The Word Alive was founded in 2008 by Craig Mabbitt (lead vocals) with Zack Hansen (lead guitar) and Tony Pizzuti (rhythm guitar) who were former members of the bands Calling of Syrens and Clouds Take Shape. As a side-project of Mabbitt during his part in Escape the Fate, the remaining required members he recruited to start The Word Alive were chosen to be Nick Urlacher (bass), Dusty Riach (keyboard) and Tony Aguilera (drums). The group recorded songs with the intention of releasing them as a self-titled EP, despite that it never surfaced. Later on, the band forced Mabbitt to leave due to their dissatisfaction with Escape the Fate's schedules, which required Mabbitt to work as a full-time member.
The day after, Mabbitt posted a blog to his fans via his Myspace account explaining that leaving the band was not his decision and that "[The Word Alive] pretty much replaced me while I was on the road due to the fact that they wanted to tour and couldn't until I was available, I started that band with those guys and I'm very hurt at how they replaced me while I was touring...it's bullshit." On December 3, the band officially announced that Tyler "Telle" Smith, who was formerly one of the vocalists for In Fear and Faith and bassist for Greeley Estates, joined The Word Alive as their new frontman.
Feeling somewhat stagnant in their progression beforehand, the addition of Smith catapulted the band’s ambitions to the forefront. With this initiation, their goals and aspirations were much more a reality, and they set to work on what would become their record label debut, Empire.
During March 2009, the band were taken in with a contract by a new label, later on during the 26th of that month the group officially confirmed that the label they were then signed to was Fearless Records. Smith stated "We hope to just keep touring, touring, touring... we couldn't be happier or more appreciative to be on tour right now, I think despite having some of the worst luck in the early beginnings of being a touring band yet never missing a show, we always have a positive attitude and that will make us a stronger band." The band set out to create an EP to be released through the label wherein it was titled Empire and was recorded with producer Andrew Wade in Ocala, Florida. It was released on July 21, 2009 where it reached #15 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart.
During February the band reached an agreement to leave founding drummer, Tony Aguilera out of the group. Both parties (Aguilera and the rest of the band) shared their concerns and reasoning for the matter publicly. It was overall described that the band wanted to pursue a different percussionist of alternate talent than the founding member. Aguilera was replaced with Justin Salinas, whom previously was a part of the bands Scars of Tomorrow and Catherine as well as serving as a past live drummer for MyChildren MyBride.
In April 2010, The Word Alive entered the studio in Ocala, Florida with Andrew Wade to record their debut full-length album, Deceiver. By June, Deceiver was fully mastered and engineered. On June 23, 2010 the band premiered their first single from the album, “Epiphany” as streaming media online.The following day, Fearless Records released their 2010 Summer Sampler which also featured the track "Epiphany". A week later, the album's album art and track listing was released. Guitarist Zack Hansen explained upon this premiere that "We all felt like that was going to be the best choice considering how comfortable the recording process is with Andrew. The tracking was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time. We got the opportunity to stay in a house while we recorded and surprisingly we didn't party as much as I thought we would haha." Hansen later followed along explaining that his favorite track on the record is “The Hounds of Anubis”, which was written by him and Pizzuti and stated that he "wrote this song with an 'Egyptian feel' to it and I think we got our point across." Smith described that its lyrics describe the times of when The Word Alive overcame their hardships that they face with the help and support from their fans. "The Hounds of Anubis" was released as the album's second single on July 26, 2010. It premiered on the official Revolver website.
By November of 2011, the band made plans to return to the studio on February 7, 2012 with Joey Sturgis to begin recording their next album, with an expected recording session lasting from that time until mid-March. However by February (and before the date of entering the studio), the announcement of two members leaving occurred; keyboardist, Dusty Riach and drummer, Justin Salinas were simultaneously confirmed to no longer be a part of the band. Salinas stated his reason was because he grew tired of touring, although Riach's reason was preferred to be kept silent.
In regards to the band's second studio album, it was reported that 17 songs were recorded in its process. 13 of those will be on the standard edition of the album, while the another three will be included on the deluxe edition. The name of the album will be Life Cycles and both editions will be released the same day.On March 23rd of the year, the group issued a statement that 18-year old Arizona resident Luke Holland has joined as the new drummer, however, Holland was not included for the recording sessions of Life Cycles. The drumming for the record was done by a friend of the band named Matt Horn wherein Holland joined after these sessions were already completed.
On March 18, 2014, the band released a new single entitled "Play the Victim." Along with the song, they also announced their third full-length album Real. would be released on June 10. The album would be the first to feature Luke Holland on drums.
The band released their fourth album, Dark Matter, on March 18, 2016. The band also revealed the tracklist and a headlining North American tour with support from Fit for a King and Out Came the Wolves. The album's lead single, "Trapped", was released January 8.
In November 2016, Luke Holland announced he would be leaving the band at the end of 2016 after finishing their last tour of the year to pursue other musical endeavors. In February 2017, the band announced that Matt Horn would be taking Holland's place as drummer. Shortly after, a new single "Misery" was released.
On August 7, 2017, The Word Alive and Daniel Shapiro mutually announced they were parting ways due to a "new musical adventure" of Shapiro's. The next day, The Word Alive announced that they would be joining I Prevail on their Rage on the Stage Tour along with We Came as Romans & Escape the Fate.
Quit While You're Ahead
The Word Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have crashed down around me.
I'm still searching but out of place.
I need your help, I need your grace.
When will this battle end or does it ever end at all.
And we fear what we can't seem to understand.
We believe what we allow ourselves,
Our selfish lies in the end.
Our selfish lies in the end.
But is this the end.
I feel like the word is getting the best of me
And it's getting hard to breathe.
I've never been afraid I've never been ashamed.
So let it be.
I pray my God you keep me.
If this is my last chance to believe, I'll believe.
The threat of losing all I know is gone.
You can't judge me!
You can't save me!
You can't love me so quite while you're ahead!
You've betrayed me now let me go.
You've betrayed me I'm letting you know,
The things that you love will consume you.
The fire swallows you whole if you can't make your choice.
But is this the end.
I feel like the world is getting the best of me
And it's getting hard to breathe.
I've never been afraid I've never been ashamed.
So let it be.
I pray my God you keep me.
If this is my last chance to believe, I'll believe.
Listen to what your heart tells you before it's too late.
It's crying out to love, but is the risk to great?
The lyrics to The Word Alive's "Quit While You're Ahead" speak to the turmoil and self-doubt that can consume a person when faced with difficult decisions. The opening lines, "Just as fast as you found the waves / Have crashed down around me," suggest that the singer has been caught off-guard by some of life's challenges, and is struggling to keep their head above water. They are searching for meaning and purpose, but they feel out of place and adrift.
The lines "When will this battle end or does it ever end at all / And we fear what we can't seem to understand" convey a sense of hopelessness and fear in the face of an uncertain future. The singer is wrestling with big questions about the nature of life and the universe, and is struggling to find answers. They acknowledge that they are capable of self-deception - "We believe what we allow ourselves, / Our selfish lies in the end" - but they still cling to the hope that there is some truth to be found in the world.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more resolute, declaring "If this is my last chance to believe, I'll believe." They are aware that they may be reaching a critical point in their life, and they want to make the most of it. The chorus' line "You can't judge me! / You can't save me! / You can't love me so quite while you're ahead!" indicates that the singer is rejecting the influence of others in their decision-making process. They may feel pressure from friends, family or society to conform to certain expectations, but they are determined to follow their own path.
The final lines, "Listen to what your heart tells you before it's too late. / It's crying out to love, but is the risk too great?" reflect the central dilemma of the song. The singer knows that they need to take risks in order to find fulfillment in life, but they are afraid of the consequences. Ultimately, the song is a call to action that urges the listener to trust their instincts and pursue their dreams, no matter how daunting the road ahead may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Just as fast as you found the waves
Things changed quickly and unexpectedly.
Have crashed down around me.
I'm struggling and overwhelmed.
I'm still searching but out of place.
I'm lost and don't know where I belong.
I need your help, I need your grace.
I'm in a difficult situation and need support and forgiveness.
When will this battle end or does it ever end at all.
I'm struggling and not sure if there will ever be a resolution.
And we fear what we can't seem to understand.
We are afraid of what we don't know or can't comprehend.
We believe what we allow ourselves,
We shape our beliefs based on our own choices and experiences.
Our selfish lies in the end.
Ultimately, our lies and self-interest will catch up with us.
But is this the end.
I'm uncertain if this is the final outcome.
I feel like the world is getting the best of me
I'm struggling and the circumstances are overwhelming.
And it's getting hard to breathe.
I'm suffocating and need relief.
I've never been afraid I've never been ashamed.
I've been confident and proud in the past.
So let it be.
I'll accept the outcome.
I pray my God you keep me.
I'm reaching out to a higher power for support and protection.
If this is my last chance to believe, I'll believe.
Though I'm uncertain, I'll choose to have faith.
The threat of losing all I know is gone.
I'm not afraid of losing what is familiar anymore.
You can't judge me!
Don't criticize or blame me!
You can't save me!
I don't need or want your help.
You can't love me so quite while you're ahead!
Don't try to show affection, it's too late.
You've betrayed me now let me go.
You've hurt me and I need to move on.
You've betrayed me I'm letting you know,
I'm speaking up about how you've wronged me.
The things that you love will consume you.
Your attachments or obsessions will control and ruin you.
The fire swallows you whole if you can't make your choice.
If you don't make a decision, you'll be destroyed by your passions.
Listen to what your heart tells you before it's too late.
Pay attention to your inner voice or feelings before it's too late.
It's crying out to love, but is the risk too great?
My heart wants to love, but I'm uncertain if it's worth the risk.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY PIZZUTI, ANTHONY JOHN JR. PIZZUTI, DUSTY RIACH, JUSTIN SALINAS, JUSTIN DAVID SALINAS, MARK ANTHONY PIZZUTI, NICK URLACHER, TYLER SMITH, ZACK HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dante LAN-I-ER
0:52 Back in 2009, I'd never heard a singing section in a metal song sound this well thought out and mystifying. It's one of those "take me away" moments.
linknprk573
My God, that riff at 00:39 is so good.
xydex99
Still one of their best songs.
Dante LAN-I-ER
2:22 It sounds like Telle is condemning someone to hell at this part. Those words are so final in my opinion. It's one of my favorite part of the song.
Amelia Rae
+Dante LAN-I-ER this album was omfg good. I didn't think it was the same line up
Amelia Rae
+Dante LAN-I-ER wow OK cool shit
Dante LAN-I-ER
Amelia Rae That's not true man. This whole EP is Telle. Craig got dropped after the demo. My friend ordered this when it first came out and it came with a poster with Telle on it.
Amelia Rae
telle wasn't in the band yet. he should be in 'In Fear and Faith' at this point for the voyager album after he had left Greeley Estates. this album is all Craig Mabbitt before both The Word Alive and Blessthefall dropped him
PittmanGuitar
I like both Telle and Craig's work with TWA,it does not matter because instrumentally they are one of the best bands IMO
resetreflectt
I got this song for free on the Fearless Records Summer Sampler 2009. it's a really good song. i like the clean vocals a lot. definitely one of my favorite songs