The band released their debut album Occasus in 2004. The lineup on the recording was Cessium 137 (vocals; real name Mark Bevan), Ethion (guitars; real name Erik Miehs), Endrin (bass; real name Dale Harrison), Diazanon (drums; real name Dave Haley (also of Psycroptic)) and Chlordane (keyboards and programming; real name Timothy Pope). Joe Haley from Psycroptic toured with the band as a second guitarist during this era. Cessium left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Jarrod Krafczyk. Robin Stone also became the band's drummer at some point in this period, likely due to Haley's other committments.
In 2008, the new lineup of the band (Krafczyk, Miehs, Harrison, Stone and Pope) released the album n0n, now using their real names. n0n also featured guest appearances from Nergal of Behemoth, Alice Daquet of Sir Alice and Jason Mendonca of Akercocke, among others.
Krafczyk and Harrison left the band in 2009. The current lineup of the band, as of 2011, is:
Cain Cressall (formerly of Pathogen - vocals (2009-present)
Erik Miehs - guitar (2001-present)
Dan Quinlan - bass guitar (2009-present
Robin Stone - drums (2008-present)
Timothy Pope - keyboards and programming (2001-present)
In 2011, this lineup of the band digitally released V01d, considered by the band to be an EP (although it contains 16 tracks), available only from their website at no cost. V01d contains some new tracks, including the band's trademark ambient/industrial interlude pieces, but is largely made up of re-recorded versions of Occasus and n0n tracks, with the band's current lineup. There are also some experimental remixes of earlier work, a cover of Armoured Angel's "Enigmatize" and some live video clips.
Tim Aldridge (The Berzerker) has joined the band in 2011 as a touring guitarist.
Sangre
The Amenta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who painted this bloody sunset?
A world revolving in machined grooves
Sufferings in fated pattern with arms out-flung
Caressed by steel pins through hands, feet and time
Where flies your thoughts to this or the next
Reflections reform after interruption
In this pool or that sea
The right to kill dictated by the right to judge
Waiting on cruciform tables lies the wreck of hypocrisy
Simplified:
What is right?
Crusade, War, Persecution?
Or random death?
Or even questions?
How about answers?
What are you afraid of?
Is that a tear on your cheek?
The earth will inherit the meek
The spear was a needle
Longinus wore a lab coat
The latest dying junkie
Fixed himself a fatal shot
When that wound sun sinks
And the ragged have shuffled home
And the silhouette grows, dies
It will be hard to imagine
But all who revere you meet despair in your eyes
The Amenta's song "Sangre" is a complex and thought-provoking piece of music that touches on themes of suffering, justice, and hypocrisy. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and metaphor, inviting listeners to delve deeper into what the words might mean.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the piece, as the "shivering silhouette" prompts questions about who or what might have created the "bloody sunset." The world is described as revolving in "machined grooves," suggesting a sense of inevitability or deterministic force. The suffering that takes place within this world follows a "fated pattern," with arms out-flung as if in surrender or acceptance. The image of being "caressed by steel pins" suggests both pain and control, and the phrase "through hands, feet and time" hints at a ritualistic aspect to the suffering.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract and philosophical in tone. "Reflections reform after interruption" could refer to the way our thoughts change and evolve over time, or perhaps to the idea that our perceptions of the world are constantly being shaped by external forces. The phrase "the right to kill dictated by the right to judge" is a powerful indictment of systems of justice that rely on violence, while "the wreck of hypocrisy" hints at the idea that those who claim to act in the name of justice are often the most corrupt.
The final section of the song brings together imagery from different eras and contexts. The idea of a spear as a needle suggests a medical context, while Longinus (the Roman soldier who is said to have pierced Jesus' side with a spear) wearing a lab coat is a playful inversion of religious iconography. The "latest dying junkie" could be seen as a reference to the opioid epidemic or other forms of drug-related harm. The final image of the silhouette growing, dying, and inspiring despair in those who revere it is both haunting and ambiguous, leaving listeners to draw their own conclusions about its significance.
Line by Line Meaning
Shivering silhouette
The image of a trembling figure
Who painted this bloody sunset?
Who is responsible for the violence and destruction we see around us?
A world revolving in machined grooves
A society that is rigidly structured and devoid of free will
Sufferings in fated pattern with arms out-flung
People are trapped in a predetermined cycle of pain and suffering, unable to break free and always reaching out in desperation
Caressed by steel pins through hands, feet and time
The pain and suffering inflicted by society is so ingrained that it feels like a physical embodiment of time itself
Where flies your thoughts to this or the next
Where does your mind wander when contemplating the futility of existence?
Reflections reform after interruption
After a change or disruption, people often reevaluate their perspectives
Shadows echoed throughout time
The haunting presence of past mistakes and tragedies
In this pool or that sea
Whether we are isolated or part of a larger community, we still drown in our own struggles
The right to kill dictated by the right to judge
When those in power have the authority to condemn others to death, they also have the power to justify killing
Waiting on cruciform tables lies the wreck of hypocrisy
Those who claim to be righteous and just are often the most corrupt and hypocritical
What is right?
The eternal philosophical question of what is moral and just
Crusade, War, Persecution?
The violent history of humanity's attempts to impose their own beliefs and values on others
Or random death?
The arbitrary nature of life and death, unaffected by human morals or beliefs
Or even questions?
The idea that even questioning the nature of existence can lead to despair and hopelessness
How about answers?
Despite the difficulty of grappling with the big questions, there is always a search for answers
What are you afraid of?
The fear that arises when we contemplate our own mortality and the meaninglessness of our existence
Is that a tear on your cheek?
The expression of deep emotional pain and despair
The earth will inherit the meek
The idea that the weak and downtrodden will eventually be the ones to inherit the earth
The spear was a needle
The use of medical imagery to describe the violent act of piercing someone with a spear
Longinus wore a lab coat
A reference to the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus with a spear, turned into a more modern medical context
The latest dying junkie
A portrait of someone who is struggling with addiction and on the brink of death
Fixed himself a fatal shot
The tragic act of taking one's own life through substance abuse
When that wound sun sinks
The painful and bloody end of a day, foreshadowing the end of life itself
And the ragged have shuffled home
After a long and difficult day, people return to their homes and try to find some peace
And the silhouette grows, dies
As life goes on, people age and eventually die, leaving their legacy and impact on the world behind
It will be hard to imagine
The difficulty of comprehending the radical change that occurs after someone dies
But all who revere you meet despair in your eyes
The knowledge that even those who are celebrated and revered by society have their own personal struggles and pain
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.