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).
The Iron Council
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The last moment of the eternal war
No more happiness no more sun
Nothing
This is our iron council
The last antagonist
Standing strong against the new world
Against the empty faces no more missionaries
Against your world against your one god
YOUR ONE GOD
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS IS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
The wind brings the stench of decay
Bitterness power and loyalty
The three kings … of the iron council
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS IS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS IS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
"The Iron Council" by Maroon is a song about the last battle of a long and brutal war between two opposing factions. The opening lines describe a scene where the singer has been defeated by the enemy, and the snow of the last winter covers their bloody face, signifying the end of the eternal war. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and despair, with the line "no more happiness, no more sun, nothing," suggesting that both sides have lost something crucial.
The song is an ode to the "iron council," which is the last stronghold of the defeated army. The iron council represents the last hope, the last stand, and the last antagonist against the new world. They stand strong against the empty faces of the enemy and the new missionaries who seek to take over the world. The lyrics suggest that this is a battle between two opposing ideologies, with the iron council representing an alternative way of life.
The three kings of the iron council are described in the lyrics as embodying three qualities - bitterness, power, and loyalty. These qualities represent the essence of the iron council's ideology and what they are fighting for. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the repeated chorus "this is what we are, this what we love, this is all we have," suggesting that even though they may have been defeated on the battlefield, their beliefs and values will never be defeated.
Line by Line Meaning
The last snow of this winter covers your bloody face
The end of this freezing winter symbolizes the brutal end of your life, as indicated by the blood on your face.
The last moment of the eternal war
This is the final moment of a war that has been raging on for eternity.
No more happiness no more sun
The world is in complete darkness, devoid of any happiness or light.
Nothing
There is nothing left in this barren wasteland.
This is our iron council
Our group, known as the iron council, is the last bastion of hope in this bleak world.
The last antagonist
We are the final opposition against the new world order.
Standing strong against the new world
We remain steadfast in our resistance against the society that has risen from the ashes of the old world.
Against the empty faces no more missionaries
We will no longer tolerate those who blindly follow the new world religion, and their meaningless faces and preachings.
When the iron council is marching on
Our group will continue to fight and march forward, no matter what obstacles we face.
Against your world against your one god
We will fight against the new world and its singular deity, defying their beliefs and authority.
The wind brings the stench of decay
The air carries the smell of death and rot all around.
Bitterness power and loyalty
Our group represents bitterness towards the new world order, as well as the power and loyalty we possess towards each other.
The three kings … of the iron council
The top ranking members of our iron council possess immense strength and leadership qualities, guiding us to victory against the new world.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
Our iron council is all we have left, and we remain devoted to our beliefs and each other until the bitter end.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE
THIS IS WHAT WE LOVE
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE
Our iron council is all we have left, and we remain devoted to our beliefs and each other until the bitter end.
Contributed by Claire W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.