At least four bands have been called Superior:

1) A German progressi… Read Full Bio ↴At least four bands have been called Superior:

1) A German progressive metal band existing from 1992 - 2007
2) An American Progressive Hardcore Band
3) British artist Su Goodacre
4) Dutch Hardcore band

1) German progressive metal band:
Founded in 1992, Superior is one of the few bands over ten years old that still has the same line-up. A mere eight months after Superior was founded, they released their demo "Timeshift". This demo contained an early version of the song "Tomorrow's Eve", which was to be included on their first album "Behind". "Timeshift" is a documentary of the changes that Superior underwent, who are, to this day, open to all kinds of musical influences. Until the middle of 1994 the band toured mainly in southwestern Germany and the more they toured the more they were convinced that it was due time for them to release their first self-produced CD. It took them a year to work on the compositions, arrangement and the concept of the album. In 1995 they recorded "Behind" in the Roko Soundstudios, close to Frankfurt/Main. The album consists of 10 songs that are progressive heavy rock. The lyrics are about the bigotry of society, the media, politics and reflections of personal everyday-life experiences of the individual members of Superior. Due to the themes the sound is heavy and aggressive, including epic and very melodic passages. The most important elements are heavy, driving guitars, complex piano and string arrangements and the powerful voice of Michael Tangermann. When the album was completed the band signed a contract with Hamburg label L.M.P., which got in touch with various record companies. In the fall of 1996 Superior signed a contract with Modern Music/Noise, which has the rights for the entire world, excluding France, where ARCADE/C.N.R. Music takes care of the band's interests. Shortly after signing with Noise Records, Superior toured Germany supporting Virgin Steele and Angra in such well-known venues as Hamburger Markthalle, Zeche Bochum and various others. Unfortunately after the fifth show, keyboardist Jan-Marco Becker hurt his hand severely and even had to be operated on during the tour. Angra's frontman Andre Matos spontaneously offered to rehearse some of the keyboard parts and Superior was able to continue touring, even though somewhat handicapped. After the tour Superior was forced to take a prolonged break, waiting on their keyboardist to recover. They couldn't join several tours offered to them by their record company and just didn't have the chance to promote their newly released album properly. In the middle of 1997, when their keyboardist had recovered, they began touring again, starting of with a short tour through France, where they also did some unplugged sessions, once again proving their diversity of musical styles. Following this, they did several shows in Germany, while already working on the material for their new album. In the midst of getting ready to record they did a tour through France with Vanden Plas and then got ready for the pre-production of "Younique". Finally, from the middle of March through the middle of May 1998 they recorded, mixed and mastered "Younique", once again in the Roko Soundstudios. The new album was neither a duplicate of "Behind" nor was it entirely different. It was the further development of their musical style; heavy riffing, typical for SUPERIOR, diverse keyboard arrangements and sounds, very complex and individual instrumentation, acoustic guitars, sitar-sounds, brass arrangements and saxaphone solos, everything that makes rock interesting. Very diverse musical influences, ranging from Latin, Funk and Classical music all the way to Jazz were arranged in the extremely heavy and powerful sound. To sum it up, "Younique" was an album that kept on going where "behind" ended. Although most important magazines worldwide celebrated “Younique” as a milestone in progressive music, the album divided fans into two camps, one being fascinated and the other one shocked. Immediately after the album´s release Superior started to perform live again. In 1999 several great shows followed in Germany, France, Netherlands and in Belgium. Definite highlights were the concert with Angra and Stratovarius at the Parisian “Zenith”, celebrated by 5.000 fans, and their liveshow at Progpower festival in the Netherlands. Another great event `99 has been the acoustic tour through France, where Superior once again proved their receptiveness to various musical influences. In the following months Superior and Noise records agreed that the style of the band´s music just didn´t match together with the company´s politics and their strict adherence to true metal style. At the same time the musicians and their French label NTS records decided to cooperate for a further SUPERIOR-album, which turned out to be a concept album about religious fanatisism with all its consequences down to terrorism. At the time the guys didn´t know how close they would come to truth. From January 2000 until May 2001 Superior worked on lyrics and music for “ULTIMA RATIO”. The recordings at the ROKO soundstudios took the following six months. They`ve been only interrupted by the ProgPower Festivals in the Netherlands and the USA, where the band presented some of their brandnew songs, which have been welcomed enthusiastically by the audience. “ULTIMA RATIO” is less experimental than “Younique”. The arrangements are clearly structured, and the dominating characteristics are the extremely heavy guitars, beautiful piano playing combined with the great melodies coming from Michaels powerful and emotional voice. But most of all the band’s members fulfilled a dream they shared since Superior was founded: to bring a soundtrack to reality, to create a movie for the ears by composing and arranging a concept album transformable into a cinematographic thriller. “ULTIMA RATIO” is the exposure of crime, complex images, agitation and suppression as cloaked by welfare and graze.

2) An American progressive Hardcore band
Formed in Omaha, Nebraska

3) British artist Su Goodacre signed to Virgin Records in 1997
This Superior consisted of Su 'Superior' and Lee Knott (ex It bites) and released 3 singles Coma (known for its Karl Bartos (ex kraftwerk) remix), Faster Than You and Being You. An album Germ Free was recorded but remains unrelased. Their song Polaroid Millenium was featured on the The Saint soundtrack.

Sweet Pretence
Superior Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Leave your mind to hear
Me proclaim that Eden's near

Follow my commands
They will save your soul

Your hell is your devotion
My pleasure's your demand

For big illusions
Your call for true pretence

Leave your mind to see
My sermon on the mount
Follow my doctrine
It heals you it heals me

Another town another tale
Another miracle for sale
Delirious you worship
When soon I start to preach

Business is calling me
My market value's high
Pay fast I have to leave
God bless you

Another town means another tale
Another miracle for sale
The rabble's quite delirious
My pleasure trip goes on and on

Blindness you want me to heal
But I can't heal the world

I never did I never will
I only deal in piece of mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Superior's song "Sweet Pretence" provide a scathing critique of the manipulation and exploitation that can occur within organized religion. The opening lines urge the listener to "leave your mind" and accept the singer's message that "Eden's near." The repeated commands to "follow my doctrine" and "worship" the singer reveal the manipulative tactics he employs to control his followers. The singer gets pleasure out of his devotees' devotion and is only interested in providing "big illusions" and "true pretence," rather than real spiritual enlightenment.

The second half of the song introduces the theme of the singer's financial gain from his religious "business." He calls himself a "pleasure trip" and his followers a "rabble." He offers "miracles for sale" and reminds his followers that his "market value's high." The final lines of the song reject the idea that the singer has any interest in truly helping his followers, stating that he "can't heal the world" and only wants to provide "piece of mind" for those willing to pay for it.

Line by Line Meaning

Leave your mind to hear
Take a break from thinking to listen to me

Me proclaim that Eden's near
I'm claiming that paradise is closeby

Follow my commands
Obey me without question

They will save your soul
My orders can rescue your inner self

Your hell is your devotion
Your own passion tortures you

My pleasure's your demand
Fulfilling my desires is your purpose

For big illusions
In exchange for grand deceptions

Your call for true pretence
You want to believe in genuine fraud

Leave your mind to see
Stop thinking and look at me

My sermon on the mount
My persuasive address to the masses

Follow my doctrine
Adhere to my set of beliefs