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
Red Stars
The Birthday Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Finding what they fail to mention
No truth, all pretension
Raise your hand to get attention
You give it, we take it
You build it, we break it
You sign and we erase it
It's my red star (don't steal it)
It's my red star (can't let go)
It's my red star (conceal it)
It's my red star, oh no
Wasted education
Celebrating imitation
Misplaced admiration
Speaking for a generation
You give it, we take it
You build it, we break it
You sign and we erase it
You feel it, we fake it
It's my red star (don't steal it)
It's my red star (can't let go)
It's my red star (conceal it)
It's my red star, oh no
The lyrics to The Birthday Massacre's song "Red Stars" are laden with social commentary and criticism of the inauthenticity of modern society. The first verse speaks of "cruel intentions" and the failure to mention the truth, highlighting the insincerity and pretentiousness that plagues contemporary culture. The lines "You give it, we take it / You build it, we break it / You sign and we erase it / You feel it, we fake it" emphasize the idea that people in power exploit those without it, taking credit for their work and accomplishments.
The chorus, "It's my red star (don't steal it) / It's my red star (can't let go) / It's my red star (conceal it) / It's my red star, oh no," is a declaration of the singer's individuality and uniqueness in a society that seeks to homogenize everyone. The red star represents something personal and meaningful to the singer that they don't want to lose or have stolen from them. The mention of concealing it implies a fear of being judged or ostracized for being different, but the singer still clings to their identity despite societal pressures.
Overall, "Red Stars" is a critique of society's obsession with conformity and superficiality, urging listeners to hold onto their individuality and not let it be erased or stolen.
Line by Line Meaning
Best of cruel intentions
The motives behind our actions are often selfish and harmful, rather than kind or benevolent.
Finding what they fail to mention
We strive to uncover hidden truths and expose what others refuse to acknowledge.
No truth, all pretension
Truth is subjective and relative, and our actions are often guided by our desire to impress or deceive others rather than by genuine intent.
Raise your hand to get attention
We compete for attention and recognition, constantly seeking ways to stand out and be noticed.
You give it, we take it
We exploit the efforts and accomplishments of others to further our own goals and interests without any regard for their contribution.
You build it, we break it
We destroy the work of others, often for no reason other than to prove our own superiority.
You sign and we erase it
We undermine the efforts and achievements of others by disregarding their contributions and erasing their impact.
You feel it, we fake it
We manipulate the emotions of others, pretending to share their feelings and experiences in order to gain their trust or admiration.
It's my red star (don't steal it)
The red star represents our unique identity and individuality, and no one has the right to take that away from us.
It's my red star (can't let go)
Our sense of self is so vital to our existence that we can't simply let it go or allow others to diminish it.
It's my red star (conceal it)
We feel the need to protect and hide our true selves and our individuality from those who seek to exploit or demean us.
It's my red star, oh no
The red star symbolizes both our unique identity and the fear that others may attempt to take it away or undermine it.
Wasted education
The education system fails to provide us with the tools and resources we need to succeed in the real world.
Celebrating imitation
We glorify and reward those who mimic and emulate the actions and behaviors of others without any originality or creativity.
Misplaced admiration
Our admiration is often misplaced, directed towards those who do not truly deserve it or who possess qualities that are not actually admirable.
Speaking for a generation
We attempt to represent and speak for an entire generation, often without fully understanding or considering the full range of perspectives and experiences within that group.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Matthew O'halloran, Michael Hanmer, Michael Rainbow, Sara Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind