Mike, Carlos, David, Chris, and Bob started Scars Of Tomorrow in October of 2000 with many common goals, one of them being to create a sound that reflected their love of east coast hardcore and the familiar sound of the California scene that they all had been a part of for so long. Scars Of Tomorrow released two full lengths via Thorp Records and released their Victory debut in February of 2002, called Rope Tied To The Trigger.
For Scars Of Tomorrow, these past three years they’ve spent on Victory Records have been tremendously successful. The band has toured the United States and Canada numerous times over with bands like Atreyu, Norma Jean, and Himsa, which built them a rock solid and unstoppably loyal fan base. Features and reviews were seen in AMP, Alternative Press, Revolver, Skratch, Metal Maniacs, and their video could be seen every weekend on MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball, forging the band to the front lines of all things ferocious and to thousands of shopping carts. Alternative Press commented: “Scars will leave the scene better than they found it….” The metal and hardcore world is more than prepared and anticipating the new chaos from Scars Of Tomorrow.
The Horror Of Realization issues a battle cry for every heavy music scene to wake up and experience the pulverizing melodies and enlightening lyrics that Scars Of Tomorrow has to offer. Vocalist Mike Milford said, “This record differs from the last in a bunch of different ways. It’s more upbeat, has a faster tempo, and the guitar work is a lot more versatile on this record. Lyrically, a lot more emotion was piled into it as well. People blind themselves and try to believe everything is perfect when it’s not. This is something that needs to be shoved in their faces and hopefully they help make a difference.” The Horror Of Realization also shows Scars Of Tomorrow switching gears a bit and experimenting with ambient noise tracks, catching different emotions and mirroring some situations and events from the band’s past.
Produced by Matt Bayles whose fame has come from working with Mastodon, Isis, Pearl Jam and more, The Horror Of Realization also features a guest appearance by Atreyu frontman Alex Varkatzas on the track called “The Hidden Grudge”. Mike commented on his pairing with Alex: “Alex has always been a close friend and one of the few bands around home that have ever believed in us. Atreyu has done nothing but show us love and help us out with everything possible. I was really excited when Alex agreed to do it.”
Suddenly the hot spot of Southern California has gotten hotter with Scars Of Tomorrow’s latest and greatest effort of hardcore savagery, metal ferocity, and luxuriant atmospheric sensibility. A full scale US tour with labelmates Bury Your Dead will commence this fall and will solidify The Horror Of Realization in headbanging history. Be sure to check out Scars Of Tomorrow’s controversially brutal new video for “The Constant Horror Of Reality”, shot by Dave Brodsky (All That Remains, The Red Chord).
Scars of Tomorrow played a reunion show in 2010 and since then have been active in other bands including Butcher Babies (Chris Warner) and Fake Figures (Bob Bradley). Vocalist Mike Milford is a successful artist manager for Artery Foundation and helps run Artery Recordings.
The Constant Horror Of Reality
Scars of Tomorrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It fails me, to think of emptiness
There is nothing left, for me to lose
To see how precious life really is
(2x)Am I alive
There's nothing left to lose
If nothing's there
(2x)The Horror of Realization This blood runs black
We live in black and white
A sketch of death's design, this dream is over
Now a brick to the face
As reality walks away
You were born to lose
All that remains constant
What is real, what is dead
With all these ears in life
Am I alive
It fails me, to think of emptiness
There is nothing left, for me to lose
To see how precious life really is
(2x)Am I alive
I this life what is real
In this life what is dead
The horror of realization, these are our lives
(2x)The horror of realization
(2x)These is nothing left to lose if nothings even there
This blood runs black
We live in black and white
A sketch of deaths design, this dream is over
Now a brick to the face
As reality walks away
You were born to lose
All that remains constant
(8x)What is real
The lyrics of Scars of Tomorrow's song The Constant Horror Of Reality delve into the existential dread of life, and the fear of emptiness that comes with it. The artist speaks about the traps of life and how it feels like it fails them when they think about the vastness of emptiness. They say that there is nothing left for them to lose, and they question their own existence by asking whether they are alive. In this state of emptiness, they realize how precious life is and what it means to be alive. The song then moves on to the horror of realization, where the blood runs black, and everything seems bleak. They realize that we live in black and white, and the sketch of death's design is all around us, signifying that this dream is over. The artist then asks, what is real and what is dead, and how can one distinguish between the two in life. The song ends where it began, with the artist once again questioning their existence and contemplating the horror of realization.
Line by Line Meaning
These are the traps of life
Life is full of obstacles and difficulties
It fails me, to think of emptiness
The idea of emptiness and nothingness is overwhelming and depressing
There is nothing left, for me to lose
I have lost everything and have nothing else to lose
To see how precious life really is
I realize how valuable life is
Am I alive
I question my existence and whether I am truly alive
The Horror of Realization
The fear and shock of understanding the truth
This blood runs black
The darkness and negativity present in life
We live in black and white
Life is dull and lacks color or excitement
A sketch of death's design, this dream is over
Life feels like a pre-planned path towards death and my goals and aspirations are unlikely to be fulfilled
Now a brick to the face
A sudden and painful reality hitting me
As reality walks away
The harsh reality is too difficult to face and I try to avoid it
You were born to lose
I have a feeling of hopelessness and believe that failure is inevitable
All that remains constant
The only thing that is consistent and unchanging is the harshness of reality
What is real, what is dead
I am unsure of what is real and what is fake or dead
In this life what is real
I am searching for the truth and reality in life
These are our lives
This is the harsh reality of our lives
These is nothing left to lose if nothings even there
If there is nothing in life to lose, there is no point in continuing to live
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@redoctober854
Love this band so much. Still remember those days when i bought this album on cd so awesome. And the singers vocals sounds abit like Mark Hunter from Chimaira.
@airmanmike3000
I bought this CD in 2006 when I was deployed to Al Udeid air base Qatar. It was the soundtrack to my deployment.
@kabemty
Blasting this Brutal Song in 2020.
@kabemty
I am here again with a blunt. 2021. hi!
@kabemty
Now 2023
@kabemty
2025
@elgendor-powerslayer_4184
To this day i be jamming to this
@JuanDeag228
The breakdown at the end goes pretty hard. I feel like I'm the only one left blasting Scars Of Tomorrow religiously. Design Your Fate (the song) goes heavier than any Knocked Loose/Vein/2018-tier metalcore out there.
@Fullcollapse1
I agree! I think the newer metalcore tries to hard to be heavy and embody the 90's.
@joeyglover3429
Whaaaaat is real!?