Poetic Justice was their most successful album, which hit the streets in January of 1992. Fueled by the hit single, "True Believer" and followed by their cover of the Badfinger classic, "No Matter What", Poetic Justice reached the upper 100 of the Billboard album charts. The bands first album, on MCA Records, was produced by Ratts's Robbin Crosby in 1988.
The band disbanded in 1995, and re-united in 1999. However, Fall 2004 brought the resignation of vocalist Ron Taylor and the introduction of new vocalist Derrick LeFevre. In May 2006 Darrin DeLatte decided to leave and commit himself full-time to his band Lowside. Replacing him was bassist Eric Morris.
After several line-up changes, the band recruited as lead vocalist Derrick LeFevre, who appeared on Waters Rising (2007), Sad Day on Planet Earth (2009) and Deep Red Shadows (2010). On June 23, 2010, Ronny Munroe, formerly of Metal Church, replaced LeFevre, but he departed four months later before recording any material with the band. On March 7, 2011 Munroe was replaced by Brian C. Jones, who can be heard on the album XI The Days Before Tomorrow (2012).
In 2010, Lillian Axe was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, as the first hard rock band to be inducted. In 2011 it was announced that the original lineup of Steve Blaze, Johnny Vines, Danny King and Michael "Maxx" Darby would reunite to record an album of classic unreleased songs from the band's early days. The project, entitled Circle of Light, was named for one those early songs. The album was released in 2012. Lillian Axe released One Night in the Temple, an acoustic live album, early in 2014.
On November 29, 2014, former guitarist Jon Ster died from heart failure at the age of 52.
On January 12, 2017 Lillian Axe received the 2017 Jackson Indie Music Week Icon Award at Duling Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. On June 4, 2017, Steve Blaze announced that the band was recording a new song entitled "The Weeping Moon", which was to be featured on the album The Forgotten Art of Melancholy. According to Blaze, the album would feature "the best of the epic ballads" and was scheduled to be released in the fall of 2017.
On November 30, 2018 Steve Blaze announced the next Lillian Axe album is in the works, tentatively entitled From Womb to Tomb, and it will be in large part an autobiographical work. Blaze also states the album will feature "strings, piano, big vocals" and describes it as a "celebration type record - of life - good and bad." The album, however, was not released until August 19, 2022.
On February 13, 2020, Steve Blaze announced that Lillian Axe were amicably parting ways with lead vocalist Brian Jones. The announcement also stated that Jones would still be a part of the Lillian Axe family in many capacities, and Blaze wished Jones luck in his solo career. On February 21, 2020, Blaze announced the new singer would be Brent Graham. Graham was the original vocalist for Blaze's side project "Sledgehammer," and vocalist of the New Orleans-based band Supercharger.
In September 2021, Lillian Axe announced that they had signed to the newly-formed label Global Rock Records, and had started recording their first studio album in nearly a decade, entitled From Womb to Tomb. In October 2021, the entire Lillian Axe catalogue (with the exception of the first 2 records on MCA) were re-released on all digital formats worldwide by Global Rock. On November5, 2021 Steve Blaze was inducted for the second time into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions as a guitarist and songwriter.
August of 2022 saw new horizons for Lillian Axe and an influx of fans old and new. The band performed and continues to perform at many huge festivals across the Unites States and embarked on their first UK tour in decades. The band currently consists of Steve Blaze - band founder, songwriter and lead guitarist, Brent Graham - lead vocals, Sam Poitevent - guitar, Michael Maxx Darby - Bass, and Wayne Stokley - drums.
Steve describes the band's latest effort, "From Womb to Tomb" as his personal opus. Stating the effort would be best listened to in one sitting, as it brings you on a journey through life - from birth to ascention - and is based on life lessons he has experienced. The band recorded a video for "I Am Beyond" and is currently on tour.
Discography
1988 Lillian Axe — MCA
1989 Love + War — MCA
1992 Poetic Justice - I.R.S. Records
1993 Psychoschizophrenia - I.R.S. Records
1999 Fields of Yesterday - Z Records
2007 Waters Rising — Locomotive Records
2009 Sad Day on Planet Earth — Blistering Records
2010 Deep Red Shadows — Love and War Records
2012 XI The Days Before Tomorrow - AFM Records
2022 From Womb to Tomb - Global Rock Records
Promised Land
Lillian Axe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And every moment I'm awake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Now as I walk down this winding road,
I need you to lighten the load.
Hey, now, take my hand;
One cold December so long ago,
We watched the snow cling to the trees.
Your lips were so warm as you kissed my hand
We would have sailed the seven seas.
But when you walked away,
Said you could not stay,
And love lay dying like a wounded dove.
But if you come back now,
I will take your hand
And lead you to the Promised Land.
Are you feeling lonely? Do you need a friend?
Well, is the pain too much to stand?
The seeds of love are sown inside
And the memories of our lives will guide our hand.
So as you fly away
I will sing the day
And meet you in the Promised Land.
Take my hand to the Promised Land.
But when you walked away,
Said you could not stay,
And love lay bleeding like a wounded dove.
But if it needs to be
Then I will set you free.
And meet you in the Promised Land.
Take my hand to the Promised Land.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And every moment I'm awake
I pray the Lord your soul to take.
The Promised Land by Lillian Axe is a song that seems to speak about the journey of a man walking down the winding road of life, and who has been facing many trials and tribulations. The song starts with what seems to be a prayer before bedtime, as the singer laments about his soul, and prays the Lord would keep it. However, even in his moments of wakefulness, he prays the Lord to take his soul. This shows that the singer is in a state of deep contemplation about the meaning of his life, and what his ultimate fate would be.
The singer seems to talk about a relationship that once was, as he reflects on a cold December day when he and his lover watched the snow cling to the trees. The memory of that moment is still vivid in his mind, and he remembers how his lover's lips were warm as they kissed his hand. However, that love did not last long, as she had to walk away, and left him behind. He talks about how their love lay dying like a wounded dove, but he still longs for her to come back to him, as he promises to take her hand and lead her to the Promised Land.
The Promised Land refers to a place of happiness, contentment, and fulfillment that the singer believes he can find with his lover. He encourages her to take his hand, as they journey together towards that place where their love will be fully realized. The song speaks about the pain and loneliness that we all go through at some point in our lives, but it also provides a message of hope and redemption, as we keep moving forward towards that place where we hope to find our true purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I lay me down to sleep
As I prepare to rest for the night, I express my intention to the Lord to keep my soul safe.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
I humbly request that the Lord protect my soul from any harm or danger while I slumber.
And every moment I'm awake
Throughout every waking hour, I ask for divine guidance and protection.
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
In the event of my departure from this life, I ask that the Lord take my soul into his kingdom.
Now as I walk down this winding road,
As I journey through the twists and turns of life's path,
I need you to lighten the load.
I require your support to ease the burden of life's challenges.
Hey, now, take my hand;
I invite you to join me on this journey and trust me to guide you through it.
I'll lead you to the Promised Land.
I will show you a place of peace, happiness, and fulfillment.
One cold December so long ago,
In the distant past, during a chilly month of December,
We watched the snow cling to the trees.
We observed the snowflakes adhere to the tree branches.
Your lips were so warm as you kissed my hand
Your affectionate kiss of my hand imparted a comforting sense of warmth.
We would have sailed the seven seas.
We fantasized about embarking on adventures and travels around the world.
But when you walked away,
However, when you left my side,
Said you could not stay,
Confessing that you could not remain with me,
And love lay dying like a wounded dove.
Our love felt as though it was dying, spiritually wounded and struggling for survival.
But if you come back now,
Yet, if you decided to return at this moment,
I will take your hand
I would reach for your hand
And lead you to the Promised Land.
And promise to show you the way to reach a positive and secure future.
Are you feeling lonely? Do you need a friend?
Are you in search of companionship and feeling lost or isolated?
Well, is the pain too much to stand?
Is your emotional suffering too much to bear alone?
The seeds of love are sown inside
Love is an enduring trait that is deeply ingrained within us
And the memories of our lives will guide our hand.
The recollection of cherished moments can act as a beacon of guidance during difficult times.
So as you fly away
As you depart from my vicinity
I will sing the day
I shall celebrate the joyful memories of our shared moments
And meet you in the Promised Land.
And anticipate a reunion in a peaceful and uplifting state of existence.
But if it needs to be
If this is required for our growth and fulfillment,
Then I will set you free.
I will release you and allow you the freedom to follow your life's path.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
As I prepare for slumber,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
I pray that my soul remains under his divine guidance and protection during my rest.
And every moment I'm awake
During every waking moment
I pray the Lord your soul to take.
I humbly ask the Lord to guide your soul and watch over you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVIE BLAZE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thejeffrandallproject6470
Such a great song, I remember playing this cassette repeatedly in my car stereo. It was their best album, needed to be released a few years earlier or 10 years later and it would have done a lot better in sales.
@boqueronsocarrao696
How this band didn't manage to sell millions of records is beyond my comprehension.
@josephrocco5684
They got lost in the shuffle of the Glam-metal genre! Stevie Blaze learned how to play classical music and it shows in the music!
@anthonybryant3038
This band deserved so much more.
@ladystrange4769
This is one of my top 10 favorite albums-band-songs ever
@tuffpoison
この曲は、隠れた名曲であり埋まらせるのは勿体無い曲。(/；ω；＼)
@shimo8640
同感。
この曲に出会って30年になるが、未だにこれを超えるバラードに出会えない。。
@boqueronsocarrao696
Yeah, bro
@jesusalfredojimenez3476
Una joya de Disco
@stephanemayer6971
Magnifique chanson qui me fait reculer 27ans en arrière