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)
Buried Alive
Death Angel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say I'm wrong for all I've done
Are you God to judge us all?
Prophet false with a jury hung
Home, an empty shell of a living hell
A human zoo full of cannibals
Backwards life, it's a dirty world
A shallow grave is where I dwell
Buried alive within this cell
A shadow cast upon my fate
Deliver me to the one who waits
Guilt, regret and innocence
Full of lies and corruption
Suffocate while the worms infest
Underground, take one last breath
Home, an empty shell of a living hell
A human zoo full of cannibals
Backwards life, it's a dirty world
Where your dreams can't be heard
A shallow grave is where I dwell
Buried alive within this cell
A shadow cast upon my fate
Deliver me to the one who waits
Visions of life start to flash
As the dirt rains down
How does your so called God
Get off on this?
Blackness descending on me
In this hole in the ground
No longer will I see the light of day
The saints are gonna make the sinner pay
And maggots are waiting to feast on my flesh
The opening lines of Death Angel's song "Buried Alive" sets a tone of anger and defiance against the justice system, with the singer proclaiming "One murder coming on / Say I'm wrong for all I've done / Are you God to judge us all? / Prophet false with a jury hung." The song serves as a scathing critique of society's flaws and moral hypocrisies, with the lyrics painting a vivid picture of a world where dreams cannot be heard, and home is an empty shell of a living hell.
The song’s protagonist dwells in a shallow grave, buried alive within a cell, with a shadow cast upon his fate. The lyrics display a sense of hopelessness and vulnerability, as the singer envisions his life flashing before his eyes, with blackness descending upon him in a hole in the ground. The lyrics suggest that the singer is being punished for his sins, with the saints waiting to make him pay, and maggots waiting to feast on his flesh.
Overall, “Buried Alive” can be interpreted as a dark commentary on the flaws of society and the criminal justice system, and the harsh penalties that await those who break the law. The song’s protagonist is trapped in a cell, consumed by guilt and regret, and ultimately left to face his fate alone, with no hope of escape.
Line by Line Meaning
One murder coming on
The singer is about to commit murder.
Say I'm wrong for all I've done
Others may judge the singer for their actions, but the singer does not believe they are wrong.
Are you God to judge us all?
The singer questions the right of others to judge the actions of others, as only a deity should hold that power.
Prophet false with a jury hung
The artist references a wrongful conviction or the failure to punish wrongdoing.
Home, an empty shell of a living hell
The artist describes their own living situation as unbearable and unlivable.
A human zoo full of cannibals
The singer is surrounded by people who are only looking out for themselves, at the expense of others.
Backwards life, it's a dirty world
The singer views life and the world around them as corrupt and full of injustice.
Where your dreams can't be heard
The artist feels that their desires and aspirations are being ignored or stifled by their environment.
A shallow grave is where I dwell
The artist feels trapped and buried alive in their current situation.
Buried alive within this cell
The artist feels trapped and imprisoned in their circumstances.
A shadow cast upon my fate
The singer feels their future looks grim and foreboding.
Deliver me to the one who waits
The artist is possibly praying for death, or looking for a way out of their situation.
Guilt, regret and innocence
The singer is experiencing a complex array of emotions, encompassing feelings of responsibility, remorse, and lack of wrongdoing.
Full of lies and corruption
The world around the singer is rife with deceit and dishonesty.
Suffocate while the worms infest
The singer is in a dire situation that is only getting worse.
Underground, take one last breath
The artist is in a situation where they are running out of time and hope of escaping.
Visions of life start to flash
The artist is reliving various moments from their life in a moment of extreme danger.
As the dirt rains down
The singer is being buried alive or killed in some other manner.
How does your so called God
The singer is questioning the existence of, or at least the benevolence of, a higher power.
Get off on this?
The artist is questioning why a deity would derive pleasure from inflicting harm or suffering.
Blackness descending on me
The artist is experiencing darkness, both literally and metaphorically, as they face impending death.
In this hole in the ground
The artist is trapped in a confined space or situation.
No longer will I see the light of day
The singer is resigned to their fate and the inevitability of their death.
The saints are gonna make the sinner pay
The artist believes that they will be punished for their actions, possibly in an afterlife.
And maggots are waiting to feast on my flesh
The singer is describing the repulsive fate that awaits their body after death.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW VICTOR GALEON, DENNIS A. PEPA, MARK OSEGUEDA, ROB CAVESTANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind