Began in February of 1996, rising from the ashes of a previous band, Basic Enigma (which included future Spineshank members Jonny Santos on vocals, Mike Sarkisyan on guitars, and Tom Decker on drums). Basic Enigma broke up but soon reformed with a different sound and moniker, and a new bassist (Robert Garcia).
The band soon befriended Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, who upon hearing their demo, offered the new band to open a show for F.F. at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in Los Angeles. This led to other coveted opening slots (with such popular acts as Coal Chamber, Snot, Soulfly, Sepultura and Danzig, among others), and label interest, with Roadrunner eventually signing the band. Their debut, Strictly Diesel, was released in September of 1998, and featured yet another tie-in with their favorite band, Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell sings on the track Stain. The Height of Callousness followed two years later. Two singles were released off of this album (as well as became available in video form); Synthetic & New Disease. The band would hold a second stage slot on Ozzfest 2001 for the majority of that summer as well as touring with the likes of Disturbed, (Hed) P.E., Orgy& Mudvayne.
2003 saw the release of the much anticipated Self Destructive Pattern, as well as the single Smothered.
After the departure of Jonny Santos in 2004, the remaining members searched for a new vocalist and stated earlier in 2005 they have been working with a new vocalist. No name was given and no other news has been reported since then. Jonny Santos has since re-emerged in a new band dubbed Silent Civilian.
After a very long wait, Spineshank updated their official website (11/7/2005) with news that the band had found a new vocalist in Brandon Espinoza and that they had been working together for a month and had recorded 5 songs during this time. The band goes on to say that their new music is: "still heavy and dynamic with melody, but its a little darker and more raw. Our sound is a little different from what a lot of bands are doing these days and we wont be jumping on any bandwagons to fit in, we're just writing what feels right to us. So far there are no loops or electronics, and no plan to use them any time soon." It also went on to say that the future of the band was very much in doubt, unless they found the ideal replacement for Jonny Santos.
Almost 3 years later, on September 18, 2008, the band issued a press release from their myspace page, stating that the issues that led to the break up have been put behind them and they are working together better than they have before. The band has completed 5 songs since reuniting and plan to write 15 more before recording their new album. One of the new songs, "Born Conform Repent" can be heard at the band's myspace page.
Spineshank's long-awaited fourth studio album "Anger Denial Acceptance" is set to be released June 19, 2012 through Century Media.
After years of silence, The band's Facebook page responded to a post on July 26, 2017 when a fan had asked about Spineshank's status, simply stating "Sorry, Spineshank is broken up. Thanks for the support over the years."
Malnutrition
Spineshank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause it's too hard to be
Convince yourself it's a lie
The guilt you do achieve
Failure disguised your choice
You need another voice
Regrets confirmed your faults
You're too far gone
Disengage yourself
To replace yourself
Look right through yourself
And deny yourself
Guilt, it's in your voice
It's on your face
But it looks malnourished
Greed, it took control
And fed your mind
But it's still malnourished
The contradictions you live
Have canceled out the truth
The desperation you show
Is just the focal point
Nothing more than image
You need another voice
Your faults became regret
I need another choice
You're too far gone
Realign yourself
To escape yourself
See right through yourself
Give up on yourself
Guilt, it's in your voice
It's on your face
But it looks malnourished
Greed, it took control
And fed your mind
But it's still malnourished
The lyrics to Spineshank's song Malnutrition tackle the theme of a person's inner struggle and denial of their true self. The lyrics urge the listener to dismiss their true state of mind since it is too difficult to face and convince themselves that it's a lie. They feel guilt but try to replace it with a lie, disguising their choice and seeking another voice. The regrets confirmed their faults and the need for another voice to justify their actions. They have gone too far to face reality and see how their contradictions have canceled out the truth. They show desperation and a false image, and their faults have become regret, which leads to a need for another choice. They are urged to realign themselves, escape from themselves, see through themselves, and give up on themselves.
The lyrics also talk about guilt and greed, which are two opposing emotions, and how they control and feed the mind, but they are still malnourished. The guilt is evident in the person's voice and face, indicating that they are aware of how their actions are affecting them, but they don't do anything about it. The greed has taken over and controls everything they do, which makes them malnourished. The song's message is that if we don't face our true selves and acknowledge our faults, we will be malnourished, living in a state of constant denial and feeding ourselves false truths.
Line by Line Meaning
Dismiss your true state of mind
Ignore your real thoughts and feelings
'Cause it's too hard to be
Because it's difficult to face reality
Convince yourself it's a lie
Persuade yourself that it's untrue
The guilt you do achieve
The guilt you feel
Failure disguised your choice
The decision you made failed, but you're pretending it's okay
You need another voice
You require someone else's opinion or guidance
Regrets confirmed your faults
You have realized your mistakes and feel remorseful
I need another voice
I also need someone else's input or direction
You're too far gone
You've gone past the point of no return
Disengage yourself
Detach from yourself or the situation
To replace yourself
To find a substitute or alternative
Look right through yourself
See your true self or intentions
And deny yourself
Reject what you truly want or need
Guilt, it's in your voice
You sound guilty when you speak
It's on your face
Your facial expressions reveal your guilt
But it looks malnourished
Your guilt seems weak or underfed
Greed, it took control
Your desire for more has dominated your actions
And fed your mind
It has influenced the way you think
But it's still malnourished
Your greed is also lacking, despite consuming your thoughts
The contradictions you live
The conflicting beliefs or actions you exhibit
Have canceled out the truth
They have made it impossible to determine what's real or right
The desperation you show
Your behavior shows a sense of urgency or hopelessness
Is just the focal point
It's the main issue or concern
Nothing more than image
It's all just a superficial facade
Your faults became regret
You realize your shortcomings and feel remorse
I need another choice
A different decision or option is required
Realign yourself
Get back on the right track
To escape yourself
Break free from your own thoughts or actions
See right through yourself
Realize your own true intentions or motivations
Give up on yourself
Abandon your current path or way of thinking
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN SANTOS, ROBERT GARCIA, SOREN SARKISYAN, THOMAS DECKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind