One of the most critically acclaimed bands in metal and undoubtedly one of its hardest-working, INTO ETERNITY borrows from all aspects of heavy music to form the perfect blend of technicality, memorable songwriting, traditional heavy metal and the sheer savagery of metal's extreme genres.
INTO ETERNITY's first concept album, "The Incurable Tragedy", also marked the first recording effort with new members Justin Bender (guitars) and Steve Bolognese (drums). This offering was inspired by the deaths of Roth's two best friends, brothers who succumbed to cancer within two months of one another. To make matters worse, when the band began demoing new material shortly after the completion of the Scattering tour - a star-making year of shows that saw the band perform alongside such internationally renowned acts as Dream Theater, Lamb of God, Megadeth, Opeth, Arch Enemy, The Haunted and Dark Tranquillity - Roth's father was diagnosed with cancer as well. Showing no mercy, the disease claimed his life last year, just 10 days before Christmas.
"The Incurable Tragedy" features a slew of tracks with the band’s trademarked heavy grooves, stop-on-a-dime time changes, reflective lyrics, memorable choruses, shredding solos, and vocals that range from guttural growls to soaring harmonies. This album proves to be the perfect cure for those suffering from a lack of progressive metal perfection and is sure to rank upon many top ten year end lists.
Torn
Into Eternity Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
reassuring wondering
look to the sky
cleansing suffering
cleaning all wounds
nailed to the cross
life drifting away
crown of thorns
sands of time slipping away
torn
torn apart
skies are blackening
mind is wondering
withdraw all emotion
lost helpless
thoughts begin to sway
The song "Torn in Two" by Into Eternity is a poignant and emotional examination of suffering and loss. The lyrics begin with a call to "look to the sky," which can be interpreted as seeking guidance or comfort in times of distress. The second line suggests that this act of looking upward is both reassuring and wondering, indicating a sense of awe or even confusion in the face of whatever is causing the singer's pain.
The next lines suggest that the sky itself is a source of cleansing or purification, as if the very act of gazing upward is enough to begin the process of healing. The image of wounds being cleaned is a powerful one, implying that the singer has been through something deeply traumatic or painful.
The song then shifts into imagery of Christ's crucifixion, with the line "nailed to the cross" evoking a sense of intense physical agony. The metaphorical language continues with the line "life drifting away," suggesting that the singer is at the brink of death. The "crown of thorns" are another biblical reference, and the "sands of time slipping away" suggest that the singer is aware that their time on earth may be drawing to a close.
The chorus then repeats the title phrase "torn in two," emphasizing the idea that the singer's pain has left them shattered and broken. The final lines of the song describe a mind blackening and thoughts swaying, indicating a sense of confusion or even madness caused by the intensity of the suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
look to the sky
Gazing above, hoping for comfort and clarity
reassuring wondering
Seeking answers while seeking solace
look to the sky
Finding peace and purification up high
cleansing suffering
Purifying the soul through the pain
cleaning all wounds
Healing all inflicted wounds and scars
nailed to the cross
Forsaken and punished for a greater cause
life drifting away
Slowly departing from the world of the living
ripped apart from the inside
Breaking apart from within, in agony
crown of thorns
A symbol of excruciating pain and humiliation
sands of time slipping away
Moments slipping away like grains of sand in an hourglass
torn
Ripped apart from oneself and the world
torn apart
Shredded into pieces by inner turmoil
skies are blackening
The world is turning darker, greyer, more solemn
mind is wondering
Lost in thought, battling inner demons
withdraw all emotion
Closing oneself off from the emotional world
lost helpless
Feeling directionless and powerless in the face of suffering
thoughts begin to sway
Uncertainty and chaos take over the mind
Contributed by Natalie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.