The point of Lich King was to create new old-school thrash metal in the vein of Exodus, Vio-Lence, S.O.D., Slayer and others. Lots of bands in the new wave of thrash these days are doing just that, but they stand out. The band itself admits this.
Tom Martin started Lich King as a one-man project around 2004, as a goof. People seemed to like the music. Their first two albums were released as a solo project posing as an actual band. In 2009 Tom cannibalized a local thrash act called Ages Ago and formed Lich King as a true band for the first time.
They think the sound of thrash was perfected in the 80’s and they're not trying to add anything to the mix. They're coming up with riffs and songs that the old masters didn’t. Despite that fact and their best efforts, they seem to be developing a signature sound.
They have five full-length albums as of 2017. Each features fast, headbangable riffs in modern stomp anthems, a sometimes comedic yet always violent songwriting sensibility, art and design from the guy that writes the songs and does vocals, a marked step up in quality from the previous release, an awesome logo and a mascot.
...A mascot that is not affiliated with a video game.
Act of war
Lich King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Boiling from the cloud of us andthem
Hateful, assassins hurling thunder in the storm
Driven by the differences in men
Men
War is on, but never final
Lines are drawn, intangible but
Combatants, greedy, resharpen the scythe
Battle horn, the trumpet clearing
Cacophony of words
Oaths are sworn, and heads are taken
Bout is won but nothing has occurred
Bragging rights the spoils in a war of tiny men
When the dust begins to settle, the fight begins again
Pettiness a virtue, the badge of piss and pride
What you have created, it's a thrash crime
Harvesting rewards from the hours used in spite
Tearing out the throat of a fool because it's right
Obfuscate the meaning and re-educate the swine
Opinion is invalid, it's a thrash crime
Keening, the vultures on the body-littered earth
Picking at the carcasses of peers
Sated, each cackling a new line to the verse
Only half-attending what it hears
Wages cost, shame is crushing
Compounded by the din
All is lost, a head is hanging
Confidences shattered for his sin
Teeming sea, the colosseum
A circus for the dogs
Willingly, the victims enter
To take part in a violent dialogue
Bragging rights the spoils in a war of tiny men
When the dust begins to settle, the fight begins again
Pettiness a virtue, the badge of piss and pride
What you have created, it's a thrash crime
Harvesting rewards from the hours used in spite
Tearing out the throat of a fool because it's right
Obfuscate the meaning and re-educate the swine
Opinion is invalid, it's a thrash crime
It's a thrash crime
You are judged and sentenced to burn
Act of war (4x)
The lyrics of Lich King's song Act of War essentially talk about the brutality and futility of war. The song highlights the vicious cycle of war that never seems to end as people keep creating differences among themselves and fighting over them. The song describes the war-like situation as an ambulating swarm of faceless dissenters who are driven by their differences. The assassins hurling thunder in the storm represent the aggressors who cause pain and destruction during the war.
The lyrics further describe the aftermath of the war where the spoils of victory are nothing but bragging rights. The song calls out this pettiness and pride as virtues that lead to nothing but crime and destruction. The words suggest that people create meaning and re-educate the swine, and opinions are supposedly invalid. The violent dialogue that the victims of war engage in is like a circus for the dogs, where they become a part of the teeming sea of the colosseum. The song concludes with the powerful message that anyone who engages in an act of war will be judged and sentenced to burn.
In summary, the lyrics of Act of War depicts the mindlessness and viciousness of war. It highlights the futility of war, and the endless cycle of aggression, death, and destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Faceless, dissenters in an ambulating swarm
An anonymous group of objectors, moving around aimlessly
Boiling from the cloud of us and them
Arising from the division between different groups
Hateful, assassins hurling thunder in the storm
A group of violent attackers creating chaos and destruction
Driven by the differences in men
Motivated by the variations among individuals
War is on, but never final
Conflict is happening, but it is never truly resolved
The casualties survive
Those affected by the conflict continue to live, but suffer the consequences
Lines are drawn, intangible but
Boundaries are set, but they are not physically visible
Combatants, greedy, resharpen the scythe
Those in combat become more eager and sharpen their weapons
Battle horn, the trumpet clearing
The sound of the horn signifies the beginning of battle
Cacophony of words
The noise of many people speaking at once
Oaths are sworn, and heads are taken
People make promises, and some are executed
Bout is won but nothing has occurred
The battle is won, but no actual progress is made
Bragging rights the spoils in a war of tiny men
The only reward in this petty conflict is the right to boast
When the dust begins to settle, the fight begins again
As soon as one conflict is over, another begins
Pettiness a virtue, the badge of piss and pride
Small-mindedness is considered a positive quality
What you have created, it's a thrash crime
The creation of such chaos and destruction is considered reprehensible
Harvesting rewards from the hours used in spite
Gaining benefits from the time spent in malice towards others
Tearing out the throat of a fool because it's right
Killing someone considered foolish or unwise, despite it being morally wrong
Obfuscate the meaning and re-educate the swine
Distorting the truth and attempting to indoctrinate those who are ignorant
Opinion is invalid, it's a thrash crime
An opposing viewpoint is deemed unacceptable, leading to more chaos and destruction
Keening, the vultures on the body-littered earth
Vultures gather around the many corpses on the ground
Picking at the carcasses of peers
The vultures feed off of the remains of the people they once knew
Sated, each cackling a new line to the verse
The vultures are satisfied, and continue to add to the song of death
Only half-attending what it hears
The vultures are not paying full attention to the death around them
Wages cost, shame is crushing
The price paid for causing destruction weighs heavy on those responsible
Compounded by the din
The intensity of the situation adds to this burden of guilt
All is lost, a head is hanging
Everything is destroyed, and someone is left to face the consequences
Confidences shattered for his sin
The individual's reputation is destroyed due to their wrongdoing
Teeming sea, the colosseum
A vast crowd gathers in a place of spectacle
A circus for the dogs
An event put on for entertainment, regardless of the cost
Willingly, the victims enter
Those involved do so out of their own volition
To take part in a violent dialogue
To engage in a conversation that results in harm or destruction
It's a thrash crime
The creation and perpetuation of this chaos is a terrible crime of destruction
You are judged and sentenced to burn
The one responsible will face serious consequences for their actions
Act of war (4x)
This song is about the horrors and consequences of warfare
Contributed by Lucas L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.