Within two months of existence these four death metal enthusiasts recorded a demo (Tangled In Gore). A Dutch independent label, Foundation 2000, signed them for one album, however, before recording they first released another demo Horrors In A Retarded Mind in 1990, which also received positive feedback. As a supporting act for Carcass they travelled through Belgium and the Netherlands impressing the metal-scene also on stage. Colin Richardson was the producer of 1991's album Mindloss.
Prior to a tour with New Jersey band Revenant, guitarist Alex van Schaik was replaced by Boudewijn Bonebakker. Not satisfied with Foundation 2000, Gorefest signed a contract in 1992 with Nuclear Blast. Hoogendoorn was dismissed because of lack of interest and drummer Ed Warby (who came from melodic band called Elegy) took his place just two weeks before recording sessions of their second LP False which was again produced by Colin Richardson. The album sold relatively well in the Netherlands and Germany for a band of their genre. In the months to come they completed a European tour with Deicide and Atrocity, playing in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Czechoslovakia and England. In 1993 Gorefest played a show at the Dynamo Open Air at Eindhoven. A live album The Eindhoven Insanity was released shortly after. Also in 1993, they toured America as a supporting act for metal band Death.
Erase was recorded in 1994 with producer Pete Coleman and revealed a more mature Gorefest with a different attitude towards traditional death metal. As a result, public opinion towards the band was divided. Erase, however, proved to be a success as international sales went well through 1994 and 1995. The band reached a broader set of countries in the following tours.
For the Fear EP and Freedom single, Gorefest revealed new tracks showing that they wanted to drastically expand upon the musical changes they had applied in Erase (De Koeijer declared in some interviews that he even had thoughts about taking singing lessons). This would be confirmed in 1996 with a rockish Soul Survivor - a total departure from their roots even showing traces of pop - and a very similar Chapter 13 was released in 1998. By this time the band had abandoned their heavy image, and the graphics for these works were less extreme. Inexorably, fans turned their backs on them and the sales of the album was a relative fiasco, thus they split up in 1998.
Gorefest reformed in 2004 and played various summer festivals in 2005. The band then unveiled a new album, La Muerte, another album followed in 2007, entitled Rise To Ruin.
On the 15th of June 2009 the band announced that they were calling it quits again, stating that they felt they had gone as far with the band as they could.
Broken Wings
Gorefest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With grace she cones
Like an angel that refuses to fly
She wears the crown of the wrong
Here comes the whore forever
Here comes the whore with the broken wing
All her pain will be yours
And served with the finger
Here comes the whore forever
(You'll never be yourself again)
Here comes the whore forever
And she will be Forever
You can't save yourself
Start your mourning on your night of decay
When all your children are crying
You had it coming, so let down your head
Now that your old world is dying
Here comes the whore forever
(You'll never be yourself again)
Here comes the whore forever
And she'll be yours forever
You can't save yourself
The lyrics to Gorefest's song Broken Wing paint a vivid picture of a fallen angel, depicted as a whore, with a broken wing. The first two lines suggest elegance and poise, with the word 'grace' implying a certain beauty. However, the line 'like an angel that refuses to fly' is a clear indication that something is wrong. The next line 'she wears the crown of the wrong' refers to the consequences of her immoral behavior, or perhaps her status as a victim of her own choices. The repetition of the lines 'Here comes the whore forever' suggests her permanent status as a fallen creature.
The second verse speaks directly to the listener, warning them that the pain of this whore will become their own, multiplied a thousand times. The phrase 'served with the finger' is an interesting choice, as it implies a kind of contempt being shown by the whore. The third verse seems to continue this warning, speaking to those who would try to save themselves from a similar fate, telling them that they cannot escape their own downfall. The line 'you had it coming' suggests that there is inevitability to this fate, a kind of karmic justice that cannot be avoided.
Overall, the lyrics to Broken Wing paint a bleak picture of the consequences of a life lived selfishly, with little regard for others or the impact of one's actions. It suggests that once one has fallen, there is no escape or redemption, and the pain and consequences of one's choices will haunt them forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes the whore with the broken wing
A prostitute, physically and emotionally broken, enters the scene
With grace she cones
Despite her brokenness, she moves gracefully
Like an angel that refuses to fly
She resembles an angel in appearance but is unable to soar
She wears the crown of the wrong
She is burdened with the weight of her wrong choices
Here comes the whore forever
The prostitute will remain in this state indefinitely
All her pain will be yours
Suffering from her pain will be shared with whoever comes into contact with her
Multiplied by a thousand times
The emotional anguish that comes with interacting with her will be terribly intense
And served with the finger
She is hostile and uncooperative
Here comes the whore forever
The prostitute's situation is permanent
(You'll never be yourself again)
Any encounter with her will change you in some way
And she will be Forever
The prostitute's suffering is inalterable
You can't save yourself
You are powerless against being affected by her pain
Start your mourning on your night of decay
Prepare for the worst when encountering her
When all your children are crying
Even those most innocent and vulnerable will be affected by her influence
You had it coming, so let down your head
You won't be able to escape the consequences that come with her
Now that your old world is dying
Once brought low by her, nothing will be the same again
Here comes the whore forever
The prostitute's fate is sealed
(You'll never be yourself again)
No encounter with her will leave you unchanged
Here comes the whore forever
Her state is irredeemably hopeless
And she'll be yours forever
Her impact will linger with you indefinitely
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BASTIAAN F. FRANK HARTHOORN, BOUDEWIJN V. BONEBAKKER, EDWARD R. ED WARBIE, JAN C. JAN CHRIS DE KOEIJER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind