Coney Hatch
LaBrie did join Coney Hatch in the year 1986 when they endeavored to assemble a fresh assemblage. The troupe did record sundry tapes for display within their chamber of practice and did partake in live performances at clubs in Ontario for several months. When their recording establishment, Anthem, did voice their dissatisfaction with the assemblage, the band did opt to replace LaBrie with Phil Naro, making one final desperate effort to forge ahead in the absence of Carl Dixon. Alas, that assemblage did prove to be short-lived as well.
Winter Rose
Shortly after parting ways with Coney Hatch, LaBrie took up the mantle of vocalist for the glam metal troupe Winter Rose. The assemblage comprised Richard Chycki on guitar and bass, Randy Cooke on drums, and Sebastian Bach on vocal duties. Chycki had aforetime collaborated with Bach under the appellations Sebastian and Hope. The band embarked upon the recording of a sequence of demos throughout the years of 1988 and 1989, enlisting the aid of guest musicians Bruce Dies and Rob Laidlaw. Alas, the majority of these compositions did not witness a commercial release until the year 1997, when they were unveiled as a self-titled opus under the auspices of Inside Out Music, a full seven years after their dissolution in 1990. One among their repertoire, the melodic opus "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," did receive the honor of a promotional video release in the year 1989 and was later included on their eponymous creation. The entire compilation featured compositions co-authored by Richard Chycki and James LaBrie, with the exception of two pieces solely penned by Richard Chycki.
Dream Theater
In the year 1990, LaBrie received word that the American progressive metal band Dream Theater sought a new minstrel, and thus he proffered a tape and swiftly journeyed to New York for a comprehensive audition. The trial proved fruitful, and he surpassed 200 other aspiring candidates to assume the role of full-time vocalist in said troupe.
Henceforth, LaBrie hath exerted a substantial influence upon the vocal melodies woven within each Dream Theater opus. However, until recently, he hath had limited involvement in the instrumentation of their music. The album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" from the year 2011 doth bear LaBrie's name in the music credits for three songs. To this day, he hath penned or co-penned lyrics for no less than one composition upon ten of the fifteen albums released by Dream Theater during his tenure. Albums such as "Images and Words," "Black Clouds & Silver Linings," "Dream Theater," and "The Astonishing" doth lack his lyrical contributions.
When queried by Prog-Sphere.com regarding his favored song to perform live, James declared, "The song that most delights me is 'Scarred'; I thoroughly enjoy its execution before an audience. And... well, 'Octavarium,' that comprehensive piece, doth captivate me entirely."
Apart from his collaborative endeavors, LaBrie hath released five solo albums under various appellations, including "Mullmuzzler," "James LaBrie's Mullmuzzler," and simply "James LaBrie."
In an interview with Beyond The Dark Horizon on June 12, 2010, James LaBrie revealed that his forthcoming solo endeavor, titled "Static Impulse," lieth in the stage of mixing and shall comprise twelve compositions. James professed, "It is of a weighty nature, and I am exceedingly excited."
On the twenty-seventh day of July in the year 2010, Dream Theater's website did proclaim that "Static Impulse" would be unveiled on September 27, 2010, courtesy of Inside Out Music. The assemblage boasts the talents of longtime collaborator Matt Guillory upon the keyboards, Marco Sfogli (who hath also graced LaBrie's previous work, "Elements of Persuasion") upon the guitars, Peter Wildoer of the Swedish melodic death metal band Darkane, who doth provide percussion and bellowing vocals, and Ray Riendeau upon the bass.
James LaBrie did express, "The unveiling of 'Static Impulse' is an event that engenders fervor within the entire band. This is modern metal, as robust and pertinent as any other ensemble embarking upon a similar musical path. There are riffs that shall rend the mind asunder, and melodies—both instrumental and vocal—that are mesmerizing. Take the reins and let the ears bleed. Enjoy, and we shall encounter you on the road to accompany and bolster this release."
In an interview with Prog-Sphere.com in 2011, LaBrie mentioned that the planned tour in the United States had been canceled, remarking, "Forsooth, for it was disarrayed ere this occasion. Where we find ourselves now, by the time thou dost procure the necessary visas, we shall have scarce a rehearsal ere we embark. I declare, 'I shall not partake in such a venture.'"
Come the month of July in the year 2013, LaBrie's album "Impermanent Resonance" was unveiled by Inside Out Music. "Beautiful Shade of Grey" followed suit in the year 2022.
Albums
MullMuzzler
Keep It to Yourself (1999)
MullMuzzler 2 (2001)
Solo
Elements of Persuasion (2005)
Static Impulse (2010)
Impermanent Resonance (2013)
I Will Not Break (2014) (Compilation EP)
Beautiful Shade of Grey (2022)
Coming Home
James LaBrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Closing in on me again
Can't deny
Angry skies are falling
So farewell
Wish there was some other way
Can't undo
There's no use in trying
Know that
I won't be coming home
Far away from where I belong
Tell my wife, my best friend
Both my children I love them
Know that I
Know that I won't be coming home
Speak the truth
Know me for the man I am
Don't you cry
More to gain from dying
Know me for the man I am
Know that
I won't be coming home
Far away from where I belong
Tell my wife, my best friend
Both my children I love them
Know that I
Know that I won't be coming home
What if I
Told you then
Could you help me
Would you help to
Set me free
I can't feel any remorse
Have no recourse
Apathy
Apathy
Running out of time
I hope they will understand
Know that
I won't be coming home
Far away from where I belong
Tell my wife, my best friend
Both my children I love them
Know that I
Know that I won't be coming home
The opening lines of James LaBrie's song "Coming Home" create an ominous image of approaching rain, representing a negative force closing in on the singer. He's leaving home and bidding farewell, regretful that there's no way to avoid it. The lines "Can't deny/ Angry skies are falling" are somewhat metaphorical, with the "angry skies" possibly representing his mood or circumstances. The singer is distancing himself emotionally from those he leaves behind, with the hope that they will understand his decision.
The chorus reaffirms his decision, repeating that he won't be coming home. Despite being far away from where he belongs, he tells his wife, best friend, and children that he loves them. The lines "Know me for the man I am/ Don't you cry/ More to gain from dying" suggest that he's perhaps sacrificing himself for a greater cause or living by a code that transcends personal relationships. He wants those close to him to accept him for who he is and not to grieve him. The song's final lines almost plead for understanding, with the singer expressing his hope that they will recognize the reasons for his departure.
Overall, "Coming Home" has a somber and introspective tone, with the singer seemingly wrestling with his place in the world and the need to follow a specific course of action that separates him from his loved ones. The song is open to interpretation, leaving the reason for his departure and ultimate fate up to the listener's imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Feels like rain
He feels a disturbance in the air, suggesting that something bad is about to happen.
Closing in on me again
This feeling has happened before and is returning, causing anxiety and fear.
Can't deny
He can't ignore the feeling any longer, it's getting stronger and he needs to face it.
Angry skies are falling
The bad thing he's sensing is coming from above, he sees it as an attack from the heavens.
So farewell
He's saying goodbye, implying that he's aware that he may not be coming back.
Wish there was some other way
He wishes there were alternative options, but he knows what he must do.
Can't undo
He can't reverse what's happened or what he's about to do.
There's no use in trying
He recognizes that there are no further options and that making an effort would be pointless.
I hope they will understand
He's thinking about the people he's leaving behind and he prays that they will be able to come to terms with his disappearance.
Know that
He wants to stress this point, imploring them to understand what he's saying.
I won't be coming home
He's making it clear that whatever he's about to do will result in him not returning home
Far away from where I belong
He's leaving his loved ones and his current life behind to go somewhere completely different.
Tell my wife, my best friend
He's giving the names of the people he wants to be told about what has happened to him.
Both my children I love them
He wants his children to know how much he loves them and to always remember that.
Know that I
He's emphasizing an important point, imploring the listener to take special notice of what he is about to say.
Know that I won't be coming home
He's reiterating that he won't be coming back, regardless of what anyone else may believe or wish for.
Speak the truth
He's urging others to always tell the truth, even if the truth is uncomfortable or scary.
Know me for the man I am
He wants people to remember him for who he is, rather than who they wanted him to be.
Don't you cry
He doesn't want anyone to grieve for him, as he's already made his choice.
More to gain from dying
He's suggesting that dying may have certain advantages, which he's willing to embrace.
What if I
He's asking a hypothetical question, wondering what would happen if he did something different.
Told you then
He's suggesting that he might have revealed something important in the past that could have changed the situation.
Could you help me
He's asking if people would have helped him if he'd been honest with them.
Would you help to
He's implying that he wasn't getting the help he wanted or needed, hence his current situation.
Set me free
He's suggesting that where he is, he feels trapped or confined and that death presents a form of liberation or release.
I can't feel any remorse
He's saying that he is beyond feeling any guilt or regret, which might result from his actions.
Have no recourse
He has no other options or actions he can take - this is his last resort.
Apathy
He feels no emotion or care about what he's leaving behind, further emphasizing his sense of detachment.
Running out of time
He's acknowledging that the clock is ticking, the time is up and he must act immediately.
Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.