At least two bands share the name Face Down.

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

Heroin
Face Down Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"All sins tend to be addictive
And the terminal point of addiction is always...
Damnation"
Filled with anguish, you feed on the weak
Seized up by the fear of yourself
Now scabbing the darkness for that quiet place
Where nothing really matters, no thoughts to erase
I am

The image of you
Lodged in there
Running high in your veins
Welcome to my hive
Where you can clear your twisted mind
Lay down by my side
Here you'll see we are two of a kind
Twisting your flesh and burning your skin
Like a virus I find my way in
Choking your last breath of unsoiled air
Look deep in your soul and you'll find me there
I am
The image of you
Lodged in there
Running high in your veins
Step into my hive
Here we're all equally worthless
Stay right by my side
One false step and you might get burned

Surrender me your mind
Now I control your life's desires
I won't betray our feeble kind
Come with me, let's bathe in that tempting fire
Piercing your skin
Push the needle in
I am
The image of you
Lodged in there
Running high in your veins
Welcome to my hive
Where you can clear your twisted mind
Lay down by my side
Here you'll see we are two of a kind
Piercing your skin
Push the needle in
Come with me,
Let's bathe in that tempting fire

[M: Thyselius, Carlsson, L: Aro, Thyselius]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Heroin" by Face Down speaks about the dangers of drug addiction and how it can take over an individual's life completely. The opening lines, "All sins tend to be addictive And the terminal point of addiction is always...Damnation" sets the tone for the rest of the song, suggesting that addiction becomes a never-ending cycle that ultimately leads to destruction. The next few lines talk about how the addict feeds on the weak, possibly referring to how they may resort to theft or other such crimes to get their fix.

The line "Now scabbing the darkness for that quiet place, where nothing really matters, no thoughts to erase" suggests how the drug addict seeks solace and oblivion in their addiction, and how it becomes an escape from their reality. The imagery of the "hive" and "twisted mind" alludes to the way addiction can consume individuals, with the constant need for the drug becoming all-encompassing. The phrase "twisting your flesh and burning your skin" is a graphic illustration of the harm drugs can cause the body.

The chorus, "I am the image of you, lodged in there, running high in your veins" implies that the drug has become a part of the addict's identity, and that it's almost impossible to separate the two. The song ends with the words "Let's bathe in that tempting fire," which reinforces the idea that the drug addiction is like a tantalizing flame that the addict cannot resist, leading to their ultimate destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

All sins tend to be addictive And the terminal point of addiction is always... Damnation
This is a warning that all addictions can lead to a terrible outcome.

Filled with anguish, you feed on the weak Seized up by the fear of yourself Now scabbing the darkness for that quiet place Where nothing really matters, no thoughts to erase
The first verse paints the picture of someone who is suffering and searching for an escape from their pain.

I am The image of you Lodged in there Running high in your veins Welcome to my hive Where you can clear your twisted mind Lay down by my side Here you'll see we are two of a kind
Here, Heroin is personified as a voice that offers temporary relief, but ultimately takes control of the user. It lures people with the promise of connection and belonging, but ultimately it is responsible for their destruction.

Twisting your flesh and burning your skin Like a virus I find my way in Choking your last breath of unsoiled air Look deep in your soul and you'll find me there
The imagery here is intense and disturbing, describing heroin as a virus that consumes its victims from the inside out. It is a visceral reminder that addiction can have physical, as well as emotional consequences.

Step into my hive Here we're all equally worthless Stay right by my side One false step and you might get burned
Here, the warning is more explicit - the hive is a metaphor for the world of addiction, where everyone is equal and everyone is trapped. One misstep can lead to devastation.

Surrender me your mind Now I control your life's desires I won't betray our feeble kind Come with me, let's bathe in that tempting fire
The final verse is a plea for surrender to the drug. It is a reminder that heroin is always in control, and that the addiction can be suffocating. The reference to a "tempting fire" is a warning that even when you know that something is dangerous, it can still be difficult to resist.

Piercing your skin Push the needle in I am The image of you Lodged in there Running high in your veins Welcome to my hive Where you can clear your twisted mind Lay down by my side Here you'll see we are two of a kind Piercing your skin Push the needle in Come with me, Let's bathe in that tempting fire
The final lines of the song reinforce the idea that heroin has a powerful hold over its victims. It is a haunting reminder that addiction can be deadly if left unchecked.

Contributed by Jordyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS