Jacobs can sum up Mutiny Within’s sound as “shred with clean vocals, with a little bit of screaming, metal riffs, accessible parts and a lot of melody. We wanted to get all the melody in there. That is the number one thing for us. We want the music to reach metal fans and beyond. We want to reach everyone in between.”
While these metal upstarts Mutiny Within may have started out as a Children of Bodom cover band – and they’re not embarrassed to admit it since they did grow out of it quickly only to become their own shred-happy entity- the sextet truly stepped on the path to recognition when they started writing their own songs. With origins in the great state of New Jersey, known for producing some of the top, up and coming metal talent in recent years, Mutiny Within also demonstrated their ability to remain ahead of the curve by embracing technology (and we’re not talking about the studio trickery kind) and social networking features to take their band to the next level.
Jacobs formed the band in 2002 and endured a turbulent yet typical early existence until he solidified the lineup. His younger brother Brandon actually plays guitar and was a mere 18-years-old when he recorded the album. Vocalist Chris Clancy was imported from England after the band discovered this talented vox over a YouTube video and now resides in New Jersey. This is a band, who with their self-titled debut, are on the verge of being the valedictorians of the Guitar Hero generation. They play with astonishing technical skill with a forward-thinking songwriting style that can be viewed as modernly progressive, but definitely not “prog.” The band’s use of keyboards also elevates their sound above and beyond just another up and coming metal band.
“We were looking for a vocalist and we saw a video of Chris singing, so we contacted him and asked him to try putting vocals over one of our songs,” Jacobs recalls. “He was the first audition and he rocked it. It was perfect. The only problem was that he lived in England, but he took a risk, flew over and made it work. He lives in my house now.” Indeed, Mutiny Within keep things in the family, since the band practices in the basement of drummer Bill Fore, who lives a mere twenty minutes from the Jacobs’ abode.
Once Clancy committed to making the trek across the pond- he had nothing else to lose as a 23-year-old English kid working at a T-Mobile store- this band of hungry, young turks, who play like a troupe of seasoned, shredding veterans, wrote a whopping 50 songs together, fuelling one another’s creativity. The flurry of activity surrounding the band, including their enthrallingly intense live show, captured the attention of Roadrunner Records, which signed the band. After the signing, the band kept writing and eventually went to work with producer Jason Bieler. Clancy’s college friend, Dan Bage, eventually joined the band in the middle of recording, which not only makes Mutiny Within an unintentionally “international band,” but was a situation that invigorated them, too. “Dan was so good that it wasn’t like we were in the middle of making the record and got a stranger,” Jacobs recalled. “It was Chris’ friend and the best guy for the job technically. He flew over, we threw him in the studio, and he did seven solos, wrote four verses and helped rewrite parts, so he is just as important to the band.” Clearly, Mutiny Within are a band that can be thrown into the crackling fires of chaotic situations and emerge stronger and more focused than before.
Clancy started singing when he was 15-years-old and consistently worked to hone his craft through noted vocal coach Melissa Cross, so he could truly learn to sing, which only adds to the depth of dynamics on Mutiny Within. He was not hesitant to abandon his native England in order to pursue his rock ‘n roll and heavy metal dreams, either. Clancy said, “I wanted to do this since I was a kid and first started playing in bands. I got myself in a band in Wales and then I dropped my social life there and abandoned my friends to write music and to practice, but that didn’t go past the interest stage, so it wasn’t a hard decision to come to America. I quit the job, got on a flight and came over. I spent my life trying to be in a band. That was always my plan, so I told myself if I have to move to do it, I’ll do it.”
“We have all these technical guys who can play so many types of music and have so many different tastes, so for those 50 songs, we went around the world and back,” Jacobs says. Obviously, not all 50 songs made the cut, but the sheer numbers demonstrate the band’s abilities and range. “The 11 songs we picked for the record are our best songs,” Jacobs adds.
The band was introduced to the metal world in Fall 2009, via their first national tour with Soulfly, Prong and Cattle Decapitation, in addition to the dozens of local, hometown shows they’ve logged and tucked under their belts and will spend much of the year following the release of Mutiny Within touring and turning heads.
The opening track “Awake” is one which defines the band’s sound, with Jacobs saying, “we get more diverse, with different keys, tempos and styles throughout, but that’s the song that defines our sound.” “Reflections” is another band favorite, thanks to its unforgettable melodies. While Jacobs says that “Forsaken” is the song where “we stepped outside the box to show a different side of the band, with clean guitars.”
It appears as though the Mutiny Within story is just beginning and that the ins and outs of their formation will lead to a happy ending. “We dedicated our whole lives to this,” Jacobs said. “Two guys dropped their lives in England and didn’t know if it would work, since we weren’t even signed at the time, but we had that dedication to do it.”
Certainly, Mutiny Within aren’t a traditional band, having used technology and the Internet to their benefit and thus forcing the band to work in different ways. “Most bands get in a van, go out, play, tour, tour, tour,” Jacobs said.
“We’re at that chapter now. The focus for us was always just writing songs. That’s been our lives. We played 30 shows with Chris and then got signed. We made every song as special as the next. Each track has lots of time put into it. We were a band that aspired to get a deal and make records, so we made the focus of efforts the songs.”
Mission accomplished on Mutiny Within: 11 songs that usher in a new generation of me
Falling Forever
Mutiny Within Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like I'm drifting away from what I was
This feeling sinks like stones
Find I'm giving in
Lose my grip as it pulls me under
Believe the day is not lost
We still have our broken dreams
A light in the dark
Lift me up
I am falling forever
Adrift in an endless night
We burn now as the daylight scars my eyes
I'm shattered yet whole
In the wake of despair
You pulled the trigger and ran
I bleed the pain you made
The blood red affection
As you pour your heart out
Give me a hope to hold onto
A light in the dark
Lift me up
I am falling forever
Adrift in an endless night
We burn now as the daylight scars my eyes
These dreams always fall aside (fall aside)
These dreams all but left behind
Fall aside
Fall aside
Lift me up
I am falling forever
Adrift in an endless night
We burn now as the daylight scars my eyes
Lift me up
I am falling forever
Adrift in an endless night
We burn now as the daylight scars my eyes
The lyrics to Mutiny Within's song "Falling Forever" speak to the feelings of being lost and hopeless in life, and the struggle to find hope and light in the darkness. The opening lines, "I'm falling away, feels like I'm drifting away from what I was" express a sense of disconnect and loss of identity. The feeling sinks like stones, and as the singer gives in, they lose their grip and are pulled under. The chorus pleads for someone to lift them up, as they feel they are falling forever and adrift in an endless night.
The second verse speaks to a specific instance of pain inflicted by someone else, one who "pulled the trigger and ran" leaving the singer shattered yet whole. They bleed the pain and are left with a blood red affection, pouring their heart out for a hope to hold onto and a light in the dark. The bridge highlights the theme of lost dreams, which always somehow fall aside or get left behind.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a struggling soul, reaching out for help in the midst of despair. The expression of pain and turmoil is raw and honest, and the hope for relief is palpable.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm falling away
I feel like I'm moving away from who I used to be.
Feels like I'm drifting away from what I was
I feel like I'm slowly losing my sense of identity.
This feeling sinks like stones
This feeling is heavy and gets worse over time, dragging me down.
Find I'm giving in
I'm losing my willpower to resist my negative feelings.
Lose my grip as it pulls me under
I'm losing control as my negative emotions consume me.
Believe the day is not lost
I have hope that I can overcome this feeling.
We still have our broken dreams
We can still work towards our unfulfilled aspirations despite our struggles.
Give me a hope to hold onto
I need something to motivate me and inspire me to keep going.
A light in the dark
I need something positive to focus on in the midst of my negative feelings.
I'm shattered yet whole
I feel broken from my struggle but still hanging on and surviving.
In the wake of despair
In the aftermath of my negative emotions and feelings.
You pulled the trigger and ran
You caused me pain and left me to deal with it on my own.
I bleed the pain you made
I am still hurting from the pain that you caused me.
The blood red affection
The deep emotions that I feel as a result of your actions.
As you pour your heart out
As you express your own feelings and emotions.
These dreams always fall aside (fall aside)
My aspirations and goals often take a backseat to my negative feelings and emotions.
These dreams all but left behind
My goals and aspirations are almost forgotten due to my struggles.
Lift me up
Help me rise above my negative feelings and emotions.
I am falling forever
I feel like I'm stuck in a never-ending cycle of negative emotions.
Adrift in an endless night
I feel lost and aimless in the darkness of my negative thoughts and feelings.
We burn now as the daylight scars my eyes
I am struggling to cope with reality and the harshness of the world around me.
Fall aside
My aspirations and goals become less important and fade away.
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.