The Empire Shall Fall was formed in late 2008 by current Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach with a handful of instrumentalists: guitarists Jake Davenport and Marcus de Lisle, bassist Nick Sollecito, and drummer Jeff Pitts. The Empire Shall Fall is the first band vocalist Leach has used predominately screamed vocals in since Killswitch Engage, although the band retains some of the singing elements of Seemless, which has since been put upon an indefinite hiatus.
In 2008 the band released a demo consisting of four songs on their Myspace page: "Voices Forming Weapons", "The Kingdom", "These Colors Bleed", and "We The People". The demo is currently available for download on their record label Angle Side Side Records' official website. The label has since stated that "The Empire Shall Fall enters HQ Sound Labs Studio (Dear Hunter, Receiving End of Sirens) in April to begin recording for their debut CD to be released Summer '09.
On September 11, 2009, The Empire Shall Fall announced through their Myspace page that their debut album Awaken would be released on November 17, 2009 with eight songs, including the previously recorded demo tracks re-recorded and reworked, and three new songs which had only been played live.
Awaken was released on November 17, 2009 through Angle Side Side Records, owned by The Empire Shall Fall's bassist, Nick Sollecito. The band cites its influences as At the Gates, Meshuggah, and Edge of Sanity. Awaken draws heavily on the band members' interests in jazz, punk, and experimental music. They are said to sound like Refused, At the Drive-In, Deftones, and Between the Buried and Me. The album reflects heavily on the themes of politics and transcendentalism. Lyrically the album advocates positivity, unity, and empowerment. Inspirations for the album have been cited as Jello Biafra, Benjamin Franklin, and Ron Paul.
The band announced their intention to released a new EP via their social networks (I.E. Facebook, Twitter, Hootsuite etc.) in early 2011. In a recent tumblr post, the band revealed: ...we have been working on a series of concept EPs. While we haven’t yet released details on the concept linking the EPs, we can tell you that the first one deals with redemption and the “guts of emotion.” Lyrical content deals with “picking up the pieces of your life and starting over” and “finding a new perspective as a result of the changes and lessons learned in the past.” The first EP, called "Volume 1: Solar Plexus" was released digitally December 6, 2011. On February 2014, the band posted on their tumblr page revealing that they've spent the past year working on the upcoming album Volume 2: Heart.
These Colors Bleed
The Empire Shall Fall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Creating bigotry
Some don't know 'cause they can't see it
But it's reality
Is it the fear of someone
Who is different from ourselves?
Or is it the lack of knowledge
We are connected
Your life is as precious as mine
Our flesh bleeds into one
We are the same color inside
Media sanctioned
We embrace it, feed into fallacies
Stereotypical behavior
Based on what we see
We need understanding
One love for all
If divided we will stand
Then united we shall fall
We are connected
Your life is as precious as mine
Our flesh bleeds into one
We are the same color inside
Respect for all culture
The color of your flesh is beauty
Your roots strengthen our diversity
Judge not on the color of flesh
One blood
All colors now bleed into one
Bleed into one
Passed down through generations
Caused us wars and violence
Words of hypocrisy, human atrocity
When no one stands in protest, where is the democracy?
It's time to raise our voices
In protest of this hateful
Racist mindset in our society
Judge no one by the color of flesh
Let's fight against this ignorance
Fight, let's fight this ignorance
The Empire Shall Fall's song "These Colors Bleed" is a powerful commentary on the negative impacts of bigotry and the importance of unity and understanding. The first verse discusses how ignorance breeds hatred, leading to bigotry that not everyone can see. The second verse raises questions about the roots of this fear and the lack of knowledge holding society back from growing. The chorus emphasizes that despite external differences, we are all connected as human beings and share the same internal makeup. The third verse highlights the media's role in perpetuating stereotypes and fallacies, calling for a need for understanding and love for all cultures. The final verse encourages standing in protest against a racist mindset and fighting against ignorance that leads to human atrocity.
One of the interesting facts about the song is that it was released in 2009 and was one of the Empire Shall Fall's earliest releases. The band was created by former Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach and featured members of the band Seemless.
Another interesting fact is that the band's name was inspired by Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," in which "empire" is used to describe the oppressive power structures that existed in America throughout history.
The lyrics were written by Jesse Leach, who is known for his powerful and socially conscious songwriting. Leach has spoken out about his experiences with depression and anxiety, and much of the subject matter in Empire Shall Fall's music touches on themes related to mental health and social justice.
The song features powerful guitar riffs and driving drum beats, making it a standout track in the band's discography.
One of the key messages of the song is the need for people to see beyond external differences and connect on a deeper level. This message is particularly resonant in today's political climate, where discussions of race, gender, and identity are at the forefront of many public debates.
Overall, "These Colors Bleed" is a thought-provoking and inspiring track that encourages listeners to fight against ignorance and embrace unity and understanding.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for this song were not readily available.
Line by Line Meaning
It's ignorance that's breeding hatred
Ignorance is the root cause for the growth of hatred
Creating bigotry
Ignorance leads to the formation of intolerance and prejudice
Some don't know 'cause they can't see it
Some people remain ignorant because they are not able to perceive it
But it's reality
Even though some people cannot see it, it is still a fact
Is it the fear of someone
Do we fear someone who is different from us?
Who is different from ourselves?
Do we fear someone who has different beliefs, culture or religion?
Or is it the lack of knowledge
Is it the absence of understanding or awareness?
That is destroying the chance to grow?
Which is stopping us from progressing or developing?
We are connected
We are all linked together in some way
Your life is as precious as mine
Everyone's life is equally valuable
Our flesh bleeds into one
We are all human beings regardless of our external differences
We are the same color inside
Our inner qualities and characteristics unite us more than our external differences
Media sanctioned
The media endorses and approves it
We embrace it, feed into fallacies
We accept and become part of false beliefs and misconceptions
Stereotypical behavior
We behave in a way that conforms to preconceived notions or stereotypes
Based on what we see
Based on superficial characteristics and physical traits
We need understanding
We require comprehension or insight
One love for all
Offer love and care to everyone
If divided we will stand
If we do not unite, we will not be strong or prosperous
Then united we shall fall
Only by coming together can we face difficulties and overcome them
Respect for all culture
Acknowledgement and appreciation for various traditions, customs and beliefs
The color of your flesh is beauty
Physical differences are what make individuals unique and attractive
Your roots strengthen our diversity
Cultural heritage enhances our differences and enriches our society
Judge not on the color of flesh
Do not make judgments based on physical appearance
One blood
We all share the same life force
All colors now bleed into one
We all belong together and are interdependent
Passed down through generations
These attitudes and ideas have been perpetuated through time
Caused us wars and violence
These ideologies have resulted in conflicts and aggression
Words of hypocrisy, human atrocity
Ideas that are insincere and cruel
When no one stands in protest, where is the democracy?
When no one stands up against discrimination, democracy is compromised
It's time to raise our voices
It is necessary to speak out against injustice
In protest of this hateful
Oppose this intolerant and discriminatory
Racist mindset in our society
Attitudes of prejudice and racism in our community
Let's fight against this ignorance
We need to resist the lack of knowledge and misinformation
Fight, let's fight this ignorance
Put up a struggle against this ignorance and intolerance
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.