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 Solitude
Sons of Perdition Lyrics
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I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
And took to the woods to be by myself
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
That moon is a Eucharist, stale and uneven
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
The stars all are maggots in the cold flesh of heaven
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
They're destined to sicken and wither and fall
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
So I took that rifle from down off its shelf
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
And took to the woods to be by myself
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
The lyrics of Sons of Perdition's song Psalm of Solitude evoke a strong sense of isolation and despair. The singer seems to be struggling with their identity, feeling like they are not themselves but nobody else either. They take their rifle from its shelf and venture into the woods, perhaps seeking solace or refuge from the outside world. However, even in the wilderness, they are confronted with bleak and disturbing imagery - the moon as stale and uneven Eucharist, and the stars as maggots in the cold flesh of heaven.
The final verse seems to suggest that the world is consumed by violence and decay, with everything destined to sicken and wither and fall. The singer's decision to take their rifle into the woods takes on a more ominous tone in this context, implying that they may be contemplating using it to end their own suffering or to confront the cruelty of the world around them. Overall, the lyrics of Psalm of Solitude are haunting and intense, capturing the sense of despair and isolation that can sometimes accompany the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I took my rifle from down off its shelf
I grabbed my rifle to go to the woods alone.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I'm feeling disconnected from myself and society.
And took to the woods to be by myself
I sought solace in the woods away from everyone.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I'm disassociated from who I am or who I used to be.
That moon is a Eucharist, stale and uneven
The moon reminds me of a worn-out relic of religion.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I'm not feeling like my true self and I don't fit in.
The stars all are maggots in the cold flesh of heaven
The stars feel like diseased insects infesting the sky.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I don't know who I am and feel disconnected from the larger world.
And though they grow fatted on the blood of it all
Despite their thriving on death, violence still renders them weak.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I feel lost and like an outcast from society and myself.
They're destined to sicken and wither and fall
The stars will eventually waste away and disappear.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I don't feel like I have an identity or a place in the world.
So I took that rifle from down off its shelf
I used my rifle as a means of escaping civilization.
I'm not myself but I'm nobody else
I feel a sense of detachment from who I thought I was.
And took to the woods to be by myself
I went to the woods to find a way to overcome my feelings of isolation.
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.