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
Embrace the Moment
Face Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Torn between life or silence,
As the pain in my eyes becomes to clear
Destroyed! By the sounds so empty,
Empty as the answer to my prayers
God! You're still robbing my cradle,
I stand raped and lonely...
Embrace the moment,
My life in your hands
Divine torment,
As I feel the love I fear
You push me aside and mock my tears
Lifeless the passion, priceless the gain,
Broken the heart, From a life insane
Guilt is the spike,
The thorn in my eye,
Corroding the chains to an abusive mind
Embrace the moment,
My life in your hands
Divine torment,
As I feel the love I fear
You push me aside and mock my tears
Guilt is the spike,
The thorn in my eye...
With tired eyes I watch,
Repeat itself,
But the circle's incomplete
Serrated blade cuts the noisome vein,
And I drain myself from pain
Embrace the moment,
My life in your hands
Divine torment,
As I feel the love I fear
You push me aside and mock my tears
Lifeless the passion, priceless the gain,
Broken the heart, From a life insane
Guilt is the spike,
The thorn in my eye,
Corroding the chains to an abusive mind
And I become one with myself...
The lyrics of Face Down's song "Embrace the Moment" are a deep expression of inner turmoil, pain, and the struggle to make sense of life. The singer is torn between embracing life and living in silence, a reflection of the internal conflict between the desire to live and the overwhelming pain that makes living seem unbearable. The pain in the singer's eyes has become so clear that it serves as a painful reminder of the emptiness that surrounds them.
The lyrics also speak to the singer's relationship with God. They feel robbed and lonely as God's craving for love erases their mind, leaving them feeling empty and lost. The singer is looking for meaning and purpose but finds only torment and fear.
The chorus of the song, "Embrace the moment, My life in your hands, Divine torment, As I feel the love I fear," highlights this inner turmoil. The singer is desperately trying to hold on to life and embrace the moments, but the fear of love and pain is a constant torment.
Overall, the song is a raw expression of personal struggle and pain, with the understanding that in order to move forward, one must embrace the present moment, no matter how difficult it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I am just...
I'm feeling conflicted and unsure about which path to take in life.
Torn between life or silence,
I'm struggling to decide between living my life to the fullest or retreating into isolation and silence.
As the pain in my eyes becomes too clear
The intense emotional pain I am feeling is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Destroyed! By the sounds so empty,
The emptiness and lack of fulfillment in my life is causing me great anguish.
Empty as the answer to my prayers
The things I have prayed for and hoped for in my life have not come to fruition, leaving me feeling empty and hopeless.
God! You're still robbing my cradle,
I feel like God has taken away my ability to take control of my own life and make my own decisions.
Your cravings for my love erased my mind
My love for God has taken over my mind and caused me to suppress my own desires and needs.
I stand raped and lonely...
I feel violated and alone in my struggle to find meaning and purpose in life.
Embrace the moment,
I am encouraged to embrace the present moment and appreciate the opportunities and experiences life has to offer.
My life in your hands
I am putting my trust and faith in a higher power to guide me on my journey.
Divine torment,
The pain and suffering that I am experiencing is ultimately part of a greater plan and purpose.
As I feel the love I fear
Despite my fears and doubts, I am reminded of the love and support that exists in the world.
You push me aside and mock my tears
Others may dismiss or ignore my struggles, causing me to feel isolated and unsupported.
Lifeless the passion, priceless the gain,
While my passions and desires may have diminished, the knowledge and growth that comes from my struggles is invaluable.
Broken the heart, From a life insane
My heart is broken from the struggles and pain in my life, leaving me feeling lost and unable to cope.
Guilt is the spike, The thorn in my eye,
The guilt and regret I feel is like a painful, piercing thorn that is difficult to ignore or remove.
Corroding the chains to an abusive mind
The negative thoughts and emotions that I am experiencing are like corrosive chains that are slowly eroding my mental health and wellbeing.
With tired eyes I watch, Repeat itself,
I am tired of watching my struggles and pain replay themselves over and over again.
But the circle's incomplete
Despite the repetition and struggle, there is hope for change and growth in the future.
Serrated blade cuts the noisome vein,
I must cut away the toxic and negative influences in my life, like a sharp blade cutting away a diseased vein.
And I drain myself from pain
By removing these negative influences, I will be able to free myself from the pain and suffering they cause.
And I become one with myself...
Through this process of healing and growth, I will ultimately find a sense of peace and wholeness within myself.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOACIM MATHIAS CARLSSON, MARCO MICHAEL ARO, PETER STJAERNVIND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind