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
Sky
Kingdom of Sorrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I suffocate on emptiness
I pray to be awoken from this nightmare
So many things I'll never say
So many wounds will never heal
Each breath is filled with overwhelming sorrow
In disbelief of what would never be
My only solace is knowing
Somehow your soul is finally free
So I'm screaming into the sky
Cause it's my only way to say goodbye
And I'm still asking for an answer why
Why I never got the chance to say goodbye
Now this is my only way to say to you
That I'm sorry for letting you slip away
I never thought I'd lose you forever
So now I tell the world
So many emotions rush to the surface
But I keep asking myself
Why it had to end like this
Why did it have to end like this
So I'm screaming into the sky
Cause it's my only way to say goodbye
And I'm still asking for an answer why
Why I never got the chance to say goodbye
In your honor I will live my life
Do the best that I can
And in your memory I will take this life for granted
Ever again
To say goodbye
The lyrics of Kingdom of Sorrow's song 'Screaming Into The Sky' are a haunting meditation on grief and loss. The singer opens with feelings of powerlessness and suffocation, which are quickly followed by a desire to be awoken from a nightmare. The weight of the singer's pain is evident in the lines, "Each breath is filled with overwhelming sorrow." The singer then turns his attention to the things left unsaid, the wounds that will never heal, and the disbelief that someone he loved was stolen from him. Although the singer takes solace in the idea that his loved one's soul is finally free, the underlying pain of not having had the chance to say goodbye remains.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer continues to scream into the sky, using it as his only way to say goodbye. He asks for answers, knowing that they will never come, and acknowledges that he will never know why he never got the chance to say goodbye. For the singer, this song becomes a way to make amends, to tell his loved one that he's sorry for letting them slip away, and to honor their memory by living his life to the fullest.
Overall, the lyrics of 'Screaming Into The Sky' are an emotional journey through the stages of grief. They capture the raw pain and confusion that come with losing someone you love and the desperate search for closure that follows.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel so powerless
I feel completely without strength or control
I suffocate on emptiness
The emptiness inside me is so overwhelming, it's suffocating
I pray to be awoken from this nightmare
I hope that one day I'll wake up and this pain will all just be a bad dream
So many things I'll never say
There are so many words I wish I had told you, but now it's too late
So many wounds will never heal
The pain of losing you will never completely go away, it's a wound that will always be with me
Each breath is filled with overwhelming sorrow
Every moment of every day is consumed by sadness and grief
In disbelief of how your life was stolen
I can't believe you're gone and it wasn't your time to go
In disbelief of what would never be
I can't imagine all the missed opportunities and experiences we'll never have together
My only solace is knowing
The only thing that brings me any comfort is the thought that you're finally at peace
Somehow your soul is finally free
I believe that your spirit has been released from the pain and suffering of this world
So I'm screaming into the sky
I'm shouting out into the world, expressing my grief and pain
Cause it's my only way to say goodbye
This is my final chance to say farewell and let go of my loved one
And I'm still asking for an answer why
I'm still struggling to understand why this happened and what it means
Why I never got the chance to say goodbye
Why was I robbed of the opportunity to say my final farewell?
Now this is my only way to say to you
This is my final message to you, my loved one, and it's the only way I can express it
That I'm sorry for letting you slip away
I regret not doing more to keep you in this world, and I'm sorry for any mistakes or shortcomings
I never thought I'd lose you forever
I always thought we'd have more time together, and I never imagined you'd be gone so soon
So now I tell the world
I want everyone to hear my story, to know what we shared and what we lost
So many emotions rush to the surface
My feelings are overwhelming and always close to the surface
But I keep asking myself
I can't help but wonder and question what happened and why
Why it had to end like this
Why did we have to say goodbye in this cruel and painful way?
In your honor I will live my life
I want to honor your memory by living my life to the fullest, never taking anything for granted
Do the best that I can
I'll strive every day to be the best person I can be, and to make you proud
And in your memory I will take this life for granted
I will never forget you, and I will never forget how precious life really is
Ever again
I won't make the mistake of letting life slip through my fingers without cherishing every moment
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind