1. Though its earliest ech… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Pharaoh.
1. Though its earliest echoes ring back to 1997, American heavy metal act PHARAOH released its debut album via the Cruz del Sur Music label in 2003. Paradoxically entitled After the Fire, the album’s robust and resilient songwriting caught the ears of selective metal fans worldwide. Three years later in 2006, The Longest Night fell and was an immediate underground favorite. As modern and hi-resolution as it was pure and orthodox, The Longest Night also boasted a substantive production that allowed all ten songs to resonate in full splendor.
Once again inspired by the fans’ response to their hard work, the songwriters of PHARAOH laid plans to make yet another leap forward, and by the middle of 2007, a third album was ready for production. Returning producer/engineer Matt Crooks and the band set to work without hesitation, starting in July and continuing for the remainder of the year. The band had already agreed on titling the album Be Gone several months before entering the studio, because a singular theme emerged early in the songwriting process. Songs such as the radiant "Speak to Me" and the bottomless epic "Buried at Sea" examine the inherent flaws of mankind, pitted hopelessly against the seemingly omniscient and unwavering power of nature. Similarly, the soaring strains of "Dark New Life" and sinister waves of "Telepath" offer narratives from a world where the human race is blazing paths to literal and emotional extinction. The inevitable disappearance of mankind is the overarching theme embodied in Be Gone’s musical storytelling.
Musically, Be Gone features songwriting that is at once complex and compact. Matt Johnsen’s now-trademark layering of guitars creates a rich and fertile backdrop for master-vocalist Tim Aymar’s powerful and arresting expressions. The rhythm section of bassist Chris Kerns and drummer Chris Black keeps the momentum high, deftly supporting all of the multi-layered melodic invention happening at every turn. Always mindful of not only the genre’s traditions but also its own, the band this time invited Riot guitarists Mark Reale and Mike Flyntz to contribute hard-cutting solos to "Dark New Life", and regular guest guitarist Jim Dofka performs a dazzling spot on "No Remains". Because the four bandmates form various songwriting combinations, PHARAOH’s albums have a characteristic diversity and depth that few other bands achieve.
PHARAOH’s songwriting and studio performances have reached greater heights with each successive album. Grandiose and inviting, Be Gone out-classes its predecessors, and few heavy metal groups have ever sounded as erudite as PHARAOH does, ripened from a decade of intense work together. Like the albums before it, Be Gone is the band’s invitation to all free-thinking heavy metal loyalists to join them at the edges of the genre’s collective imagination. PHARAOH’s steadfast dedication to its album-making craft has delayed its live debut, which will finally come in the form of select shows during 2008. Aiming high as always, PHARAOH will deliver every bit of its majestic energy onstage, performing songs from its entire history. Indeed, 2008 may deliver PHARAOH unto the heavy metal mainstream, thanks to the band’s long-awaited live debut and of course the release of Be Gone, a future classic of American heavy metal.
Mid-2010 PHARAOH released a 7" split single along with Canvas Solaris as a Tribute To Coroner, featuring a melodic rendition of Coroner's "Tunnel Of Pain", a new E.P. being slated for early 2011 celebrates 10 years of Pharaoh with several special renditions of cult favorites and various PHARAOH-esque arrangements fans would normally not expect.
2. A doom/sludge metal band from New Jersey. Since 2009, Pharaoh have been playing and touring throughout the East Coast and Southern United States. The Demonstration was released in 2011 on A389 Recordings. This spring, Pharaoh releases This House is Doomed, our 2012 7". They are for you. They are going to be available for digital download when you purchase a copy as well.
3. A sleaze rock/glam punk band from Washington State released in 1991 EP "On Your Knees".
4. Russian hip-hop artist representing Dead Dynasty coalition. He used to be part of YungRussia, a association created by Boulevard Depo in 2014, which ceased to exist in 2016. In the past, he adopted other pseudonyms, like Leroy Kid and Castro The Silent. He is very influenced by Rammstein, Kid Cudi and Kurt Cobain, and has been described as a mix of "Justin Bieber" and "Kurt Kobain". About this, he said: "if I'm being compared to Kurt Kobain, it means I'm doing everything right."
Castles in the Sky
PHARAOH Lyrics
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Ringing the death toll of freedom
Blind to pain in our eyes
Marching our way to the Colosseum
They grace a roaring applause
Masking out the voice of reason
Generations have suffered the cause
Justifying castles in the sky
Fortifying Castles In The Sky
Certifying heroes as they die
Why?
Behind a fortress of stone
Towering over the masses
The king looks after his own
Feeding and filling their privileged glasses
They drink the blood of our dead
From a sea of deep denial
Hold your tongue or he'll hand you your head
Pay your tax or get the axe
Respect the castles in the sky
Walls defending castles in the sky
Reprehending castles in the sky
Condescending castles in the sky
Rainbows ending castles in the sky
Far above
Calling us
Peace will come
Everything you're dreaming of
Like a dove
Soon enough
Leave the world to suffer
But why?
Walls defending castles in the sky
Reprehending castles in the sky
Condescending castles in the sky
Rainbows ending castles in the sky
The sky
For them, we die
In Pharaoh's song Castles in the Sky, the lyrics describe a society that has become deaf and blind to the oppression and suffering around them. The metaphor of castles in the sky represents the false sense of security and power held by those in control, who have built up walls and fortresses to protect themselves from the harsh realities of the world below. The king in his fortress is described as feeding and filling the glasses of the privileged, while ignoring the suffering of the masses. The people are silenced through fear, either by the king's power or through the threat of violence.
The chorus repeats the phrase "fortifying castles in the sky" to emphasize the themes of oppression and power disparity. The line "certifying heroes as they die" alludes to the ways in which the ruling class creates propaganda and glorifies their actions, even as they quash dissent and freedom. The song speaks to the cyclical nature of oppression, with generations suffering the same causes, and the powerful justifying their castles in the sky as necessary for stability and security.
Overall, Castles in the Sky paints a bleak picture of a society where the powerful control and manipulate the masses, while promising peace and security that never comes.
Line by Line Meaning
Hearts gone deaf to the cries
People have become desensitized to the suffering and cries for help
Ringing the death toll of freedom
The sounds of oppression and loss of freedom are becoming louder
Blind to pain in our eyes
Others cannot see or acknowledge the pain and struggle we experience
Marching our way to the Colosseum
We are blindly following a path of destruction, leading us to a place of violence and destruction
They grace a roaring applause
Those in power receive admiration and support from their followers, despite their harmful actions
Masking out the voice of reason
The cries of those seeking justice and positive change are being silenced and ignored
Generations have suffered the cause
The negative effects of unjust systems and corrupt leaders have affected people for many generations
Justifying castles in the sky
Those in power use false justifications to maintain their privilege and oppress others
Fortifying Castles In The Sky
Building up and protecting their privilege and position of power
Certifying heroes as they die
Honoring and glorifying those who serve further their oppressive agendas, even if it costs them their lives
Why?
Asking why these actions are necessary and why people continue to support these unjust systems
Behind a fortress of stone
Those in power hide behind physical barriers and symbols of their wealth and status
Towering over the masses
Holding power and authority over the majority of people
The king looks after his own
Leaders prioritize and protect their own interests and those who serve their agendas
Feeding and filling their privileged glasses
Supplying and satisfying the desires of those with power and privilege
They drink the blood of our dead
Profiting and benefiting from the suffering and death of others
From a sea of deep denial
Refusing to acknowledge or address the injustice and harm caused by their actions and systems
Hold your tongue or he'll hand you your head
Speaking out against those in power will result in severe consequences and punishment
Pay your tax or get the axe
Those in power demand obedience and compliance, and will use force if necessary to maintain their position of power
Respect the castles in the sky
Acknowledging and accepting the systems of oppression and privilege that allow those in power to maintain their position
Condescending castles in the sky
Belittling and demeaning the desire for justice and equality as foolish and unrealistic
Rainbows ending castles in the sky
The illusion of a bright, colorful future that will never come to fruition in the oppressive systems in place
Far above
Those in power are separate and above the struggles and realities of the majority of people
Calling us
Encouraging people to follow their lead and continue supporting their oppressive systems
Peace will come
Promising a future of peace and stability, but only if people continue to accept and maintain the current system of oppression
Everything you're dreaming of
The promises of a better future that are used to justify the sacrifice and suffering of the majority of people
Like a dove
Symbolic of a change or hope for peace, but ultimately unrealistic and fleeting
Soon enough
Suggesting that the promises of a better future are just around the corner, if people continue to accept and support the current system
Leave the world to suffer
Those in power have no intention of easing the suffering and injustice in the world, as it benefits and maintains their position of power
For them, we die
The sacrifice and suffering of the majority of people is necessary to maintain and benefit those in power
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.