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.
Repentance
Gorefest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The jigsaw piece that doesn't fit
The uninvited one who's staying
It's all too sweet, it makes me sick
Why rehearse the same old play
And ask forgiveness on our knees?
Pray for long life, keep on praying
I seem to remember the length of your life doesn't matter
What counts is the kick that you get out of it
If this was meant for me
Why fix what's broken on purpose?
Skip the part of the regret
Time for sorry when I'm dead
No repentance
Just goodbye
No repentance
Just goodbye
If this was meant for me
Why fix what's broken on purpose?
Skip the part of the regret
Time for sorry when I'm dead
No repentance
Just goodbye
No repentance
Just goodbye
Just goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
The lyrics of Gorefest's song "Repentance" convey a sense of rejection and defiance towards societal norms and expectations. The persona portrayed in the song feels like he is the "harmony distorted," a jigsaw piece that does not fit in with the rest of the puzzle. He is an uninvited guest who is seemingly tolerated, but not welcomed. The persona feels like everything around him is too sweet, and it makes him sick. He then questions the point of the same old play and asking for forgiveness on our knees. He suggests that praying for long life is pointless because our mental wounds will never heal. The persona remembers that the length of one's life doesn't matter; what counts is the kick that one gets out of it.
The persona then questions why he should fix what is broken on purpose and skip the part of regret. He feels like it is time for sorry when he is dead. The chorus repeats twice, stating that there is no repentance, only goodbye. The persona seems to accept that he does not fit in with the mainstream, and he is making a conscious decision to walk away from it all.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the harmony distorted
I am the conflicting melody in the music of life.
The jigsaw piece that doesn't fit
I am the misfit who never finds a place to belong.
The uninvited one who's staying
I am the unwanted guest who refuses to leave.
It's all too sweet, it makes me sick
The pleasantries of life are meaningless and repulsive to me.
Why rehearse the same old play
Why repeat the mundane routine of life?
And ask forgiveness on our knees?
Why beg for forgiveness when we are just going to repeat our mistakes?
Pray for long life, keep on praying
We pray for a long life but fail to live it to the fullest.
Your mental wounds will never heal
The scars of our past never truly fade away.
I seem to remember the length of your life doesn't matter
What matters is not how long you live but how you live your life.
What counts is the kick that you get out of it
Seek the thrill of life and make the most of every moment.
If this was meant for me
If this fate was mine to bear.
Why fix what's broken on purpose?
Why attempt to fix what is intentionally broken?
Skip the part of the regret
Avoid dwelling on regret and missed opportunities.
Time for sorry when I'm dead
Apologies hold no value after death.
No repentance
I will not ask for forgiveness.
Just goodbye
I will leave this life behind.
Goodbye
I bid farewell to this mortal existence.
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