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)
God vs. God
Death Angel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I cannot leave you, no I can't get away
I see your shadow everywhere I turn
You stole my future, left my soul here to burn
Hand in hand, we flew to the sky
I lost my grip and alone I can't fly
I want to take you to a future so vast
God Vs. God
Worship blood
Selfish greed when I need
Pierce my flesh
Set me free
First time I felt you, knew that you were the one
A sacred healer, magic warmth like the sun
You built a wall that's so hard to scale
Can't break these chains and I'm destined to fail
My mind is racing, I don't want you to go
It's just a fact, don't say it ain't so
The ones you need, now, they always leave
It's ones you loathe who make it so hard to breathe
God Vs. God
Worship blood
Selfish greed when I need
Pierce my flesh
Set me free
Don't want to be your slave
Sent to an early grave
God, won't you heal this part of me?
Been down for far too long
Kicked out, again I'm wrong
God, won't you heal this part of me?
God Vs. God
Worship blood
Selfish greed when I need
Pierce my flesh
Set me free
Don't want to be your slave
Sent to an early grave
God, won't you heal this part of me?
Been down for far too long
Kicked out, again I'm wrong
God, won't you heal this part of me?
Don't want to be your slave
Sent to an early grave
God, won't you heal this part of me?
Been down for far too long
Kicked out, again I'm wrong
God, won't you heal this part of me?
Don't want to be your slave
Don't want to be your slave
Don't want to be your slave
Don't want to be your slave
Don't want to be your slave
Don't want to be your slave
The lyrics to Death Angel's song "God vs. God" appear to grapple with the idea of self-doubt and internal conflict. The persona in the song is torn between two conflicting sides of themselves, represented by the repeated juxtaposition of "God vs. God." They open up about needing someone, possibly even the person listening to the song, but being unable to let them in. The persona is haunted by their past and sees their apparent failure as a result of mistakes made earlier in life. They've always wanted to take their companion on a journey, but the shadow of the past prevents them from moving forward.
The repeated line "God vs. God" represents the internal struggle that the persona is experiencing. They feel trapped between two versions of themselves, both fighting for control. The phrase "worship blood" could be interpreted as an allusion to the metaphorical warfare happening inside the persona. The last few lines of the song reveal their desire to break free, gain control of their own destiny and be healed of the internal conflict they feel.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I need you, but you keep me at bay
I can't resist the temptation of your love, and yet, you keep me away from you.
I cannot leave you, no I can't get away
I'm stuck in this unrequited love with you, and can't find a way out.
I see your shadow everywhere I turn
You are always present in my thoughts, and your hold on me is inescapable.
You stole my future, left my soul here to burn
You took away all of my hope and dreams, leaving me alone and miserable.
Hand in hand, we flew to the sky
Together we took a leap of faith into the unknown.
I lost my grip and alone I can't fly
I couldn't hold on any longer, and now I'm plummeting downward all alone.
I want to take you to a future so vast
I dream of a future where we can be together and our love can blossom.
I can't cut ties with my dark, dreary past
However, my troubled past keeps haunting me and preventing me from moving forward.
God Vs. God
Two opposing forces battling it out on the cosmic stage.
Worship blood
The violent and bloody acts carried out in the name of devotion and faith.
Selfish greed when I need
The hypocrisy of those who claim to serve their god, but only seek personal gain.
Pierce my flesh
The physical and emotional pain that comes with faith and devotion.
Set me free
A plea for salvation and liberation from the struggles of faith.
First time I felt you, knew that you were the one
I felt an instant connection to you, and felt as though you were my soulmate.
A sacred healer, magic warmth like the sun
In your presence, I felt healed and whole, and your love filled me with warmth and happiness.
You built a wall that's so hard to scale
However, over time, it became clear that you kept me at a distance and created barriers that were impossible to overcome.
Can't break these chains and I'm destined to fail
Despite my best efforts, I am chained to this doomed relationship and unable to succeed.
My mind is racing, I don't want you to go
As our relationship deteriorates, I feel panic and desperation at the thought of losing you.
It's just a fact, don't say it ain't so
But no matter how much I plead or deny the truth, the relationship is doomed to fail.
The ones you need, now, they always leave
I have a pattern of being abandoned by the people I love and need the most.
It's ones you loathe who make it so hard to breathe
Ironically, those who cause me the most pain and hardship are the ones who I just can't seem to escape.
Don't want to be your slave
I want to break free from the chains of this toxic relationship.
Sent to an early grave
Otherwise, it feels like this relationship will be the death of me.
God, won't you heal this part of me?
A heartfelt plea to a higher power to help me heal and move on.
Been down for far too long
I've been stuck in this rut for too long and am ready for a change.
Kicked out, again I'm wrong
No matter how hard I try, I seem to always fail and be rejected.
Contributed by Tyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.