved with good intent
Pass barbed wire and cyclone fence
Destiny lies far from this place
A cemetery plot my final resting place
Got to break this soulless cage
Return my life to human shape
A hell on earth is what they say
Kill or be killed same shit different day
Life is a cage when you're framed and confined
Sentence of pain 25 to life
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
I breathe in the sky as I recall the past
And realize these are my last
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps of freedom
5 steps
5 steps
5 steps
5
Anthony Ontix
Awesome song.
Raul Silva
best song from the best album IMO.
Gio Gionist
Someone sad that Mark is Dio on thrash but I think that Ronnie could sing thrash with his voice check out the strange highways album👌🎶. But this band is so amazing and pure in its art
rich martens
Recall the past.
And, realize music is timeless...............
MrTruffleslam
god damn awesome album
matt11708
Good song.
Ignacio Lasdica
soooo underrated song, band and vocalist, fucking people