The band’s unique sound has developed though combining the experimental aspects and dynamics of progressive music, visceral energy of metal, and songwriting craft of rock. Years of working together and performing countless shows have led them to hone their own signature sound.
Protean Collective released their newest album “The Red and the Grey” in March 2014 to critical acclaim. The album was mixed by André Alvinzi and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, and Symphony X) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. It was self-recorded at Squid Hell Studios in Boston. The album has sold in 27 countries and was performed in its entirety for the first time at the album release show with the New England metal groups: Acaro and Pathogenic.
In their early years, the band released 2 albums: The Protean Collective LP (2006) and Once Mechanical (2008). These releases introduced the northeastern region of the US to their experimental ideas, while trying to find a scene that they fit in by playing on any shows that would have them- whether they were metal, punk, or indie.
2010 brought the release of Divided which was a major shift in songwriting to a darker content and more polished aesthetic. This was the first album that turned them into a touring band gaining fans along the east coast and mid west of the US.
In 2012, Protean Collective released Exposed, a 3 song EP that saw them further developing in the path Divided had taken. but for the first time they broke from their DIY ethic of self producing by bringing in the Grammy nominated, Jeff Lipton of Peering Mastering, to master the release.
Emerge
Protean Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're gonna watch you change
Although under your ripped cocoon you look the same
Pray
We're gonna pray for grace
The kind that fascinates your eyes and you can't look away
Spin
Your stories in my mind
Like who I am
Any time, any place, any way we can make our escape
Leave me whole and I'll emerge brand new and undisturbed
Given time, in my place, in my dreams I could fly away
Leave me whole and I'll emerge brand new and undisturbed
The lyrics of Protean Collective's song Emerge speak about the desire to embrace change and find grace, even when it seems impossible. The opening line, "We're gonna watch you change," suggests that someone is being observed as they undergo a transformation. However, the next line, "Although under your ripped cocoon you look the same," implies that while the external appearance may remain the same, there is a deeper change happening within.
The next line, "Pray, we're gonna pray for grace," reveals that the change being undergone is not necessarily a positive one, but one that requires help and guidance from a higher power. The description of grace as something that "fascinates your eyes and you can't look away" suggests that it is a powerful force that captures one's attention and transforms them in a profound way.
The next verse, "Spin your stories in my mind, of how we're trapped and cannot change what is pre-defined, like who I am," speaks to the idea that we often feel constrained by societal norms and expectations, as well as our own self-identity. However, the chorus provides a glimmer of hope - "Leave me whole and I'll emerge brand new and undisturbed, given time, in my place, in my dreams I could fly away" - suggesting that transformation is possible if we are able to break free from these constraints and embrace change.
Overall, the lyrics of Emerge speak to the powerful nature of transformation, and the importance of finding grace and accepting change even when it feels impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
Change
We will observe you transforming
We're gonna watch you change
We will observe how you alter yourself
Although under your ripped cocoon you look the same
Under your damaged exterior, you seem unaltered
Pray
We shall request for mercy
We're gonna pray for grace
We will ask for an attractive quality that captivates your attention
The kind that fascinates your eyes and you can't look away
An intriguing trait that mesmerizes you and makes it hard to stop looking
Spin
Present your narratives
Your stories in my mind
The stories you tell me stay in my thoughts
Of how we're trapped and cannot change what is pre-defined,
The stories are about how we are confined and incapable of altering predetermined circumstances
Like who I am
For instance, my identity
Any time, any place, any way we can make our escape
We have the liberty to leave whenever and wherever we desire
Leave me whole and I'll emerge brand new and undisturbed
If you let me be, I will resurface completely reborn and unharmed
Given time, in my place, in my dreams I could fly away
If allowed the opportunity, mentally or physically, I could escape and soar
Leave me whole and I'll emerge brand new and undisturbed
I will come out renewed and untroubled if you leave me intact
Contributed by Nolan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.