Before recording their debut full length album, the band made a line-up change that probably, more than anything, would define the sound of the Satanic Surfers; Rodrigo took over the vocal duties while still playing the drums. Now the band was ready to take on the the world! Satanic Surfers released three consecutive albums on Burning Heart Records between ’95 and ’99: "Hero of our Time", "666 Motor Inn" and "Going Nowhere Fast", with "Hero of our Time" being their most successful release to date reaching 60,000 plus sales. This was during the golden years of melodic punkrock and the band did numerous successful tours in Europe, Canada and Australia with bands like Millencolin, Lag Wagon, Good Riddance and SNFU. Their extensive touring paid off and they soon had a strong following of loyal fans wherever they went, making them one of the biggest punk-rock bands to come out of Sweden at that time.
In 2000, the band decided it was time to make some changes. The collaboration with Burning Heart Records was terminated and Satanic returned to their friends at Bad Taste Records. The two following albums, "Fragments and Fractions" (2000) and "Unconsciously Confined" (2002) showed the band using a less complex songwriting style, with shorter songs. More touring followed and in between the two albums Rodrigo made the decision to hand over the drumming responsibilities and concentrate solely on the vocals. This meant that the band would have a frontman for the first time since 1994 and as a result the live shows became more energetic and the band toured more than ever during 2002.
But enough history. There’s a new Satanic Surfers album about be released on September 12th (slightly different release dates in some territories), the third one on Bad Taste Records. It’s called "Taste the Poison" and sees the band returning to Berno Studios in Malmö, for the second album in a row. After some down time following the 2002 tours, due to members leaving the band and a general need for some time off, Satanic Surfers actually began writing songs for this album more than two years ago. Everyone involved agreed that, since there were no tours booked and no deadlines to meet, there was no rush to record the album. Instead the most important thing was to gather the strongest material possible and enter the studio with the best Satanic Surfers songs ever. With Andy (bass) and Robert (drums) joining Rodrigo, Fredrik and Magnus in 2003 and 2004 respectively, the pieces fell into place and after completing a string of shows during 2004, the band was ready to enter the studio in May 2005. "Taste the Poison" their final album was released by Bad Taste Records and Satanic Surfers disbanded in 2007.
In December 2014, the band announces a reunion, beginning at Resurrection Fest 2015.
Down In Fire
Satanic Surfers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a capitalist conspiracy disguised as democracy
we've got to stand up together, strike as one
to steal back our dreams and our dignity
Our failure to agree only feeds the enemy
weakened by the lack of confidence in each other
competing not conversing, not advancing but reversing
Trapped in a world of our own creation
the one that we forged and built for ourselves
we're encouraged to become our own jailers
building up walls, our own prison cells
Our failure to agree only feeds the enemy
weakened by the lack of confidence in each other
competing not conversing, not advancing but reversing
if we can't learn to get along this world is going down in fire
The future is ours, so why are we waiting?
Reach out with both hands, reach out and take it!
The song "Down In Fire" by Satanic Surfers is a political song that talks about how the world is becoming a victim of corporate robbery and capitalist conspiracy disguised as democracy. The lyrics of the song depict how people need to plan and organize together to steal back their dreams and dignity from the hands of the rulers who are looting and exploiting them. The stanza "Our failure to agree only feeds the enemy" shows how people's failure to unite and work together is helping their oppressors to strengthen themselves. They need to stop competing against each other and start conversing to progress and advance.
The second stanza talks about how people have become prisoners of their own creation. They have built a world for themselves, but that world has now become a trap for them. People are encouraged to become their jailers and build walls around themselves that lead them to prison cells. The chorus repeats the message of the first stanza, which highlights that if people cannot learn how to get along, then the world is going down in fire. They need to unite, plan and take action to save their lives and the environment.
Line by Line Meaning
We're al victims of corporate robbery
The system set up by capitalism is stealing from us all
a capitalist conspiracy disguised as democracy
The capitalist system posing as democracy is really a plot
we've got to stand up together, strike as one
To make any change, we have to unite and take action
to steal back our dreams and our dignity
Our hopes and self-respect have been stolen from us by the system
Our failure to agree only feeds the enemy
By not finding common ground, we are aiding the systems that oppress us
weakened by the lack of confidence in each other
Our mistrust and fear of one another weakens our collective power
competing not conversing, not advancing but reversing
Fighting each other instead of talking is not productive and sets us back
if we can't learn to get along this world is going down in fire
If we can't work together, our world will continue to self-destruct
Trapped in a world of our own creation
The world we live in is a result of the choices we've made
the one that we forged and built for ourselves
We built our world based on the systems and values we chose
we're encouraged to become our own jailers
We're told to trap ourselves within the rules and norms of society
building up walls, our own prison cells
The societal systems we uphold become our personal prisons
The future is ours, so why are we waiting?
We have the power to shape our future, so why are we hesitant?
Reach out with both hands, reach out and take it!
We need to actively go after our dreams and make them reality
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.