They toured the U.S. extensively several times, as well as Europe and Japan. They released a total of 6 records: Fifteen Counts of Arson and split EP with Union of Uranus (limited edition of 1,000), which was the last recording completed with original band member Pat Davis. Monuments to Thieves debut of new guitarist Yannick Lorraine formerly of Union of Uranus from Canada, The Plot Sickens, and two 7" EPs The Dead of Night in Eight Movements and Fool's Gold as well as a 1995 demo tape entitled Medicine of Thieves.
Simultaneously or afterwards band members played in the bands Deathreat, Call The Police, Dimlaia, Warcry, Union of Uranus and many more. The core of the band, Todd Burdette, Paul Burdette and Yannick Lorraine went on to form the neocrust band Tragedy.
His Hero is Gone was characterized by heavily distorted "thick sounding" guitars, unrelenting d-beat holocaust drumming, deep and piercing basslines and guttural-styled brutal vocals. Equal amounts hardcore and metal, their sludge influences and metallic infused sound added a then unseen dimension to crust punk, no one else was doing the same thing back in the late 90s.
An approach that placed them as one of the heaviest and key bands to what was the basis of the so called neocrust sub-genre, along with Wolfbrigade and From Ashes Rise; they were a pre-neocrust outfit.
They are also the originators of the iconic 'swarm of bees' riffing that is so permeated in the crust scene nowadays. They might as well, too, be the originators of the weird sound that is produced when tampering with a guitar's strings at the neck as some kind of extended and affected pick slide that is difficult to describe with words but gives a strange crumbling and disintegrating-like effect. Techniques Tragedy continued to utilise.
Even though they only existed for a few years, their sound proved to be very influential and may only be rivaled by Tragedy themselves. The band broke up allegedly in part due to a meltdown their bassist Carl Auge had on-stage, coupled with feelings of having no future at all in Memphis and tired of working minimum wage jobs in order to be able to afford their musical-related activities; 3/4 of the band left for Portland in search of a better prospect, a difficult decision that did end up paying off.
Additionally, footage of one of their last live performances sees them playing several future Tragedy songs with minor variations.
Carl was part of several other bands post-HHIG, namely Dimlaia, Drain the Sky and more recently Syndrømes but they remain very obscure. He also became a visual artist.
Their lyrics were crude and jaded in nature, featuring social commentary much of which include anti-consumerist and anti-technological themes, expressing inconformity with our current world. Nothing has changed since then, it only got worse and it is worrying their message still echoes over 20 years later. The band and related projects have remained under the radar of a mainstream audience by not promoting themselves via tools of mass communication such as websites or larger music labels.
Friendly Fire
His Hero Is Gone Lyrics
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We hate in agreement to fight back in their violent
Cut throat game of "...But my finger was on the
Trigger first..." Fighting fire with Fire Scorched
Engulfed in Flames Fighting Fire with Fire
Friendly Fire exchanged both sides swallowed whole
Pride's overflow "Hey man, I wanna blow the brains
Out of those macho Fucks"
The lyrics to His Hero Is Gone's song "Friendly Fire" depict a brutal cycle of violence and retribution, as two opposing sides engage in a cutthroat game of revenge. The song opens with a twisted agreement to shake hands with the "bastards" they hate, suggesting that they are willing to put aside their animosity momentarily in order to engage in a more brutal form of conflict. This conflict is characterized by a constant competition over who can react the quickest, who can pull the trigger first, and who can inflict the most damage.
The chorus, "Fighting fire with fire, scorched engulfed in flames," suggests that this cycle of violence only feeds into itself, with both sides becoming increasingly consumed by their own anger and hatred. The final lines of the song are particularly chilling, as they highlight the extent to which this conflict has twisted the minds of those involved. The singer's desire to "blow the brains out of those macho fucks" suggests a deep-seated desire for revenge that is completely divorced from any sense of humanity or compassion. In the end, "Friendly Fire" is a bleak and harrowing depiction of the destructiveness of hatred and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake hands with the bastards that
Meet and greet the individuals we despise
We hate in agreement to fight back in their violent
Join forces against the violent tactics of our common enemies
Cut throat game of "...But my finger was on the
A deadly competition where the quickest to react survives
Trigger first..." Fighting fire with Fire Scorched
Utilizing the same lethal methods as our opponents, resulting in a destructive and scorched aftermath
Engulfed in Flames Fighting Fire with Fire
Fully immersed in a destructive cycle of retaliation
Friendly Fire exchanged both sides swallowed whole
Due to a lack of coordination, attack one another rather than the intended target, causing severe harm to both parties
Pride's overflow "Hey man, I wanna blow the brains
Overflow of ego and arrogance leads to a desire to commit heinous acts of violence against those deemed 'macho'
Contributed by Anna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.