“It’s one of the first songs that we demoed and wrote. Right off the bat, we realized that it led us in the direction we wanted to go in terms of mood and vibe. It’s darker and theatric.
“The whole thing came about in a funny way: I was driving, and suddenly I had this idea for a song. I didn’t even know if it would be a Periphery song at the time. I demoed it and sent it off to everyone, and they liked it – I wasn’t expecting that. Then Spencer demoed vocals for it, and that’s when it came together – really quickly, too.”
The Scourge
Periphery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face down in seclusion the evil steer
What drives the stake within my heart
This man he fell apart.
Now that the entrance is open wide,
This black all around makes its way inside
What have you done?
Will hate abide?
Elation?
Dead winds whirling, beneath these prayers
I hide I'd give my life for a taste of, taste of
What lies beyond in that place now
Live Earth rising beneath, these hands untied,
I'd lead my I life on the line
(Never one of them, never one of them
Never one of them, never one of them, I am not free)
(Never one of them, never one of them
Never one of them, never one of them, I am not free)
I am not free
Survive! I will survive!
Glass ceilings above drop rage upon them
Stone cold fist and a memory running on the blunt end of a blade
The blood that it spills shall start my serenade
To you
I will survive
I will survive
Survive!
Silence is bringing on the heart attack
Pushing and pulling going on within my brain It says to lay low
Dead end, the darkness latches on
Now I am a product of a mind
That wasn't ever mine
And now it says "kill them slow"
Weighed down
I'm drowning in this stale moment
Renown is yelling at me from above
This is a one-way road
Kill them slow
The lyrics of "The Scourge" by Periphery describe the internal struggle of a person who feels trapped in their own mind, unable to escape the overwhelming negative emotions brought on by the evil and darkness they see in the world around them. The person struggles with the idea of succumbing to the hatred and violence they see, but ultimately chooses to fight against it and survive. The lyrics also touch on the idea that the person's thoughts and actions may not be entirely their own, influenced by external factors and the weight of societal expectations.
The first verse describes the person's isolation, feeling overwhelmed by the darkness around them and questioning their own motives and desires. They feel as though they have lost control over their own thoughts and actions, and wonder if they will ever truly be free. The chorus then focuses on the idea of survival, with the person determined to continue fighting against the negative influences and emotions that threaten to consume them. The second verse further explores the person's internal struggle, with conflicting thoughts and desires pulling them in different directions. The lyrics end with the declaration that the person will not succumb to darkness and violence, but will instead choose to "kill them slow" and fight against the negative influences that threaten their well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
As I sit with eyes heavy omens clear
Despite feeling tired, I can see ominous signs of something bad about to happen.
Face down in seclusion the evil steer
I am alone and isolated, facing the direction of evil.
What drives the stake within my heart
I feel a deep emotional pain within me, caused by something.
This man he fell apart.
I have become emotionally broken.
Now that the entrance is open wide,
With no barriers, there is now direct access.
This black all around makes its way inside
The darkness is seeping inside and taking over.
What have you done?
I am questioning the cause of this situation and who is responsible.
Will hate abide?
I am wondering if hatred will be the result of my feelings.
Where is my death invitation?
I am asking myself why I haven't died yet and if I am even alive.
Elation?
I am questioning if there is anything positive or happy left in life.
Dead winds whirling, beneath these prayers
Desperate prayers are being spoken, but there is no response and only a sense of hopelessness.
I hide I'd give my life for a taste of, taste of
I wish to experience something different, even if it means risking my life.
What lies beyond in that place now
I am curious about what exists beyond my current situation.
Live Earth rising beneath, these hands untied,
Despite feeling powerless, there is still a sense of hope and potential for change.
I'd lead my I life on the line
I am willing to risk everything to make a change.
(Never one of them, never one of them
Never one of them, never one of them, I am not free)
I am not like the people responsible for this situation, and I do not have the freedom to make my own choices.
I am not free
I am trapped and limited in what I can do.
Survive! I will survive!
Despite the difficult situation, I am determined to live through it.
Glass ceilings above drop rage upon them
The people responsible for this situation are being punished by a higher power.
Stone cold fist and a memory running on the blunt end of a blade
Memories of past pain are hurting me just as much as the present situation.
The blood that it spills shall start my serenade
I will use the pain and suffering caused by this situation to create something beautiful and meaningful.
To you
I will survive
I will survive
Survive!
I am determined to survive for myself and for someone I care about.
Silence is bringing on the heart attack
The lack of response or communication is making me feel worse.
Pushing and pulling going on within my brain
It says to lay low
Conflicting thoughts and emotions are causing me internal struggle, and some instinct is telling me to stay hidden.
Dead end, the darkness latches on
I feel like I am trapped in a hopeless and dark situation.
Now I am a product of a mind
That wasn't ever mine
I am starting to feel like I am being controlled by external forces and losing my own sense of self.
And now it says "kill them slow"
The dark voice in my head is urging me to take revenge or cause harm to those who have hurt me.
Weighed down
I'm drowning in this stale moment
The heaviness of the situation is causing me to feel stuck and unable to move forward.
Renown is yelling at me from above
The pressure and expectations of society and those around me are making the situation worse.
This is a one-way road
Kill them slow
I am feeling trapped and hopeless, and the only option seems to be to retaliate in some harmful way.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADAM GETGOOD, JAKE BOWEN, MARK HULETT HOLCOMB, MATTHEW HALPERN, MISHA MANSOOR, SPENCER SOTELO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Swagaroni
OFFICIAL LYRICS:
As I sit with eyes heavy, omens clear
Face down in seclusion
The evil steer what drives the stake within my heart
This man, he fell apart
Now that the entrance is open wide, this black all around makes its way inside
What have you done?
Will hate abide?
Where is my death invitation?
Elation?
Dead wind swirling beneath these prayers I hide
I'd give my life for a taste of what lies beyond in that place now
Live Earth rising beneath these hands untied
I'd leave my life on the line
Never one of them
I am not free
Survive
I will survive
Glass ceilings above drop rage upon them
Stone cold fist and a memory
Running on the blunt end of a blade
The blood that it spills shall start my serenade to you
I will survive
Survive
13Shafiq666
Lyrics :
As I sit with eyes heavy, omen's clear
Face down in seclusion, the evil steer
What drives the stake within my eye?
This many fell apart
Now that the entrance is open wide
This black all around makes it's way inside
What have you done? Will hate abide?
Where is my damn invitation? Elation?
Dead glimpse lurking beneath this prison, I
I give my life for a taste of
Taste of
What lies beyond the dead place now
Fire burns rising beneath these sins in time
I gave my life for the void
I have not tried
It's over
I will survive
Collapse ceilings... rage upon them
Raging upon them
Stone cold system memory lying on the blunt end of the pain
The blunt at you
This time I serenade to you
I will survive
I will survive
Survive
Sean Martin
Lyrics: (as far as I can make out)
As I sit with eyes heavy, omens clear
Face down in seclusion, the evil steer
What drives the stake within my heart?
This man he fell apart
Now that the entrance is open wide
This black all around makes it way inside
What have you done? Will hate abide?
Where is my death invitation? Elation?
Dead wind swirling beneath these prayers I hide
I’d give my life for a taste of, taste of, what lies beyond that damn place now
Fire burns, rising beneath these sins I’m tied`
I leave my life for the void
I am the slave
Survive
I will survive
Glass ceilings above drop rage upon them
Crashing upon them
Stone cold fist and a memory running on the bloodstains of a blade
The blood that is spilled shall start my serenade to you
I will survive
I will survive
Survive!
Taylor White
When I actually looked at the lyrics...
I realized that this song hits me on a level deeper than anything else by them
Sponce, you is are genious....
I was in a very dark time in my life when I heard it, and later when I actually understood it.
You'll notice Im actually here to post this.
Thank you....
Ian Guitarist
I would like to point out that this song is by far more impressive than people are giving it credit for. Notice how the song builds, utilizing the same progression, and melody, and translating it into a varied assortment of approaches. They go from soothing, to haunting, to heavy to just brutal then into an even more haunting progression only to be devastated further., all with the exact same melody and riffs, which cannot be done by most bands. Notice how Spencer's vocals dance around a traditional melody in the opening section and explode into a blistering squeal. I'd like to see any other singer pull 1:38 off without blowing a vocal chord. I personally love how 'Mike Patton-esque" Spencer sounds on this track. (I feel it is necessary at this point, to note that I have never really been a Spencer fan, but here he blows away any metal singer I have ever heard)
If you need any further validation that this song is fucking awesome, look no further than 2:55, where the song changes both keys and time signatures and gets extremely sick.
Sure, it is not instantly gratifying, but if everything was, then it would be boring. This is a perfect example of a band breaking the mould and pushing boundaries. I submit that this song is evidence alone that these upcoming releases will be the quintessential progressive release by Periphery.
This song isn't 100% Brutal, 100% Djent, or 100% Metal. It is Progressive metal through and through. And I find it refreshing.
Mad Hatter
@Molly Jade Not at all!
Molly Jade
@Mad Hatter I mean you're not wrong Chester was and in his legacy still amazing I can't argue with that
I mean everyone has their own opinions I apologize if I made it seem like I was invalidating yours
Mad Hatter
@Molly Jade The only person who comes remotely close to that is Chester Bennington.
Molly Jade
@Mad Hatter My dude I think you missed the point it's not all about vocal range it's the technique, try to slide up to that note while adding a scream factor in there (I'm not sure if it's fry or false chords I'm not an expert) it's hard to transition from singing smoothly into screaming like he did. If it comes down to it, it's better to have massive control of your voice. Spencer for sure has control and and range, which makes him a great vocalist. I am an Alto and I can definitely testament from previously being a Soprano. I'm sure you knew what you were saying, and I'm in no way downplaying your talent!!
Mad Hatter
I could hit that High Note when I was a Senior in High School. I was also in Chorus for 4 Years. I had an insane Range vi could hit Spencer's High Notes and Rill Lindmann's low Notes (Rammstien)
Swagaroni
OFFICIAL LYRICS:
As I sit with eyes heavy, omens clear
Face down in seclusion
The evil steer what drives the stake within my heart
This man, he fell apart
Now that the entrance is open wide, this black all around makes its way inside
What have you done?
Will hate abide?
Where is my death invitation?
Elation?
Dead wind swirling beneath these prayers I hide
I'd give my life for a taste of what lies beyond in that place now
Live Earth rising beneath these hands untied
I'd leave my life on the line
Never one of them
I am not free
Survive
I will survive
Glass ceilings above drop rage upon them
Stone cold fist and a memory
Running on the blunt end of a blade
The blood that it spills shall start my serenade to you
I will survive
Survive
Pig Benis
+Leslie Estes" id give my life for a , chainsaw take some" after dead wind swirling behind these prayers i hide
Pig Benis
+Swagaroni no because hes wrong
FatalFrost13
+Gorbs413 One slight correction down should be done.