1) Face Down (formerly … Read Full Bio ↴At least two bands share the name Face Down.
1) Face Down (formerly known as Machine God) is a post-thrash/death metal band from Sweden.
In 1993 bass player Joakim (Harju) Hedestedt and drummer Richard Bng started a band called Machine God along with guitarist Alex Linder. The band was soon joined by vocalist Marco Aro.
After the first gig in spring 1994, guitarist Joacim Carlsson (Afflicted, General Surgery) joined up and they decided to change the band name to Face Down. Later that year, Linder was replaced by Niklas Ekstrand (ex-Tiamat) due in part to his basic lack of interest. With this line up, the first demo was recorded and duplicated in over 800 copies. These were widely spread and given away and none were sent out to record companies.
Through word of mouth, the demo was picked up by Soundfront Music. After a gig in Stockholm in spring 1995 the band signed a contract with Roadrunner Records (through Soundfront Music.) That was also the last gig with Ekstrand, who didn't seem as eager to work as hard as the rest of the band, who in turn doubled their efforts in order to make a great debut album. The album "Mindfield" was recorded in summer 1995 at Soundfront Studio, with acclaimed producer Daniel Bergstrand. Shortly afterwards, Bng left the band. He was soon replaced by drummer Peter Stjrnvind (Unanimated, Merciless) and Face Down was ready for action.
After the release of "Mindfield" in January 96, the band went on an European tour supporting Napalm Death and Crowbar. Around this time the "Kill The Pain" video was shown several times on MTV's Headbangers Ball and the band also appeared in a live interview on the show. This tour also included a couple of gigs with the legendary At The Gates. The European tour was shortly followed by a co-headline tour in the UK with London thrashers Above All and culminated with a magic gig at London Astoria (Metal Hammer's 4-play Night), supporting Cathedral. Back home in Sweden, Face Down attended the awesome Hultsfred Festival and completely devastated the crowd. After lots of problems with Soundfront Records the band stood without a record deal, but was quickly signed on to Nuclear Blast Records. In Autumn of 1996 the band started to work on their second full-length record.
In February of 1997 the band entered Sunlight Studios with producer Tomas Skogsberg. A total of 15 tracks were recorded for their second release in six weeks time. Upon completion of the recording, the band submitted the masters to Nuclear Blast, who in turn, didn't accept the production. The band was forced to re-record the album at Daniel Bergstrand's Dug Out Productions studio in two weeks in July 1997. After the release of "The Twisted Rule The Wicked" in late 1997, Peter Stjrnvind left the band to join Entombed. Hkan Ericsson (from local act Godblender) was quickly brought in to replace him. Tough times lay ahead. The departure of Peter and even more problems with Nuclear Blast made the morale of the band low. The band played some local shows, got promised a couple of tours but nothing ever materialized. The band decided to set up their own tour in the territory where they were best known, the UK, along with HC band Soulquake System from Kristinehamn.
After completing the UK tour in early 1998 with Soulquake System, the band took a break for a few months. Work was resumed during autumn '98, and the band recorded a three track demo-tape at Sunlight Studio.
At this point the relationship with Nuclear Blast was disintegrating completely and further co-operation was impossible. The band once again found themselves without a record deal, with almost all material written for their third album.
In early 1999, Marco decided to leave the band as The Haunted had made him an offer he could not refuse. Face Down was at its lowest point ever. Facing a bleak future with no record label or lead vocalist, Joakim, Hkan and Joacim tried to hold on a couple of weeks but it was pointless. Face Down was dead... The remaining members went their separate ways in spring of 1999.
Over five years later Joakim (Harju) Hedestedt (who was playing base for Construcdead) felt that it was time to reunite the band. He'd heard about Marco Aro's departure from The Haunted and started making some phone calls to his old band mates. The reaction was very positive. To take on the heavy burden of drummer, Joakim asked his good friend Erik Thyselius (also of Construcdead and Terror 2000). Erik gladly accepted the task and the new Face Down was created. Shortly after the band was signed on to Black Lodge Records.
After successfully recording a 3 track demo in the summer of 2004, the band were invited to appear at 'Sweden Rock', the country's largest and most renouned music festival, and also the legendary 'Decibel 2000' festival. Hard work was resumed as the band once again hit the 'Fear and Loathing' recording studio in order to put down tracks for their long awaited third album, 'The Will To Power.'
Produced by Jocke Skog, the album took the band in new directions whilst maintaining the sheer aggression, brutality and impact of their former releases.
Final line-up:
Marco Aro - Vocals
Rickard Dahlberg - Guitar
Joakim Hedestedt - Bass
Christofer Barkensjö - Drums
Former members:
Joacim Carlsson - Guitar (1994-2006)
Erik Thyselius - Drums (2004-2006)
Håkan Ericsson - Drums (1997-1999)
Peter Stjärnvind - Drums (1995-1997)
Richard Bång - Drums (1993-1995)
Niklas Ekstrand - Guitar (1994-1995)
Alex Linder - Guitar (1993-1994)
Henrik Blomquist - Audio Warfare (1994-1996)
Discography
One Eyed Man (Demo, 1994)
Mindfield (1996)
The Twisted Rule the Wicked (1997)
Demo (2004)
The Will to Power (2005)
Demo (2006)
2) Face Down is also a French southern-metal band.
http://www.myspace.com/facedownattitude
Colors
Face Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slowly walking down on loser street
Bound to live your life without dignity
Self-inflicted misery
Trust is something that you earn
Deceit from trust is what I've learned
I made you what you are
Is this the thanks that I get
Broken trust, a permanent scar
True colors
Transparent, I see through you
Who cares about old times
Who cares anymore
I'm just waiting for the right time
To even the score
Once you're gone and out of my way
You'll see my life was not so grey
Trust is something that you ear
Deceit from trust is what I've learned
What you have is what I gave
I made you what you are
Is this the thanks that I get
Broken trust, a permanent scar
True colors
Transparent, I see through you
The song "Colors" by Face Down deals with the theme of betrayal and the hurt and anger that comes with it. The first verse paints a picture of the person who has betrayed the singer, as being pathetic and weak, slowly making their way down "loser street" and destined to lead a life without dignity due to their own self-inflicted misery. The singer feels hurt that someone they trusted and gave so much to, has let them down and damaged the trusting relationship they had. The second verse talks about the betrayal that has taken place, highlighting the fact that the deceit has led to a loss of trust between the two parties. The singer points out that what they have is what they gave, and the person's true colors have been laid bare, making them transparent and easy to see through.
The chorus is a combination of the hurt and anger felt by the singer. They question the value of their past friendship and the cares they once shared. The singer seeks revenge to even the score, showing they are hurt and ready to end that relationship. The chorus repeats the idea that deceit has caused a loss of trust and has left a permanent scar. The phrase "true colors" is repeated, highlighting the fact that the singer has now seen through the facade that they were presented with.
"Colors" is a powerful song that expresses emotions of hurt, anger, and betrayal. The lyrics are straightforward and powerful, making it easy to connect with the theme of the song. Face Down delivers a powerful performance with intense vocals, strong beats, and powerful guitar riffs, making it a great piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at you now, pathetic and weak
I am observing your current state and perceiving you as pitiable and feeble
Slowly walking down on loser street
You are moving slowly, indicating your lack of direction or purpose and heading towards failure
Bound to live your life without dignity
You are destined to live your life without self-respect or honor
Self-inflicted misery
The pain and suffering you are experiencing are a result of your own doing
Trust is something that you earn
One must demonstrate reliability and dependability to gain trust from others
Deceit from trust is what I've learned
From personal experience, I have discovered that deception frequently arises from misplaced trust
What you have is what I gave
You possess only what I have given you
I made you what you are
I am responsible for shaping you into the person you have become
Is this the thanks that I get
I feel underappreciated and undervalued for my contributions and efforts
Broken trust, a permanent scar
Distrust has left a lasting mark on our relationship that cannot be easily mended
True colors
Your actual nature or character, which was previously concealed, has now been revealed
Transparent, I see through you
I am able to discern your true intentions and motivations as they are clear and lacking in deception
Who cares about old times
Past events or experiences are no longer significant or relevant
Who cares anymore
The present situation does not inspire interest or concern
I'm just waiting for the right time
I am anticipating an ideal opportunity to take necessary action
To even the score
To regain a sense of justice or balance in our relationship by correcting perceived wrongs
Once you're gone and out of my way
When you are no longer present or interfering in my life
You'll see my life was not so grey
The absence of your negative influence will allow me to see the vibrancy and positivity in my life
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JackieNihil
Kick-ass tune!