Shortly after the band put their point over live to the public, as support to bands such as Depressive Age and Waltari, and took the opportunity of underlining their unusual talent. In the mid-90s the band signed for the Berlin record company Noise Records, who were known in the eighties as being the label of such German metal giants as Helloween and Gamma Ray.
Their debut album, Symbiosis, recorded in the T&T-Studios in Gelsenkirchen and produced by John McGowan (Headhunter etc.), was released in Spring 1995 and was warmly greeted by the press. "With this homogenous, deep and convincing CD debut, Poverty's No Crime have more fulfilled their inherent promise and have formed a solid foundation for their future", praised ROCK HARD, one of Germany's two mega-metal-mags.
The combo then began preparation for The Autumn Years. Spring 1996 saw the release of their second album and once again the review pages of the metal press glowed with praise. This time, the ROCK HARD reviewer named the CD his Album of the month, whilst EMP, in their catalogue-mag raved, "Proggers of all shapes, color and sizes simply must buy the album of this absolutely unique band".
The Autumn Years was received with positive reactions not only in Germany, but also abroad. BURRN, Japan's Heavy Metal-Bible, gave the album 88 out of 100 points and readers voted the Germany into the Top 20 of the Album Charts.
The album had scarcely been released than the musicians - despite a distinct lack of suitable financial support from their record company - went on tour with Victory and followed this up with a special guest slot on the Virgin Steele/Angra-Tour which covered half of the European continent in 1996. Tremendous praise was showered on the band following their live performances in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Switzerland. Despite all this, Noise Records surprisingly ended their relationship with the band, yet the lads were more determined than ever before and gave more live shows, one of them with Skyclad.
After a generous break to consolidate their ranks, the five musicians continued to follow their dream and, from January 1997, began writing songs for a new album. Poverty's No Crime found a new business (and ideological) home at Inside Out Music, currently Germany`s most important Prog-Metal label, who also have such great bands as Spock`s Beard, Symphony X, Vanden Plas, Platypus, Enchant and Eldritch under their contractual wing. Inside Out Music are known of signing only a certain, carefully and selected contingent of bands, whom they know they can support with great enthusiasm. In view of this, the liaison between Poverty's No Crime and Inside Out Music seems to be under a lucky star.
Reviewing Slave to the Mind, the first result of this hopeful relationship, "(Hardrock & Metal) Hammer", Germany's Nr. 1 rock music magazine wrote in their August '99 edition, "This is what makes progmetal enjoyable - no long egoistic solos, no disturbing breaks, no endless I-love-me arias, but just - despite opulent decoration - straight arrangements, memorable hooks and melodic choruses... Some of the material remind me of the glorious Marillion days ("Wind And Light"), some of early Fates Warning ("The Senses Go Blind"), and yet Slave to the Mind never loses its own individual touch. A great album from a great band!"
In the late 1999 Poverty's No Crime faced the first major line-up change when Marcello Maniscalco on the keyboards and bass player Christian Scheele left the band for other projects. Unimpressed by this loss, new material was written just by the remaining three musicians. However, just before entering the studio for the recordings of One in a Million the right guy for the vacant position behind the keyboards was found: Jörg Springub proved his perfect fit for the band with an impressing performance on the record.
One in a Million was released in June 2001 and once again the international music press showed remarkably positive reactions. Right after the album-release bass player Heiko Spaarmann completed the line up and the combo played some successful shows together with bands like Vanden Plas, Zero Hour, Pain of Salvation and Anathema.
Two years have passed since then and Poverty's No Crime took a deep breath of fresh creativity. Again they spent two month at the Soundgarten Studio and the result will hit the record stores this fall. In the end of October The Chemical ChaosTHE CHEMICAL CHAOS, the bands' fifth record will be released in Europe as well as in North America via Inside Out Music. Initial plans for a tour are already in motion, whilst winter 2003 will see the band on stage at various shows. So let's hope that the poverty in the combo's name will soon become artistic fortune.
Now And Again
Poverty's No Crime Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you like to be renowned?
A silent rage can pave the way
Can keep the coldness in your eyes
Weak and chased into the light
And just a heartless smile away
They all believe in what I seem to be
So I must keep this face alive
This is a world of anger and hate
We dream of heaven but we live in hell
Now and again - now the feeling is over again - with a lie
You can always pretend it's alright and fine
Could you help me to fight when danger is high?
When my honesty fades away
Who's afraid to be alive again?
What in me - what is deep in my mind?
What if the danger makes me feel I could die?
Still in my head what makes be this way
And what can ease the blame inside
Too much hate too many oppositions
But the order was to win somehow
I believe there is a place to be
People get along without a trace of baseness
This is a world of anger and hate
We put our faith in hell's array
We dream of heaven but we live in hell
Now the feeling is over again - though I try
Could you help me to find my way out of the ice
That has frozen the dream of a warm summer night
Can I offer myself to you?
I believe that I can learn to feel
What is in me - what's behind my eyes?
Is it a dream within a lost paradise?
If I could feel - if I could feel ashamed
I lose my faith within a thousand lies
All my life could be the final lie...
The lyrics of Poverty's No Crime's song "Now And Again" is a reflection of the constant battle between the good and the bad, the right and the wrong in one's life. The opening lines of the song pose a rhetorical question, asking if the listener would like to be renowned, and goes on to highlight the challenges of maintaining an ideal image, hiding behind a facade, with a constant fear of being exposed as something different. The lyrics then point towards the struggles to keep up with the demands of society while battling one's inner demons.
The chorus of the song highlights the irony of living in a world that people dream of changing, yet are unable to escape the harsh reality of living amidst anger and hate. The lyrics touch upon the fragility of being vulnerable and the constant need for support in tough times. The song emphasizes the significance of being honest and true to oneself, a theme that is prevalent throughout.
The lyrics of the song are deep, thoughtful and relatable, inspiring listeners to reflect upon their own lives, their choices, and their inner struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you like to be the one
Do you aspire to be a well-known person?
Would you like to be renowned?
Do you wish to be famous and celebrated?
A silent rage can pave the way
Keeping your anger inwardly can lead to success.
Can keep the coldness in your eyes
You can stay composed and unaffected by emotions.
Weak and chased into the light
Feeling vulnerable and exposed in the spotlight.
And just a heartless smile away
Putting on a fake smile to hide true feelings.
They all believe in what I seem to be
Everyone believes the facade that I portray.
So I must keep this face alive
I have to maintain the appearance I have created.
This is a world of anger and hate
The environment is filled with hostility and negativity.
We dream of heaven but we live in hell
We aspire for perfection, but the reality is far from it.
Now and again - now the feeling is over again - with a lie
Sometimes, the temporary relief from pain is through deceit.
You can always pretend it's alright and fine
It is possible to put up a front and act like everything is okay.
Could you help me to fight when danger is high?
Can you support me in facing difficult challenges?
When my honesty fades away
When my truthfulness is lost.
Who's afraid to be alive again?
Who is scared to take chances and live their life?
What in me - what is deep in my mind?
What are the thoughts and emotions hidden within me?
What if the danger makes me feel I could die?
What if the risks are too great and threaten my life?
Still in my head what makes be this way
I am still trying to understand what shapes my personality.
And what can ease the blame inside
What can alleviate my feelings of guilt?
Too much hate too many oppositions
The world is full of animosity and conflicting views.
But the order was to win somehow
The objective was always to come out on top.
I believe there is a place to be
I think there is a better environment than the current one.
People get along without a trace of baseness
It is possible for individuals to interact without any ill intentions.
Now the feeling is over again - though I try
The fleeting comfort is gone, despite my efforts to keep it.
Could you help me to find my way out of the ice
Can you assist me in escaping the frigid state I am in?
That has frozen the dream of a warm summer night
That has prevented the possibility of a blissful experience.
Can I offer myself to you?
Can I give my heart to someone who can appreciate it?
I believe that I can learn to feel
I am confident that I can become more emotionally conscious.
What is in me - what's behind my eyes?
What is the true self hidden within me?
Is it a dream within a lost paradise?
Is it an aspiration that is out of reach?
If I could feel - if I could feel ashamed
If only I could experience guilt and regret.
I lose my faith within a thousand lies
I lose my trust in people and the world because of deceit.
All my life could be the final lie...
Perhaps my whole life is just a façade.
Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.