1. A five piece t… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two bands with the title Tenet.
1. A five piece thrash / death metal band from Vancouver, British Columbia.
2. A five piece rock band from Hartford, Connecticut.
1. TENET is a heavy metal band formed as a side project by Jed Simon and Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole. They originally started out in the summer of 1996 for Jed Simon, founder of the band. Together with Steve Wheeler (Zimmer's Hole drummer at the time), they started getting Jed's ideas down to demo-tape form, but while both continued along with Zimmer's Hole and Strapping Young Lad, nothing much happened for Tenet apart from some casual jam-sessions, which among others also included players like Stu Carruthers (Grip Inc.). Jed then initially met guitar-partner Glen Alvelais (ex-Forbidden) way back in 1997 when SYL was touring with Testament, for who Glen was playing guitar at the time. After quickly becoming friends, Jed eventually asked Glen if he would be interested in playing together in Tenet and long years later when they re-connected, Glen’s first question was “Whatever happened to that album we were gonna record ?”. They laughed and Jed said “Soon, are you still into it ?” His response was “FUCK YEAH!”
After signing a deal with Century Media Records Jed started out working on “Sovereign” with bassist Byron Stroud (SYL, Zimmer's Hole, Fear Factory) as well as drummer Adrian Erlandsson (At The Gates, The Haunted, Cradle Of Filth, Paradise Lost, etc.), but after reviewing the fact that not enough attention could be given to the project by Adrian due to the immense geographical distance and other pending commitments, Jed turned back to his long-time partner in Gene Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, SYL, Devin Townsend, ...) to take care of the final drum duties. Tenet was still looking for a vocalist though and after a few auditions were done, Steve “Zetro” Souza (Legacy / Exodus) turned out to be the perfect man for the album, as he instantly gave the band that 'classic' metal feel that Jed was looking for. Jed quickly flew to the Bay Area twice to first oversee a very smooth vocal recording with Zetro and then later on to mix the album with Vincent Wojno (Machine Head, Kreator, Trouble, ...). Finally, Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Opeth, Arch Enemy, ...) was recommended for the mastering of “Sovereign” and the album’s artwork comes courtesy of Travis Smith (Opeth, Death, Nevermore).
2. Tenet is an original five-man band based out of Hartford, Connecticut. Their sound covers a plethora of musical genre’s ranging from pop rock to funk jam. They have been compared to styles in the vain of Matchbox 20, 311, and Maroon 5, with vocals diversifying soulful, raspy emotion. Tenet strives to set themselves aside from the rest by generating an artistic sound that people can relate to on the most personal of levels. Furthermore, they will stop at nothing to share their music with the world.
Sovereign
Tenet Lyrics
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Useless, I never cared, then it all changed me
Too late, it takes me down, I don't fucking believe it
Terror strikes
Never knowing, never wondered, ever wiser?
Where the fuck were we
Thousands flock to the shrines
Tell me, why do you do it
Why do you have to pretend
And wish it away... denial
Wish it away... denial
Rise up, those who speak in truth
And fight to be free
Lie down, blind souls
And forever sleep
And wish it away... denial
Wish it away... denial
Wish it away
For I must be strong... sovereign
I must stand tall... sovereign
I must be strong
My name is sovereign
Strength, but not as many... I stand as one
Seek your rise, make your peace
And don't fucking talk to me
New life, get used to it now
And to my enemies unseen
Shadow your smile
Unless it's to bare teeth
I must be strong... sovereign
I must stand tall... sovereign
We must be strong
My name is sovereign
The lyrics to Tenet's song Sovereign reflect a sense of defiance, self-empowerment and a desire for truth. The singer begins by expressing distrust towards someone who is apologizing, as they don't believe they truly mean it. The singer then goes on to reflect on their personal journey, acknowledging a point where they were useless and didn't care, but then something happened which altered their perspective. Despite this, they find themselves facing terror and in disbelief.
The tone of the song turns to questioning why people continue to flock to the shrines of gods who are long dead, asking why they feel the need to pretend. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and denial, wishing something away rather than facing the reality of the situation. The song then turns to a sense of empowerment, as the singer calls for those who speak the truth to rise up and be free. They contrast this with the image of blind souls who will forever sleep.
The singer finally proclaims that they must be strong and sovereign, standing tall and seeking strength. There is a call for unity in these final lines, as the singer includes the listener by saying "we must be strong." Overall, the lyrics to Sovereign convey a sense of personal growth and empowerment, as well as a call for truth and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't say you're sorry, you don't fucking believe it
Your apology doesn't seem sincere.
Useless, I never cared, then it all changed me
I used to be indifferent, but something made me care now.
Too late, it takes me down, I don't fucking believe it
It's too late to change anything, and I'm upset about it.
Terror strikes
A sudden occurrence is frightening me.
Never knowing, never wondered, ever wiser?
Is it better to not know or wonder about things?
Where the fuck were we
We were not paying attention.
Thousands flock to the shrines
Many people visit religious sites.
Of gods long dead
These gods are no longer worshipped.
Tell me, why do you do it
What motivates you to participate?
Why do you have to pretend
Why can't you be honest?
And wish it away... denial
Trying to ignore the problem.
Rise up, those who speak in truth
Those who are honest should stand up for their beliefs.
And fight to be free
Fight for your freedom.
Lie down, blind souls
People who are ignorant should not bother getting involved.
And forever sleep
They should stay asleep and not get involved.
For I must be strong... sovereign
I, myself, must possess strength and independence.
I must stand tall... sovereign
I must have confidence and not be intimidated.
Strength, but not as many... I stand as one
There may not be many, but I will stand alone with strength.
Seek your rise, make your peace
Work towards self-improvement and inner peace.
And don't fucking talk to me
I don't want to hear excuses.
New life, get used to it now
Accept changes or new circumstances with adaptability.
And to my enemies unseen
My foes are hidden and unknown to me.
Shadow your smile
Hide your true feelings by pretending to be happy.
Unless it's to bare teeth
Unless it's to show aggression or dominance.
We must be strong
All of us need to possess strength and independence.
My name is sovereign
I am my own ruler and authority.
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.