Since releasing 2012's acclaimed "Sedition" (their fifth album), which Decibel lauded as a "hyper-blasting, inhuman, machine-like attack," Hour of Penance toured globally, playing well over 200 gigs alongside such acts as Behemoth, Skeletonwitch, Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Devildriver, Psycroptic, Misery Index, Deicide, Belphegor and Nile.
Band members:
* Paolo Pieri – vocals, guitars
* Giulio Moschini – lead guitar
* Marco Mastrobuono – bass
* James Payne – drums
Absence of Truth
Hour of Penance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many good deeds
Where is the holy god
Who will set us free from this illusion of reality
Free of this trick
There's no god who answers
To all these questions
We are alone
God denies the reason, we're suffering in disdain
In our prison of sufferings
I committed high treason
Proving the certain non-existence of God
Through the truth
I became a disciple of the philosophy of truth
Denying false sacraments
God denies the reason, we're suffering in disdain
God is not real, it's a false ideal
God is surreal, true threat of men
My mind is, my mind is chained to God
My mind is chained to the will of God
My own body is victim of every single sin
My mind is property of God
I defiled every single faith
Regarding his name
I will die by my own hands
Unbound by God's chains
Every single thought, every single word
Now will lose its sense
I must free myself from the chains of God
To perceive the truth
Now I can perceive the true essence of truth
Can you see the light?
I can see the light
Can you see the light?
Can you see it?
The lyrics to Hour of Penance's song Absence of Truth touch on the central theme of the absence of God and the burden of sin. The singer is deeply troubled by the weight of his sins and questions the existence of God and the purpose of religion. He wonders how many good deeds are needed to set the record straight and where to find the holy God who can provide the answers. He concludes that there's no divine being to answer his questions and all they have is the guilt and condemnation that the preachers impose on them.
The singer commits high treason by denying the existence of God and becomes a disciple of the philosophy of truth. He rebels against the false sacraments and sees suffering as a prison of our making. He feels that his mind and body are chained to the will of God, which makes him a victim of sin. He defies every single faith and proposes to die by his own hands to break free from God's chains. He finds solace in the true essence of truth, which allows him to perceive the light of reality.
Overall, the lyrics reflect the existential crisis and disillusionment that seem to be prevalent in our society today. They provide a different perspective on spirituality and prompt us to question the status quo and seek our own truth.
Line by Line Meaning
What is the real weight of our sins
We wonder how bad our actions truly are.
How many good deeds
We question how many virtuous acts will balance our wrongdoing.
Where is the holy god
We inquire about the location and presence of a divine being.
Who will set us free from this illusion of reality
We seek liberation from the false perception of existence.
Free of this trick
We want to escape from this deception.
There's no god who answers
No divine entity responds to our inquiries.
To all these questions
None of our inquiries receive a response from a higher power.
We are alone
We are isolated and without outside assistance.
Just the condemnation of the preachers
Religious leaders merely criticize and denounce us.
God denies the reason, we're suffering in disdain
The idea of God does not provide a rational explanation for our pain.
In our prison of sufferings
We are trapped in a state of agony.
I committed high treason
I betrayed my beliefs and values.
Proving the certain non-existence of God
I have demonstrated that God does not exist.
Through the truth
By means of honesty and accuracy.
I became a disciple of the philosophy of truth
I follow the teachings of a doctrine based on reality.
Denying false sacraments
Rejecting ceremonies and practices that are not genuine.
God is not real, it's a false ideal
The concept of God is not factual, but rather a fake idea.
God is surreal, true threat of men
The idea of God is bizarre and poses a danger to humanity.
My mind is, my mind is chained to God
My thoughts are bound to the concept of God.
My mind is chained to the will of God
My thoughts are restricted by God's desires.
My own body is victim of every single sin
My physical self is impacted by every wrongdoing.
My mind is property of God
My thoughts belong to God.
I defiled every single faith
I have violated every religious system.
Regarding his name
In regards to God's name and reputation.
I will die by my own hands
I will take my own life.
Unbound by God's chains
I will no longer be bound by God's restrictions.
Every single thought, every single word
All of our thoughts and expressions.
Now will lose its sense
They will no longer have meaning or significance.
I must free myself from the chains of God
I need to liberate myself from God's limitations.
To perceive the truth
In order to comprehend reality.
Now I can perceive the true essence of truth
I can now understand the genuine nature of actuality.
Can you see the light?
Do you understand what is real?
I can see the light
I understand the truth.
Can you see the light?
Do you understand what is real?
Can you see it?
Do you understand the truth?
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Josh
Love this song! The section at 2:00 and the bomblasts afterward are incredibly heavy.
WhoreTorture
Dude this is straight up brutality
Brandon
Why is this band still so underground? This is some of the best shit I have ever fucking heard.
xZombiexHunterx
wow finally my Italian heritage has good music
Unhallowed17
All of you guys need to check out Fleshgod Apocalypse's new album. Francesco Paoli from HoP is in it and it sounds very similar in style. I'll post some soon.
AaronQ1222
It's not just death metal. It's "brutal" death metal.
kookoomendez
The way I see it, each region specializes in their own sub-genre of metal. America & Canada seem to have a lot of Deathcore and Metalcore bands (Suicde Silence & As I Lay Dying), Latin America & South America have plenty of Thrash Metal bands to go around (Sepultura & Death Arrangement), and Europe has multi-gazillion Death Metal and Grindcore bands (Benighted & Septycal Gorge).
invictus71
Sounds like Hate Eternal and these guys are great
david zawhorodny
..lovin' this band....
Aeon
@Unhallowed17 i have to add: Paoli SINGER from Hour of Penance plays DRUMS @ Fleshgod Apocalypse, this guy is a fuckin machine!! The new album "AGONY" is one of the best metalalbums ive ever head, this shit is awsome!