Collusion, the band’s debut album through Siege Of Amida Records, is summary of 3 years of keeping the bands collective nose to the grindstone. Fighting through stolen equipment, stolen vans, poverty and 15 consecutive member changes vocalist Matthew Jones comments that ‘We are made stronger by everything that brings us down, and we make this show through our music. We’re pissed off with the world.’ The album emanates anger throughout, but Martyr Defiled have also found another musical string in their bow – atmosphere. The album flows through several stages, and by far the most interesting is the low key clean sections, the dynamic breaks in their songs and the almost post rock/progressive finale in Archae.
The band are currently moving forward with their as yet untitled sophomore effort. Expect more crushing groove, more atmosphere and much more sophistication on the next record – expect something playing to their strengths and much more comfortable exposing their weaknesses. Recent exposure on prime time Ch4 program Hollyoaks, as well as constant touring throughout the UK and mainland Europe and features in many UK national publications including Metal Hammer will leave no one in question of the hype Martyr Defiled create around themselves, and their music speaks for itself – pure hate and aggression against the system that seems incapable of holding them down
Némesis
Martyr Defiled Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one is safe
Can the winds of change
Reverse the sands of time?
I can't see the light
Darkness is all consuming
Only the past remains
In the storm, can't see the light
Can't see the trees for the forest
This is my world
You just live in it
Get on your knees and pray
This is a dead end path
We're going nowhere
Every chance left in the past
No hope, no happy endings
I died a thousand times
Just to watch you fall
The gates of ... can't hold me
The lyrics to Martyr Defiled's song Nemesis speak to the idea of impending doom and the inability to escape it. The opening lines set the scene for a storm that is coming and no one is safe from its destructive force. The singer wonders if the "winds of change" can reverse time, suggesting that the events that have led to this moment are irreversible.
The following lines convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. The singer cannot see the light and darkness has taken hold. They describe a world where only the past remains and the future is uncertain, until the sun ascends. This invokes the idea of a new day and the possibility of a new beginning.
The final lines, "This is my world, you just live in it. Get on your knees and pray," suggest a sense of power and control that the singer has over their world, and perhaps over those around them. The following lines speak to the idea of a dead end path and going nowhere. The singer has experienced failure and disappointment, and there is no hope for a happy ending. The final line, "The gates of ... can't hold me," leaves the listener wondering what gates the singer is referring to and what kind of power they hold.
Line by Line Meaning
Theres a storm coming
The situation is about to escalate and become worse
No one is safe
The impending trouble will affect everyone involved
Can the winds of change Reverse the sands of time?
Is it possible to correct the mistakes of the past and restore order?
I can't see the light
The hopelessness of the situation is suffocating
Darkness is all consuming
The negative emotions and circumstances have taken over completely
Only the past remains
There is nothing left to cling on to except for memories of the past
Until the sun ascends
Until the hope for a better future arrives
In the storm, can't see the light
The rough and chaotic times are keeping the artist blinded to any hope or possibility of things getting better
Can't see the trees for the forest
Unable to see the individual issues that are contributing to the larger problem
This is my world
The artist is in control of their own life and destiny
You just live in it
Others around the singer do not have the same level of control or power
Get on your knees and pray
Desperate times call for desperate measures and the artist wants others to look to a higher power for intervention
This is a dead end path
The journey is futile and will not lead to a positive outcome
We're going nowhere
Continuing on this path will not bring any real progress or change
Every chance left in the past
Despite previous opportunities for improvement, there is no hope for a better future
No hope, no happy endings
The outlook for the future is bleak without any hint of positivity, optimism or resolution
I died a thousand times, Just to watch you fall
The artist had to sacrifice a lot, and it was all for naught as they see others around them suffer and fail
The gates of ... can't hold me
The struggles and impending doom will not be the end of the singer as they are determined to persevere through whatever is to come
Contributed by Elena R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ru1Roy
These guys are so sick they make me want to go and save some endangered species.
@thehypest6118
Still the one of the best songs I've ever heard
@FLOWKiiFLOWS
Man you guys are one of my favorite bands. Don't ever get soft. Keep it as heavy as fucking possible for life!!
@davet9040
Apart from the fact it sounds totally different from anything Chelsea Grin has ever done, the vocals are completely different, and, well, you know, Chelsea Grin couldn't make a song this good if they sold their souls to the devil, no, you're right, the resemblance is fucking uncanny.
@Thesprite100
I like how the guitarist is shredding @ 2:01 over a breakdown.
@Dainjamouth
Sick drums on this dope track!
@connajaybtray666
this song is so brutal! 1:10 tho...
@matthewgraham1638
Absolutely amazing last night in glasgow
@ConnorFFHG
Such a fucking banger.
@rockerjb94
Cracking track!