The underlying idea was to achieve three goals:
1. Produce an album featuring James LaBrie in ways that no one has heard him before;
2. Combine the elements of progressive rock, film scoring and very modern production;
3. Use the work of Richard Dawkins (one of today's most influential neo-Darwinist writers) as a concept that connects all the pieces on the album.
Its second album, called An Absence of Empathy, had the vocals of Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row). The basic concept behind An Absence of Empathy, was initiated by Shawn Gordon, president of ProgRock Records. Several years ago, he played keyboards for the band Zircadian; they had a partially written concept album under the name Prophet Savant, which led to the initial idea for An Absence of Empathy. In the original storyline, a man experiences different forms of violence because he becomes a kind of seer. They had written a song for an epic battle and two torture scenes.
In countless e-mails and meetings (one including Stephan Kernbach from Chain), Shawn and Henning Pauly developed this idea into the storyline and concept that is now the foundation of the new Frameshift album. They first dropped the mystical approach; then, by distancing the concept from being a story around a person, and instead focusing on what that person experiences, the story portrayed a more realistic situation. In this respect, like Unweaving the Rainbow, the album actually does not have a real storyline. Instead, it is a series of songs revolving around the same topic.
An Absence of Empathy: The Concept
"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"
This quote illustrates what this album is about. It is about violence -- human violence, to be precise. It is ever-present and, in varying degrees, ingrained in all of us. Just like wood grain, violence is inherent to our nature, but the question is, what factors determine who lets is show through and how does it show itself?
The same questions haunt the protagonist of An Absence of Empathy. He is a curious individual who wants to know why the media is filled with news about murder, rape and war -- and he is afraid that he might have the potential for violence himself. He starts to research the subject, but it isn't enough. It can't show him what motivates the person that acts violently or what plagues them, and it doesn't make him feel the pain of the victims. His desire to understand one of humanity's most basic traits leads to a series of vivid dreams - dreams that appear to be so real that he can't escape this dreamworld until it is all over. In them, he becomes the killer, he becomes the rapist, he becomes the soldier, he becomes the mother crying for her daughter who was raped.
The first song introduces the theme and illustrates how our main character is plagued by his questions about humanity's major flaw. He starts a journey into the minds of other people to experience violence firsthand. At the end of the album, he draws his own conclusions, and asks himself if there is nothing else to us besides hurting each other. The answer he finds is worthy of discovery.
An Absence of Empathy takes you into the psyche of several different people who are either experiencing or acting out violence. Each form of violence is dealt with in two songs, each one shedding light on a different point view of the scenario. For example, one song illustrates a torture scene from the point of view of the torturer; its counterpoint takes you into the same room, this time from the point of view of the tortured. Another pairing is about violence in schools. One song deals with a teacher using psychological violence towards his students (who then rebel), while the other song is about a school shooting.
The Gene Machine
Frameshift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For changing information
Changing me
Ride the River out of Eden
The flow of change comes slow
But constantly
Day by day I compete
Most of them won't stay
Guiding chaos into order
Genetic symphony goes on
A brand new score to play
Take a strand of DNA
Slight mutation every day
Survive so I can make my way
And be passed down - down
You, them, him, her
I drive you
Need to survive you
I'll work you like a clock
I write your story
Does our hero live or die
Remains yet to be seen
I need you to survive
You're my machine
Survival of the species
Third in line behind the gene
Behind me
Compared with the machine
The bloodline doesn't prove as thick
Or change a thing
I'm afraid of crossing over
I try to stay alive in you
Your life paves my way
If I really won this fight
If I am intact I will
Construct without delay
A brand new score to play
Take a strand of DNA
Slight mutation every day
Survive so I can make my way
And be passed down - down
You - Them - Him - Her
I drive you
Need to survive you
I'll work you like a clock
I write your story
Does our hero live or die
Remains yet to be seen
I need you to survive
You're my machine
Mother, father, sister, brother
They fight me
They try to hide me
Inside where I belong
I have played my part
You, me, we, are
You are me
Think through it clearly
You work me like a clock
You write my story
Does our hero live or die
Remains yet to be seen
I need you to survive
You're my machine
"The Gene Machine" by Frameshift is a song that delves into the concepts of evolution and survival of the fittest from the perspective of the DNA molecule. The opening line "Born natural machines for changing information, changing me" speaks about how DNA molecules naturally change and adapt to survive. The song continues with the metaphor of riding the river out of Eden, representing the river of evolution. It speaks about how the process of evolution is slow but constant and how day by day, the DNA molecules compete with each other, with most of them not surviving. The metaphor of guiding chaos into order represents how DNA molecules undergo mutations, but some of these mutations lead to a more desirable trait that is passed down to the next generation.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that DNA is the driving force behind life as we know it, and how it constantly works towards the survival of the species. The lyrics "You, them, him, her, I drive you, need to survive you, I'll work you like a clock, I write your story" speak about how DNA molecules control everything that happens to an organism, from physical characteristics to the ability to survive. The bridge of the song speaks about how DNA molecules are afraid of crossing over and the importance of the "machine" to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Born natural machines
We are born as natural machines
For changing information
Our purpose is to change information
Changing me
We change ourselves
Ride the River out of Eden
We journey through life like a river flowing out of the Garden of Eden
The flow of change comes slow
Change occurs gradually
But constantly
But it is always happening
Day by day I compete
Every day we strive for survival
New brothers in the pool, but wait
New beings are born, but not all will survive
Most of them won't stay
Most of them will die
Guiding chaos into order
We bring order to the chaos of life
Genetic symphony goes on
The symphony of genetics continues
A brand new score to play
A new generation brings a new score to play
Take a strand of DNA
We take a strand of DNA
Slight mutation every day
A small change occurs every day
Survive so I can make my way
We survive to continue our species
And be passed down - down
Our genes are passed down through generations
You, them, him, her
All beings are included
I drive you
We control your genes
Need to survive you
We need you to survive
I'll work you like a clock
We manipulate you like a machine
I write your story
We determine your genetic story
Does our hero live or die
The survival of each being is uncertain
Remains yet to be seen
It is still unknown
I need you to survive
We need you to continue our species
You're my machine
You are part of our genetic machine
Survival of the species
Our top priority is the survival of our species
Third in line behind the gene
Survival comes after reproduction and genes
Behind me
I am in control
Compared with the machine
Compared to genetics, the importance of bloodline is negligible
The bloodline doesn't prove as thick
Bloodline is not as important as genetics
Or change a thing
It has no effect on our survival
I'm afraid of crossing over
We fear dying or losing control
I try to stay alive in you
We try to ensure our genes survive through you
Your life paves my way
Your life makes it possible for our genes to continue
If I really won this fight
If we are successful in survival
If I am intact I will
If our genes remain unchanged
Construct without delay
We will reproduce as soon as possible
Mother, father, sister, brother
All beings are included
They fight me
Our genes must compete for survival
They try to hide me
Other genes attempt to supplant ours
Inside where I belong
Our genes are part of us
I have played my part
We have contributed to our species' survival
You, me, we, are
We are all part of the same genetic machine
You are me
We share the same genetic makeup
Think through it clearly
Consider the importance of genetics
You work me like a clock
Your genes control you
You write my story
Your genes determine your fate
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind