Sons of Perdition's first album, The Kingdom is On Fire, was released in 2007. The Hank in Chains Review had this to say of it: "Sons have delivered a beautiful brimstone masterpiece with The Kingdom Is On Fire... an absolutely phenomenal album from start to finish."
Kingdom was followed by Psalms for the Spiritually Dead in 2010. James Carlson called it "a musical sermon unlike any other."
Trinity, the third and final album in Sons of Perdition’s Dissolution Trilogy, was released on GraveWax Records on November 12, 2013. At over 72 minutes, Trinity is a long, metaphorical narrative that tells of a man’s hellish pilgrimage through the American Southwest.
Zebulon Whatley was raised outside the rural settlement of Scrougout, Texas on a diet of fanatic religion and weird fiction. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.
Psalm of Sand Creek
Sons of Perdition Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smoke from broken contracts
Borne out on November winds
A flock of seven hundred sheep
Led by one who cruelly preached
A man who coldly traded blood for blood
And at the bend of old Sand Creek
The men out hunting to the east
Who is to blame for this most shameful thing?
Chivington's soldiers take aim
They mowed them down with rifle fire
They ran them through with sabers
They pulled the babes from where they hid
And snuffed their lives with hatred
Though they huddled 'neath the flag
There was no shelter to be had
The ground was clotted thick with blood and scalps
Who takes the blame for this tragic scene?
May Chivington be smothered in flames
Nothing lives too long
Only earth and mountains
The Sons of Perdition's song "Psalm of Sand Creek" is a haunting and mournful tribute to the Sand Creek massacre of 1864. The song begins with the image of smoke from broken camps and contracts, signaling the disintegration of trust and the betrayal of promises made to Native American communities. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of the scene at Sand Creek where a flock of seven hundred sheep is led by a man who preaches cruelty and trades in blood. The men out hunting to the east and women and children are fast asleep as soldiers led by Chivington arrive and begin to massacre them.
The lyrics reflect the confusion and desperation of those caught in the tragedy, asking, "Who is to blame for this most shameful thing?" and "Who takes the blame for this tragic scene?" The soldiers are portrayed as cold-blooded killers who show no mercy, "mowing them down with rifle fire," "running them through with sabers," and "pulling the babes from where they hid and snuffing their lives with hatred." The irony of the massacre taking place under the shelter of the American flag is highlighted, "Though they huddled 'neath the flag, there was no shelter to be had." The song ends with the chilling image of the ground clotted thick with blood and scalps, and a plea for justice, "May Chivington be smothered in flames."
Line by Line Meaning
Smoke from broken camps
The smoke rising from the ruined homes of the Indigenous peoples.
Smoke from broken contracts
The broken treaties between the white settlers and the Indigenous peoples leading to their displacement.
Borne out on November winds
The smoke carried by the November breeze, spreading the news of what happened at Sand Creek.
A flock of seven hundred sheep
The Indigenous peoples, who were treated like a herd of animals to be slaughtered.
Led by one who cruelly preached
John Chivington, a Methodist minister who preached hate and violence towards the Indigenous peoples.
A man who coldly traded blood for blood
Chivington, who chose to retaliate with violence instead of finding peaceful solutions to the conflict.
And at the bend of old Sand Creek
The location where the horrific massacre took place.
The men out hunting to the east
The Indigenous men who were out hunting for food for their families before the attack occurred.
The women and their children fast asleep
The women and children who were defenseless and asleep when the soldiers attacked.
Who is to blame for this most shameful thing?
Questioning who should be held accountable for the atrocity that occurred.
Chivington's soldiers take aim
The soldiers under Chivington's command who were ordered to attack the Indigenous peoples.
They mowed them down with rifle fire
The soldiers fired their weapons indiscriminately, killing many innocent people.
They ran them through with sabers
Even after the Indigenous peoples surrendered, some soldiers continued to kill them with their sabers.
They pulled the babes from where they hid
The soldiers murdered even babies and young children who were hiding.
And snuffed their lives with hatred
The violence was fueled by hatred and bigotry towards the Indigenous peoples.
Though they huddled 'neath the flag
Despite their status as American citizens, the Indigenous peoples were not protected under the American flag and were still killed.
There was no shelter to be had
The Indigenous peoples had nowhere to seek refuge from the brutal attack.
The ground was clotted thick with blood and scalps
The aftermath of the attack was gruesome, with many bodies left on the ground and scalps taken as trophies.
Who takes the blame for this tragic scene?
Reiterating the question of who should be held responsible for the massacre.
May Chivington be smothered in flames
Expressing the desire for Chivington to face punishment for his role in the massacre.
Nothing lives too long
Everything, including people and their legacies, come to an end eventually.
Only earth and mountains
The natural world remains after the atrocities that humans commit.
Contributed by Molly L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.