There are at least five artists with this name:

1. Tragedy is a crus… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least five artists with this name:

1. Tragedy is a crust band, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, but currently residing in Portland, Oregon. The band formed in 1999 and was born from the ashes of influential and legendary sludge/crust band His Hero is Gone. With this new band, 3/4 of the aforementioned His Hero Is Gone took crust towards a less metallic direction and added lots of melody to their overall sound. Additionally, during the band's final shows, they often played several future Tragedy songs that ended up being released as part of the debut.

The reason for their chosen name is revealed on the closing track "No Words" from "Vengeance": "Telling tales of tragedies for which we find no words. For which there are no words". Humanity is a sad and pathetic tragedy.

Tragedy's music is characterized by its unrelenting, heavy crust punk sound and d-beat galloping, often punctuated by melodic interludes and downshifts in tempo. The use of dual male vocals should also be noted. They are in the form of a shouted hardcore bark provided by their bassist/co-vocalist Billy Davis and crust-styled harsh vocals provided by guitarist/lead vocalist Todd Burdette. Billy's crass delivery (Very inspired by Cal from Discharge and his infamous off-key hardcore bark) is the perfect contrast to Todd's guttural delivery.

The band remains strongly aware of its roots but often takes the genre in newer, more innovative directions, pioneering a new breed of crust punk along with close friends and contemporaries From Ashes Rise, as well other bands residing in Portland and throughout the world. (See: Ekkaia, Fall of Efrafa, Ictus, Madame Germen, Alpinist, Downfall of Gaia and Remains of the Day).

Though most of these bands maintain a progressive attitude as to the nature of their sound (Remains of the Day actually includes a violinist among its members and early Fall of Efrafa was very cello-driven), there is a staunch refusal to separate themselves categorically from their crust punk provenances. Tragedy draw from many various early hardcore and crust punk bands as influences, most prominently in the vein of d-beat, ranging from Discharge themselves to Japanese d-beat groups such as Deathside and kängpunk.

They are often cited as originators of what was known to become "neocrust" and most notably, they are specifically credited with bringing melody into crust and giving the subgenre its signature epic and emotional leads in nature with heavy use of pick slides to signal the transition into those sections as well as utilising dual vocals. Their riffing style was derived from the aforementioned His Hero Is Gone. This became the basis for this hardcore sub-genre; a style that is so permeated in the crust scene nowadays as well as reached and influenced many bands throughout the years. Their debut album, Tragedy, had some acoustic elements and experimental interludes, this is something else from which they differed with His Hero Is Gone, aside from their melody sense. Many bands also took cues from this.

Tragedy's first and subsequent albums have been met with critical acclaim within the DIY hardcore community, and many see the band as at the forefront of a modern hardcore renaissance of sorts. Nevertheless, despite the band's cult following and near celebrity status among underground hardcore circles, they remain largely mysterious, refusing thus far to utilize the internet and including minimal information in album inserts.

Their 2012 record entitled "Darker Days Ahead" was met with some controversy in the hardcore scene as the album was a departure from their traditional sound into a more metallic (still not in the same sense as HHIG) and Swedish old school death metal/stenchcore-styled direction that somehow still kept their melodic sensibilities; which at the time, did not sit well with some fans. However, the record has since then carved out a niche of its own as a Tragedy album. Albeit their latest EP, "Fury", forwent these aspects. Therefore, they regressed to their previous/original style.

They are melodic and offer a different dimension of "emotional" because Todd is suffering less now, he feels more realised. Even though he suffers with others' suffering. They all do, that is empathy. Tragedy is the sound of all of them being free whilst watching the rest of the world burn for schemers that do not care about them. People stay in their hole because they like it, it is easier and do not know any better.

What happened to His Hero Is Gone/Tragedy members has happened before, still happens and will keep happening to others and we allow it. Tragedy is the sound of being free and feeling deeply sorry for everyone else still in Hell. Sorrow. Lamenting. A Terminal Spirit Disease. "All Hell is here".

Tragedy are still angry and furious as their latest EP simply states. They still have much to say. They will die mad at everything and everyone. Someone else brave enough will take their place. They won the war within themselves and inspired a new movement in hardcore. To them, it is a Tragedy people cannot fight like they did and still do. "Peace is a privilege reserved for those who can afford not to fight" (...) "The end... the ending fight".

"Never knowing silence. Never knowing peace".

2. Tragedy was a Hollywood band formed in 1993. Two members of the band would stick together through many line-up changes, they were Jamie Shane on vocals, and Traci Michaelz (RIP)on drums....
At different time's the lineup would feature members of the Hollywood bands Never On Sunday, Willow Wisp, and God Zoo. This strong knit community of musicians would form a very tight bond,...a family, a posse, whatever you want to call it, if you messed with one you had to go through all...In 1994 Tragedy released the 3 song EP Tragedy in L.A.

3. Tragedy is a heavy metal tribute to the Bee Gees, based in the Tri-State area.

4. Tragedy (also Trazedy, トラジェディー) is a Japanese indie visual kei band formed in 2004 and disbanded in 2006. Included the bassist and support drummer of kanuak～カナック～, 26 (Niro) and Yasu.

5. Tragedy is an American Hip-Hop artist from Baltimore, Maryland on the DarkSide Records label.

To the Dogs
Tragedy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As we find ourselves barely conscious,we struggle to our knees
Looking for a sign that says this is life, and not a dream
There is a sign and it read: "hope is the leash of submission"

Moral bondage forges its cage, once again filling us with guilt and shame
Moral bondage tightens its grip, once again crushing us with fault and blame

For how long will we carry these crippling loads?

And when will we unlearn the lies, refuse the cost and throw it all to the dogs?

Throw it all, throw it all, throw it all, throw it all to the dogs!

Signs statements of release Relinquishing all duties
Offer a refusal with no regrets
Sever the religious romantic ties
Throw off the guilt and the faithfulness

For how long will we carry these crippling loads?
And when will we unlearn the lies, refuse the cost and throw it all to the dogs?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "To the Dogs" by Tragedy express the struggle to find meaning in life, amidst the pressure of moral obligation and guilt. The song starts with the image of being barely conscious, yet trying to find a sign that differentiates life from a dream. However, the sign read reveals the opposite of liberation, insisting on the necessity of submission through hope. This idea is expressed with the metaphor of a leash, which implies control and limitations to one's freedom. The following lines describe moral bondage as a cage that keeps people trapped in feelings of guilt and shame. The repetition of the words "once again" emphasizes the continuing nature of this struggle.

The chorus of the song raises a question of how long people will carry such burdens that hinder their lives, and when they will reject the deception and give themselves to the dogs, which can represent the idea of throwing away the unnecessary burdens and focusing on the real things that matter. The last stanza of the song provides some answers, suggesting that people can release themselves from their duties and refuse expectations through signs of release, like resigning from a job, ending a relationship, or renouncing religious beliefs. The rejection of romantic ties implies letting go of any lofty or unrealistic expectations attached to any relationships or ideologies.

Overall, "To the Dogs" by Tragedy critiques the societal expectations and moral obligations that restrict people's freedom of choice and hamper their pursuit of happiness. The song advocates for a more autonomous and authentic way of living, away from external pressures and conventions.

Line by Line Meaning

As we find ourselves barely conscious,we struggle to our knees
As we regain consciousness and become aware of our situation, we kneel down in an attempt to rise to our feet.

Looking for a sign that says this is life, and not a dream
We search for reassurance that the pain we feel is real and not a figment of our imagination.

There is a sign and it read: "hope is the leash of submission"
The only sign we find tells us that hope is what keeps us submitting to our oppressors.

Moral bondage forges its cage, once again filling us with guilt and shame
Our moral obligations are like chains that trap us, making us feel guilty and ashamed.

Moral bondage tightens its grip, once again crushing us with fault and blame
Our moral responsibilities suffocate us, weighing us down with fault and blame.

For how long will we carry these crippling loads?
We question how much longer we can bear the weight of our struggles and sufferings.

And when will we unlearn the lies, refuse the cost and throw it all to the dogs?
We wonder when we will stop believing the falsehoods we've been taught, reject the price we pay for living by them, and cast it all aside like scraps for dogs.

Throw it all, throw it all, throw it all, throw it all to the dogs!
We repeat this statement as a call to arms, urging others to let go of their burdens and stand up for themselves.

Signs statements of release Relinquishing all duties
The only signs we now see speak of freedom from responsibilities and obligations.

Offer a refusal with no regrets
We willingly reject the expectations placed on us, without any remorse or hesitation.

Sever the religious romantic ties
We break our emotional bonds to the ideologies that have held us captive, particularly religious ones.

Throw off the guilt and the faithfulness
We rid ourselves of the guilt and dutifulness that have kept us subservient for too long.

Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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