There are 4 bands using the name Defiance (an American punk band, thrash me… Read Full Bio ↴There are 4 bands using the name Defiance (an American punk band, thrash metal band, a Japanese d-beat punk band and french crossover band)...

1) Defiance is a punk rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 1993 from the ashes of Portland’s anarcho bands Deprived, Resist, and The Unamused. Their album “No Future, No Hope” has been sited as a major influence on other ’90s anarcho and street bands such as The Unseen. Since being together Defiance has released 5 E.P.s and 4 full lengths. They finished their latest album in February of 2010 and will release it on Unrest Records.

2) Defiance is a Thrash Metal band from the bay area formed in 1985 by Brad Bowers, Mike Kaufmann, and Matt Vander Ende. They are known as one of the classic second-tier thrash bands to come from the Bay Area thrash metal scene. They played a decidedly technical style of thrash originally evoking bands like Testament, though they would later move on to playing in their own unique, more progressive thrash style. They recorded and released 3 albums for Roadrunner Records before splitting up in 1994. In 2005 the band regrouped and signed on with Candlelight Records. They released their 4th full length studio album entitled "The Prophecy" in October 2009.

3) Defiance was a d-beat rawpunk band from Osaka, Japan. Pre Gloom. Demo and some compilations.

4) Thrash metal/crossover from Caen, France

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Promised Afterlife
Defiance Lyrics

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This is the real thing
There's no reality
Is there a promised afterlife to seek

Wandering endlessly
Drift on through the time
If you're heading for disaster
You're bound to see the light

Is there a new way
To live and die
Is there a future or afterlife
I've tried to see through
But to die is to die

I've tried to see through times
The promised afterlife
I've tried to see through times
The promised afterlife [Repeat: x 2]

[Repeat first verse]
Wandering endlessly
Drift on through the time
If the end is to be over
Should we pray to see the light

So try to see through time
See my eyes
There is no promised afterlife [Repeat: x 2]

Is there a new way
To live and die
Is there a future or afterlife

I've tried to see through
But to die is to die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Defiance's song Promised Afterlife seem to delve into the existential question of whether life after death actually exists or not. The opening line, "This is the real thing, there's no reality," suggests that the singer believes that life, as we know it, is the only reality that exists. The uncertainty surrounding the idea of a promised afterlife is echoed in lines like "Is there a new way to live and die, is there a future or afterlife?" The singer seems to be questioning if there is a different way to exist beyond this life or if death is simply the end.

The second verse continues the exploration of the topic, with the line "If you're heading for disaster, you're bound to see the light," suggesting that perhaps death is the only chance to see the "light," or to gain some sort of enlightenment or understanding. However, the repeated line "to die is to die" seems to indicate a finality to death, and that there is no afterlife to be promised.

The repetition of the chorus, particularly the lines "I've tried to see through the times, the promised afterlife," suggests that the singer has attempted to understand or comprehend the concept of life after death, but has reached no definitive conclusion. Overall, the song seems to convey a sense of questioning the unknown and accepting that death may simply be the end of life.

Line by Line Meaning

This is the real thing
The existence we perceive is real and not an illusion.

There's no reality
There is no objective reality, only subjective experience.

Is there a promised afterlife to seek
Does an afterlife exist that we can anticipate?

Wandering endlessly
Continuously moving through life without direction or purpose.

Drift on through the time
Passing through life without a clear sense of time or progress.

If you're heading for disaster
If your actions lead you towards failure or ruin.

You're bound to see the light
You will eventually gain insight or understanding from your failure.

Is there a new way
Is there a different approach or perspective that we can take?

To live and die
To experience life and eventually pass away.

I've tried to see through
I have attempted to understand or comprehend.

But to die is to die
Death is final, there is no afterlife or continuation of existence.