In 2001, when Strapping Young Lad was done touring, Jed and Byron got Devin Townsend to produce their second album Legion of Flames, released on his label Hevy Devy Records. It was a big step-up from their previous album, with song parodies such as Gender of The Beast" (Number of The Beast, Iron Maiden), "Sodomanaz" (Go For a Soda, Kim Mitchell), and spoofing Metallica's "Master of Puppets" in the song "Evil Robots" with the line "Napster, Napster, where's the cash that I've been after?". The album also contained a straight-out cover of Joni Mitchell's "This Flight Tonight" with humorously altered lyrics.
In August 2007, Zimmers Hole signed with Century Media Records for the release of their third studio album. Byron and Jed had this to say:
“Now with Zimmers Hole signing a fresh, new deal with Century Media, we have decided to give this band our full and undivided attention. No more 'side-project' status here; the men of the HOLE are fired up like a city on fire and we entered Vancouver's famed Armoury Studios today to begin tracking the new release. [...] As you can see, it's all about having a good time with the HOLE. Make no mistake though, we are very serious about our love of metal; it made us who we are, and we wear our influences on our sleeves proudly. We are now more focused than ever before and are so excited about the new album. So excited in fact, that the combined length of our erections may just reach out and touch ya!”
Shortly after, drummer Steve left the band and in December 2007 was replaced by Gene Hoglan, another former Strapping Young Lad member. Gene joined in time to start the recordings for the new album. With this roster, Zimmers Hole now has 3 of 4 former SYL members, with Devin Townsend as vocal producer. The band entered Vancouver's Armoury Studios in the same month to record the album, entitled When You Were Shouting at the Devil... We Were in League with Satan released on March 11, 2008 through Century Media Records.
In an interview with MTV on April 2008, vocalist Chris Valagao explained the origin of the album's name:
“I believe David Vincent of Morbid Angel was having a conversation with one of the guys from Forbidden," he recalled. "They were drinking and fucking around, and they got into this argument over who's more metal. The dude from Forbidden, at one point, turned to Dave and said, "Dude, when you were shouting at the devil [a reference to Mötley Crüe], I was in league with Satan [a reference to Venom]," and Jed was in the room and picked up on that. So we started saying it as a joke. That little statement applies to a whole bunch of shit. Basically, "When you were a poseur, I was the real deal".
We Rule the Fucking Land
Zimmers Hole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long time, too bad. Much more than others had
Insane and fire branded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
Smoke weed! Drink booze! We haven't time to lose
Devious and underhanded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
Die by My Hand
Rule The Land
Die by My Hand
Come on!
Stand up! Be strong! We haven't very long...
Dominate as commanded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
Lookout! Behold! As the time of old
Conquest! Victory! WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
Zimmers Hole's song "We Rule the Fucking Land" is a powerful, aggressive track that celebrates dominance and control. The opening lines of the song, "Long time, too bad. Much more than others had," set the tone for a song that is all about seizing power and taking command. The lyrics evoke a sense of chaos, with references to smoking weed and drinking booze, and a sense of deviousness that underpins the band's vision of taking charge.
Throughout the song, there is an emphasis on strength and domination. The chorus, "Die by My Hand / Rule The Land / Die by My Hand," makes it very clear that this song is about control and power, and that those who stand in the way of this will be wiped out. This is reinforced by lines like "Stand up! Be strong! We haven't very long" and "Conquest! Victory! WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND."
Overall, "We Rule the Fucking Land" is a powerful statement of intent from Zimmers Hole, one that speaks to the band's aggressive, no-holds-barred style. It's a song that celebrates dominance and control, and one that is sure to appeal to anyone who is looking for a heavy, aggressive sound that doesn't hold back.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time, too bad. Much more than others had
We have been around for a long time and have endured more than most others
Insane and fire branded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
We are a group of crazy and passionate individuals who dominate and control the land
Smoke weed! Drink booze! We haven't time to lose
We enjoy smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol because we live life to the fullest with no regrets
Devious and underhanded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
We are sneaky and manipulative in our ways of ruling and dominating the land
Die by My Hand
Our enemies will be killed by us
Rule The Land
We hold power and control over the land
Die by My Hand
Our enemies will be killed by us
Stand up! Be strong! We haven't very long...
We need strong and resilient individuals to join our cause because we don't have a lot of time to waste
Dominate as commanded...WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
We expect our followers to take orders and help us dominate and rule the land
Lookout! Behold! As the time of old
We harken back to the days of old where conquest and victory were the keys to ruling the land
Conquest! Victory! WE RULE THE FUCKING LAND
Through our conquests and victories, we have established our dominance and rule over the land
Contributed by Colton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.