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."
Up The Gates
PHARAOH Lyrics
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We had raised a mighty cheer
Our forces had seemed so strong
In the time that's passed
We have seen what we lost
Our lives have been hard so long
Now the conquerors have come tonight
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!
So the siege is on
We hunger and we quake in fear
Not just soldiers fight the war
Will we die in here?
We're all afraid and can't recall
The cause that we're starving for
Now the conquerors have come tonight-
Do we fold or do we fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!
Though we pray to be relieved
Our prayers are never heard
Prayers are never heard
Though we're promised that we're safe
They lie with every word
Lie with every word
When the banners were called,
No one thought to doubt the cause
Our leaders had seemed so strong
Now we wait and hope and wonder
Were we right or wrong?
We'll only survive so long
Now the conquerors have come tonight-
Do we fold or do we fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!
Up the gates!
The lyrics of Pharaoh's song “Up The Gates” describe the dilemma faced by a nation under siege. At the start of the song, the nation's forces are confident and poised for battle. However, as time passes, the reality of their situation becomes apparent as supplies run low and the prospect of defeat looms large. The chorus of the song presents the central question of the piece - should the nation's forces stand and fight or surrender to the conquerors?
As the siege wears on, the lyrics describe the palpable fear and desperation felt by the people inside the gates. They question the original cause they were fighting for, and in their weakened state, they are unsure whether the kingdom is worth defending any longer. Despite prayers for relief, the people inside the gates feel abandoned and betrayed as their leaders' promises of safety prove false.
In conclusion, the song "Up the Gates" is a powerful depiction of the emotional and psychological toll of warfare. It offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of war, as the nation's forces grapple with the decision of whether to keep fighting or surrender.
Line by Line Meaning
When the banners were called
At the beginning of the battle, we were enthusiastic and ready to fight.
We had raised a mighty cheer
We shouted with excitement because we believed that our army was strong and capable of winning the battle.
Our forces had seemed so strong
We thought we had overwhelming strength in numbers and skill, but it proved to be insufficient.
In the time that's passed
As time went by and the battle progressed, our chances of winning dwindled.
We have seen what we lost
We realized that the initial confidence we had was ill-founded and we've lost many of our forces.
Our lives have been hard so long
We've been struggling for a long time before this battle, and it's taking a toll on our morale.
Now the conquerors have come tonight
The enemy has started attacking us and we need to decide whether to surrender or fight.
Do we fold or do we fight?
Are we going to give up easily or put up a good fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Is the cause we're fighting for still important enough to risk our lives and continue fighting?
Up the gates! and let them in!
Open the gates so the enemy can come in and we can either surrender or fight back.
So the siege is on
The enemy has set up a blockade around us and we're trapped inside the castle.
We hunger and we quake in fear
We're scared and we don't know how long we can survive without food or water.
Not just soldiers fight the war
Even the civilians trapped in the castle have to contribute and do their part in fighting the war.
Will we die in here?
We're unsure if we'll make it out alive.
We're all afraid and can't recall
We're too scared to remember what we're fighting for.
The cause that we're starving for
The reason we're fighting this battle has become irrelevant to our immediate need for food and water.
Though we pray to be relieved
We pray for help or relief from our current situation.
Our prayers are never heard
We feel like no one is listening to our pleas for help.
Though we're promised that we're safe
Our leaders give us false assurance that we'll be safe, even though we're clearly not.
They lie with every word
Our leaders are dishonest and they've lost our trust.
No one thought to doubt the cause
At the beginning of the battle, we blindly followed our leaders and didn't question the reason for the fight.
Our leaders had seemed so strong
Our leaders appeared to be confident and capable, but that facade has since been broken.
Now we wait and hope and wonder
We're left with uncertainty and doubt, hoping that something will change our situation.
Were we right or wrong?
We question the validity and morality of the cause we're fighting for.
We'll only survive so long
Our resources are limited and our chances of survival grow slimmer each day.
Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.