In stark contrast to other punk musicians, MITB made the move of displacing the electric guitar from its long reign as the primary instrument of punk aggression. In turn, they made room within their revolutionary spirit for progressive bass chords and blues scales, for industrial noise (field recordings and power electronics), and for member Henry Barnes’ “Amps for Christ” and homemade guitar reconfigurations.
The bass-heavy configuration was found in earlier projects by founding members Joel Connel and Eric Wood, who recorded under such monikers as Cyclops and Neanderthal. Their thematic emphasis on the primitive and mythological would continue in MITB records such as “Sum of the Men” and the split album with Bleeding Rectum. The fullest expression of these concerns appeared with the 7” record entitled “Backward Species,” which combined an almost anthropological/New Historicist approach to humanity’s violent practices. Songs such as “Kuro Treatment” and “Heretic’s Fork” are exemplary.
But their lyrical violence was balanced by their adamant avocation of progressive ideals. Animal rights, vegetarianism, the decriminalization of marijuana, the putrid legacy of American foreign policy, the encroaching police state – the list goes on, but above all, the band was concerned with raising consciousness. This record of political activism resulted in their most widely available album, 1997’s split LP with political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
In addition, MITB exist as a nucleus around which many prominent bands can be traced within a recognizable lineage: Pillsbury Hardcore, Peace Corpse, Pissed Happy Children, Neanderthal, Infest, No Comment, Loomis Slovak, Atavism of Twilight, Sleestak, Buckethead, The Locust, Bastard Noise, Born Against, Djam Karet etc. – this is just a partial list of individuals tied to MITB.
In the years since, MITB has splintered off into several working factions. Wood occasionally performs in the Los Angeles area as Bastard Noise. Kenyon and Connel have soldiered on in progressive rock acts such as Controlling Hand and Lux Nova Umbra Est. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Barnes’ Amps for Christ, which has blossomed into a highly regarded folk/noise hybrid.
The band's willingness to sublimate political concerns into a harsh and unique aesthetic is sorely missed. For example, during the first Gulf War, they had the courage to feature cover art depicting Saddam Hussein being sodomized by George H.W. Bush.
The Arena
Man Is the Bastard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Commanded by the enemy
Being cut to ribbons
By bloated subhumans
You are now in the arena
Fucking fight and feel pain
The pigs have come on
The dead rinse the blood
Into the arena
Destroyed by snorting kings
Perpetuate peasant's death
Mass grave for mass dead things
Crown of thorns nearing the
End of bullshit fucking life
Wander around with a diseased mind
Into never ending strife . . .
The lyrics of "The Arena" by Man Is the Bastard paint a picture of a brutal battle, in which the singer is commanded by the enemy and being cut to ribbons by bloated subhumans. The conflict is described as an arena, where the fighters are forced to engage in combat against their will. The lyrics suggest a sense of hopelessness as the pigs come on and the dead rinse the blood with tomorrow's rain, painting a stark image of the futility and brutality of war.
The second verse of the song only amplifies the sense of despair and senselessness of the conflict. The singer is now destroyed by snorting kings and perpetuating peasant's death with mass graves for mass dead things. The crown of thorns is nearing the end of bullshit fucking life, and the lyrics describe the singer as wandering around with a diseased mind, into never-ending strife. The imagery in the lyrics is bleak and painful, representing the senseless and brutal nature of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the arena
Facing a difficult situation or challenge
Commanded by the enemy
Being controlled by someone who doesn't have your best interests in mind
Being cut to ribbons
Being severely wounded or injured
By bloated subhumans
Being attacked by people who are beneath you in intelligence or morality
You are now in the arena
You have been forced into a difficult or challenging situation
Fucking fight and feel pain
Enduring hardship and struggling to overcome obstacles
The pigs have come on
Oppressive forces have arrived
The dead rinse the blood
Death and destruction have occurred, and the aftermath is being cleaned up
With tomorrow's rain . . .
The memory of the destruction will still be present, but life will go on
Destroyed by snorting kings
Being controlled and manipulated by those in power who don't have your best interests in mind
Perpetuate peasant's death
Continuing cycles of poverty and oppression are leading to the death of average people
Mass grave for mass dead things
The aftermath of destruction is leading to the accumulation of corpses and debris
Crown of thorns nearing the
Difficult and painful circumstances are leading to an inevitable and difficult end
End of bullshit fucking life
The end of a life that has been plagued by struggles and hardships
Wander around with a diseased mind
Feeling lost and hopeless in a world that seems to be against you
Into never ending strife . . .
Enduring a constant and seemingly endless struggle for survival and well-being
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.