1) A doom meta… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands with the name Penance:
1) A doom metal band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
2) Band from London.
3) A punk band from Perth, Western Australia
1) Penance was born from the ashes of Dream Death, when several members decided to pursue a more traditional doom direction. Dream Death existed during mid eighties and played speciphic mixture of doom, hardcore and thrash metal.
Founders of Penance were drummer Mike Smail and guitarist Terry Weston (both previously a members of Dream Death) and they were the core of the band from its early days to the disbanding. The band changed various line-ups, and one of their most notable members were Mary Bielich (Novembers Doom).
Penance's debut The Road Less Travelled was released 1992, under Lee Dorrian's label Rise Above Records. Alongside with Revelation's debut, it was a first doom metal album released on this label. They would embark on a European tour in support of doom legends Cathedral and Sleep.
Their second album, Parallel Corners, was released 1994, by the European metal label Century Media. Many fans consider this the band's best album, and it's also considered one of the classics of 90s (traditional) doom metal. On the next releases Penance adopted a slight range of psychedelic influences, but still remained fairly closed to their traditional doom roots.
Spiritualnatural (2003) would be the band's final album. They embarked on a European tour in 2004 partnered with Well of Souls and Orodruin. They split that same year. The Road Revisited was released posthumously in 2005, which is the unreleased original recorded version of the first album.
Mike Smail went on to join Internal Void and Pentagram.
2) Penance Last Rites From London: "From the ashes of a dead God, the remains of a broken society and through the fires of creation, we were formed to absolve the world of sin and usher in a new age of man.
To know our name is to know sacrifice,
for we are many, we are eternal, we are the alpha and the omega.
WE ARE PENANCE!"
www.penance-band.com
3) A punk band from Perth, Western Australia. Penance began jamming mid-2013 and have since released a 7 track demo.
Cold
Penance Lyrics
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Exposed my vulnerability
Yet all you can do is sit there in silence
Leaving me empty
God forbid you should show some emotion
God forbid you should ease my pain
God forbid you allowed me security
Goddamn you for silently choking me
Goddamn you you've frozen my soul
Goddamn you for keeping me hanging on
I burned for you yet you remained cold
I've risked much to love you
Yet you're content to take without giving
Drink in all my love
So smug in the knowledge
Like a fool I'll keep coming back again
God forbid you should open your eyes up
God forbid you should look at what's true
God forbid you attempted to right the wrongs
Of all the hell you're putting me through
Goddamn you for silently choking me
Goddamn you you've frozen my soul
Goddamn you for keeping me hanging on
I burned for you yet you remained cold
The lyrics of Penance's song "Cold" speak of a one-sided emotionally unbalanced relationship where the singer has laid her heart open and exposed. The pain of rejection and emotional silence leaves her empty, unfulfilled and unloved. The use of god forbid in the lyrics is used to emphasize the emotions associated with what the singer is feeling. The singer perceives that their partner is incapable of showing any emotion and easing her pain. Instead, the partner is complacent with taking and not giving anything in return.
The use of "god forbid" reflects the hopelessness and despair the singer feels in this situation. It's as though the singer has tried to find security in their relationship but leaves feeling as though their vulnerability has gone unnoticed. The singer's frustrations with their partner's lack of response can be seen from the lyrics, "Like a fool I'll keep coming back again," which can be interpreted to mean that the singer's love is so strong that she cannot help but keep going back to a love that is unreciprocated.
The chorus of the song, "Goddamn you for silently choking me, Goddamn you you've frozen my soul, Goddamn you for keeping me hanging on, I burned for you yet you remained cold," illustrates the desperation that comes with a one-sided love. The singer feels like they are being suffocated by their partner, who's emotional silence eases nothing but instead leaves the singer in darkness.
In conclusion, the lyrics of Penance's song Cold speak of the longing and expectations of a narrator for their partner to reciprocate their love. The use of "god forbid" emphasizes the feeling of despair and hopelessness that the singer feels. The chorus of the song reflects the despair that comes with a one-sided love.
Line by Line Meaning
I've opened myself up
I have made myself vulnerable by opening up emotionally to you.
Exposed my vulnerability
I have shown you my weaknesses and allowed you to see the real me.
Yet all you can do is sit there in silence
Instead of communicating and connecting with me, you choose to remain silent.
Leaving me empty
Your silence and lack of emotional response leaves me feeling hollow and unfulfilled.
God forbid you should show some emotion
I wish you would exhibit feeling and sensitivity towards me.
God forbid you should ease my pain
I wish you would help alleviate my emotional suffering and distress.
God forbid you allowed me security
I wish you would provide me with a sense of safety and stability in our relationship.
That all my words have not been in vain
I hope that my efforts to express myself and communicate my feelings to you are not meaningless.
Goddamn you for silently choking me
I am angry at you for suffocating me emotionally with your lack of response and communication.
Goddamn you you've frozen my soul
Your lack of emotion and coldness has left me feeling emotionally numb and drained.
Goddamn you for keeping me hanging on
I am frustrated and hurt that you are leading me on and not being honest about your true feelings.
I burned for you yet you remained cold
I had intense feelings of love and passion for you, but you were distant and unresponsive.
I've risked much to love you
I have put a lot on the line to be with you and express my feelings.
Yet you're content to take without giving
You seem to be satisfied with receiving my love and affection without reciprocating it.
Drink in all my love
You are consuming all the love and attention I am giving you, but not returning it.
So smug in the knowledge
You seem to be arrogant and self-satisfied with the power you hold over me.
Like a fool I'll keep coming back again
Despite your mistreatment of me, I will continue to return to you and subject myself to this emotional pain.
God forbid you should open your eyes up
I wish you would become aware of the hurtful impact your behavior is having on me.
God forbid you should look at what's true
I wish you would face the reality of our relationship and acknowledge the harm you are causing.
God forbid you attempted to right the wrongs
I wish you would make an effort to correct the damage that has been done and improve our relationship.
Of all the hell you're putting me through
I am enduring significant emotional suffering and pain as a result of your actions.
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.