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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
Manta Rae
The Violet Burning Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere the light is strong; there I'm gonna lay it down
I'll rise when my ship comes in, I'll stand up and you'll lead me in
Gonna climb on board, leave these burdens behind
So don't cry, when my ship comes in
Giving up on packing this case, I can't bring it anyways
I'm gonna climb on board the "Manta Rae"
Where the weak are strong, singing their songs
Angels, sinners and saints join together as one
And lay down their lives before the worthy Lamb
Gonna lay down my life before the worthy lamb
I'll sigh when that train arrives; I'll meet you on the other side
My mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers - soon we'll be together again
Yeah, we'll be together again
I'll meet you on that day, forget the past things
No words can say or explain the wonder found in that place
Gonna climb aboard that saving train
I'll meet you on that day, guide you and sail you along the way
Through the deepest of oceans, I will never stray
Gonna float you and fly you, my Manta Rae
I'm gonna leave this baggage behind (yeah, I'll meet you on that day)
Soon we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
Gonna leave these burdens behind (yeah, I'll meet you on that day)
You know we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
Gonna leave this baggage behind (yeah, I'll meet you on that day)
Soon we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
Gonna leave this baggage behind (yeah, I'll meet you on that day)
You know we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
I don't need this baggage in that holy place
I won't need these burdens in that holy place
I don't need this baggage
I won't need this baggage
The Violet Burning's song Manta Rae is a beautiful representation of a spiritual journey with a strong focus on leaving behind the baggage of the past in order to enter into a new, holy place. The singer (presumably the singer) is carrying a heavy case which he knows he needs to lose in order to climb aboard the Manta Rae and sail into the holy place where the weak are strong, and where angels, sinners and saints join together as one to lay down their lives before the worthy Lamb. The imagery of the Manta Rae is used to signify this journey as the ship that will carry the singer to a place where he can leave behind all of his burdens and find peace.
The song suggests that the journey will not be an easy one, but it will be worth it in the end. The singer will meet loved ones on the other side and they will all join together, leaving behind their burdens and their baggage to start anew in the holy place. The lyrics suggest that entering this new place requires letting go of everything that has weighed the singer down until now, but the message is one of hope and the promise of something better. It is a song about faith, love, and the power of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
Been carrying this heavy case - yeah, I've got to lose this weight
I need to let go of the burdens and struggles that are weighing me down.
Somewhere the light is strong; there I'm gonna lay it down
I will find a peaceful place to release my worries and fears.
I'll rise when my ship comes in, I'll stand up and you'll lead me in
When my time comes and I am ready to move on, I will embrace the afterlife with open arms.
Gonna climb on board, leave these burdens behind
I will accept my fate and let go of all the painful baggage that is holding me back.
So don't cry, when my ship comes in
Please do not weep when my time on this earth comes to an end, for I will be at peace in the afterlife.
Giving up on packing this case, I can't bring it anyways
I have given up on trying to bring my earthly possessions to the afterlife with me, for they are no longer important.
I'm gonna climb on board the "Manta Rae"
I will embrace death and the unknown, and trust that everything will be okay.
Gonna sail right into that holy place
I will journey towards a divine and peaceful realm.
Where the weak are strong, singing their songs
In the afterlife, everyone is equal and all have found strength and harmony.
Angels, sinners and saints join together as one
All the different types of people who have passed on have found unity and peace in the afterlife.
And lay down their lives before the worthy Lamb
All those who have passed on have surrendered their earthly lives before a divine and worthy being.
I'll sigh when that train arrives; I'll meet you on the other side
I will breathe a sigh of relief and comfort when death comes for me, and look forward to a reunion with loved ones in the afterlife.
My mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers - soon we'll be together again
I will be reunited with all those who have passed before me, and we will all be together once more.
Yeah, we'll be together again
Reunited and at peace in the afterlife.
I'll meet you on that day, forget the past things
When I am reunited with my loved ones in the afterlife, I will let go of any grudges or hurt feelings from our time on earth.
No words can say or explain the wonder found in that place
The afterlife is a place of wonder and beauty that cannot be described in words.
Gonna climb aboard that saving train
I will put my trust in the unknown journey that awaits me in the afterlife.
I'll meet you on that day, guide you and sail you along the way
I will be a guiding presence for my loved ones when they eventually pass on.
Through the deepest of oceans, I will never stray
Even in the darkest and most difficult of circumstances, I will remain steadfast in my faith and support for my loved ones who have passed on.
Gonna float you and fly you, my Manta Rae
I will provide comfort and guidance for my loved ones as they navigate their journey in the afterlife.
I'm gonna leave this baggage behind (yeah, I'll meet you on that day)
I will let go of any negative emotions or painful experiences from this life, and look forward to a new beginning in the afterlife.
Soon we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
I will be reunited with those who have passed before me in a divine and peaceful realm.
You know we'll be together in that holy place (yeah)
It is a comfort to know that all those who have passed before me will be together in the afterlife.
I won't need these burdens in that holy place
All the worries, fears, and difficulties of this life will no longer hold any weight or importance in the afterlife.
I don't need this baggage
I no longer need to carry the heavy weight of the struggles and hardships from this life.
I won't need this baggage
In the afterlife, I will no longer be weighed down by the burdens of this life.
Contributed by Vivian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.