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)
Volcanic
Death Angel Lyrics
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Done with all the sorrow and the pain
Asphyxiated can no longer breathe
Anesthetized until I've gone insane
So carry all this baggage when you leave
Swallow all those bitter pills you take
Blame it on the world, blame it on me
Temperamental, unpredictable
The sky turns black when I exhale
A change of weather come around too much
A sign of a deeper cut
Lying dormant on a bed of nails
Without warning, violently erupt
So bleed the molten river from my veins
Collapse upon myself, disintegrate
Shame upon the world and shame on me
Hate the player but don't hate the game
Temperamental, unpredictable
The sky turns black when I exhale
So condescend and patronize my lead
Persecute the innocent again
Rain down on the world and rain on me
Ticking like a bomb that's got your name
Temperamental, unpredictable
The sky turns black when I exhale
The lyrics to Death Angel's song "Volcanic" delve into the intense emotions that come with grief, pain, and anger. The singer expresses a deep weariness of carrying the burden of their pain, feeling as though they have been "asphyxiated" and "anesthetized" by it. The bitterness of their feelings is directed both inwardly and outwardly - they blame themselves and the world around them for their troubles. The sky turns black when they exhale, indicating their intense levels of stress and upheaval.
The song progresses to a point where the singer becomes like a volcano, their emotions bubbling up and exploding without warning. They describe themselves as bleeding like a molten river, disintegrating and collapsing upon themselves. The violent imagery used to describe their emotions underscores just how intense and overwhelming they feel.
The last section of the song almost takes on a political tone, with the singer calling out those who would condescend to them, patronize them, or persecute the innocent. They feel as though they are being treated like a ticking bomb, and the song ends with a final assertion of their volatility - "the sky turns black when I exhale."
Overall, "Volcanic" is a powerful exploration of the emotions that come with pain and grief, and how those emotions can build and erupt in dangerous ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Sick and tired of living with this grief
Exhausted from constantly carrying the pain of a difficult situation
Done with all the sorrow and the pain
No longer willing to endure the agony and distress
Asphyxiated can no longer breathe
Feeling suffocated and unable to take in air
Anesthetized until I've gone insane
Numbing the pain to the point of losing sanity
So carry all this baggage when you leave
Leaving behind all the emotional baggage that weighs one down
Swallow all those bitter pills you take
Taking responsibility for the actions and decisions taken despite the difficulty
Blame it on the world, blame it on me
Accepting that fault may lie with oneself or with the world and shifting the blame as per convenience
Tolerated too much of your game
Reaching the limit of the patience threshold towards manipulative people
Temperamental, unpredictable
Mood swings are rapid and unpredictable
The sky turns black when I exhale
The negativity is so dark that it affects the environment
A change of weather come around too much
Mood changes are frequent and disruptive
A sign of a deeper cut
An indication of an underlying pain that is beyond surface-level
Lying dormant on a bed of nails
Being in discomfort but not taking any action to alleviate the pain
Without warning, violently erupt
Suddenly and uncontrollably unleashing bottled-up emotions
So bleed the molten river from my veins
Letting out the intense emotional turmoil that has been boiling inside
Collapse upon myself, disintegrate
Breaking down physically and mentally under the weight of unbearable stress
Shame upon the world and shame on me
Feeling ashamed both of oneself and of the world's actions and reactions
Hate the player but don't hate the game
Disliking the manipulative people but acknowledging and accepting the existence of the unfair system itself
So condescend and patronize my lead
Looking down upon and treating with disdain the decisions and choices made by the person
Persecute the innocent again
Targeting and blaming the person who has not caused any harm
Rain down on the world and rain on me
Feeling the weight of the negativity that affects both oneself and the surroundings
Ticking like a bomb that's got your name
Ready to explode and bring destruction to the person who has caused the pain
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.