Focused was a hardcore punk band that w… Read Full Bio ↴Spirit-filled hardcore band.
Focused was a hardcore punk band that was based out of Long Beach, California in the United States. The band formed in 1990 with the lineup of Tim Mann on Vocals, John Schoettler on Guitars, Jeff Boetto on Guitars, Matt Archuleta on Bass and Al Christensen on Drums. Over the years, the lineup shifted several times, with Mann being the only constant.
Origins and Bow (1990-1993)
Focused began in 1990 with the lineup of Vocalist Tim Mann, Guitarists John Schoettler and Jeff Boetto, and Bassist Matt Archuleta. David Shoemaker filled in on Drums for the first show the band played before Al Christensen took over the position. Early on the band recorded two different demos, including Situation Within and Eternity's Gate.[1] In 1992, Boetto and Archuleta departed from the band, being replaced by Mike Merryman and Dirk Lemmenes respectively.
In 1993, Jason Parker joined the band as a fill-in Guitarist for Merryman, who was unable to make it to the show. Schoettler departed pretty soon afterward, with Parker joining alongside Merryman. The lineup consisting of Mann, Merryman, Parker, Lemmenes, and Christensen wrote and recorded their debut album, Bow, which came out through Tooth & Nail Records.
The Hope That Lies Within and breakup (1994-1996)
In 1994, the band again saw lineup changes, with Parker and Christensen both departing from the band. Andrew Reizuch joined the band as a Guitarist and Chris Bowden joined on Drums.[2] Now, in addition to Reizuch and Bowden, the band - along with Mann, Merryman, and Lemmenes - who had already grown to a high status in the scene, began to work on their sophomore release.
In 1995, the band recorded and released The Hope That Lies Within, which also came out through Tooth & Nail Records. In 1996, the band disbanded and went their separate ways.[2] Lemmenes went on to perform with a project called Stavesacre alongside former members of The Crucified, Chatterbox, Scaterd Few and The Blamed, while most of the others remained musically inactive.
Reunion EP, Second Reunion, and shows (2000-2009)
In 2000, Focused reunited with the best-known lineup of Mann, Merryman, Lemmenes, another former member as well as new Drummer Adam Valles. With the lineup, the band recorded an EP, which featured three tracks - "War", "Angels and Demons", and "Grace". The band broke up a year later in 2001. The EP was later released in 2008 through Indie Vision Music as a free MP3 download[3] and later again in 2016.[4] In 2009, the band reunited again with Mann, Merryman, Parker, Lemmenes, and former Project 86 Drummer Alex Albert to perform on a couple shows with Living Sacrifice and Demon Hunter.[5] Following the shows, there was a debate as to whether the band would play more shows or not, which were addressed in 2014. In 2019, Steadfast Records re-released Eternity's Gate as At Eternity's Gate, as well as a music video of old footage being released.
Behold
Focused Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clock still ticking there's a picture in my head
An endless killing, an endless slaughter
There are no innocent, all are dead
Final days in Revelation, a prophecy fulfilled
The dead will rise on Judgment Day
No time to think, no time to hide
Behold the fate you choose
Behold, behold
Come into the light, living water, never thirst
Voice inside your head knocking at the door of your heart
A spirit of love, acceptance is the key
If any man is in Christ he is a new creation
Old thing pass away, behold, all have become new, all have become new
Behold the fate you choose
Fighting a war, a timeless hour
There's clock still ticking in my head
An endless killing, an endless slaughter
There are no innocent
Behold the fate you choose
All are dead, all are dead, all are dead
Behold, behold the fate you choose
The lyrics of Focused's song Behold depict a sense of urgency and the consequences of one's choices. The opening lines of "Fighting a war, a timeless hour, clock still ticking, there's a picture in my head" create a sense of a battlefield and the unrelenting nature of time. The following line "An endless killing, an endless slaughter, there are no innocent, all are dead" intensifies the bleakness of the situation, suggesting that no one can escape unscathed in this relentless war. These lines seem to be a commentary on the inevitability of our own mortality and how we all face a similar fate in the end.
The next part of the lyrics shifts gears to a more spiritual message. The lines "Come into the light, living water, never thirst, voice inside your head knocking at the door of your heart, a spirit of love, acceptance is the key" suggest that there is a way to avoid the aforementioned fate by embracing faith and accepting a spiritual truth. The lyrics seem to offer a way out of the warzone and a promise of something better. The final lines of "Old thing pass away, behold, all have become new, all have become new" reinforce the idea that by accepting this new path, we can become something new and escape the cycle of death and destruction.
Overall, Focused's song Behold seems to be a message about the consequences of our choices and a call to embrace a spiritual path that can lead to a better fate. The lyrics create a sense of urgency and intensity, and suggest that we all have a choice to make about our future.
Line by Line Meaning
Fighting a war, a timeless hour
In the midst of a never-ending struggle
Clock still ticking there's a picture in my head
The battle is all-consuming, always present in the mind
An endless killing, an endless slaughter
A cycle of violence that seems to have no end
There are no innocent, all are dead
No one is exempt from the consequences of war
Final days in Revelation, a prophecy fulfilled
The end times are upon us, as foretold in the Bible
The dead will rise on Judgment Day
There will be a reckoning for all who have died
No time to think, no time to hide
The end is near and there is no escape
Black ash, no light, die eternal death
Describing the bleakness and hopelessness of the end times
Behold the fate you choose
Take notice of the decision you have made
Come into the light, living water, never thirst
Invitation to embrace the message of hope and redemption
Voice inside your head knocking at the door of your heart
Being called to listen to the message of salvation
A spirit of love, acceptance is the key
The message of Christianity is focused on love and acceptance
If any man is in Christ he is a new creation
Through conversion, one becomes a new person in Christ
Old thing pass away, behold, all have become new, all have become new
The old vices and problems will be replaced with a new perspective in Christianity
All are dead, all are dead, all are dead
Emphasizing the hopelessness of the non-believers' fate
Behold, behold the fate you choose
The ultimate choice one makes will determine one's outcome
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.