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."
Slaves
PHARAOH Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seemed far too strong to fight.
The only hope, we thought, was running
Under cover of the night
But we disdained to follow,
To leave the life we knew.
So we stayed, and they betrayed us
Those who refused to stay
Are slaves to a different way.
They fear every dawning day.
What did they hope to find:
Passage or peace of mind?
Are these what they left behind?
The danger passed for us who met it,
But some did not survive
The ones who stayed do not regret it,
The slain or the alive.
But those who left are doomed to wander,
To flee the hated foe.
Though the menace is no longer,
They don't know.
Those who refused to stay
Are slaves to a different way.
They fear every dawning day.
What did they hope to find:
Passage or peace of mind?
Are these what they left behind?
Though they say it's best to live to fight another day,
You can't prolong your life with delay.
The menace, dark on the horizon
Seemed far too strong to fight,
But still our hope, we knew, was holding,
Pitting passion versus might.
So we would never follow,
Or leave the way we knew.
And had they stayed, they might have also
Made it through
Those who refused to stay
Are slaves to a different way.
They fear every dawning day.
What did they hope to find:
Passage or peace of mind?
Are these what they left behind?
The lyrics of Pharaoh's song "Slaves" tells a story of a group of people who were faced with a difficult situation, a threat that seemed too strong to fight. Their only option was to run under the cover of the night, but they refused to leave the life they knew. Those who did leave were later betrayed and are now doomed to wander and flee their hated foe, even though the danger has passed.
The song is about choices and consequences. The ones who stayed, despite the danger, do not regret it, while those who left are now slaves to a different way, living in fear every day. The lyrics also mention the idea of hope, and questioning what is truly worth leaving behind in search of passage or peace of mind.
The chorus repeats the idea that those who refused to stay are slaves to a different way, which can be interpreted in different ways. It could be referring to the idea that leaving behind what you know can lead to unforeseen consequences and a loss of freedom, or it could be a commentary on those who follow blindly, without considering the potential consequences of their actions.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the human condition and the difficult choices we are often faced with. It encourages the listener to consider what they value most in life and to consider the potential outcomes of their decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
The threat, so dark on the horizon
The impending danger was looming and appeared difficult to overcome
Seemed far too strong to fight.
The danger was seemingly unbeatable
The only hope, we thought, was running
The perceived solution was to escape
Under cover of the night
By hiding in darkness, we hoped to evade the danger
But we disdained to follow,
However, we were unwilling to abandon our current way of life
To leave the life we knew.
We were unable to give up our familiar lifestyle
So we stayed, and they betrayed us
Staying resulted in betrayal from those who we thought were allies
When they flew
They left us to deal with the danger alone
Those who refused to stay
Those who chose to leave
Are slaves to a different way.
They are bound to a new way of life
They fear every dawning day.
They are haunted by fear and uncertainty every day
What did they hope to find:
What was their intention in leaving?
Passage or peace of mind?
Did they hope to find a way to escape, or find peace of mind?
Are these what they left behind?
Did they have to sacrifice their old life to find what they were seeking?
The danger passed for us who met it,
The danger no longer threatened those who decided to stay
But some did not survive
Despite staying, some individuals did not make it
The ones who stayed do not regret it,
Though there were losses, those who stayed have no remorse about their decision
The slain or the alive.
Whether they survived or died
But those who left are doomed to wander,
Those who chose to leave are forever lost
To flee the hated foe.
Their only option is to escape from the enemy they deserted us to face
Though the menace is no longer,
Although the danger no longer exists
They don't know.
They are left in uncertainty and confusion
Though they say it's best to live to fight another day,
They believe that it's better to postpone a battle to a later date
You can't prolong your life with delay.
However, delaying does not guarantee safety
But still our hope, we knew, was holding,
Despite the fears and obstacles, we remained optimistic
Pitting passion versus might.
We were driven by our emotions and determination in the face of adversity
And had they stayed, they might have also
If they had stayed, they may have had the same outcome as us
Made it through
Survived the danger
Contributed by Asher K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.