<… Read Full Bio ↴Link 80 was a punk rock/ska punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Link 80 started in early 1994 in the famous East Bay of California. In the beginning, original members (guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, drummer Joey Bustos, bassist Adam Pereria and singer Jeff Acree) played around town as Drano, The Rag-Tags, and Mr. Slave-Unit, before settling on Link 80.
The name came from the interstate highway I-80 which they used to get to the drummer's garage for band practice and connected the band members' homes.
In July 1995, Nick Traina joined the band after meeting Adam at a show in San Francisco's Mission District. Nick's passion and voice combined with the rest of the band to make them different from most ska bands and gave Link 80 the "against the rest" attitude they display throughout their lyrics. Far more punk than ska and with an energy and a sense of immediacy lacking in pop-oriented ska bands, Link 80 was able to avoid the clichés of ska-punk characterized by their peers. As Asian Man Records describes them, they are an energetic blend of ska, punk rock, and hardcore.
After some demos, split EPs, complilation releases, "17 Reasons" and "Killing Katie" (both on Asian Man Records) Nick left Link 80 and started another band called Knowledge. Knowledge released one record on Asian Man Records named "A Gift Before I Go". Shortly thereafter Nick Traina committed suicide, at the age of 19... Ryan Noble took over as lead singer of Link 80 and released "The Struggle Continues," as well as some split EPs.
In 2002, the band consisting of Adam Davis, Aaron Nagel, Steve Borth, Joey Bustos, Barry Krippene, and singer Ryan Noble went on hiatus. Steve Borth would join Rx Bandits, before forming his own band Satori in 2006. The remaining Link 80 members would form DESA. They have since maintained that Link 80 would return, but for now they are focused on their respective projects.
Joey and Ryan are now in The Soft White Sixties. Matt formed a band called Dolores (with Nick's brother Todd Traina) and is a member of the comedy trio Chad, Matt & Rob. Aaron runs Two Twenty Two Design Studio and is an artist whose work can be seen on the covers of The Resignation and ...And the Battle Begun. Adam Pereria played with Thought Crime after leaving Link 80.
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Harvester of Sorrow
Link 80 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Planting the seeds of hate
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give
You take
This life that I forsake
You turned this lie to truth
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Pure black looking clear
My work is done soon here
Try getting back to me
Get back what used to be
Drink up
Shoot in
Let the beatings begin
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
To see into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
Infanticide
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Link 80's song "Harvester of Sorrow" is a dark and heavy composition that talks about themes of anger, misery, and revenge. The lyrics express the feelings of suffocation and hate in the singer's life. He feels trapped beyond his fate, consumed by anger, and cheated of his youth. However, he seems to have found a way out of his misery through vengeance. The words "Harvester of sorrow" and "Language of the mad" suggest that he has embraced his dark side and become a destroyer of lives. The use of words like "infanticide" intensifies the grim tone of the song, adding to its ominous implications.
The lyrics also reflect various struggles that people face in life, from love turning into hate to the sorrow of losing one's innocence. The line "you turned this lie to truth" denotes the manipulation and betrayal that often occur in life. The singer feels like a victim of circumstance and wants to take revenge on those who have wronged him. With lines like "drink up, shoot in, let the beatings begin," the singer seems to derive pleasure from inflicting pain on others, suggesting a sense of sadism. The song's heavy sound and bold lyrics perfectly capture the emotions of a person on the edge of sanity.
Line by Line Meaning
My life suffocates
I feel trapped and overwhelmed.
Planting the seeds of hate
I am cultivating anger and resentment.
I've loved, turned to hate
I once had positive feelings towards you, but now I despise you.
Trapped far beyond my fate
I'm stuck in a situation that seems predetermined.
I give
I've sacrificed everything.
You take
You've exploited my generosity.
This life that I forsake
I'm giving up on the life I've been living.
Been cheated of my youth
I feel like I've been robbed of my early years.
You turned this lie to truth
You manipulated reality until it fit your narrative.
Anger
I am full of rage.
Misery
I am consumed by sadness.
You'll suffer unto me
You will face the consequences of your actions.
Harvester of sorrow
I am a collector of pain and suffering.
Language of the mad
The things I say and do are the product of insanity.
Pure black looking clear
My vision is becoming clearer and more focused.
My work is done soon here
I am almost finished with what I set out to do.
Try getting back to me
Good luck trying to reconnect with me.
Get back what used to be
You'll never be able to recover what we once had.
Drink up
Take the substance I'm offering you.
Shoot in
Inject the drug into your system.
Let the beatings begin
I'm going to hurt you now.
Distributor of pain
I am the source of agony.
Your loss becomes my gain
I benefit from your suffering.
All have said their prayers
My victims have come to terms with their deaths.
Invade their nightmares
My presence haunts their dreams.
To see into my eyes
To truly know me.
You'll find where murder lies
You'll see that I am capable of unspeakable violence.
Infanticide
I am willing to kill children.
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Christian's Pastrana
My life suffocates
Planting the seeds of hate
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give
You take
This life that I forsake
Been cheated of my youth
You turned this lie to truth
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Pure black looking clear
My work is done soon here
Try getting back to me
Get back what used to be
Drink up
Shoot in
Let the beatings begin
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
To see into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
Riyan Permadi
You simply can't "un"metal this song
Christian's Pastrana
My life suffocates
Planting the seeds of hate
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give
You take
This life that I forsake
Been cheated of my youth
You turned this lie to truth
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Pure black looking clear
My work is done soon here
Try getting back to me
Get back what used to be
Drink up
Shoot in
Let the beatings begin
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
To see into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
chilliam00
You may not like it but I love how a ska band added Hardcore punk vibes to a Thrash Metal song. It's like crossover thrash in reverse? 🤔 But with Trumpets 🎺
Han Kami
Ai sim!!!
Tommy Urnorm
TRUMPETALLICA
Steel 74
"Ska goes metal"
Isabella Rodriguez
one of my fave covers
Anthony Grassa
ok come on guys its a sick take on a classic song!
Carmelo Guidetti
eccezionaleeeeeeeeee
Pascal Petermann
Next Month: 'punk goes 1000 degree knife'