The line-up
He didn't have to look far to find the first two musicians, as local drummer Morten Gade Sørensen and bassist Niels Kvist immediately jumped on the opportunity to join Michael in his quest. The next person to sign on was American keyboardist Jonah Weingarten, who Michael had met over the Internet. The newborn band began rehearsing the written material on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: the Danish guys on one side, and Jonah in the U.S. They sent demos back and forth combined with many phone conferences as part of the creative process. With a core band around him, Michael then booked the studio to record the debut album. He hired on the well-known producer Jacob Hansen, a man with a long list of fantastic productions behind him, ranging from Hatesphere and Mercenary to Manticora and Falconer, to name a few.
The debut album
In January 2003, Jonah flew to Denmark and the band began recording the CD in Jacob's studio in a small town called Ribe. After having laid down all the tracks besides the vocals, producer Jacob decided to send a couple of MP3s to his long-time friends at Intromental Management - a Danish metal agency, who already had worked together with Jacob on numerous recordings. The guys at Intromental fell totally in love with the Pyramaze material and gave Michael a call. After a couple of phone conversations, the two parties, Pyramaze and Intromental, decided to join forces, and the band suddenly found themselves being promoted professionally. One of the things that came with the signing to Intromental was the decision of finding a really fantastic pro-singer: someone who not only would fit the material, but also be able to lift it to even higher levels. Michael agreed to the idea, and Intromental sent him a bunch of CDs with different vocalists doing their stuff. After listening carefully to everything, Michael found that only one singer truly stood out, and that man was Lance King, known from such great power and progressive metal acts as Balance Of Power, Mattson, King's Machine and Gemini. Lance was approached with the material, and he agreed to become the new vocalist for Pyramaze. The already-finished music was sent to Lance, along with all the lyrics, and Lance commenced the recording of the vocals in his own studio in Minneapolis. A few months later the vocals were finished, and the material was sent to Denmark again, where it was finally mixed and mastered back in Jacob's studio in Ribe.
Getting the band signed
The time had now come, to find a record company that would publish PYRAMAZE's debut album 'Melancholy Beast'. Fortunately the reactions to the album were extremely positive, and offers began coming in right away. After negotiations were concluded, the band signed with the following labels: NTS Records (now known as REPLICA Records) for Europe and Canada, TOSHIBA-EMI for Japan, and NIGHTMARE Records for the U.S. A common release date was set and the album was available in all regions by the end of May 2004. PYRAMAZE had gained exceptional reviews from the media all over the world, and in 2005 a deal for the Asian market (outside of Japan) was also inked with Melodic Heaven in Korea.
On the road
The band had a run of live shows in the summer of 2004 in North America, Denmark, Germany, and France to support their debut album MELANCHOLY BEAST. Danish Guitarist Toke Skjønnemand was added to these shows, and soon after the touring was completed, Toke was asked to join the band as a permanent member.
The follow up album
Michael began composing what was to be the second Pyramaze release in the winter months of 2004/2005, a concept album entitled "Legend Of The Bone Carver" that has a unique story flowing from beginning to end. Once again recorded with Jacob Hansen at the helm, this new opus was completed in the summer of 2005. Immediately upon completion Intromental Management followed up with all the bands' record companies, and in addition to Replica Records (formerly NTS) for France, Nightmare Records for the U.S., and Melodic Heaven for Asia, new labels were found for Japan and Europe: King Records and Massacre Records respectively. A unified release date was set for the end of February 2006. In January of 2006, PYRAMAZE had already been scheduled for several highly sought-after festivals (Kløften Fest in Denmark (June 23)/ Bloodstock Open Air in England (July 14th) / Headbangers Open Air in Germany (July 15th)/ and a highly coveted spot at ProgPower USA music festival on September 15).
2006 brought about the release of Pyramaze's second album, LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER, which was received with great reviews. Toward the end of 2006, it was announced that vocalist Lance King would leave the band.
The new vocalist has been announced. Matthew Barlow (ex-Iced Earth) will be joining and a new album is anticipated in 2008.
Obsession
Pyramaze Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reap the fruits of my excess
I always was extremely good at taking
Leaving nothing to redress
I want to have it all
I won′t cease until I fall
The race for growth has just begun
Depletion
There'll be nothing left to gaze upon
Up for grabs a well-provided altar
A perverted mix of life and death
Feast your eyes on Western exploitation
Drenched until that final breath
(Time marching on) It′s much too late to save
(Some day all gone) No reason to behave
Obsession
The race for growth has just begun
Depletion
There'll be nothing left to gaze upon
In a thousand years from now
The remains are discovered somehow
A fatal memory
Exhaustion
A classic case of rise and fall
Attention!
The race for growth will end it all
Obsession
The race for growth has just begun
Depletion
There'll be nothing left to gaze upon
The lyrics of Pyramaze's "Obsession" describe the harmful consequences of human greed and the insatiable desire for more. The singer of the song is looking towards the future with anticipation, knowing that their excessive behaviour will eventually catch up with them. Despite the potential consequences, the character continues to strive for more, refusing to stop until they ultimately fall. This relentless pursuit of wealth and power is described as an obsession, consuming all those who partake in it.
The second verse of the song highlights the danger of Western exploitation and how it has led to the depletion of resources. It warns that the drive for growth and acquisition will lead to a bleak future in which there is nothing left to admire. The final verse portrays a sense of hopelessness and regret, suggesting that in the distant future, the remnants of the once-proud civilization will tell a sad story of a society consumed by its own greed.
Overall, the song serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of obsession and the importance of acknowledging our impact on the planet and each other.
Line by Line Meaning
In a not so distant future I will
The singer is speaking of a future where they will face the consequences of their actions.
Reap the fruits of my excess
The singer will face the results of their overindulgence.
I always was extremely good at taking
The singer has a history of consuming and accumulating without thought or care.
Leaving nothing to redress
The artist has left no room for correction or compensation.
I want to have it all
The artist desires unlimited acquisition and control.
I won′t cease until I fall
The singer will persist in their pursuit until they experience failure or downfall.
Obsession
A repeated phrase emphasizing the singer's all-consuming desire and attachment.
The race for growth has just begun
The artist sees the acquisition of wealth and power as a competition that is ongoing and never-ending.
Depletion
A repeated phrase pointing to the inevitable destruction and exhaustion of resources caused by endless growth and consumption.
There'll be nothing left to gaze upon
The artist predicts a bleak and empty future resulting from the heedless depletion of resources.
Up for grabs a well-provided altar
The singer views the world's resources as a place for them to take advantage of and exploit as they please.
A perverted mix of life and death
The artist acknowledges that their growth and consumption is damaging and destructive to the planet and its inhabitants.
Feast your eyes on Western exploitation
The singer is pointing out a pattern of exploitation and abuse that is frequently seen in the West.
Drenched until that final breath
The singer anticipates indulging in their greed and excess until the end of their life.
(Time marching on) It′s much too late to save
The singer recognizes that the damage has been done and it is too late to reverse the effects of their actions.
(Some day all gone) No reason to behave
With the knowledge of the depletion of resources, the artist sees no reason to change or moderate their behavior.
In a thousand years from now
The artist contemplates a future far removed from their own.
The remains are discovered somehow
The singer predicts that traces of their actions will remain and be discovered in the future.
A fatal memory
The singer recognizes that their actions have led to a devastating outcome.
Exhaustion
A repeated phrase alluding to the depletion and exhaustion of the planet's resources caused by unlimited growth and consumption.
A classic case of rise and fall
The artist recognizes that their behavior is a pattern seen throughout history, resulting in eventual downfall.
Attention!
A strong imperative calling for awareness and action in response to the damage caused by unlimited growth and consumption.
Writer(s): Jacob Hansen, Henrik Fevre N?rgaard, Morten Gade S?rensen, Terje Har?y, Jonah Weingarten, Toke Skj?nnemand
Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anthony Tabura
I am amazed as well this is what I like to hear bands that got it together..
I'm to hear more from them in the future..
Nice to hear from coherent musicians, who know how to keep it together RIGHT ON!!!!
saintsteffie
I like your sound. Keep up the good work
Rodrigo Barrow da Silva
Great song...
The melody referred to sounds of the band Anubis Gates, very cool!
Good job guys!
José Augusto dos Santos
MÚSICA MUITO BOA. ABRAÇO.
Isak Aidee
This is progressive metal at its finest.
Key2
AMAZING
My Van
NICE!!!
Evy's Verden ved Evy Skjønnemand Nielsen
COOL!!
Demon angel Nemo
Yes beauty of your wisdom further sparks delight. :D
AceCombat
Not bad at all
Keep your good work