Pure Death
Vomitory Lyrics


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Music & Lyrics: R. Olson

Bombexplosions, cascades of flames
Pressure waves, reopened graves
Genocide, napalm shall fall
Massdeath, burning us all

Naked bodies, burn in piles
Massive ashes, cremation fires
Pure death

Nervegas, death comes as steam
Inhale, its too late to scream
Zyklon B, pulsating pain
aching skin, bloodbursting veins

Naked bodies, burn in piles
Massive ashes, cremation fires
Pure death

Human fragment, cadaverous blood
Plague spreads with the wind
Swarms of vermin, insect clouds
Invades the rotten air

Pestilence, covered with dripping sores
Bloody breath, taste the chemical whore
Feverous, all senses are weakening
Starvation, maneating instinct

Naked bodies, burn in piles




Massive ashes, cremation fires
Pure death

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Vomitory's song "Pure Death" are a graphic portrayal of the horrors of war, particularly focusing on the brutal and violent effects of chemical warfare. The opening lines describe bomb explosions, cascades of flames, and reopen graves, setting the scene for a devastating conflict. The lyrics then detail the different ways in which death can occur in war, with references to genocide, napalm, nerve gas, and Zyklon B, a particularly lethal chemical used during the Holocaust.


The imagery in the song is deliberately designed to shock and appall, with references to naked bodies burning in piles, massive ashes, and cremation fires. The use of insects and vermin to describe the aftermath of war is particularly effective, with references to swarms of insects invading the rotten air and pestilence spreading with the wind. The overall effect of the lyrics is one of horror and despair, as the singer describes the utter devastation and destruction wrought by war.


Overall, "Pure Death" is a powerful and disturbing song that serves as a stark reminder of the terrible cost of war.


Line by Line Meaning

Bombexplosions, cascades of flames
Describing the destructive impact of bombs and the resulting flames spreading like a series of cascades.


Pressure waves, reopened graves
The air pressure waves caused by the explosion opening up graves and disrupting the dead.


Genocide, napalm shall fall
A warning of genocide wherein napalm shall be the cause of the fall.


Massdeath, burning us all
The sheer magnitude of death resulting from mass burning of people.


Naked bodies, burn in piles
The horrid visual of bodies being burnt naked and piled up.


Massive ashes, cremation fires
The cremation fires being massive and resulting in enormous amounts of ashes.


Pure death
The purest form of death, maybe indicating death as an absolute end with no possibility of afterlife.


Nervegas, death comes as steam
Describing the quickness of death from nerve gas, where it comes as steam and leaves no time to react.


Inhale, its too late to scream
Inhaling the nerve gas would cause instant and inevitable death, leaving oneself with no time to scream or react.


Zyklon B, pulsating pain
Depicting the agony and pain caused by the chemical Zyklon B, which causes the skin to pulse.


aching skin, bloodbursting veins
Further describing the physical pain caused by Zyklon B, resulting in skin aches and veins bursting with blood.


Human fragment, cadaverous blood
A graphic description of death where human fragments and their cadaverous blood litter the area.


Plague spreads with the wind
The spread of the bubonic plague with the wind, causing death and destruction.


Swarms of vermin, insect clouds
The emergence of swarms of vermin and insect clouds, adding to the horror.


Invades the rotten air
The air filled with death and disease as the plague invades everything.


Pestilence, covered with dripping sores
Describing the pestilence that spreads and covers those infected with dripping sores.


Bloody breath, taste the chemical whore
The pestilence and death caused by war, the taste of the blood and toxic chemicals - a bitter reminder of the horrors.


Feverous, all senses are weakening
The agonizing emotional and physical decline brought on by the fever that weakens all senses and causes untold suffering.


Starvation, maneating instinct
The impact of starvation and its consequences, where survival instinct turns to consuming flesh to continue surviving.


Naked bodies, burn in piles
Reemphasizing the image of naked bodies piling up and burning, adding to the sense of horror and helplessness.


Massive ashes, cremation fires
More graphic description of the burning and the massive ashes it generates in the process.


Pure death
Reiterating the concept of death without redemption or an afterlife - a grim finality.




Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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