So far, TBM have released eight studio albums: Nothing and Nowhere (2002), Violet (2005), Walking With Strangers (2007), Pins and Needles (2010), Hide and Seek (2012), Superstition (2014), Under Your Spell (2017), and Diamonds (2020). They have also issued the DVD Blue (2005), the live album/DVD Show and Tell (2009), and the EPs Violet (2004), Looking Glass (2008), Imaginary Monsters (2011), and Imagica (2016).
The group originated in London, Ontario under the name Imagica, inspired from the novel "Imajica" by Clive Barker. The band's original lineup consisted of: Chibi, Rainbow, Michael Falcore, and Aslan (bass). Dank played live keyboards and O.E. joined the group on live drums. A seven-song limited edition demo was released.
In 2001, Dank left the group, and the others relocated from London to Toronto, Ontario, to begin recording. There, they recorded another limited edition demo, this time with five songs. In 2002, the band adopted the name The Birthday Massacre in order to avoid confusion with a metal band. They chose the name "The Birthday Massacre" since people were already familiar with the song of the same title. The song was later retitled as "Happy Birthday".
In July of 2002, The Birthday Massacre independently released their debut album entitled Nothing and Nowhere. In 2003, Adm joined the band on live keyboards and Rhim on drums.
On 20 July 2004, The Birthday Massacre released a nine song EP entitled Violet and at the end of the year, re-released Nothing and Nowhere with new sleeve artwork. Adm soon left thereafter to explore his own projects.
In the fall of 2004, the band was signed to Repo Records in Germany, and released a remastered and expanded version of Violet in Europe. The expanded version of Violet included four re-recorded and slightly reworked tracks from Nothing and Nowhere.
In 2005 the band signed to Metropolis Records and released Violet in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and most of South America. Owen joined on live keyboards and in August, the band began a series of international tours taking them to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Belgium.
Also in August 2005, a DVD consisting of a video for the song "Blue" was released. It also included behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, a studio performance of "Nevermind" as well as live performances of "Violet" and "Video Kid". The centerpiece of the DVD was the Dan Ouellette-directed video for "Blue".
In early 2006, the Birthday Massacre toured North America, playing across Canada, the United States, and Mexico on their "Broken Minds" tour. They also played Europe in the summer of 2006.
In June 2007, it was announced that the band was working on a new record with Canadian producer/engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (producer of many industrial acts such as Skinny Puppy), and that bass player Aslan had left the band for his own project named Aslan Osiris. Aslan was replaced on bass by former drummer O.E. .
On 11 September 2007 the band released their third album Walking With Strangers in North America, entering at #10 on the Billboard "Top Heatseekers" chart for 29 September. The album was released in Europe on 21 September and in the UK on 22 October. Walking With Strangers included the singles "Kill the Lights" and "Looking Glass". An EP, Looking Glass followed in 2008.
In spring 2009, The Birthday Massacre issued their first live album, Show and Tell. It was recorded in Hamburg, Germany in Autumn 2007. A DVD with the Hamburg show and extra video content was released later in Europe (2009) and North America (2010).
The band's fourth studio album, Pins and Needles was issued on 14 September 2010 in North America, debuting at #152 on the Billboard 200, #6 on the heatseekers, and #34 on independent. O.E. left the group and was replaced by Nate Manor.
On 9 August 2011 the band released the EP Imaginary Monsters. In 9 October 2012, TBM released the fifth studio album, Hide and Seek.
Superstition is the sixth studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on November 11, 2014 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded through PledgeMusic. To promote the album, a subsequent North America tour and music video for "Beyond" followed the album's release.
Under Your Spell is the seventh studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on June 9, 2017 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded, once again, through PledgeMusic.
Official site: www.thebirthdaymassacre.com
Pins and Needles
The Birthday Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bleeds out from inside my window
Eyes white, I keep out of sight
This city's just not pretty like it used to be
It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream
The promise we made to kill the days between
They live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart
To the bed the left unsaid
Crawl in from outside my window
Hands red and cold as the dead
A pity they're not pretty like they used to be
It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream
The promise we made to kill the days between
They live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart
It's never a whisper, it's always a scream
The promise we made to kill the time between
They live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone
It's been so long
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
So long
I can feel it tearing me apart
The Birthday Massacre's "Pins and Needles" is a haunting song that explores the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare that never ends. The lyrics describe the singer's inability to escape the dreary reality of their desolate city, which is no longer as beautiful as it once was. The bedroom light bleeding out from the singer's window highlights a sense of unease and discomfort that permeates the entire song. The line "they live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone" paints a picture of the singer's nights being consumed by anxiety and dread, with no respite in sight.
The chorus of the song features the powerful lyrics "It's been so long / Feels like pins and needles in my heart / So long / I can feel it tearing me apart." The pins and needles image is a poignant metaphor for the singer's anxiety, while the line "so long" underscores the idea that they have been trapped and tortured for too long. The sense of urgency in the second line of the chorus suggests that if things don't change soon, the singer fears they may not survive.
Overall, "Pins and Needles" is a harrowing song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt trapped and unable to escape their circumstances. Its powerful imagery and dark, uneasy atmosphere make it an unforgettable piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Once a night my bedroom light
Every night, my bedroom light seeps out from my window.
Bleeds out from inside my window
The light from my bedroom leaks outside through the window.
Eyes white, I keep out of sight
I keep hidden, with my eyes wide open.
This city's just not pretty like it used to be
The city used to be beautiful, but it's not anymore.
It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream
I only have bad dreams, never good ones.
The promise we made to kill the days between
We promised to make the most of every day.
They live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone
Time passes quickly, and we should make the most of every moment.
It's been so long
It's been a while since we made that promise.
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
I feel a sharp pain in my heart.
So long
It's been too long since I felt good.
I can feel it tearing me apart
I feel like my pain is breaking me.
To the bed the left unsaid
I keep the things left unsaid in my bed.
Crawl in from outside my window
I sneak into my own room through the window.
Hands red and cold as the dead
My hands are as cold and lifeless as a corpse's.
A pity they're not pretty like they used to be
It's a shame that my hands don't look as nice as they used to.
It's never a whisper, it's always a scream
Things are always loud and overwhelming, never quiet and peaceful.
The promise we made to kill the time between
We promised to make the most of every moment, even those in between major events.
They live in the heartbeat and sleep til the light is gone
Time passes quickly, and we should make the most of every moment.
It's been so long
It's been a while since we made that promise.
Feels like pins and needles in my heart
I feel a sharp pain in my heart.
So long
It's been too long since I felt good.
I can feel it tearing me apart
I feel like my pain is breaking me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MATTHEW O'HALLORAN, MICHAEL HANMER, MICHAEL RAINBOW, SARA TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind