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.
This Is Gonna Hurt
Frameshift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you frightened are you scared
Let my little toy show you how
To scream so loud no one can hear
We're gonna play a game that I enjoy
We won't stop ‘til you tell the truth
No matter what – I won't believe
‘Cause I just like hurting you:
This is gonna hurt when I turn it on
We'll be real close till the pain is gone
This is gonna hurt till you tell it all
217 the writing's on the wall
This is gonna hurt gonna make me smile
Think I'll make it hurt for a little while
This is gonna hurt – ain't telling lies
You'll see yourself inside my eyes
Got all kinds of instruments
Each one plays a different tune
A chord of pain, a scale of tears
Now don't be a fool
A grinding rhythm for your bones
A forte for your flesh
Help me write my symphony
Hear the music make a mess
The prettiest thing I have ever seen
Is the sight of you suffering
I don't need to explain
Let the beauty fade and the misery reign
I can't understand why
But your pain keeps me alive
The lyrics to Frameshift's song "This Is Gonna Hurt" are dark and disturbing, depicting a sadistic individual who takes pleasure in causing pain to someone else. The first verse sets the scene for this twisted scenario, with the singer and his victim alone and ready to play a game that he enjoys. The second verse goes deeper into his intentions, revealing that he has an arsenal of instruments designed to inflict various types of suffering on his unwilling partner. The chorus repeats the ominous warning that "This is gonna hurt," while also indicating that there is an end in sight – once the victim "tells it all" and reveals the truth, the pain will stop. However, it's clear that the singer is in no rush to end the torment, as he seems to revel in the sight of someone else's suffering.
The bridge of the song is particularly haunting, as the singer declares that his own survival depends on the pain of another. He can't explain why this is, but he feels alive when he sees his victim in agony. The closing line of "This Is Gonna Hurt" is all the more disturbing for its simplicity: "Gotta keep you alive."
Overall, the lyrics to "This Is Gonna Hurt" offer a stark portrayal of a depraved individual who finds joy in inflicting physical and emotional pain on someone else. The song is not for the faint of heart, but it is a powerful expression of how music can be used to explore the darker aspects of the human psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and you alone now
Just the two of us are here in this moment
Are you frightened are you scared
Are you feeling scared or nervous right now?
Let my little toy show you how
Let me demonstrate how my toy works
To scream so loud no one can hear
Scream so loud that no one can hear you
We're gonna play a game that I enjoy
We will engage in an activity that I find pleasurable
We won't stop ‘til you tell the truth
The activity will continue until you reveal the truth
No matter what – I won't believe
I will not believe anything you say
‘Cause I just like hurting you:
I enjoy causing you pain
And that's the truth
This is the truth of my twisted desires
This is gonna hurt when I turn it on
The activity will likely cause pain when I begin
We'll be real close till the pain is gone
We will be in close proximity until the pain subsides
This is gonna hurt till you tell it all
The activity will cause pain until you reveal the truth
217 the writing's on the wall
The outcome of this situation is already predetermined
This is gonna hurt gonna make me smile
The pain you experience will bring me joy
Think I'll make it hurt for a little while
I will likely prolong the pain for a bit
This is gonna hurt – ain't telling lies
I am not lying when I say this will cause pain
You'll see yourself inside my eyes
You will see your pain reflected in my eyes
Got all kinds of instruments
I have an assortment of tools at my disposal
Each one plays a different tune
Each tool has a unique effect
A chord of pain, a scale of tears
Some of the tools will cause physical pain while others may cause emotional pain
Now don't be a fool
Don't resist or act foolishly
A grinding rhythm for your bones
Some tools may cause discomfort to your bones
A forte for your flesh
Some tools will cause pain to your flesh
Help me write my symphony
Assist me in creating a masterpiece of pain and misery
Hear the music make a mess
Experience the pain and destruction that my tools will create
The prettiest thing I have ever seen
Watching you suffer is beautiful to me
Is the sight of you suffering
Watching you in pain brings me pleasure
I don't need to explain
I don't feel the need to justify my twisted desires
Let the beauty fade and the misery reign
Allow the pain to take over and let your beauty fade away
I can't understand why
I cannot comprehend why I am drawn to causing pain
But your pain keeps me alive
However, inflicting pain on you is what gives me life and purpose
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.