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).
Wake Up In Hell
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not a human you're just a product
Fearful eyes - see nothing but death
Mutated ears hear nothing but cries
No beautiful home - safe and warm
Live in a cage full of dirt and pain
Up Hateful faces - so very unknown
Wake up in hell
Hell
Wake up in hell
Hell
Wake up in hell
Hell Hell - wake up!
Slaughter! Hacked to pieces
See those of your kind getting mutilated
This must be hell - this can't be real
This fucking fear paralyses my thoughts
There is no space - you can not move
You're meat stock now, reversed tragedy
This isn't hell - it's fucking real
Hell would be relief, no remorse in abattoirs
"Oh where am I? What's that I'm going through?
Where is my family? Will I see the light again?
This can't be real. I'm human not an animal
You can't tread me like this! Is there no compassion?"
"Save me from destiny. I can't stand this anymore!
I am human not an animal!
I am human
Human!"
Wake up in hell
Hell
Wake up in hell
Hell
Wake up in hell
Up Hell - wake up!
The lyrics of Maroon's song Wake Up In Hell speak strongly to the subject of animal cruelty and captivity. The song portrays the life of an animal that was born into captivity and never knew the freedom of a natural habitat. The lyrics question the inhumane treatment of animals that are kept in small cages surrounded by dirt and pain, unable to move and forced to witness their own kind being slaughtered and mutilated. The animal is scared, confused and in shock, wondering where its family is and whether it will ever see the light again.
The lyrics further suggest that there is no compassion shown towards these animals, and they are treated as mere products that are being raised for slaughter. The animal's cries go unheard and its pleas for help go unanswered. The use of the phrase "mutated ears" could suggest that the animal's ears have become used to only hearing the sounds of pain and suffering, which is all it's ever known since its birth. The animal's fear and trauma ultimately paralyze its thoughts and leave it in a constant state of helplessness. The lyrics question whether this is what hell actually looks like, where there is no relief even though one might wish for it.
Overall, Maroon's Wake Up In Hell serves as a poignant reminder of the horrors of animal captivity and the existential question of whether such cruelty and inhumanity can ever justify the benefits. The song questions the moral philosophy of animal rights and ethics, and urges listeners to consider the implications of their own actions and choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Born - but never raised
You were born but were not raised as a human, you were branded as a product
You're not a human you're just a product
You are not treated as a human being, but rather as a commodity
Fearful eyes - see nothing but death
Terror and death surround you, and all you can see is fear
Mutated ears hear nothing but cries
You are constantly subjected to the sounds of suffering and pain
No beautiful home - safe and warm
You have no sanctuary or comfort, only a dirty, painful cage to live in
Live in a cage full of dirt and pain
You are confined in a space that is full of filth and suffering
Up Hateful faces - so very unknown
You are surrounded by hostile and unfamiliar faces
Speaking in tongues you can't understand
You are in a place where you cannot communicate with anyone
Wake up in hell
You're in a nightmare that you can't escape from
Hell
You are in a hopeless and unbearable situation
Wake up in hell
You are trapped in a waking nightmare
Hell
Your existence is pure agony
Wake up in hell
You can't snap out of this bad dream
Up Hell - wake up!
You must recognize and face the reality of your suffering
Slaughter! Hacked to pieces
You witness the brutal killing of others like you
See those of your kind getting mutilated
You observe other beings like you being tortured and dismembered
This must be hell - this can't be real
You think that this must be a nightmare, but it is the unbearable truth
This fucking fear paralyses my thoughts
Your overwhelming fear consumes you and impedes your ability to think
There is no space - you can not move
You have no freedom or mobility, you're stuck in a confined area
You're meat stock now, reversed tragedy
You are now a lifeless commodity, the opposite of what you were born to be
This isn't hell - it's fucking real
You finally come to the realization that this is the sad, horrible reality
Hell would be relief, no remorse in abattoirs
You believe that even the notion of Hell would be a welcome respite compared to this permanent torment
"Oh where am I? What's that I'm going through?
You are lost and confused, questioning what you are experiencing
Where is my family? Will I see the light again?
You long for your loved ones and a way out of this nightmare
This can't be real. I'm human not an animal
You refuse to believe the truth of your situation, that you're treated as a mere animal
You can't tread me like this! Is there no compassion?"
You demand to be treated with basic human decency; you plea for mercy and kindness
"Save me from destiny. I can't stand this anymore!
You beg for salvation from your dismal fate of suffering and pain
I am human not an animal!
You refuse to be degraded to a sub-human level
I am human
You assert your claim to humanity
Human!"
You scream out your identity, fighting to hold on to your own humanity
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NewHorrorfield
One of the few bands in the metalcore that can actually make interesting, catchy breakdowns!
@Glamosapien
love the power metal style in the middle of the song goes so well and shows diversity of the genre
@pantraxl
miss you guys!
@swalls92
Great song
@davids.816
Where's their song She will be loved? Or moves like Jagger? I can't find them anywhere... :(
@chriskubik4848
David Sosebee
Do you know the difference between there, their and they're ?
@davids.816
Honestly. No :( Chris Kubik
@oofoof2433
ahahhahahahah
@ch1ck3n08
i didnt know them yet, this is amazing :O
@AchillesRageHoF
That breakdown is fuckin' brutal.