Boasting a line up that includes members of such influential metal bands as… Read Full Bio ↴Boasting a line up that includes members of such influential metal bands as HATEBREED, DOWN, CROWBAR, and more, Kingdom of Sorrow has arrived to stake its claim as the band that lives up to its super group status.

The seeds of Kingdom of Sorrow were sown over a decade ago when a 16 year old Hatebreed front man (and avid Crowbar fan) Jamey Jasta introduced himself to Down / Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein at a show at Pearl Street in Northampton, Massachusetts.

A short time later Jasta, who actively booked shows throughout New England in the early nineties, put up the cash for an Napalm Death / Crowbar show in order that Hatebreed could play with one of his favorite bands. Ever since, the two have remained in close contact and become the best of friends over the subsequent decade.

Jasta and Hatebreed invited Crowbar out for a UK run of dates in March 2005. It was there that the two friends decided to combine forces on a band based on their mutual affinity for the hallmarks of the genre (BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, PANTERA) and their history of writing some of the heaviest hitting metal of the past fifteen years.

The duo holed-up in Silver Bullet Studios in Connecticut in May 2005 and once again when Kirk relocated post-Katrina to write and assemble what would become the very first Kingdom of Sorrow album. The first taste of the untitled project surfaced in the form of the epic track “Buried in Black” on Roadrunner Records,’MTV2 Headbangers Ball: The Revenge’ compilation (released April 2006).

“Buried in Black” combined two of metal’s most recognizable styles into one crushing, morose display of metal brilliance. The lead-heavy riffs captured by Zeuss (Hatebreed, SHADOWS FALL, MUNICIPAL WASTE) that closed the compilation cleared the deck of the bands before it, and were a call to arms of what is sure to be one of the genre’s most celebrated new bands. It wasn’t long before “Buried in Black” appeared on metal radio shows the world over and became a staple on Sirius’ “Hard Attack”.

While the writing flowed fast, progress was slow due to the pair’s commitments to their main bands that wrote, released, and toured extensively, on new records through 2006 and 2007. Songs were deconstructed, reconstructed, written and recorded again in Planet Z Studios (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, etc.) with Zeuss until the duo was completely satisfied with the outcome. Jasta commented on the writing process, “It really was probably the best time I've ever had in the studio. As far as creatively...it was such a liberating thing. We felt like, "It's a new band. It doesn't matter what anybody thinks." We're just doing it because we want to do it. So it was a totally genuine and pure creative process."

Kingdom Of Sorrow inked a deal with Relapse Records in fall 2007 and began plans to unveil the record they’d spent the better part of two years creating.

On their long-awaited debut album Kingdom Of Sorrow (due February 19 in North America, February 25th internationally) lays down an 11 track barrage of some of the heaviest and most muscular metal in years. Tracks such as "Lead into Demise", "Demon Eyes (Demonized)", "Lead the Ghosts Astray" are as memorable as they are heavy, while the haunting "Screaming At the Sky" and “Free the Fallen” show a new side to these often-copied, yet never duplicated metal luminaries. Kingdom Of Sorrow is the incredible next step in the illustrious careers of two of metal’s most-celebrated heavyweights.

In early 2008, Jasta and Windstein assembled the first full lineup for the bands upcoming live debut. In addition to Jasta (Vocals) and Windstein (Guitar, Vocals), Kingdom Of Sorrow is completed by former BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Steve Gibb, SEEMLESS drummer Derek Kerswell, and bassist Matthew Brunson. The quintet will step out on its first dates on a short Northeast US Tour in March, before announcing world tour plans for the coming months.

Kingdom Of Sorrow is:
Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed, ICEPICK) – Vocals and principal songwriter
Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down) – Guitar, Vocals and principal songwriter

New Orleans

LifeTime
Kingdom of Sorrow Lyrics

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Grieve
Grieve once and grieve a lifetime
Grieve
Grieve once and grieve a lifetime

Repenting for my hopes
I've sinned and masked my fears
Unwavering ability

To accept my frozen destiny

Grieve,give me the strength
Grieve,give me the hope

Grieve
Grieve once and grieve a lifetime
Grieve
Grieve once and grieve a lifetime

A carcass with a heartbeat
This is no answer within
I have lived in a hole of suffocation
Caged by my own doubt
Again and again

Grieving a lifetime of misery
A lifeless memory

Grieve the memory
See this crushing me
See what's left of me

Grieve the memory
See this crushing me
See what's left of me

A lifeless memory
A lifetime of misery

See this crushing me
Now bury what's left of me

Overall Meaning

The song "Grieve of a Lifetime" by Kingdom of Sorrow deals with the theme of grief and how it can consume a person's entire life. The lyrics suggest that grieving is not just a one-time act, but rather a process that goes on for a lifetime. The first two lines of the chorus, which are repeated throughout the song, convey this idea: "Grieve once and grieve a lifetime / Grieve once and grieve a lifetime."

The verse talks about repenting for one's hopes and masking one's fears, indicating that the singer of the song has been living a life of self-deception. Despite this, they possess an unwavering ability to accept their destiny, even if it's frozen. The chorus then repeats, this time with the added lines "Grieve, give me the strength / Grieve, give me the hope", implying that the singer is seeking some sort of redemption or escape from their grief.

The second verse refers to the singer as a "carcass with a heartbeat", further emphasizing their sense of emptiness and lack of purpose. They've been living in a hole of suffocation, unable to break free from their own doubts. The bridge-like section of the song adds to the sense of despair with the lines "A lifeless memory / A lifetime of misery / See this crushing me / Now bury what's left of me."

Overall, "Grieve of a Lifetime" is a somber and melancholic song that explores the pain and weight of never-ending grief.

Line by Line Meaning

Grieve
Express your sadness and sorrow

Grieve once and grieve a lifetime
The pain of grief can last a lifetime

Repenting for my hopes
Feeling regretful for my desires

I've sinned and masked my fears
I have made mistakes and hidden my anxieties

Unwavering ability
Steadfast determination

To accept my frozen destiny
To acknowledge and come to terms with my unchanging fate

Grieve,give me the strength
Asking for the emotional power to mourn

Grieve,give me the hope
Asking for a glimpse of optimism in a time of mourning

A carcass with a heartbeat
Alive but feeling dead inside

This is no answer within
There is no solution to be found inside of me