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.
Who Prospers?
Satanic Surfers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a chronic disease in it's final stage this crap is turning from bad to worse
Extremes are normal when normality's so extreme
But could it be it's not quite what it seems?
Tell me who prospers...
When we televise to stupify and supersize our ignorance
By strangling the intellect they tighten the leash and quench the thirst for knowledge
Like a cancer eating away on our collective consciousness
A chronic disease in its final stage this crap is turning from bad to worse
Extremes are normal when normality's so extreme
But could it be it's not quite what it seems?
Tell me who prospers...
When we televise to stupify and supersize our ignorance
Can we as viewers not see that we're being kept indulgent and inept??
By strangling the intellect they tighten the leash and quench the thirst for knowledge
In a glow of enthusiasm the public at large keeps warm by the radiance of the television
A blank stare...filling life with purpose...
Numbing entertainment, mass hypnosis, to comfort and sedate and pacify the masses
The lyrics to Satanic Surfers' "Who Prospers?" are a scathing indictment of the modern entertainment industry and its effect on wider society. The opening lines set a visceral tone, as the singer compares the experience of watching mindless TV to contracting a chronic illness. The song then delves into a broader critique of the media, arguing that its focus on sensationalism and extremity is symptomatic of a wider cultural malaise.
The central question posed by the song is encapsulated in the chorus: "Tell me who prospers... when we televise to stupify and supersize our ignorance?" The implication is that the real beneficiaries of this state of affairs are those who control and profit from the media industry - the "they" who "strangle the intellect" and "tighten the leash." The song presents a bleak picture of a public who are kept "indulgent and inept" by a massive system of mass hypnosis, whose ultimate goal is to "comfort and sedate and pacify the masses."
In all, "Who Prospers?" is an uncompromising and uncomplicated critique of the entertainment industry and its negative impact on society. It argues that the media's focus on sensation and spectacle is symptomatic of a wider societal malaise, and that those who control and profit from the industry are the ones who truly prosper.
Line by Line Meaning
It's this sort of entertainment that makes me feel like throwing up
This specific kind of entertainment is repulsive and evokes a disgust response in me.
Like a chronic disease in it's final stage this crap is turning from bad to worse
This type of entertainment is progressively worsening, becoming more offensive and unacceptable.
Extremes are normal when normality's so extreme
In a culture where exaggeration and sensationalism are the norm, it's not surprising that extremes are common.
But could it be it's not quite what it seems?
Perhaps there's more to this type of entertainment than meets the eye.
Tell me who prospers...
Who benefits or gains power from this type of entertainment?
When we televise to stupify and supersize our ignorance
When we broadcast content that dulls our intellect and glorifies ignorance, we are doing a disservice to ourselves.
Can we as viewers not see that we're being kept indulgent and inept??
Are viewers not aware that they are being treated like passive, ignorant individuals?
By strangling the intellect they tighten the leash and quench the thirst for knowledge
By suppressing intelligence and curiosity, those in power can maintain control and limit the potential for innovation and progress.
In a glow of enthusiasm the public at large keeps warm by the radiance of the television
The general population is content with and supported by the pervasive nature of television.
A blank stare...filling life with purpose...
A vacant gaze that can somehow provide individuals with a sense of meaning or direction in their lives.
Numbing entertainment, mass hypnosis, to comfort and sedate and pacify the masses
The entertainment we consume can serve as a tool for numbing us to the world around us, hypnotizing us into a state of passive acceptance rather than encouraging active participation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gerard Nuri
The first time I hear this one.. fuckin' good again !! I agree with you.. Adhesive, the best punk rock band ever, I haven't get tired of hearing their cd's after 13 years yet !!! Please do not stop posting them !!! good job man !!!