Xentrix was called Sweet Vengeance from 1984 to 1988. The band attracted attention with a five-star rating from Kerrang! magazine, and Roadrunner Records then contacted the band asking them why they had not been sent a copy, and arranged an audition with the band. After the audition, the band was signed to the label and recorded their first album Shattered Existence in the summer of 1989. The band toured with Sabbat in support of the album.
In 1990, the band faced a small bit of controversy/publicity surrounding the release of their cover of Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" theme, in which the original artwork for the single had an unauthorized use of the Ghostbusters logo (with the ghost flicking a V Sign). The single was subsequently re-released using a different cover.
The band also reached new heights when they opened for Bay Area thrash metal band Testament. Later that year they recorded their second album For Whose Advantage?, which gained them yet more interest and their first music video for the album's title track. Xentrix promoted For Whose Advantage? with a tour with Skyclad, and also played shows with bands like Slayer and Sepultura.
In 1992, the band decided to take a different direction with their album Kin, adopting a more progressive power metal style with their music, which was considered by many[who?] to be the band's biggest mistake. Despite the critical acclaim, a video for "The Order of Chaos" was shot and received some airplay on MTV, and to promote the album, Xentrix went on tour with Tankard.
After a hiatus and replacing Chris Astley with Simon Gordon and Andy Rudd on vocals and guitar respectively, Xentrix resurfaced in 1996 with their fourth album Scourge. The band broke up shortly after its release, citing the decline in popularity in the British metal scene as the reason.
In 2005, Xentrix announced that they would be reuniting with its classic line-up for a small number of dates. They played a handful of shows in the UK in the spring of 2006, including one with then-recently reunited Onslaught and Evile. Despite the positive response to those two shows, Xentrix announced that September that they had once again split up.
On 4 February 2013, it was announced via Evile's Facebook page that a reunited Xentrix would be joining Kreator and Evile for a three-show UK tour in late April. This was initially the full Shattered Existence lineup, but later in the year bassist Paul MacKenzie left, to be replaced by Chris Shires. On 15 February, the band announced that they had new material in the works.
Select shows continued in early 2014, and at the Up The Hammers Festival in Athens, Greece on 8 March, they played new song "World of Mouth" for the first time, and included it in their set supporting Overkill on their UK tour, starting in London on 13 March. In October 2015, Xentrix embarked on a six-date UK tour with a reunited Acid Reign and Shrapnel.
On 14 July 2017, it was announced that Xentrix had once again parted ways with Chris Astley and replaced him with Jay Walsh.
On 27 March 2019, Xentrix announced Bury the Pain as the title of their first studio album in 23 years. The album was released on 7 June 2019.
In a June 2019 interview with Metal Crypt, guitarist Kristian Havard revealed that Xentrix had already begun writing the follow-up to Bury the Pain. By March 2021, the band had written and demoed at least twelve songs for their new album, and announced that August they were in the studio recording it. The album was completed in June 2022, and a month later, the band announced Seven Words as its album title and that it will be released on 4 November. In order to promote it, Xentrix (along with Whiplash and Artillery) will support Vio-lence on the European MTV Headbangers Ball Tour.
Scourge
Xentrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where there's light the dark stain
Bleed the colour of the shame
Where there's with speak only lies
Where there was laughter hear the cries
I am the truth that you despise
One world, your aim is destruction
The time that tells is your one enemy Should you, ever see nobility
Truth hurts so you breed dishonesty
You're pulling the strings of the toy humanity
That you have soiled
The killing
You force my mind
To discharge lies
Where there's joy you bring tears
Where they dream implant fear
You are ever near
Into hope inject despair
With remorse you charge the air
Find only blackness in the stare
Cut down, the sane will never rise
You've taken another slice from the dream they sacrifice
And now I stand a better man
Big words but your weakness I despise
You know the tremor betrays a thin disguise
And we will crush and you will crawl
You force my mind
To discharge lies
Broken, torn from security
Deaf, dumb, blind to the profanity
Fathers, sons are the pawns you send
They march to fuel the bitter end
The lyrics of Xentrix's song Scourge speaks of a destructive force that brings pain, darkness, shame, lies, tears, fear, and despair wherever it goes. The world it aims to create is one of destruction, where nobility and sanity cannot exist. It manipulates and soils humanity like a toy, forcing its victims to discharge lies and breed dishonesty. The singer of the song despises this force for its weakness, its lack of nobility, and the profanity it inflicts on people's lives. The force's victims are broken, torn from their security, and a mere pawn in its game.
The song paints a picture of a ruthless and merciless enemy that seeks to destroy everything in its path. It brings forth a message of defiance and resistance against such a force, urging listeners to stand against it and crush it. The singer declares that they will rise above this force and be a better man.
Line by Line Meaning
Where there's life you bring pain
Your presence causes pain wherever there is life.
Where there's light the dark stain
You taint even the light with darkness and evil.
Bleed the colour of the shame
Your actions and influence cause shame and suffering to those around you.
Where there's with speak only lies
Your words are all lies and deceit, spreading only falsehood and confusion.
Where there was laughter hear the cries
Your presence can turn happiness and laughter into cries of despair and misery.
I am the truth that you despise
You hate the truth and everything it stands for, while I am the embodiment of it.
One world, your aim is destruction
You seek only to destroy and bring chaos to the world we live in.
The time that tells is your one enemy
Time is against you and your evil deeds, and it will ultimately be your undoing.
Should you, ever see nobility
If you were to see true nobility and goodness, you would reject and despise it.
Truth hurts so you breed dishonesty
You cannot handle the truth, so you choose to spread lies and deceit instead.
You're pulling the strings of the toy humanity
You see humanity as a mere toy to be controlled and manipulated at your whim.
That you have soiled
You have corrupted and tainted humanity with your evil influence.
The killing
You revel in death and destruction, whether it be physical or emotional.
You force my mind
You manipulate and control my thoughts and actions.
To discharge lies
You compel me to spread lies and deceit to those around me.
Where there's joy you bring tears
Your presence can turn joy and happiness into sadness and despair.
Where they dream implant fear
You shatter the dreams and hopes of others, replacing them with fear and despair.
You are ever near
You are always present, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
Into hope inject despair
You extinguish hope and optimism, replacing them with despair and hopelessness.
With remorse you charge the air
You exude an aura of guilt and shame, causing those around you to feel the same way.
Find only blackness in the stare
You look upon the world with nothing but darkness and evil in your heart.
Cut down, the sane will never rise
You destroy anyone who dares to oppose you, in the hopes of preventing any resistance or opposition.
You've taken another slice from the dream they sacrifice
You crush the dreams and aspirations of others, over and over again.
And now I stand a better man
Despite your influence, I have become a stronger and better person.
Big words but your weakness I despise
You talk a big game, but I see through your weakness and cowardice.
You know the tremor betrays a thin disguise
You are afraid of being exposed for the weak and desperate person you truly are.
And we will crush and you will crawl
Others will rise up against you and crush your evil, forcing you to submit and beg for mercy.
Broken, torn from security
You have shattered any sense of security or peace around you, leaving only despair and chaos in your wake.
Deaf, dumb, blind to the profanity
You refuse to acknowledge the atrocities and evil you have committed, instead choosing to ignore them completely.
Fathers, sons are the pawns you send
You use innocent people, such as fathers and sons, as mere pawns in your grand schemes of destruction and chaos.
They march to fuel the bitter end
These people unwittingly serve to fuel the hateful and bitter end you ultimately seek.
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jasonclark9963
I don’t think this is a terrible album like the reviews say. I actually like it
@samking6526
4:43 this part is so damnfull ❤
@VictorSantos-st5gv
Nothing close to "For whose advantage" album. Disappointed