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.
Lucifer's Pastime
Shadow Keep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Shadow Keep's song Lucifer's Pastime exhibit a sense of philosophical contemplation about the nature and purpose of human existence. The song speaks of the notion of returning to oblivion, the place from which everything began, and how even though wisdom is present, fears still blind us, making us vulnerable to our own sorrows. The lyrics highlight how we often waste time searching for answers to the puzzle of our lives, only to succumb to a trail of tears until it is over.
The intriguing part of the song is the repeated statement, "to decipher is Lucifer's pastime." It is an allusion to Lucifer's reputation as the bringer of light, and how he was cast out of heaven for challenging God's authority. The reference to Lucifer's pastime emphasizes the idea of challenging the unknown and deciphering the mysteries of life. The song also mentions how the urge to live and let live can be a double-edged sword, as it can cut through flesh like a knife, bringing us closer to the end of the fight.
Line by Line Meaning
As we're going back into the fold
Returning to where we belong
Oblivion - Imperious, our home
Our true home is the oblivion that reigns over us imperiously
A touch of wisdom sooths our throes
Wisdom brings comfort to our pains
And still the weakest of fears blind us
Our smallest fears still have the power to cloud our judgment
We feed our own sorrow at the fountain of time
We dwell on our sorrows which come from the passage of time
We search our own tomorrow in the eyes of the sky
We look for guidance in the sky for what will come tomorrow
To decipher is Lucifer's pastime, his power awakes
Lucifer finds pleasure in understanding and manipulating knowledge, which gives him power
A silent plague annihilates our thoughts
Our minds are destroyed by a silent but deadly disease
Is this what life should be all about?
Do our lives only consist of this?
A trail of tears until it's over
Our journey ends with tears
Until the end is found
Until we reach the end
We shouldn't waste time, lose our mind
We should use our time wisely and not let our minds be consumed
We ought to stop to defy the intricated maze of life
We need to pause and resist the complicated maze of life
Each hour brings us closer to the end of the fight
Every hour brings us closer to the end of our struggle
The urge to live and let live cuts our flesh like a knife
The desire to survive and let others survive is painful
To decipher is Lucifer's pastime, his fire awaits
Lucifer longs to uncover and use knowledge to wield his power
He set his trap in books of all kinds, tempting us
Lucifer tempts us with knowledge found in many books
the power goes where the power dies...in the perfect silence of a Chaos Theory
The power is where it dies, in the utter silence of Chaos Theory
Temptation
The temptation of knowledge and power
The power goes where the power dies...in the perfect silence of a Chaos Theory
The power only exists in the perfect silence of Chaos Theory
Is this what life should be all about?
Is this all our existence has to offer?
A trail of tears until it's over
Our journey ends in sadness
the power goes where the power dies...in the perfect silence of a Chaos Theory
Power dies only when there is perfect silence in Chaos Theory
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.