In 2003, they released a split record with Swedish band Victims, it serves as transition point for the band between the material from the previous releases and their next record; 'Nightmares', their last album, was released on Jade Tree that same year. Further influenced by Tragedy, it is their most popular, melodic and influential record. Not all the aspects of their sound are derived from Tragedy but rather they simultaneously helped define and further develop what was later known to become 'neocrust'. Both bands evolved at the same time and possessed differing elements, however the Tragedy influence is there since both bands are close friends and reside in the same place.
The band split up in fall 2005 after doing a tour with the legendary UK band Subhumans.
On October 12, 2009 a reunion show at the Satyricon in Portland, OR for February 21, 2010 was announced via the band's MySpace blog. A limited number of shows were since performed. The 2010 live album entitled 'Live Hell' documents one of these performances. Their latest release is a 2012 two-song single entitled 'Rejoice the End / Rage of Sanity'. It is very melodic and even more similar to the neocrust style Tragedy became known for.
Brad Boatright became a producer/sound engineer and founded his own recording label/facility referred to as 'Audiosiege' in 2011 which has become considerably popular in the hardcore scene worldwide, many artists want their music produced by him.
Current line-up
*Dave Atchison – drums (1997–present) (Also of No Parade, Assassinate and Smoke or Fire)
*Brad Boatright – guitar (1997–present), vocals (1998–present) (Also of Deathreat and Warcry. Formerly of The Cooters, No Parade, Midnight, World Burns To Death and Lebanon)
*John Wilkerson – guitar, vocals (1998–present) (Also of Criminal Damage. Formerly of Coldbringer and Welcome Home Walker)
*Derek Willman – bass (2004–present) (Also of The Estranged, Coldbringer, Hellshock and Lebanon. Formerly of Remains Of The Day)
Former members:
*Marshall Perdue – vocals (1997–1998)
*Jeff Andrews – guitar (1997–1998)
*Jason Piercey – bass (1997–1998)
*Billy Davis – bass (1998–1999; 2001–2004) (Also of Deathreat and Tragedy)
*Ryan Teetzen – bass, vocals (1999–2001) (Also of the Fort Smith, Arkansas band Burned Up Bled Dry)
Concrete and Steel
From Ashes Rise Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look upon the landscape of broken glass and nails. Nauseating carnage --
obscenity calculated to the highest degree. It's time to dethrone the
masters of the scheme; the ones in the labcoats, the shadowed technicians,
the gilded proprietors of the last seas of green. Drain the excess
from the bloated machines -- drain the excess and throw the remnants in
the whipcracker's eyes. Drain the excess and burn like fire in the sky.
From Ashes Rise’s “Concrete and Steel” discusses the corrupt and destructive nature of big corporations and the capitalist system they uphold. The lyrics paint a bleak image of a landscape that is entirely made up of concrete and steel, devoid of any natural beauty. The imagery used is stark and brutal – broken glass and nails litter the landscape, while nausea-inducing destruction is calculated with ruthless efficiency. The lyrics suggest that this ugliness is a direct result of the greed of those who control the system. The “masters of the scheme” are the ones in “lab coats” and “shadowed technicians” – the behind-the-scenes manipulators who use their power and wealth to perpetuate a system that benefits them at the expense of the many. The “gilded proprietors” are the owners of the companies that profit from the suffering of others, and their “seas of green” symbolize the money that they make at the expense of the environment and the people who live in it.
The solution, according to the lyrics of “Concrete and Steel,” is to “dethrone the masters of the scheme.” This requires draining the excess from the “bloated machines” that these companies rely on to produce their profits. The implication is that there is plenty of excess to drain – that these corporations are producing far more than is necessary, and that this excess is draining resources that could be used for more productive purposes. The imagery used to describe this draining is violent and satisfying – “throw the remnants in the whipcracker’s eyes” – suggesting a kind of poetic justice that the singer of the lyrics is longing for. The final image – “burn like fire in the sky” – is a vision of pure destruction that suggests that only complete annihilation can truly rid the world of the evils of capitalism.
Line by Line Meaning
Gaze upon the landscape for miles in a distance of concrete and steel.
Look at the vast area covered with cement and steel.
Look upon the landscape of broken glass and nails.
Observe the surroundings with the broken materials all around.
Nauseating carnage -- obscenity calculated to the highest degree.
Disturbingly gory wreckage planned with the utmost precision.
It's time to dethrone the masters of the scheme;
It’s about time to remove the governing authority behind this atrocity;
the ones in the labcoats, the shadowed technicians,
Those who are conducting deadly experiments in secret.
the gilded proprietors of the last seas of green.
Wealthy individuals, who own and benefit from industries that pollute the environment.
Drain the excess from the bloated machines -- drain the excess and throw the remnants in the whipcracker's eyes.
Remove the extra waste from these excessive machines and then, throw the leftovers in the face of their cruel operators.
Drain the excess and burn like fire in the sky.
Get rid of the overflow of pollution, and spark an action that will ignite and spread like wildfire.
Contributed by Chase T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.