- (1) An American Death Metal band from Tampa, FL, initially formed in 1984.
- (2) Free Improvisation/Experimental band from New York formed in 1980 by Fred Frith Of Henry Cow.
- (3) A pioneering skate rock band from Argentina, formed in 1985.
- (4) A Finnish punk band formed in 1983
(1) Although Massacre were hampered by unstable line-ups for much of their career, they, along with Morbid Angel and the late Chuck Schuldiner (RIP), helped originate and shape the genre of Florida Death Metal and have influenced countless bands that came later- everyone from Napalm Death to Entombed cite them as a major influence. Pre-Massacre, both Kam Lee and Rick Rozz were original members of Death along with Chuck. Death was still unsigned at that time, making demos as a three piece (playing without bass), and Kam himself drew the famous Death logo. Kam is widely acknowledged as being the originator of the gutteral death-growl vocal style which has since become the de-facto standard in Death Metal.
Massacre played countless shows in mid 80’s Florida before the spotlight fell on the area, influencing the later wave of bands from Deicide to Obituary to follow their lead. The band were put on hold however, when Chuck Schuldiner relocated back from LA to his native Florida and promptly recruited Rick, Bill and Terry to record the second Death Album “Leprosy”, for Combat Records . After completing commitments to Death, Massacre finally regrouped in 1990, signed with Earache, and entered Morrissound Studios in Tampa Florida, with UK producer Colin Richardson at the helm to finally deliver their debut album “From Beyond”. Though released much later than many of their death metal contemporaries, all the songs recorded were from the widely circulated demos/live tapes of 5 years previously, including “Corpsegrinder”, a simple but effective track which featured on Death’s first demo but was actually written by Rick and Kam. The album is a certified classic of the genre.
With line up intact, the band finally embarked on a punishing touring schedule to make up for lost time, visiting Europe with Texas’ Devastation and Germany’s Morgoth supporting. In 1992 the band recorded a follow up EP “Inhuman Conditions” which included a rare guest appearance from Venom’s Cronos on their cover of Warhead. More touring followed its release, with the band visiting Europe again in 1993,this time with Grave and Demolition Hammer in tow. On their return however the band effectively split up, the rhythm section of Bill and Terry were in demand to record for other groups and both now play in Six Feet Under.
In 1996 Kam and Rick regrouped to record a second album for Earache, recruiting drummer Syrus Peters and Pete Sison on bass to deliver “Promise”. The album showcased a more varied metal style, still with the trademark guitar heaviness, but was poorly received by fans, though the inspired cover of Concrete Blonde’s “Bloodletting” is an undiscovered classic to this day. Soon after its release, the band folded once more.
On July 30th, 2012, Massacre released the 7 inch EP "Condemned to the Shadows", with new vocalist Edwin Webb, and new drummer Mike Mazzonetto.
Official Discography:
* ‘From Beyond’ album (1991)
* ‘Inhuman Condition’ EP (1992)
* ‘Promise’ album (1996)
* ‘Tyrants Of Death’ Best of/Compilation (2006)
* 'Condemned to the Shadows' EP (2012)
* 'Back From Beyond' album (2014)
* 'Resurgence' album (2021)
(2) Massacre is an American Improvisational/Experimental Rock band from New York City formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith with bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher. They performed for just over a year and recorded a studio album, Killing Time (1981).
Frith and Laswell reformed Massacre in 1998 with drummer Charles Hayward, and released two albums, Funny Valentine (1998) and Meltdown (2001).
Discography:
* 1981 - Killing Time (LP, Celluloid, France)
* 1998 - Funny Valentine (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2001 - Meltdown (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2007 - Lonely Heart (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2013 - Love Me Tender (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.
In 1993 RecRec Music reissued Killing Time on CD with six extra tracks (one of them coming from Frith’s Speechless album).
In 2005 Fred Frith released a remastered version of Killing Time on CD on his own label Fred Records with the six extra tracks from the RecRec reissue, plus two previously unreleased tracks.
(3) Massacre is an Argentine Alternative rock band, formed in 1986 in Buenos Aires It was formed by high school students influenced by American and British bands of the early 80s Alternative Rock movement. The band was influenced by artists such asHüsker Dü, TSOL, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Nirvana, The Cure, Guns N' Roses, The Ramones, T. Rex, Sumo, Gustavo Cerati, and Luis Alberto Spinetta, among others. Taking cues from the Underground rock scene in the United States, they gained notoriety at the time for being an entirely independent group that self-managed its affairs, as well as producing and distributing its own records (attitudes which were still fairly foreign to Latin American rock bands of the era). This helped pave way for the cult status that the band still enjoys within and outside their native Argentina.
Originally known as Massacre Palestina, they decided to change their name in 1992, in the wake of the attack on the Embassy of Israel, in order to avoid potential censure and controversy.
Sands of Time
Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arose a power, fierce, engaged to overthrow
Within one man, born, his destiny to lead
Absent fear, dominant, his strength from the gods
Revenge set forth the goal, Warriors free from slaves
Unshackled from control, dictatorship to be seized
Rebels oppressed no more, determined to be free
Legacy of legends, paths have been entwined
Empires are left shattered, in the lost sands of time
Defeating legions, carnage in the wake
Controlling victory thousands fall from ranks
Tacticians plotting, decipher every move that's made
Apostasy unbound in the war of the damned
Revenge set forth the goal, warriors free from slaves
Unshackled from control, dictatorship to be seized
Rebels oppressed no more, determined to be free
Shadow of death, to meet the bitter end
Legacy of legends, paths have been entwined
Empires are left shattered, in the lost sands of time
Gods of the arena, vengeance since enslaved
Battleground the butchering, armies of mass graves
Enemies of honor, wolves are at the gates
Acts of decimation, the spoils of their fates
Revenge set forth the goal, warriors free from slaves
Unshackled from control, dictatorship to be seized
Rebels oppressed no more, determined to be free
Shadow of death, to meet the bitter end
Legacy of legends, paths have been entwined
Empires are left shattered, in the lost sands of time
The lyrics to "Sands of Time" by Massacre depict a rebellion against a tyrannical republic government in a distant past. The rebels seek revenge against their oppressors and strive for freedom from their control. The lyrics describe the intense violence and bloodshed that occur during the war and how the rebels ultimately prevail. The legacy of the conflict is one of legendary people and empires left in ruins, lost to the sands of time.
The song has a strong theme of rebellion against tyranny and oppression, and the lyrics depict the determination and strength required to overcome such forces. The imagery of the butchery and carnage in the battlegrounds emphasize the brutality of war and the devastating consequences of fighting for freedom. The song also portrays the idea of legacy and the impact that the rebels and their actions will have on future generations.
Overall, "Sands of Time" is a powerful and layered song, containing themes of rebellion, freedom, and the harsh realities of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Republic tyranny, in a time long since past
In the distant past, a nation was ruled by a corrupt dictatorship
Arose a power, fierce, engaged to overthrow
A group of rebels united to overthrow the tyrannical government
Within one man, born, his destiny to lead
One individual was born with the natural ability to lead the rebellion
Absent fear, dominant, his strength from the gods
This leader had no fear, possessing a dominating strength provided by divinity
Revenge set forth the goal, Warriors free from slaves
The goal of the rebellion was to gain freedom for all those enslaved by the government
Unshackled from control, dictatorship to be seized
The rebels wanted to overthrow the dictatorship and take control themselves
Rebels oppressed no more, determined to be free
The rebels were determined to free themselves from oppression and fight for their rights
Shadow of death, to meet the bitter end
The rebels knew that death was a possibility in their fight for freedom
Legacy of legends, paths have been entwined
The actions of the rebel leaders have become legendary, entwining their paths with history
Empires are left shattered, in the lost sands of time
The empires of the past have been destroyed and forgotten by history
Defeating legions, carnage in the wake
The rebels were successful in defeating the government's armies, leaving destruction in their wake
Controlling victory thousands fall from ranks
The rebels were in control of their victory, causing thousands to surrender or be defeated
Tacticians plotting, decipher every move that's made
The rebel tacticians were strategizing, analyzing and predicting every move of the government
Apostasy unbound in the war of the damned
There was disloyalty and treachery on both sides in the fight for freedom
Gods of the arena, vengeance since enslaved
The fight for freedom was a brutal battle, in which the gods of war dealt out vengeance
Battleground the butchering, armies of mass graves
The battlefield was a place of slaughter, leaving behind many mass graves
Enemies of honor, wolves are at the gates
The rebels saw their enemies as dishonorable, like wolves lurking at the gates of their city
Acts of decimation, the spoils of their fates
Their enemies faced total destruction, their fate sealed by their actions
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.