Its sequel, 1992's Retribution, was just as strong, featuring two new members added from Solstice -- guitarist Rob Barrett (who replaced Juskiewicz) and drummer Alex Marquez. Barrett and Marquez were replaced by John Rubin (who had been in a very early lineup of the band) and "Crazy" Larry Hawke for 1993's Stillborn, which disappointed many of the group's faithful and signaled an acrimonious end to their relationship with Roadrunner.
Those label difficulties nearly broke the band apart, but they eventually resurfaced on Pavement Music with a more progressive, technical approach and an even more revamped lineup on 1995's Eternal. Hoffmann was gone, with the vocals now handled by bassist Blachowicz, while guitarists Fasciana and Rubin were joined by ex-Suffocation drummer Dave Culross. The remixes/outtakes/demos collection Joe Black appeared in 1996, followed the next year by In Cold Blood, which featured guitarist John Paul Soars taking Rubin's place, and drummer Derik Roddy replacing Culross.
For 1998's The Fine Art of Murder, Fasciana (now doubling on keyboards) brought vocalist Hoffmann, guitarist Barret, and drummer Culross back to the fold, along with new bassist Gordon Simms. The Pavement label retrospective, Manifestation, appeared in 2000, followed towards the end of the year by the all-new Envenomed. The sequel to Envenomed came out two years later, followed a few months later by drummer Justin DiPinto's last album with the group, The Will to Kill.
Enslaved
Malevolent Creation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Decayed rotten stench
Casualties are sent down
Nightmare has begun
Lambs to the slaughter
Waiting to die
Your land infested
Last day alive
Don't want to die
Unknown reason
Your race enslaved
Anger, hatred, brings out your savagery
Soldiers, bred to fight, conquer, dominate
Achive nothing when you try to resist
Perished are your rights,they mean nothing true
Lies
Leaders inhuman
Wearing your skin
Hours of torture
Off with your head
Leaders inhuman
Wearing your skin
Hours of torture
Off with your head
Darkened
Killer elite
Last day alone
Race enslaved
The lyrics of Malevolent Creation's song Enslaved paint a vivid picture of a dystopian society where people have been enslaved and subjected to oppression from their rulers. The imagery used in the opening lines is dark and graphic. The "darkened forms" surrounding the singer are representative of the evil forces that are manipulating and exploiting them. The "decayed rotten stench" is a metaphor for the corrupt decay that has infected society.
The lyrics take a gruesome turn in the next few lines, with the reference to "lambs to the slaughter" and the "killer elite". The suggestion is that the rulers are psychopathic killers who take pleasure in the pain and suffering of others. The "last day alive" is a reference to the inevitability of death in such a society. The chorus speaks of the anger and hatred that has developed due to the oppression of the people. The reference to "soldiers bred to fight, conquer, dominate" is an indictment of the military-industrial complex that prospers on the back of war and conflict.
The bridge of the song is particularly interesting. The lyrics speak of the futility of resistance and how one's rights are meaningless in such a society. The use of the word "lies" is significant as it suggests that the propaganda the rulers use to maintain their grip on power is false and misleading. The second verse is similar to the first, but the imagery is even more graphic. The idea of "leaders wearing your skin" is particularly disturbing, as it suggests that the rulers see the people they oppress as nothing more than a resource to be exploited.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkened forms surround you
You are surrounded by evil beings
Decayed rotten stench
The smell of rot and decay is everywhere
Casualties are sent down
People are dying
Nightmare has begun
A terrible ordeal has started
Lambs to the slaughter
Innocent victims who are about to be killed
Waiting to die
Helpless in the face of death
Your land infested
Your home is taken over by an evil force
Killer elite
Elite forces bred for killing
Last day alive
The final day of existence
Don't want to die
Fears of death
Unknown reason
No clear explanation
Your race enslaved
Your people are under the control of others
Anger, hatred, brings out your savagery
Negative emotions can make you do terrible things
Soldiers, bred to fight, conquer, dominate
An army trained to win by force
Achieve nothing when you try to resist
Opposition is futile
Perished are your rights,they mean nothing true
Your rights no longer exist, their value is diminished
Lies
Deception and falsehoods
Leaders inhuman
Rulers lacking in compassion
Wearing your skin
Taking on your identity
Hours of torture
Endless pain and suffering
Off with your head
Executed violently
Darkened
Surrounded by darkness and evil
Last day alone
The final day of existence, without companionship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JASON BLACHOWICZ, JON RUBIN, PHIL FASCIANA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind