Psychotic Waltz is a progressive metal band formed in El Cajon, California … Read Full Bio ↴Psychotic Waltz is a progressive metal band formed in El Cajon, California in 1988.

The first incarnation of the band was under the name Aslan, after a character in the novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. With money earned from local shows and T-shirt sales, they recorded a self-titled demo tape in 1986. After discovering another band with the same name, they changed theirs to Psychotic Waltz and recorded a new four-song demo in 1988.

In 1990, they debuted with their independently financed debut A Social Grace, which was released in Europe via a licensing deal with the German label Rising Sun Productions. The album was very well received in Europe, being named album of the month in some European magazines,[citation needed] The situation in US was more difficult, as the album was released under the band's own Sub Sonic Records label. With practically no promotion and minimal distribution, it remained an extremely underground item. In 1991, the band appeared in the Dynamo Festival in Holland.

After the tour, the band's guitarist, Dan Rock, suffered a near-fatal accident after falling off a bridge while rappelling. The band went on to record their second album, Into the Everflow. The album was recorded from August–October, 1992, at Phoenix Studios in Herne, Germany, and was produced by Mekong Delta's main man, Ralph Hubert. After recording the album, but before its release, the band did a small tour while Dan Rock recovered from his accident. The CD was released in Europe on Dream Circle Records, and was very well received, getting album of the month honors in many European magazines.[citation needed] After Rock recovered, the band was nominated as the Best Hard Rock band at the 1992 San Diego Music Awards.

By that time, the band was at the peak of its popularity. They signed with Ralph Hubert's own label, Zardoz Music, for their third album, Mosquito. Recording took place in late 1994 in Record Plant and Madhatter studios in Los Angeles, with the help of the famous metal producer Scott Burns. The initial response for this album was mixed, as the more conventional songwriting that the band followed led some hardcore fans of the band to label it as a sell-out. This was the last album that was recorded with their initial lineup, as bassist Ward Evans left the band after two tours in Europe and was replaced with Phil Cuttino.

They entered the studio once again in 1996, for what proved to be their last studio work together, Bleeding. This time, Scott Burns did the engineering, but the record was mixed by Dan Rock and engineer Woody Barber. Before the band started touring in support for the new album, guitarist Brian McAlpine announced that he would not be able to follow the band due to familial obligations. He was replaced by Steve Cox for the band's final two European tours. Phil Cuttino filmed a promotional video for the track "Faded". This proved to be disastrous for the band, as a crew member sued the band in April 1998, claiming that a light on the set caused him to go blind.

The lengthy court battle that followed, coupled with the different musical interests that the band members had, contributed in the band's demise. Buddy Lackey was the first to leave the band. For a short while, the remaining band members tried to continue with the band, but eventually each went his own way. Rock recorded two instrumental albums with his project Darkstar. Norm Leggio and Steve Cox created the band Teabag, and Buddy Lackey formed the band Deadsoul Tribe, where he performs using his real name, Devon Graves.

Psychotic Waltz reunited in 2010, will tour Europe in support of Nevermore and Symphony X, and are planning to write, record and release a new album.

Locust
Psychotic Waltz Lyrics

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when the mist of the morning falls
a silence calls from the faith
baying at the window of my wondering
everything is faded, growing near to the ground
hiding in a corner of the doorway
the light is the fear of the shadow

near the leaves where the locust leaps

the spider's under the streets
in her catacomb museum
her lovers' mausoleum
with the kiss of the killing doors
the darkness creeps down the stairs of my vision and I feel the walls inside
I feel someone inside me now

everything is faded, growing near to the ground
hiding in a corner of the doorway
shadow of the world
a field of locust swarming down again
a field of locust swarming down

now the jackals of the nightmare
lay at the feet of the lunatics
hands through the dark are crawling over me
shadow of the world
a field of locust swarming down again
a field of locust swarming down

a field of locust swarming down again
a field of locust swarming down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Psychotic Waltz's song Locust combine dreamlike imagery and unsettling themes to create a haunting atmosphere. The opening lines set the stage with the mist of the morning falling and a silence calling from the faith, creating a sense of eerie stillness. The next lines describe baying at the window of wondering, evoking a restless and anxious feeling. The singer is hiding in a corner of a doorway, underscoring the theme of fear and vulnerability.

The second verse brings further disturbing imagery as the singer evokes a catacomb museum and lovers' mausoleum, with a kiss of killing doors. The darkness creeps down the stairs of his vision and he feels the walls inside, suggesting a sense of being trapped or enclosed. The refrain of everything being faded and growing near to the ground reinforces a sense of dwindling vitality and impending death.

The third verse continues the sense of menace and horror as jackals of the nightmare lay at the feet of the lunatics and hands crawl over the singer in the dark. The final refrain repeats the image of the locust swarming down, a symbol of destruction and chaos. Overall, the lyrics of "Locust" create a dreamlike, unsettling atmosphere that leaves the listener with a sense of unease.

Line by Line Meaning

when the mist of the morning falls
When the morning mist descends

a silence calls from the faith
It feels as though something is calling me from my beliefs

baying at the window of my wondering
As I ponder, I feel as though something is calling out to me from outside

everything is faded, growing near to the ground
Everything appears less vibrant, and closer to the earth

hiding in a corner of the doorway
I feel a desire to retreat to a sheltered spot

the light is the fear of the shadow
The light reveals the shadows, which can induce fear

near the leaves where the locust leaps
Somewhere near the area where locusts jump onto leaves

the spider's under the streets
There is a spider lurking under the ground

in her catacomb museum
This hidden museum is like a dark basement or underground tunnel system

her lovers' mausoleum
Like a place where lovers go to die or be buried together

with the kiss of the killing doors
As if a deadly door has opened and something terrible is coming through