Heavily influenced musically and politically by mid-1990s vegan straight edge metal/hardcore acts such as Earth Crisis, Day of Suffering, Loxiran and Morning Again, their music also displays influences from metal acts such as At the Gates, Metallica, Sepultura and Slayer.
The year of 1999 saw Maroon releasing a demo cassette entitled The Initiate, signalling a new era of vegan straight edge culture in Germany. All four of the songs were to be found on later releases.
Their first cd, Captive in the Room of the Conspirator, was recorded at Headquarters Studion in Berlin in spring 2000 and released that year on the now-defunct Kerosene Recordings label, featuring songs like The Solution strongly advocating a vegan lifestyle and support for animal liberation and earth liberation. The band began touring Europe, opening for many hardcore acts including their idols Earth Crisis and Morning Again.
Later in the year Maroon released an untitled split 7" with Absidia on the Crap Chords label, featuring the song Wasted. That winter the band went back to the studio to record a split CD with Self Conquest entitled The Key, this time using 101 Studios, also in Berlin. On the heels of this recording, released by Beniihana Records the band went back on the road once more, touring Europe and opening for bands including Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban.
In November 2001 Maroon entered Rape of Harmonies Studios to record their debut full-length, Antagonist, released on legendary US vegan straight edge hardcore label Catalyst Records (http://www.xcatalystx.com). Catalyst is run by Kurt Catalyst, frontman for defunct hardcore legends Birthright and a newer band, Risen. Antagonist featured Maroon's best work to date both musically and lyrically, delivering a number of hard-hitting songs including the vegan straight edge anthem Still Believe in What Has Fallen Apart and a cover of Canon's classic animal liberation rallying call Declaration. The album soon became one of Catalyst's biggest sellers in both the US and Europe, leading to more European tours.
After some line up changes Maroon switched labels to Alveran Records in 2003, who then re-released Antagonist. February 2004 saw the band at Denmark's Antfarm Studio recording a new full length album entitled Endorsed by Hate. Following the recording, original guitarist Marc Zech left the band, and was replaced by Sebastian Rieche. The album was released in Europe in June, and between June and December of 2004 Maroon played 60 shows across Europe, including major festivals such as With Full Force and Pressure Fest. In October the band switched labels again, signing to Century Media Records. In early 2005 Century Media/Abacus released Endorsed by Hate in North America.
Many of Maroon's die-hard vegan straight edge fans felt let down by Endorsed by Hate due to its general lack of overtly topical lyrics, especially after the inspiring "Antagonist". As opposed to previous releases, the new album makes no mention of veganism, straight edge, animal liberation or earth liberation in the lyrics, liner notes or artwork. Another disappointment for these fans was the change of Maroon's website address from "http://www.xmaroonx.com" to "http://www.maroonhate.com", leading many fans to believe that Maroon have "sold out" on straight edge.
2006 saw the release of the new Maroon CD entitled When Worlds Collide which lead to some back-to-the-roots changes a least regarding the lyrics. 24 HourHateor Wake Up In Hell (one of the disco-smashers 2006, deal with animal liberation, while
Like Sword And Bullet advises a life without drugs.
Regarding the music, the new album is more diverse than any of the others. Maroon combine both their old trademarks with some new features (even featuring clean metal-style vocal on Annular Eclipse, even though it somehow lacks the spirit of the older Maroon releaes due to its very clean and sterile production.
In 2009, they released their fifth and last album, called Order.
They announced that they will play their last Tour in 2014, with their last show at the Summerbreeze (15th of August).
Below Existence
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time to face the artificial lights again
These lights that shine down below
And have to bring life into this dreadful tomb
I sleep where rats use to die
I go on as death walks on by
Open this tomb
Buried alive
Can't stand this gloom
The new day sends his signs again
It's time to face the real world again
There's not much left of the things I knew
The world lies wasted after all I've been through
I dream beside bodies in decay
I go down below existence every single day
I walk where bullets fly
Never stop when I hear wounded cry
I steal to kill hunger and pain
All lies in ruins - get through - this is my only gain
My only gain
The sirens spread their deadly sounds again
Time to face the artificial lights again
These lights that shine down below
And have to bring life into this dreadful tomb
I sleep where rats use to die
I go on as death walks on by
Buried alive
Open this tomb
Buried alive
Can't stand this gloom Existence
The lyrics of Maroon's song "Below Existence" paint a bleak picture of a person who is trapped in a life of suffering and struggle. The person is surrounded by "deadly sounds" and "artificial lights" that symbolize the harsh reality in which they exist. The lights that shine "down below" represent a world that lies wasted and devoid of hope after all that the person has been through. Despite this, they continue to fight to survive, using whatever means necessary.
The person in the song sleeps "where rats use to die" and walks "where bullets fly". They steal to kill their hunger and pain, and they dream beside bodies in decay. All of these images contribute to the feeling of the person being buried alive, trapped in a tomb of despair. The repeated refrain of "buried alive, open this tomb, can't stand this gloom" reinforces this feeling of being trapped.
Overall, the lyrics of "Below Existence" capture the sense of desperation and hopelessness that can come with struggling to survive in a harsh world. The person in the song is fighting against overwhelming odds, but they continue to push forward, driven by a desire to escape the tomb of their existence.
Line by Line Meaning
The sirens spread their deadly sounds again
The warning sirens are blaring once more, signaling danger and death.
Time to face the artificial lights again
It's time to confront the harsh, false glare of civilization once again.
These lights that shine down below
The lights of the city illuminate the darkness of the underground.
And have to bring life into this dreadful tomb
The lights serve as a lifeline to those trapped beneath the earth, bringing hope in a living hell.
I sleep where rats use to die
The singer spends his nights in an unclean, forgotten corner of the world, surrounded by death and decay.
I go on as death walks on by
Despite the grim surroundings, the singer perseveres, knowing that death is always present.
Buried alive
Trapped in this subterranean world, the singer feels as if he is entombed underground.
Open this tomb
Yearning for freedom, the singer pleads with fate to release him from this prison of darkness.
Can't stand this gloom
The pervasive sense of sadness and despair is overwhelming, and the singer struggles to keep going in the face of it.
The new day sends his signs again
With the dawn comes a new day, replete with fresh challenges and opportunities.
It's time to face the real world again
Leaving the underground behind, the singer must once again confront the harsh realities of life in the world above.
There's not much left of the things I knew
With time, everything the singer used to know has been lost or destroyed, leaving him feeling lost and alone.
The world lies wasted after all I've been through
The singer has suffered greatly, and everywhere he looks he sees the remnants of a world that has been decimated by war and chaos.
I dream beside bodies in decay
Even in sleep, the singer cannot escape the horrors that surround him, and his dreams are filled with the dead and dying.
I go down below existence every single day
Day after day, the singer returns to the underground, living a life that is below the barest minimum of what is required for true existence.
I walk where bullets fly
The singer has become accustomed to moving through danger, dodging bullets in a war-torn world.
Never stop when I hear wounded cry
Despite the suffering of others, the singer knows that he cannot stop moving if he hopes to survive.
I steal to kill hunger and pain
Survival requires desperate measures, and the singer must resort to theft to stave off starvation and ease his suffering.
All lies in ruins - get through - this is my only gain
With everything around him destroyed, the singer's only goal is to survive another day, regardless of how high the cost.
My only gain
Survival is everything, and the singer will do anything to keep going, no matter the cost.
Contributed by Brody A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mikethareaper
Ironic