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The Violet Burning - The Story of Our Lives:
Liebe über Alles, Black as Death and The Fantastic Machine
by Jocelyn Aucoin
It's that ache in your heart.
That place inside you where all the stuff collects and collides like junk in a drawer.
Except it's not junk. It's real and it matters and it's the matter that makes you. It’s that ache that makes you want to fight and surrender, scream and sigh. It's decaying and it's beautiful and it's full of these awkward opposites. So full that sometimes you don't understand. You can't understand.
But then someone or something comes along to give it shape, a voice. Someone whose ability to capture this space is so pure, so precise, that it springs hope within us and legs to stand on.
Something like The Violet Burning.
The Violets (affectionately called) have been making music under the direction of creative mainspring, Michael J Pritzl, since 1990. A prolific songwriter, Pritzl's story is one of endurance, endurance manifested in a plethora of albums and relentless touring throughout the US and Europe. Endurance resulting in an absolute rabid
following of fans. Though Pritzl has surrounded himself with different musicians through the years, the music has never been compromised and the fans keep coming back for the powerful, guitar-driven rock The Violets never fail to deliver. This time that rock is enlivened with the drumming virtuosity that is Lenny Beh. A stunningly emotive addition.
Nothing proves The Violets bring the rock better than their latest effort, their 9th full-length studio album, The Story of Our Lives: Liebe über Alles, Black as Death and The Fantastic Machine, an audio triptych of sorts. The album's 34 songs are divided into three parts: Liebe über Alles, Black as Death and The Fantastic Machine. Although asunder, the album rages with rock and drips with beauty, all the while shaking it's figurative fist at a digital age wherein, despite the abundance of material available, artists still feel beholden to the 10-song album format restrictions of the past.
The Violets didn't feel this restriction and because of that, The Story of Our Lives is not just an auditory experience, it is a multi-sensory aesthetic experience. These songs didn't take a week to write or two days to record. The artwork wasn't thrown together in an hour in Photoshop. This is a complete body of work that began as a spark of an idea and has now been seven years in the making. In this way, it defies the unspoken and mediocre standards of today, offering up an incredible sonic experience in addition to a riveting lyrical journey.
And the journey is a familiar one. In fact, it reads like some of the greatest novels ever written. The Fantastic Machine sets the tone for this journey as "Where It All Begins" climbs from a pensive, pretty melody to an all out blur of frantic guitars, over which "my heart and soul are wired in!" it screamed wild and breathy. It's the definition of epic, and songs like “Machine Beat Sabbatha” and “Imminent Collapse” follow suit, allowing the listener in on the chaos that's brewing in the heart of our character. “The Letting” and “Leaving” tell a quieter story, one that will course through your veins with their beautiful sadness. And in the end, our character leaves The Fantastic Machine behind, giving up on a life that has been selling him lies.
Black as Death picks up where this sadness leaves off, descending on ears like a bat out of hell--an almost mindless storm of sound and distortion. “My Name is Night” is case and point of this, heavy and teeming with Sabbath-like drumming. “Maelstorm” expands into this chaos, the entropy of its opening guitars hitting like the explosion of tides. Pritzl's delicate falsetto dancing atop the water. And then there is “Rock Is Dead”, which exists not only as the definition of pop song perfection, but shows our character gaining strength. Shivers run down your spine when he screams, "I'm going on, going on!" "In Ruin" leaves a sweet taste in our mouths with it's swirly delays, rhodes bells and sweeping cello.
Enter Liebe über Alles, The Story of Our Lives' graceful and exquisite counterpart. Our character has chosen death, but now lives to continue his journey home. A beautiful relenting, “Mon Désir” is honest in both melody and lyric as Pritzl’s broken voice sings, "All I want is you." "Arc" has a driving rhythm that climaxes with an explosion of spirited strings. "I am coming home!" The dreamy and romantic ballad, "I Caught Fire", is encased in a haze of fuzz guitar, pulsing drums and the descending piano, "…in all the songs of men and angels, if I have no love, I'm blank." And finally “through a life, blessed and cursed, love and only love goes on and on…” the true rest of “Liebe über Alles” and the final acknowledgement that our character has made it home.
This is not just another album by another band. This is a realization. A realization that this story--the struggle and the heartache, feeling lost and so alone--belongs to each one of us. It’s the way we feel when we are sad and broken and it’s the way we feel when we are so complete and content, at home and at rest within ourselves and with others and with “The Lord of Song.” It’s knowing we’re not alone in this big, messed up machine of a world. It’s the hope of “every corner of our heart and soul” being made for someone who loves us more than we will ever understand.
This is the story of our lives.
The Violet Burning is Michael J. Pritzl, Daryl Dawson and Lenny Beh. THE STORY OF OUR LIVES: Liebe über Alles, Black as Death,and TH3 FANT^5T1C MACH1N3 was written and recorded by Michael Pritzl at Nowhere, CA studios (various closets, garages, entry ways, and bedrooms in Southern California) and features Eleanor Beh on Cello and Jeff Schroeder of Smashing Pumpkins (lead guitar on 3 songs).
The Story Of Our Lives was released digitally at thevioletburning.com March 5, 2011. The triple album will be coming worldwide one part at a time via iTunes, Amazon, and other online digital resellers throughout 2011. The triple album will also be available in it’s physical, beautiful, limited edition, 80-page packaging via thevioletburning.com beginning April 4, 2011. The Violet Burning are now planning US and European tour dates.
-Jocelyn Aucoin – 2011
FEEL
The Violet Burning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will she ever shine on us again?
Oh, inside I feel so cold
Feel what's inside of me
One last breath before we go
One last kiss upon my soul
Oh, I guess it's time to rise
I cannot take these lies
Heal what's inside of me
Even now, I feel like I could crumble
Here and now I feel like I could crumble
Don't let me die here, naked
Don't let me die here,
Knowing these lies
Come a little bit closer now
Put your hands on my shoulders
A little bit closer now
Feel the tears run down my swollen cheeks
Feel, feel
Can I see the light?
Can I see the light?
I can't see the light
Can I see the light?
The Violet Burning's song Feel is a poignant and emotional piece that delves into themes of hopelessness, desperation, and the search for inner healing. The opening lines, "Here, waiting for the sun, Will she ever shine on us again?" suggest a sense of longing and waiting for relief amidst darkness and despair. The internal struggle of the persona is further revealed through the line "Oh, inside I feel so cold, Feel what's inside of me", expressing the overwhelming sense of emptiness and numbness that can often accompany emotional pain.
As the song progresses, the persona seems to be reaching towards a sense of closure, grappling with the idea of impending death and seeking comfort in another person's touch. "One last breath before we go, One last kiss upon my soul, Oh, I guess it's time to rise, Feel what's inside of me, I cannot take these lies, Heal what's inside of me." The closing lines are perhaps the most poignant, as the persona pleads with the listener to "Come a little bit closer now, Put your hands on my shoulders, A little bit closer now, Feel the tears run down my swollen cheeks, Feel, feel." This sense of vulnerability and intimacy highlights the deep need for human connection, particularly in times of despair.
Overall, The Violet Burning's Feel is a powerful exploration of the human experience of pain and grief, as well as the search for inner peace and healing. With its raw emotion and haunting melody, it is a testament to the power of music to express the most complex and difficult emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Here, waiting for the sun
Feeling stagnant, waiting for a change or enlightenment to come my way.
Will she ever shine on us again?
Doubting if I'll ever experience happiness again, as if the sun has disappeared permanently.
Oh, inside I feel so cold
Experiencing emotional numbness or detachment from others.
Feel what's inside of me
Acknowledging and confronting my inner turmoil and emotions.
One last breath before we go
Preparing for the end of a situation, relationship, or life itself.
One last kiss upon my soul
Receiving closure and affection before departing or moving on.
Oh, I guess it's time to rise
Accepting the reality of a new chapter or opportunity to start fresh.
I cannot take these lies
Refusing to tolerate false or misleading information any longer.
Heal what's inside of me
Seeking to mend emotional wounds and find inner peace and fulfillment.
Even now, I feel like I could crumble
Feeling emotionally fragile and vulnerable to collapse or downfall at any moment.
Here and now I feel like I could crumble
Continuing to feel emotionally unstable and at risk of breaking down in the present moment.
Don't let me die here, naked
Not wanting to depart from life or a situation on a vulnerable, exposed note.
Don't let me die here,
Requesting support and comfort before moving on or facing a challenging situation.
Knowing these lies
Aware of the deceit or falsehoods within a situation or relationship.
Come a little bit closer now
Inviting someone to empathize with and comfort me.
Put your hands on my shoulders
Requesting physical comfort and support from another person.
Feel the tears run down my swollen cheeks
Physically experiencing the emotional pain and grief within me.
Feel, feel
Emphasizing the importance of recognizing and processing one's emotions.
Can I see the light?
Desperately seeking hope, positivity, or direction in a difficult time.
I can't see the light
Feeling hopeless, lost, or directionless, without any potential for improvement or positivity.
Can I see the light?
Reiterating the desire for a bright, hopeful future or guidance in a situation.
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.