In 2020, Mike Szuter would bring back the Szuters name and release Sugar. This album would have no involvement from anyone other than Mike, however.
Magna-Fi came together in Las Vegas NV in the year 2000. Founding members and brothers Mike and C.J. Szuter, both guitarists and vocalists, had played together since they were 10 and 11 years old. Growing up in a small town in Ohio, they played anywhere and everywhere in the Midwest, got close to a couple of record deals, but ultimately decided to move out West to be closer to LA (and more record deals). They chose Las Vegas so they wouldn’t have to actually live in LA (if you’ve ever spent some time in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas you’ll know why).
Raised on the music of Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest, they weren’t really sure what kind of music they wanted to make, except that it had to be LOUD and something you’d remember when the show or disc was over. As music changed, they assimilated all of the stuff they came across, bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and some other indie bands like Failure and Chavez, all loud and memorable.
They picked up the other half of the band in Las Vegas. Drummer Charlie Smaldino was recommended by Robbie Allen, Mike’s practically brother in law, as he had tried out for Robbie’s band, and although not the right fit for them (the 90’s act Candlebox), he was definitely the drummer for Magna-Fi. Loud and aggressive, and a veritable pit bull when it comes to accomplishing things, he drives the band musically as well as in all other aspects of getting the job done. Bassist and vocalist Rob Kley had played off and on with Charlie in Las Vegas. Being in bands his whole life, he showed the same type of drive and love for music as the rest of the guys and was a no brainer to complete the lineup.
Their first big break came in the form of a recording deal with indie label Gold Circle Records (famed for also making the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding), a deal engineered with the help of Las Vegas radio station Xtreme Radio. Gold Circle ultimately was better at promoting Hollywood Movies than Rock Music, and the week before Magna-Fi’s debut was to be released they folded their record label (insert mental picture of band drinking A LOT). The album the band made at that time was called Burn Out The Stars and was produced and mixed by producer Paul Lani, who worked with acts such as Megadeth and Enuff Z Nuff. They took this album and released it independently, continuing to perform in support of it all over the U.S., and with considerable help from former Gold Circle A&R man Mike Sikkas (who became the bands impromptu manager the moment the label disintegrated) managed to land another indie label deal with Phoenix based Aezra Records. Aezra signed the band and nationally released Burn Out The Stars in 2003, putting the band on the road for almost two years in support of the album (once again, insert mental picture of band drinking A LOT, but this time with smiles on their faces). For that two year period, the band cris-crossed the United States at least 5 times, starting out in a van in support of Fuel and Breaking Benjamin, then graduating to an RV when they scored a slot on the second stage of Ozzfest 2004, ultimately ending up in a tour bus in support of Sevendust early 2005. The bands they got to perform with along the way is a long list, covering a wide range of musical styles and they were all very loud and very memorable. During this time they got to hear themselves on the radio for the first time, having two singles chart in the #30s, the songs Where Did We Go Wrong and Down In It. They also got to be on the same bill as their long time favorites Cheap Trick and Judas Priest.
At the end of the road so to speak, they sat down with Aezra to plan the recording of the next album. Due to a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo they can’t disclose the ultimate reasons, but this conversation ended with the band and the label parting ways, and the band deciding to record their next album on their own. This also marked the exit of Mikes’ brother C.J. and the entrance of Magna-Fi guitarist and vocalist Chris Brady, another Las Vegas native and long time friend of the band. VerseChorusKillMe is the title of the new album, a record produced, recorded and mixed entirely by the band itself. It is all of the things they ever thought an album should be, and of course it is the two things they always thought an album should be, LOUD and MEMORABLE.
This Life
Magna-Fi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tried so long I forgot what I'm trying for.
My heart laid before.
All that I wanted is absent.
In the comfort of your arms.
I can shut it all out.
Let is grow cold.
Let it fall away.
Give me a reason, help me,
Help me wash it all away.
Help me wash it all away.
I've grown to hate this life.
Everything I can't make right.
All the promises that I've failed.
Every night and everywhere I am.
All the dreams I can't let go.
Everytime I thought I should've known.
Everything I can't make right.
Everything that made me hate this life.
In these waking hours.
Sleeping apprehension.
The heart still beats, the lips still speak.
But the wrods fall dry.
Dry and useless like a smile from a friend that you missed.
Shut it all out.
Let it grow cold.
Let it fall away again.
Give me a reason, tell me.
Tell me everything's gunna be alright.
Everythings gunna be alright.
I've grown to hate this life.
Everything I can't make right.
All the promises that I've failed.
Every night and everywhere I am.
All the dreams I can't let go.
Everytime I thought I should've known.
Everything I can't make right.
Everything that made me hate this life.
there's gunna be things you never knew.
Some things you can't get through.
There's some things you just don't do.
Some things you can'why get through.
Oh no...
Don't want to hate this life.
I've grown to hate this life.
Everything I can't make right.
All the promises that I've failed.
Every night and everywhere I am.
All the dreams I can't let go.
Everytime I thought I should've known.
Everything I can't make right.
Everything that made me hate this life...
life...
life...
Don't whanna hate this life...
life!...
life!!
The lyrics of the song "This Life" by Magna-Fi depict a person who is tired of trying to improve their life and has grown to hate it. The opening lines "Now I lay me down. Tried so long I forgot what I'm trying for. My heart laid before" suggest that the person has given up and feels defeated. The phrase "All that I wanted is absent" indicates that the person is dissatisfied with their life and has not achieved what they aimed for. However, the comforting embrace of the singer's loved one provides a moment of respite in which they can "shut it all out" and escape their problems.
The chorus "I've grown to hate this life. Everything I can't make right" reinforces the feeling of hopelessness that the person is experiencing. They feel like they have failed to keep the promises they made to themselves and face disillusionment with their life. The phrase "Everything that made me hate this life" is the culmination of the experience of intense disappointment that is projected throughout the lyrics. The singer pleads for someone to "give me a reason, help me" to find a way to remove the feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I lay me down.
I'm feeling really worn out and tired. It's like I'm putting myself to bed, but I'm not really sure why.
Tried so long I forgot what I'm trying for.
I've been working at something for so long that I've lost sight of why I started in the first place.
My heart laid before.
My emotions are all out in the open, and I feel really exposed.
All that I wanted is absent.
I feel like I've been chasing after something that I can't seem to catch.
In the comfort of your arms.
When I'm with you, I feel safe and protected. You're like a refuge from all the chaos around me.
I can shut it all out.
When I'm with you, the world fades away and I can just focus on being in the moment with you. It's like a mental escape.
Let is grow cold.
I'm ready to let go of something that was once important to me. I'm ready to move on and stop trying so hard.
Let it fall away.
I'm willing to let go of something that was once meaningful to me. It's time to release it and move on.
Give me a reason, help me,
I need some kind of motivation or justification to keep going. I'm looking for support from someone or something.
Help me wash it all away.
I want to wash away all the negativity and stress that's been weighing on me. I need to start fresh and feel renewed.
I've grown to hate this life.
I'm so sick of the way things are. I'm tired of feeling stuck and trapped, and I'm ready for a change.
Everything I can't make right.
There are so many things that I've messed up, and I don't know how to fix them. I feel like I'm constantly failing.
All the promises that I've failed.
I've made a lot of promises that I haven't been able to keep. I feel like I'm letting everyone down.
Every night and everywhere I am.
No matter where I go or what I'm doing, I can't escape these feelings of inadequacy and failure. They follow me everywhere.
All the dreams I can't let go.
I'm holding onto dreams that are unrealistic or unattainable. I can't seem to let them go, even though they're causing me pain.
Everytime I thought I should've known.
There have been moments where I feel like I should have seen things coming or prevented something from happening, but I didn't.
In these waking hours.
When I'm awake and trying to face the day, everything feels overwhelming and exhausting.
Sleeping apprehension.
Even when I'm asleep, I'm worried or anxious. There's no rest from my troubles.
The heart still beats, the lips still speak.
Even though I'm struggling, I'm still alive and trying to communicate with those around me.
But the words fall dry.
Despite my efforts, my words feel empty or useless. I can't express myself effectively.
Dry and useless like a smile from a friend that you missed.
The support or affection that others try to show me feels hollow and unsatisfying. It's like I'm not able to accept their love or help.
Give me a reason, tell me.
I'm still searching for something to motivate me or give me hope. I want to believe that things will get better.
Tell me everything's gunna be alright.
I need assurance that things will work out in the end. Otherwise, I don't know how to keep moving forward.
There's gunna be things you never knew.
Life is unpredictable, and there will always be surprises or challenges that we couldn't have anticipated.
Some things you can't get through.
No matter how hard we try, some obstacles will be too much to overcome. We have to accept our limitations.
There's some things you just don't do.
There are certain things that are morally or ethically unacceptable. We have to resist the urge to take shortcuts or ignore our values.
Some things you can't get through.
No matter how hard we try, some obstacles will be too much to overcome. We have to accept our limitations.
Oh no...
I'm feeling hopeless and discouraged in this moment.
Don't want to hate this life.
Despite everything, I still have a sliver of hope that things can change. I don't want to resign myself to a life that feels unbearable.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bornkiller-ip4nl
I love this music
@parcival3016
this song describes me
@goodjob3477
This song is relatable.
@ethanmueller1016
Literally 12k views, how this is so fucking good
@bup6340
Reminds me of Nickelback in some passages. But in a good way.
@iaincondit8117
How to Practice the Song This Life from Magna-Fi For My Guitar Tab
@classclown6ya
I suggest watching the live version and observing where he places his fingers, as there is no tab currently.
@mightbeanerd
Yo did you ever figure out how to play the song nothing I do sounds right
@jeamsis
Does anyone know why this album isn’t on magna-fi’s Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube channel? Isn’t this their first album?
@maximo9144
Idk, It's weird, the only track available from this album on spotify is Bradbury Heights, and you have to search for it by name, because it doesn't appear on his profile