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
On The Brightside She Could Choke
Fear Before the March of Flames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope you're choking in your sleep
Try and breath
Justice push this pillow
Try and breath
Try and breath
My sweet
Dragging it back into my dreams
(You did this all to yourself)
You left him sweating summer nights face down
Foreplay with the streets
The salt to garnish his wounds
And you just danced your way home
Paint your walls with his insides and hang his life above your bed
Paint your walls with his insides
Try and sleep now
As he's dying in his dreams
I hope you're choking in your sleep
Try and breath
Justice push this pillow
Try and breath
Try and breath
My sweet
I wish you the best and
You'll sleep
Dragging it back into my dreams
(Lay your head down try and rest)
I bet you love this
Now peel his skin dear, peel back his skin
And he'll just smile
But he's only smiling to deny the pain
I bet you love this
I bet you
One last breath
I'll watch you, I'll watch you breathe your last
One last breath
I won't even close my eyes
The song "On the Bright Side" by Fear Before the March of Flames is a vivid and haunting reflection of revenge and anger. The lyrics are a confrontation between the singer and someone who has committed violence against another person. The song is a lament for a friend who has died in their sleep because of the violence of the person being addressed. The song begins with the image of the person dying in their dreams and ends with the singer refusing to close their eyes as the person who committed the violence breathes their last.
The first verse lays out the anger and desire for revenge that the singer feels towards the person responsible for their friend's death. The singer hopes that the person is choking on their own breath, consumed by their guilt and the punishment that they deserve. The second verse takes on a more accusatory tone, describing the violence that the person committed and how they danced away from the scene of the crime. Finally, the third verse describes a gruesome act of revenge that the singer wants to inflict on the person responsible.
Throughout the song, the tone is one of intense anger and sorrow, and the lyrics are filled with graphic and disturbing imagery. The music is similarly intense, with a heavy, chaotic sound that matches the violent emotions of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
As he's dying in his dreams
The subject of the song is imagining his enemy dying painfully and vividly in his own dreams.
I hope you're choking in your sleep
The subject is wishing bad fate upon their enemy, hoping they suffer and choke in their sleep.
Try and breath
The subject wants their enemy to experience the fear and helplessness of struggling to breathe.
Justice push this pillow
The subject is calling upon the forces of justice to suffocate the enemy with a pillow as they sleep.
My sweet
The subject is using an ironic term of endearment to taunt their enemy and show their lack of remorse or empathy.
I wish you the best and you'll sleep
The subject is being sarcastic and insincere, wishing their enemy ill and implying they will rest easy in death.
Dragging it back into my dreams
The subject is expressing their obsession and inability to let go of their vengeful thoughts about their enemy.
(You did this all to yourself)
The subject is blaming their enemy for their own demise and implying they deserved it.
You left him sweating summer nights face down
The subject is painting a vivid picture of their enemy's suffering and vulnerability, provoking disgust and anger towards them.
Foreplay with the streets
The subject is using a metaphor to describe their enemy's promiscuous and reckless behavior, which they see as contributing to their downfall.
The salt to garnish his wounds
The subject is relishing in their enemy's pain and adding insult to injury, taking pleasure in their suffering.
And you just danced your way home
The subject is outraged at their enemy's callousness and lack of remorse, portraying them as indifferent and even gleeful about their actions.
Paint your walls with his insides and hang his life above your bed
The subject is using grotesque and violent imagery to depict their revenge and dominance over their enemy, reducing them to an object to be displayed and humiliated.
Try and sleep now
The subject is taunting their enemy to try and sleep after all the harm they have caused, suggesting they will have trouble resting easy with a guilty conscience.
Now peel his skin dear, peel back his skin
The subject is escalating their violent fantasies and calling for their enemy's literal skin to be peeled off, emphasizing their sick and sadistic mindset.
And he'll just smile
The subject is suggesting their enemy is a masochist or enjoys their suffering, taking perverse pleasure in their pain.
But he's only smiling to deny the pain
The subject is contradicting their previous statement and implying that their enemy is putting on a brave face to hide their agony, indicating that they may not be as invulnerable as they seem.
I bet you love this
The subject is expressing their contempt and frustration at their enemy's apparent indifference or attraction to their revenge, accusing them of enjoying their own humiliation.
One last breath
The subject is anticipating the moment of their enemy's death, reveling in their own power and control over their fate.
I'll watch you, I'll watch you breathe your last
The subject is emphasizing their role as an observer and tormentor, enjoying the spectacle of their enemy's demise and denying them even a sense of privacy or dignity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Concrete Karaoke
As he's dying in his dreams
I hope you're choking in your sleep
Try and breathe
Justice push this pillow
Try and breathe
Try and breathe
My sweet
I wish you the best and that you'll sleep
Dragging it back into my dreams
Lay your head down try and rest
You left him sweating summer nights facedown
Foreplay with the streets
The salt to garnish his wounds
And you just danced your way home
(Paint your walls with his insides and hang his life above your bed
Paint your walls with his insides try and sleep now)
You made it so
As he's dying in his dreams
I hope you're choking in your sleep
Try and breathe
Justice push this pillow
Try and breathe
Try and breathe
My sweet
I wish you the best and that you'll sleep
Dragging it back into my dreams
Lay your head down try and rest
I bet you love this, don't you?
I bet you love this, don't you?
I bet you love this...
Now peel back his skin dear, peel back his skin
And he'll just smile...
But he's only smiling to deny the pain
And he's only smiling
And I bet you love this, don't you?
I bet you love this, don't you?
I bet you love this, don't you?
I bet you
My sweet
I wish you the best and that you'll sleep
Dragging it back into my dreams
Lay your head down try to rest
(One last breath, I'll watch you,
I'll watch you breathe your last
One last breath
I won't even close my eyes)
Rachel Lwyn
This song was EVERYTHING to me, I’m pretty sure it stayed as my MySpace song for way too long but like no regrets. Ah simpler times lol
That Guy
Highschool... Better times.
Teh Modest Mouse
Firm handshakes all around my friend
shivering nërve
so simple
Lloyd Winter II
These guys are definitely one of my favorite bands. They easily go harder than ANY hardcore/metal band. Been into them for like 10-15 yrs now, which will not stop any time soon. 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Teresa Murillo
I’ll never outgrow this. Play it at my funeral
Farrah Awry Iirises
i remember being 15 and loving the hell out of this song. I had a rough time in those days. life wasnt very fair and I really felt like these guys understood me. <3 I hope you see this and know how loved you were / are.
HorkPorkler
Gay
Ghostfac3
Take me back. 16. Studded belts, vans, long hair, dickies, band shirts, warped tour, rebellion, man....i don't wanna be 30. I wanna go back
jared link
Definitely. Time warp? Yes.