The Locust was formed by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw, and Dave Astor. After a number of personnel changes, they arrived at their current four-piece lineup in 2001, consisting of Pearson, Bray, Gabe Serbian, and Joey Karam. Originally a powerviolence band with a strong tendency towards synth-based passages, they have more recently stripped down much of their past sound, but retained the heavy distortion, synthesizers, screamed vocals, and intense stage presence. On the band's unique sound and live presentations, singer/bassist Justin Pearson has said, "I wanted to change the way people perceive music, or maybe just destroy it in general." Their music is complex, dynamic and fast-paced, often featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in."
The Locust have a unique stage presence: costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (which the band refer to as uniforms), they have at times come across to first-time viewers as frightening. The last 5 different suits were designed and made by Ben Warwas. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are usually all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The group recommends that in order to get the full impact of the music, one should see them live. The Locust boycotts Clear Channel Communications and refuse to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas as well as another tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They also have a policy of only playing all-ages shows. The band's lyrics range from stream-of-consciousness poetry to satirical portrayals of mainstream ideas of sexuality to political commentary and critiques of religion.
Siphoning Projectiles During Selective Amnesia
The Locust Lyrics
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(Considering it's bribery) highway robbery.
Though I'd adamantly refuse the airtight reflex restraints.
A scabby Achilles tendon for your placebo pills, your last offer?
Okay buddy, you got yourself a deal.
Endorphins and dopamine calculated and disturbing.
Ambassador for the susceptible swallowed the wrong fallacy
The Locust's song Siphoning Projectiles During Selective Amnesia is a strange amalgamation of imagery, emotions and ideas, that darts around unpredictably, with surrealism and obvious humor, spiked with violent, erratic energy. The lyrics of the song, in particular, are cryptic, drawing upon metaphors and allusions that do not always have an easy connection to the real world. The opening lines of the song, "Transplant of a phantom limb seems like a good deal/ (Considering it's bribery) highway robbery," seem to suggest the singer's willingness to trade something he considers intangible but valuable, like a phantom limb, for something less valuable but more tangible. This is ironic, given that the singer questions the morality of the deal himself, considering it a form of robbery.
The subsequent lines, "Though I'd adamantly refuse the airtight reflex restraints./ A scabby Achilles tendon for your placebo pills, your last offer?/ Okay buddy, you got yourself a deal," take the previous metaphor even further, as the singer seems to agree to a deal involving an Achilles tendon, which is symbolic of vulnerability and weakness, and placebo pills, which are a fake cure for a medical condition. The use of these images suggests that the singer is willing to sacrifice something important, even if it means putting himself in danger, to get something he desires. The imagery that follows, "Endorphins and dopamine calculated and disturbing./ Ambassador for the susceptible swallowed the wrong fallacy," further illustrates the singer's feelings of being trapped in a system that he finds distasteful, where people's emotions and thoughts can be manipulated for profit, and where he has become a willing participant.
Line by Line Meaning
Transplant of a phantom limb seems like a good deal
(This is an ironic statement) I am willing to accept something that doesn't exist, which is unrealistic and foolish.
(Considering it's bribery) highway robbery.
This deal is ridiculously unfair and manipulative, which is a form of robbery. It is essentially exchanging one injustice for another.
Though I'd adamantly refuse the airtight reflex restraints.
I am unwilling to be confined or constrained by anything, especially something that limits my ability to act or think freely.
A scabby Achilles tendon for your placebo pills, your last offer?
The offer you've made is insulting and harmful (since it involves giving up a part of my body). I will not accept it, and I'm willing to walk away from this negotiation.
Okay buddy, you got yourself a deal.
(This response is sarcastic) I will pretend to agree to your unfair proposal because it's easier than fighting against it.
Endorphins and dopamine calculated and disturbing.
The chemicals in my brain that make me feel happy and content are being manipulated and controlled by outside forces in a way that is disturbing and unsettling.
Ambassador for the susceptible swallowed the wrong fallacy
I have been fooled or misled into believing something that is untrue or harmful. I am now acting as a representative for this false belief, which makes me vulnerable to further manipulation and harm.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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