They released their debut album, Odd How People Shake, in 2003 on Rise Records, and after gaining some notoriety, were signed to Equal Vision Records, who re-released their debut in the January 2004. Their debut was primarily in the vein of post-hardcore, featuring a mix of screamed vocals on the part of David Marion and clean singing provided by Adam Fisher. The instrumental work on Odd How People Shake is best described as typical of that of most melodic metalcore artists of the day, and it is rumoured that every song on the album is based on a movie ("Sarah Goldfarb, Where are Your Manners?", for example, is supposedly about Requiem for a Dream, while on their sophomore album, Art Damage, "The Story of the Curious Oysters" has more to do with the Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland). It is interesting and worth noting that the band's cover art on all three of their albums feature skyscrapers.
Their sophomore album, Art Damage, was released on Equal Vision Records in September 2004, and was a marked change in direction for the band. Art Damage as an album was much heavier and darker than their debut; the band left behind the relative simplicity and, arguably, tiredness of the instrumental work of their debut in favor of the abrasiveness characterizing bands such as Converge and Every Time I Die. In addition, virtually all of the vocals are screamed, with the exception of an odd chorus or verse.
The critical consensus seems to favor their new direction, and in concert, the band plays few if any songs from their debut. On their website, they explicitly state that they will not play one song in particular from their debut, "On the Brightside, She Could Choke;" interestingly enough, this song also has the most prominent elements of emo of all the songs in their catalogue, which could be one of the reasons they have grown so adverse to playing it.
Their new album, The Always Open Mouth, was released on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. This album marks a considerably different sound from previous recordings. This album contains a much more experimental side, such as more emphasis on antiphony between the lead singer and guitarist and a considerable lesser amount of screaming. It features layered guitar chords (a second guitarist was added to the band before the recording of this album), and many electronic sounds used with heavily-distorted or otherwise-effected guitars and synthesizers, or sequencers and drum machines, giving it a more industrial feel. As a result, it is not as hard or fast as their previous two albums, but instead, is more experimental and well-crafted.
With newly added members and a new approach at performing music, they set off on numerous tours mid-2006 to promote their latest CD The Always Open Mouth, touring with bands such as Thursday, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, HeavyHeavyLowLow, The Jonbenet, and the Radio Rebellion Tour with bands The Fully Down, The Confession, blessthefall, Misery Signals, Between the Buried and Me, and headliners of the tour Norma Jean. During a show on November 4th in San Diego, California, bassist Mike Madruga accidentally hit singer Dave Marion on the side of his face with the headstock of his bass, knocking him unconscious on stage. When he awoke, there was a hole that went all the way through his cheek, and although the band continued to finish the set, he had to be rushed to the hospital to be treated for the injury, and because of this, the band missed the following 3 days of the tour, but Dave is now fine and has finished the rest of the Radio Rebellion Tour.
On 2008]-09-09, Fear Before the March of Flames officially shortened their name to Fear Before.
Current line-up
* David Michael Marion - vocals
* Adam (Rupert) Fisher - guitar, vocals, keys
* Michael Madruga - bass
* Clayton (Goose) Holyoak - drums
Former members
* Billy Johnson - guitar, keyboards
* Brandon Proff - drums
* Zachary (Binks) Hutchings - guitar
The 20th Century Was Entirely Mine
Fear Before The March Of Flames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where your insides rot
So with a blow to your bow, take on water
A diver descends
Hey, did no one tell you?
Sunken ships belong underwater
In their slow descent to the ocean floor
So as you disappear into the night time waters
How many will you take with you?
So when your insides rot
A diver descends in pursuit of riches
As he drifts along your bow
He will laugh at the gaping void
That was the cause of your demise
He will enter to find there is no treasure here
Just a hollow mass of waste and death
Take on water
We knew you didn't have it in you
(to sail among the ships)
The chorus of Fear Before The March Of Flames's song "The 20th Century Was Entirely Mine" is a metaphorical call to arms against those who would try to rise to the top through deceitful and selfish means. The singer paints a picture of a sunken ship, a symbol for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. The ship is sinking, and as it descends into the murky depths, so too do the insides of the person who captained it. The diver who descends to explore the wreckage is a metaphor for the forces that bring down those who lead with hubris and arrogance. As they plummet to the bottom, they are quickly forgotten, replaced by the next rising star. The question posed by the song is how many will they take with them as they go down.
The verses discuss the price of greed and the inevitable fall that accompanies it. The pursuit of riches is hollow and fruitless, as ultimately there is no treasure to be found in the dark depths of the soul. The song is an indictment of those who seek power at any cost, and a warning to those who would follow them. It is a call for honesty, empathy, and true leadership in a world that so often lacks it.
Line by Line Meaning
On the surface where we fought
The physical location of our struggles was on the surface level.
That's where your insides rot
Your emotional and psychological state deteriorated along with the physical battle.
So with a blow to your bow, take on water
A direct hit to your ship will cause you to take on water and ultimately sink.
A diver descends
Someone is coming to investigate the wreckage.
Hey, did no one tell you?
Didn't anyone warn you of the consequences of your actions?
Sunken ships belong underwater
Ships are meant to be at sea, not sunk and forgotten.
In their slow descent to the ocean floor
As they sink, they become less and less significant.
They are so quickly forgotten
Even though they once held importance, they are now disregarded and disregarded.
So as you disappear into the night time waters
As you sink into the depths, the world above grows darker and more distant.
How many will you take with you?
In your downfall, how many others will be dragged down with you?
So when your insides rot
When you are emotionally and psychologically broken.
A diver descends in pursuit of riches
Someone will seek to exploit your misfortune for their own gain.
As he drifts along your bow
As he observes your wreckage.
He will laugh at the gaping void
The observer will take pleasure in seeing the emptiness left behind.
That was the cause of your demise
The emptiness and lack of substance ultimately led to your downfall.
He will enter to find there is no treasure here
The searcher will be disappointed to find that there are no riches to be had.
Just a hollow mass of waste and death
All that's left is a sad, empty collection of debris and loss.
Take on water
A metaphorical statement admonishing the listener to avoid sinking and failing.
We knew you didn't have it in you
We expected you to fail, as you never had the strength or courage to succeed.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bezalial
15 years later and this still devours most modern bands.
Audi Joseph
Sacred Hatred EATS THEM ALIVE! , people aren’t this outta the box anymore
Kenny Rattanavong
Sad that this genre/sound or whatever is pretty much dead, I grew up listening to fear before, the number twelve looks like you, and heavyheavylowlow.
Legend4ry
After nearly 20 years, i've got older but this band still sound fresh.
Alex Alex
Truly amazing band
Audi Joseph
I LOVE THIS BAND.
Dean Rutherford
oh and this band is probably one of the best bands ever and i really dont get the negative comments
hunter christensen
where it all started back in the day, love this shit.
denialrolls
Miss these days so much
ieatbunnies
where can I find these old videos of them live? I can't seem to find them on youtube