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
Will To Power
Face Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
...Many believe that serial killers are insane,
But the most chilling fact is that they are invariably rational and calculating.
They know what they are doing is wrong but they simply do not care.
They are essentially without conscience...
...Multiple murders may involve the most extreme of violent behaviors,
But this does not mean the killer is insane...
...The reality of the crime is never as perfect as the fantasy,
So serial murderers must kill again and again
In an almost futile attempt to live out their ultimate murderous desires...
A distorted social message
A covert killing spree
Thinning the conventional herd
To forever live on in infamy
You feel my detached hatred
As I become your god
I'll wipe your whole world out
I rip your loved ones limb from limb
I wish you all had one neck
And I had my hands on it
Born to lose, live to kill
Embrace the divinity
The power over life and death
My psychopathic will
You used to think that you were safe
How does that feel now?
Your useless life extinguished
You're now another worthless corpse
I wish you all had one neck
And I had my hands on it
You feel my detached hatred
As I become your god
I'll wipe your whole world out
As I rip your loved ones limb from limb
"I've been all around the world, and I've seen everything but hell,
And I guess I'll see that soon."
"I wish you all had one neck,
And that I had my hands on it."
[Music: Carlsson, Lyrics: McWilliams]
The lyrics to Face Down's song "Will to Power" are disturbing, and revolve around the concept of a serial killer who takes pleasure in murdering people. The opening lines express the disgust and hatred the killer has for humanity, and their obsession with killing. The following lines explain the reality of serial killers - they may seem insane, but they are often rational and calculated. They know what they are doing is wrong but they do not care. The verse also explores the motivations and behaviors of serial killers, which can range from sadism to cannibalism.
The chorus contains violent imagery and reinforces the idea that the killer feels godlike when taking life. The allusion to the killer wishing all people had one neck so that they can be easily killed is alarming. The song closes with a quote from an unidentified source, who has seen everything but hell and thinks they'll see it soon, suggesting that the killer is either a fictional character or a culmination of several real-life serial killers.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the dark and terrifying psychology of serial killers, and the devastating impact they have on innocent lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate all the fucking human race. I get a kick out of murdering people.
Some people who commit serial killing are not insane. They know what they are doing is wrong, and they just don't care about the consequences. They lack conscience and empathy towards others.
A distorted social message A covert killing spree Thinning the conventional herd To forever live on in infamy
Serial killers can get a sense of power and control when they commit murder. They believe that their killing sprees can change society by eliminating certain types of people and creating a message for others.
You feel my detached hatred As I become your god I'll wipe your whole world out I rip your loved ones limb from limb I wish you all had one neck And I had my hands on it Born to lose, live to kill Embrace the divinity The power over life and death My psychopathic will
Serial killers have a god complex and feel that they are invincible. They have the power to decide who lives and who dies, and they take pride in their ability to control and inflict pain on others. They believe that they were born to kill and view their actions as a way to embrace a divine power.
You used to think that you were safe How does that feel now? Your useless life extinguished You're now another worthless corpse I wish you all had one neck And I had my hands on it You feel my detached hatred As I become your god
Serial killers enjoy seeing their victims suffer and feel that they can control them even in death. They take pleasure in knowing that their victims can no longer threaten them and that they are now powerless.
"I've been all around the world, and I've seen everything but hell, And I guess I'll see that soon."
Serial killers often have suicidal tendencies, which may result from their fascination with death or feelings of guilt and remorse.
"I wish you all had one neck, And that I had my hands on it."
Serial killers have a desire for complete control over their victims, and this reflects in their desire to have all their victims in one place and be able to control them all at once.
Contributed by Cole O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.