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).
Only The Sleeper Left The World
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only the sleeper has the wings to go
Escape this world of sorrow
Madness and slaughter
Please give me the same wings
TO LET THIS WORLD BEHIND ME
TO LET THIS WORLD
To die in the arms of conclusiveness
We all hate each other
Animals die without a reason
Please help me
TO LET THIS WORLD BEHIND ME
TO LET THIS WORLD
TO LET THIS WORLD BEHIND ME – TO LET THIS WORLD
My dreams are lost
I will never come back
Why should I stay here
And all she said was
Only the sleeper left the world
Let me forget the world of today and bring me back here
My dreams are lost
I will never come back
Why should I stay here
Please bring me back
Only the sleeper left the world
Only the sleeper has the wings to go
Escape this world of sorrow
Madness and slaughter
Please give me the same wings
The lyrics of Maroon's song "Only The Sleeper Left The World" are melancholic and reflective, exploring themes of escape, death, and the desire to leave behind a world of pain and suffering. The opening line "Only the sleeper left the world" suggests that the singer longs to join those who have already passed away, leaving behind the burden of existence. The following line "Only the sleeper has the wings to go" draws on the idea of sleep as a form of temporary death, highlighting the desire for a permanent escape from reality.
The second stanza delves deeper into the reasons for this desire for escape, as the singer describes the senseless suffering of both human and nonhuman beings. The line "To die in the arms of conclusiveness" further emphasizes the desire for a conclusive end to the pain and confusion of life. The chorus repeats the plea to leave the world behind and escape the madness and sorrow inherent in existence.
The final stanza hints at some personal loss or trauma that has led the singer to feel so desperate for escape. The repetition of "my dreams are lost, I will never come back" suggests a feeling of hopelessness or despair, while the line "all she said was only the sleeper left the world" hints at a woman who may have died, adding to the singer's grief. The closing lines "Please bring me back, only the sleeper left the world" suggest a paradoxical desire both to leave behind the pain of the present and to return to a place where one might find joy and peace.
Overall, the lyrics of "Only The Sleeper Left The World" are striking in their frank portrayal of the pain and suffering of existence and the desire for an escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Only the sleeper left the world
Only those who have completely disconnected from this world remain
Only the sleeper has the wings to go
Only those who have let go of the things that tether them to this world can truly be free
Escape this world of sorrow
Find a way to leave the pain and suffering of this world behind
Madness and slaughter
The insanity and violence of this world
Please give me the same wings
I want to be free from this world just like the sleeper, but I need help to do it
TO LET THIS WORLD BEHIND ME
To completely leave this world and all of its troubles
To die in the arms of conclusiveness
To find peace in death and know that it is the end
We all hate each other
We are all filled with anger and animosity towards one another
Animals die without a reason
Death happens without explanation and even the innocent are not spared
Please help me
I need assistance in finding a way out of this world
My dreams are lost
The things I once hoped for are now out of reach
I will never come back
I have decided to leave this world behind me for good
Why should I stay here
There is nothing left for me in this world, and I want to move on
And all she said was
Despite my plea for help, she offered no assistance
Let me forget the world of today and bring me back here
Allow me to escape from the problems of this world and return to a place of peace
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.