They are also veterans of festivals across Europe and America – including Bloodstock in the UK.
Now they’re back with powerful new frontman Matt Oakman – and ready to rip it up.
Shadow Keep were formed in 1999 by guitarists Chris Allen and Nikki Robson. That October, with vocalist Rogue M, they recorded a six-track EP at Thin Ice Studios, produced by Threshold guitarist Karl Groom. Their opus Dark Tower became the opener on a German mag’s CD for unsigned bands – and gained them a record deal with Limb Music Productions in June 2000. Two albums, Corruption Within and A Chaos Theory, followed to huge acclaim. The band soon gained support slots with Ronnie James Dio, Halford, Symphony X, Dream Evil plus Flotsam And Jetsam. These major shows led to appearances at festivals in the UK, America, Germany and Holland. Their touring had one benefit – the arrival of Texas bassist Stony Grantham. But other line-up changes held things up. Undeterred, ShadowKeep started work on third album The Hourglass Effect – again with Karl Groom at Thin Ice. The sessions produced some of Chris and Nikki’s most creative songwriting.
Chaosgenesis
Shadow Keep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had lost hope and faith in me, a soul torn apart
Like a shell becomes empty as its host desire to retire
Is dragging him down, dragging him down beyond reality
No love - No life - No understanding
I'm lost - I die - Will I rise from the ashes?
GE-NE-SIS, are you ready for it?
The clock is ticking backwards for me now...
Evolution has no meaning when the change inside
Is a metamorphosis so deep your world falls apart
Do I belong, do I belong here? It's obsessing me
No love - No life - No understanding
I'm lost - I die - Will I rise from the ashes?
Genesis (2002) The start of a new world
GE-NE-SIS, are you ready for it?
No love - No life - No understanding
I lost - I died - Will I rise from the ashes?
Genesis (2002) The start of a new world
GE-NE-SIS, are you ready for it?
GE-NE-SIS...
The lyrics of Shadow Keep's song Chaosgenesis present a deeply introspective portrayal of the struggles of the human soul. The singer of the song starts by describing their sense of hopelessness and despair, feeling as if their very soul has been torn apart. This imagery of a shell becoming empty as its host withdraws from the world is a powerful metaphor for the sense of emptiness and detachment that comes with depression, anxiety, or other emotional turmoil. The singer reflects on their lack of love, life or understanding, feeling lost and disoriented, wondering if they will ever be able to rise from the ashes of their brokenness.
The chorus of the song, "Genesis (2002) The start of a new world, GE-NE-SIS, are you ready for it?" seems to be a kind of call to action or rallying cry, inviting the listener to embrace this process of metamorphosis and change that the singer is undergoing. There is a sense of urgency, of the clock ticking backwards and the need to seize this moment of transformation before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
I had lost hope and faith in me, a soul torn apart
My confidence and trust in myself had completely crumbled, leaving my spirit shattered.
Like a shell becomes empty as its host desire to retire
Just as a shell is vacated when its occupant is ready for rest, I was also feeling depleted and ready to give up.
Is dragging him down, dragging him down beyond reality
The weight of my emotions was causing me to feel as though I was sinking deeper and deeper into a place that was beyond the bounds of the physical world.
The clock is ticking backwards for me now...
As time passed, it felt as though I was regressing instead of progressing.
Evolution has no meaning when the change inside
While external change might be seen as a form of growth, internal change is what truly brings meaning to one's life.
Is a metamorphosis so deep your world falls apart
The type of personal transformation I was experiencing was so profound that it caused my entire world to crumble around me.
Do I belong, do I belong here? It's obsessing me
The question of whether or not I belonged in this world was consuming me entirely, leaving me with a sense of unrest.
No love - No life - No understanding
Without love, life feels empty and devoid of purpose - and without understanding, one can never truly make sense of the world.
I'm lost - I die - Will I rise from the ashes?
I feel completely lost and hopeless, like I'm facing death - but perhaps there's a chance that I might be able to start anew and rise from the ashes of my former self.
Genesis (2002) The start of a new world
This marks the beginning of a new era, a time when everything is completely different from before.
GE-NE-SIS, are you ready for it?
Are you prepared for this new world and all the change that comes with it?
Contributed by Layla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.