Tägtgren's experience as a producer may also have led to the band's change in musical direction, as he is more closely involved with many other bands while producing their albums.
After twice cancelling a U.S. tour in 2009, Hypocrisy confirmed a North American tour for 2010. Joining them on the "Long Time, No Death" tour were Scar Symmetry, Hate, Blackguard and Swashbuckle. From January to March 2010, they toured Germany, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, finishing in Moscow. Their North American tour took place in May 2010.
On 14 October 2011, Hypocrisy released a DVD called Hell Over Sofia - 20 Years of Chaos and Confusion. It contains a full concert from the "Long Time, No Death" tour. The DVD also contains a one and a half-hour documentary about the band. On 10 November 2011, Mikael Hedlund announced writing material for a new studio album during an interview with Metal Shock Finland's chief editor, Mohsen Fayyazi. Mikael tells Metal Shock Finland:
It's too early to say what it's going to sounds like, but all I can say is that it's not gonna be any change of style. It will be a classic HYPOCRISY album without [any] compromises. We already got some material and we're really looking forward to enter the studio again. We don't know yet when it will [be], but hopefully after the summer 2012. Nothing is confirmed yet. We're doing the Metalfest tour [of Europe] in May/June plus some other festivals. That's the plans at the moment.
In early 2012 the band began to write new material for a follow up to A Taste of Extreme Divinity. On 21 December 2012 Hypocrisy announced that the title of the upcoming album is End of Disclosure. It was released on 22 March 2013.
Hypocrisy's thirteenth studio album, and first in eight years, Worship was released on 26 November 2021. The album was preceded by a music video for the first single "Chemical Whore". It was later elected by Loudwire as the 32nd best metal song of 2021. On 5 April 2022, via the band's official Facebook page, the band announced the departure of Horgh from the band. He was replaced a week later by Henrik Axelsson of The Crown.
Musical style and lyrical themes
Musically, the band started off with a traditional death metal sound on their early albums, but soon turned into a melodic death metal band. Their early lyrics – written by original vocalist Masse Broberg – dealt with anti-Christian themes and Satanism. The band later focused on themes such as the paranormal and extraterrestrials. Their tenth album, Virus, contains themes more typical of death metal such as violence, the horrors of reality, insanity, torture, war, drug addiction, and emotional strife. Their twelfth album, End of Disclosure, uses conspiracy and anti-Illuminati themes.
Studio albums
Penetralia (1992)
Osculum Obscenum (1993)
The Fourth Dimension (1994)
Abducted (1996)
The Final Chapter (1997)
Hypocrisy (1999)
Into the Abyss (2000)
Catch 22 (2002)
The Arrival (2004)
Virus (2005)
A Taste of Extreme Divinity (2009)
End of Disclosure (2013)
Worship (2021)
Stillborn
Hypocrisy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What have we become?
I see the circles clean
I am unable to flee
I slowly arised in the sky
This is the way it feels to die
I have to search, the rest will follow
I'm floating in the air
Slowly fading away from the earth
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
I've got to stay awake
But my eyelids feels lifeless
I feel like a parasite!
What will happen to us?
Will we ever see the universe?
Will we ever return?
Do we survive?
It's a human curse!
Final destination unknown
Humanity on the go
This is the end
Another beginning
I feel so alone
Like a part of me has died
I feel so weak
I'm falling apart inside
I'm floating in the air
Slowly fading away from the earth
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
I'm floating in the air
Slowly fading away from the earth
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
How can you decide?
I'll decide something up
They have come to haunt me now
I swallow my pride, and the tears I've cried
Will never tell the answers why!
Tell me why!
I'm floating in the air
Slowly fading away from the earth
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
I'm floating in the air
Slowly fading away from the earth
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
The song "Stillborn" by Hypocrisy starts off with the singer standing in a circle of humans and realizing how much they have changed. He sees the circle as clean which may allude to the purity that humanity once had before tainting it with its own sins. The singer undergoes an out-of-body experience, feeling like he is slowly dying while looking back at his living body. He begins to question if we as humans will ever see the universe or if we will ever return from wherever we go after death. The final destination remains unknown, making it a human curse to try and solve this mystery.
The lyrics continue with the singer feeling alone and weak, like a part of him has died. He is floating in the air and slowly fading away from the earth, heading towards his inevitable new birth. The song ends with the singer trying to come to terms with the fact that the answers to the afterlife will forever remain a mystery.
Overall, the lyrics of "Stillborn" are a commentary on life and death, highlighting the uncertainties that humanity faces. The song suggests that death is a natural part of the human experience and that we may never truly understand what happens after we die.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm standing in the circle of humans
I am surrounded by other people, questioning the state of our humanity.
What have we become?
I am reflecting on the negative change in humanity.
I see the circles clean
I observe the purity of the surrounding circles.
I am unable to flee
Despite what I see, I cannot escape the current state of humanity.
This is the way it feels to die
I am experiencing metaphorical death and a spiritual awakening.
I have to search, the rest will follow
I need to find answers and others will soon follow suit.
There's nothing left but my soul so hollow
My soul is empty with nothing left to give.
I'm guessing to the never when on my way to my empty birth
I am floating towards nothingness, pondering my purpose.
I feel like a parasite!
I feel like I am taking from the world without giving back.
Will we ever see the universe?
I am questioning if humanity will ever gain a greater understanding of the universe.
It's a human curse!
The struggle for understanding the universe is a common problem among humans.
Final destination unknown
We do not know where we will ultimately end up in life.
This is the end, another beginning
The end of something marks a new beginning for us.
Like a part of me has died
I feel a sense of loss or death within myself.
I'm falling apart inside
My internal turmoil is breaking me down.
How can you decide?
I question how people make important decisions in life.
I swallow my pride, and the tears I've cried, will never tell the answers why!
I accept my mistakes and experience sadness, but it does not answer my deeper questions.
Tell me why!
I am begging for answers and understanding.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN ERLAND SWANOE, MIKAEL JOHAN HEDLUND, PETER ALF TAEGTGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind