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
Signs
Mutiny Within Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At things I have done,
Delusion, Denial,
Can you bear not to breathe,
The poisonous words,
Pour out from my conscience,
So sick of waiting for a sign to light my way,
I never said these words to you,
I can't just surrender,
I can't fade away,
Don't let me fall,
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory,
The heartache begins,
A voice in my head,
Calls out for my torment,
The wings that I earned,
Blackened with fire,
Burn my salvation,
So sick of waiting for a sign to light my way,
So sick of failing,
I never said these words to you,
I can't just surrender,
I can't fade away,
Don't let me fall,
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory,
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory,
Oh what becomes,
Just a voice in my head,
All I am,
Never understand the reasons why,
Oh my endless devotion,
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory,
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory
So leave it all behind,
As the hurt just fades away,
Never understand,
Just a memory
The lyrics of Mutiny Within's song "Signs" express feelings of shame, guilt, and despair. The singer seems to be regretting something they have done, and they are struggling to reconcile their actions with their conscience. The first verse highlights the internal conflict that the singer is feeling, as they acknowledge their delusions and denials. The second verse reveals that the singer is seeking some kind of guidance or sign to help them navigate their situation, but they are growing frustrated with waiting for direction.
In the chorus, the singer admits that they have not been able to express their thoughts and feelings to someone else, and they are determined not to give up or disappear. The repeated plea to "don't let me fall" suggests that the singer is feeling vulnerable and alone. The third verse introduces an unsettling image of the singer's "wings" being "blackened with fire", possibly symbolizing the destruction of their hopes or ambitions. The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing the singer's desperation for someone to understand and support them.
The repeated line "never understand, just a memory" underscores the singer's fear that their actions will never be fully understood or forgiven. The final verse introduces new elements: a voice in the singer's head and their "endless devotion". The meaning of these phrases is left open to interpretation, but they add to the overall sense of emotional turmoil and uncertainty that pervades the song.
Overall, "Signs" is a powerful exploration of the pain and confusion that can come with regretting past choices. The lyrics are raw and honest, with a sense of urgency that is conveyed through the repetitive structure of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I wallow in shame,
I am consumed by guilt and regret.
At things I have done,
I am haunted by my past actions.
Delusion, Denial,
I try to convince myself that my actions weren't so bad, but deep down I know the truth.
Can you bear not to breathe,
The weight of my guilt is suffocating, and I can barely go on.
The poisonous words,
My conscience is eating away at me, telling me that I am no good and that I don't deserve to be happy.
Pour out from my conscience,
My inner voice is relentless in its condemnation of me.
So sick of waiting for a sign to light my way,
I am tired of searching for guidance, for some indication of what I should do next.
So sick of failing,
I am exhausted from constantly falling short.
I never said these words to you,
There are things that I have never been able to express, even to those closest to me.
I can't just surrender,
I refuse to give up, no matter how hard things get.
I can't fade away,
I won't allow myself to disappear, to be forgotten.
Don't let me fall,
I am hoping that someone will be there to catch me if I stumble.
So leave it all behind,
I am trying to move on from the hurt and pain of the past.
As the hurt just fades away,
I am hopeful that time will heal my wounds.
Never understand,
I don't think anyone will ever truly comprehend what I'm going through.
Just a memory,
In the end, all of this will just be a distant recollection.
The heartache begins,
My pain is starting to consume me once again.
A voice in my head,
My inner voice is growing louder and more destructive.
Calls out for my torment,
My anxiety and guilt are demanding my attention, refusing to let me escape them.
The wings that I earned,
Things that were once a source of pride and freedom for me are now causing me nothing but pain.
Blackened with fire,
The flames of my guilt and shame have turned something beautiful into something ugly.
Burn my salvation,
I am unable to escape my suffering, even when I try to find solace.
Oh what becomes,
What will become of me?
Just a voice in my head,
I fear that I will never be able to escape the darkness that is constantly whispering to me.
All I am,
I am nothing more than my mistakes and my pain.
Never understand the reasons why,
I will never be able to fully comprehend why things had to be this way.
Oh my endless devotion,
Despite everything, I remain committed to keep going, to keep fighting.
As the hurt just fades away,
I will keep moving forward, even if it hurts.
Just a memory,
One day, all of this will just be a memory that I can hopefully look back on with greater understanding and acceptance.
Contributed by Jordan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.