The band was founded in 1992. Rather than taking the normal route of releasing Demos, DA instead recorded a multitude of limited edition split albums, though rehearsal tapes and demos were released later on various compilation sets. Some of these have such poor sound quality that they just sound like blasts of noise, whereas later releases like The Inalienable Dreamless have very clear production which revealed the complexity of the guitar riffs.
They split up in 2003 when guitarist Rob Marton developed tinnitus from standing too close to the amp during rehearsals and live shows. They gained somewhat of a cult status post-split, and are renowned as one of the foremost art-grind bands.
The band was notable both for having no bassist and for packaging most of their full-length releases in DVD cases rather than standard CD cases, presumably to accommodate the unusually large booklets (normally with liner notes for each song longer than the lyrics).
Amnesia Ceiling
Discordance Axis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The cogwheels of a cool eloquence lined with an undimensional joy
Amusing ourselves to death
Before reclaiming a lifeless life
Subscribe to whose iconisms
Rallied into a closed circuit
Exotic variations (of nothing)
Can't think beyond conditioning
Now stand at the end of life.
The broken promise of wasted activity
Endure this world without end in total silence.
The lyrics to Discordance Axis's song, "Amnesia Ceiling," are a reflection on modern society's obsession with self-amusement and its consequences. The phrase "cherish insanity, digression grinding" suggests how people are encouraged to embrace their craziness and distractions, which becomes a cogwheel in their eloquence. The use of "undimensional joy" highlights how modern society's entertainment industry purposely gives people shallow and short-lived joy, which does not contribute to their long-term happiness.
The lyric "amusing ourselves to death before reclaiming a lifeless life" is a bleak take on how people indulge in trivialities, ignoring the realities of life that need attention. The line "subscribe to whose iconisms rallied into a closed circuit of dreams turned sour and then turned on themselves" points to how people are influenced by the icons of the entertainment world, and in turn, these dreams turn into a vicious cycle of negativity.
The phrase "exotic variations (of nothing) can't think beyond conditioning" suggests that people are incapable of thinking beyond the established model of society, with exotic variations not contributing towards any significant growth. The lyric "endure this world without end in total silence" is a powerful and pessimistic line, illustrating how people would rather remain silent and endure life's struggles than address the issue head-on. The song as a whole is a commentary on how society's fixation on entertainment is only leading to a life without meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Cherish insanity, digression grinding
Enjoy and value madness and wandering thoughts, constantly turning over the gears of eloquent speech with a one-dimensional happiness.
The cogwheels of a cool eloquence lined with an undimensional joy
The gears of articulate language turn smoothly, yet this sense of happiness is shallow and lacks depth.
Amusing ourselves to death
Entertaining ourselves to the point of emptiness and decay.
Before reclaiming a lifeless life
Before regaining a soulless existence, while giving up on one's true self.
Subscribe to whose iconisms
Conform to whose false, empty symbols or images.
Rallied into a closed circuit
Joined together in a self-contained system with no escape.
Of dreams turned sour and then turned on themselves
Of aspirations gone sour and eventually turning on themselves.
Exotic variations (of nothing)
Unusual changes (of nothing)
Can't think beyond conditioning
Unable to think beyond social training or brainwashing.
Now stand at the end of life.
Now at the end of life, the result of one's choices and actions.
The broken promise of wasted activity
The promise of unfulfilled potential from wasted efforts.
Endure this world without end in total silence.
Persist in this unending world in complete silence, no longer speaking up for oneself.
Contributed by Austin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.