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.
Zero
The Amenta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What in monotony makes you dance?
Your robotic grinding
A cracked mirror
And your painted smeared smiles
You are dying
The circles you trudge are shrinking
You fade
You find strength in denial
And meaning in the voids
When everything is shallow and cold
(Begin to end)
When will your eyes flicker open?
What is the meaning of this dance?
A death rite?
You are drinking just to forget
And your desire to be similar
What's in a name?
Express yourself in clichés
That is a meat carnival
You find strength in denial
Build walls where truth knocks
You hide behind others
And smile through screaming
You're a fake
Begin to end
Again to end
Molded from plastic
Begin again
Again to end
Liar
Find a new way of dying
Though this is tried and true
Find a new way of dying
This one bores me
The Amenta's song "Zero" is a scathing critique of modern society and the emptiness that plagues it. The lyrics begin by questioning the motives of individuals who engage in repetitive, robotic behavior, even though they are aware of their own mortality. The imagery of a cracked mirror and smeared smiles suggests a sense of decay and corruption, and the line "you fade" indicates that the singer believes such individuals are in a state of decline.
The second verse continues the critique by pointing out that many people seek meaning in superficial things, such as social status and material possessions. The line "express yourself in clichés" suggests that these individuals are not truly expressing themselves at all, but are merely parroting what they believe is expected of them. The reference to a "meat carnival" implies a sense of excess and indulgence that is ultimately empty and unsatisfying.
Throughout the song, the singer is urging the listener to reject this way of life and find a new way of living and dying. The repeated phrase "begin to end, again to end" suggests a cycle of death and rebirth, and the final lines contain a challenge to the listener to seek a better way.
Line by Line Meaning
What in monotony makes you dance?
What is it about repetitive, boring routines that you find enjoyable and worth dancing to?
Your robotic grinding
Your movements lack creativity and individuality, as though you are a machine
A cracked mirror
Your self-image is distorted and flawed, like a broken reflection
And your painted smeared smiles
You fake happiness with a smile that is unnatural and forced
You are dying
You are slowly losing yourself and your true identity
The circles you trudge are shrinking
You are stuck in a vicious cycle that is gradually leading nowhere
You fade
Your existence is becoming increasingly insignificant and unimportant
You find strength in denial
You cope with your problems through denial instead of facing them head-on
And meaning in the voids
You try to fill the emptiness inside you with things that are ultimately meaningless
When everything is shallow and cold
In a world lacking depth and warmth, you struggle to find true connections or meaning in your life
(Begin to end)
From the beginning to the end of your life, this is the path you're on
When will your eyes flicker open?
When will you finally wake up and realize the truth about yourself and the world?
What is the meaning of this dance?
What is the point of going through the motions of life if you're not living authentically?
A death rite?
Is your life little more than a ritual leading towards your own inevitable demise?
You are drinking just to forget
You use substances to numb yourself and avoid dealing with reality
And your desire to be similar
You strive to fit in and be like everyone else instead of embracing your unique qualities
What's in a name?
Your name and identity are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things
Express yourself in clichés
You rely on tired, overused phrases to describe yourself and your experiences
That is a meat carnival
Life is like a grotesque, meaningless spectacle
Build walls where truth knocks
You shut out honesty and vulnerability in favor of creating a false sense of security
You hide behind others
You use other people as shields to avoid taking responsibility for your own actions or emotions
And smile through screaming
You pretend everything is fine even when you're suffering internally
You're a fake
You present a false version of yourself to the world, instead of embracing your true self
Again to end
Your pattern continues indefinitely, from start to finish
Molded from plastic
Your identity and personality have been shaped by external influences instead of your true self
Begin again
Start anew and find a way to break out of this cycle
Liar
You deceive yourself and others about who you truly are
Find a new way of dying
Find a way to break free from your current existence and start living authentically
Though this is tried and true
Your current way of living is familiar and comfortable, but ultimately unfulfilling
This one bores me
Living a false, unfulfilling life is no longer enough for you and you want to explore new possibilities
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pretérito Hierático
Todo este disco es indescriptible e insuperable
Amara Wears
Still one of my favourite songs of all time
The Amenta
Glad to hear it!
courier_stu
How am I the first to like this video?!?! 🤯🤯
The Amenta
Damn straight
Fábio Lima Souto
I think not everyone likes masterpieces...
The Amenta
You're the only one with taste!