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
Top of the World
Face Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sheltered from all the ugly things in life
But didn't daddy tell you,
There are places where you don't belong,
Executive seats,
In charge of my life,
Music industry
And if he did,
Why didn't you listen?
So you could have spared us
the unpleasant experience
of ever meeting you.
Promises broken,
Money never seen
Your pockets never deep enough,
Always crying for more
Cause you're, lying, stealing, cheating
Your not on top of the world
How could we ever fall for your shit,
I guess you shouldn't believe,
What you just can't see
If I had a penny for every lie
I would gladly pay just to watch you die
Top of the world
Lying, Stealing, Cheating, Fucking us over
If I had a penny for every lie
I would gladly pay just to watch you die
I want to watch you die!
Top of the world
The lyrics of Face Down's song Top of the World tell the story of a person who was born and raised in a sheltered environment, protected from the harsh realities of life by their overprotective father. However, despite their father's warnings, they entered the music industry, climbing to the top and gaining control over other people's lives. But, as the lyrics suggest, this success came at a cost, with the person becoming a liar, thief, and cheater, breaking promises and always asking for more money.
The song is a scathing criticism of the music industry and the corrupt individuals who occupy positions of power within it. It highlights the dangers of blindly pursuing success without considering the consequences and the toll it takes on others. The chorus, "lying, stealing, cheating, you're not on top of the world," serves as a warning to those who believe they can achieve success at any cost, reminding them that their actions will catch up with them in the end.
Overall, Face Down's Top of the World is a powerful and thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to question the values and ethics of those in positions of power and to consider the human cost of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Born and raised under daddy's protective wings,
I grew up with overprotective parents who sheltered me from the realities of the world.
Sheltered from all the ugly things in life
My parents shielded me from any unpleasant or harsh experiences that I could have faced.
But didn't daddy tell you,
Despite being shielded from many things, my father warned me about certain places and situations that weren't meant for me.
There are places where you don't belong,
My father made me aware that some situations were too complicated or advanced for my current understanding, and I shouldn't try to force my way into them.
Executive seats,
For example, he may have pointed out that occupying a position of power or authority such as an executive would be too much for me to handle.
In charge of my life,
My father wanted me to understand that I was responsible for my own life, and I needed to make my own decisions.
Music industry
I believe my father warned me that the music industry is a harsh and competitive environment that I may not be ready for.
And if he did,
Despite receiving these warnings, it appears that I still chose to ignore his advice and pursue my own path.
Why didn't you listen?
I should have listened to my father's warnings to avoid the negative consequences of my actions.
So you could have spared us
If I had listened to my father's advice, I would have prevented others from negative experiences and interactions with me.
the unpleasant experience
Others have suffered from negative experiences as a result of my actions and choices.
of ever meeting you.
Perhaps, it would have been better if I never crossed paths with some people and caused them pain and distress.
Promises broken,
I failed to keep my promises, and I didn't fulfill the expectations that others had of me.
Money never seen
Despite my claims and promises, I didn't provide the financial support that was expected of me.
Your pockets never deep enough,
I didn't have the means or resources to fulfill my obligations or make good on my promises.
Always crying for more
Even when I promised to deliver, I always wanted more in return and would never be satisfied.
Cause you're, lying, stealing, cheating
I engaged in dishonest and unethical behavior by deceiving and betraying others.
Your not on top of the world
Despite my arrogance and delusions of grandeur, I am not successful or respected in the eyes of others.
How could we ever fall for your shit,
Others fell for my manipulations and lies, and failed to see my true character.
I guess you shouldn't believe,
One shouldn't easily believe in or trust someone who has a history of lies and deception.
What you just can't see
It is easy to be misled by appearances and not see the true nature of a person or situation.
If I had a penny for every lie
If I had a penny for every time I lied, I would have an abundance of money.
I would gladly pay just to watch you die
I regret my past actions and would be willing to make amends, even if it meant watching myself suffer consequences or punishment for my wrongdoings.
Top of the world
Although I don't deserve it, I arrogantly placed myself at the top and believed that I had achieved success.
Lying, Stealing, Cheating, Fucking us over
I caused harm to others by deceiving, stealing, and exploiting them for my own gain.
I want to watch you die!
I feel guilty for my past actions and want to see myself die as a form of punishment or atonement.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOACIM MATHIAS CARLSSON, MARCO MICHAEL ARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind