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."
I Am The Hammer
PHARAOH Lyrics
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I will spare no sacrifice
You'll pay with tears shed in mortal fright
All shall fear the hammer's strike
Nailed to this war that will never end
Death inspires those whom I defend
Your pounding heart thrusting like a knife
As you're losing your way in the night
Finding you've run out of life
Lay your soul on the anvil I strike
'Cause I am the hammer!
As you're losing your way in the night
Finding you've run out of life
Death will drive through your head like a spike
'Cause I am the hammer!
Black bombshells fly and swordsmen clash
Rockets blaze and muzzles flash
Now soldiers shake and cowards cry
So dig the graves by the dawn's early light
As you're losing your way in the night
Finding you've run out of life
Lay your soul on the anvil I strike
'Cause I am the hammer!
The lyrics of Pharaoh's song "I Am The Hammer" are a portrayal of a warrior who is ruthless and cold, ready to face anything that comes their way. The first verse, "Forged in the fire, but cold as ice, I will spare no sacrifice, You'll pay with tears shed in mortal fright, All shall fear the hammer's strike" reveals the mindset of the warrior who is strong and unbreakable as they have been molded in fire.
The second verse, "Nailed to this war that will never end, Death inspires those whom I defend, Your pounding heart thrusting like a knife, Eyes wide with hate as you come into sight", illustrates how the soldier is consumed by the brutality of war and how it shapes their perspective. The aim to protect their own feeds off the fear and hatred of the enemy.
The chorus, "As you're losing your way in the night, Finding you've run out of life, Lay your soul on the anvil I strike, 'Cause I am the hammer!" emphasizes the power and control the warrior holds over their foes, with death being nothing more than mere payment for their arrogance and ignorance.
Overall, "I Am The Hammer" is a deep dive into the psyche of a warrior who has been molded and shaped by war to the point where they are an embodiment of destruction and triumph.
Line by Line Meaning
Forged in the fire, but cold as ice
My strength and power come from the trials that have hardened me, but I remain unemotional and unaffected by any obstacles that come my way
I will spare no sacrifice
I am determined to achieve my goal at any cost, and I am willing to go to any lengths necessary to overcome any obstacle that stands in my way
You'll pay with tears shed in mortal fright
If you dare to challenge me, you will experience such horror and terror that you will weep with fear and regret your decision to oppose me
All shall fear the hammer's strike
I am a force to be reckoned with and my power is so great that even my enemies tremble in their boots at the mere thought of my wrath
Nailed to this war that will never end
I am a warrior, and I will continue to battle relentlessly without rest or respite until my enemies are defeated and my goals are accomplished
Death inspires those whom I defend
I inspire those who fight alongside me by the sheer force of my determination and conviction, so much so that they are willing to risk their lives for me, and even welcome a glorious death in the process
Your pounding heart thrusting like a knife
Your fear and anxiety are like a sharp blade that digs into your chest as you face the inevitable consequences of opposing me
Eyes wide with hate as you come into sight
You regard me with intense loathing and contempt, but the wildness and fervor in your eyes suggest that your hatred is fueled by fear and desperation rather than any logical reasoning
Black bombshells fly and swordsmen clash
The chaos and destruction of war is all around me, with bombs exploding and swords clashing as armies clash in fierce combat
Rockets blaze and muzzles flash
The weapons of war continue to rain down on my enemies, with rockets and gunfire lighting up the skies and the battlefield
Now soldiers shake and cowards cry
The power of my attack is so great that even the bravest soldiers tremble with fear, and the weakest amongst them shed tears of terror in the face of my wrath
So dig the graves by the dawn's early light
The battles I wage are so fierce and deadly that my enemies will be buried in the cold, hard earth by the time the first rays of sunlight touch the horizon
Lay your soul on the anvil I strike
If you want to challenge me, you must be willing to risk everything, your life, your spirit, your very soul, by putting yourself in the line of fire, facing the full force of my power and will
'Cause I am the hammer!
In the end, I am the ultimate arbiter of fate, the one who decides who lives and who dies, who prevails and who fails, because I am the embodiment of strength, power, and determination, the hammer that crushes all who oppose me.
Contributed by Charlotte D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.