I'm in a metal band, read my lyrics! and listen even!/shameless self promotion

It is true, I play guitar in a metal band from Richmond, Virginia. I've been playing guitar for 10 years now, and as a band we've been playing shows for 6 years strong, from Rochester, New York to Tampa, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri to Sacramento, California. We've shared the stage with the biggest biggest modern metal bands around, from Dillinger Escape Plan and Between the Buried and Me, Darkest Hour and Intronaut to the twice Grammy nominated Lamb of God. In other words, whatever your opinion, in needn't fret me because I'm confident in our music and our fanbase. We self-released our first full length album on November 12, 2010. I'm not going to talk much about the album because I could make excuses for the imperfections that calculating ears and minds may find, but excuses schmeguses. I'm posting because I wanted to share our lyrics with ATS, for they are about subjects discussed on here very often. 4 of the 5 members of my band write lyrics, so it is collaborative, but a hefty mass of them are written by myself, as well as the music. Mostly they are about the struggle of mankind under the boot of TPTB. There is also content that is of a more spiritual nature and focuses on consciousness expansion... Anyway I know I could definitely get grilled for this here, but i don't care. I'm here to share.

Our album can be streamed online for free here:

thistimeitswar.bandcamp.com...

the usual bullsites:

www.myspace.com...

www.facebook.com...

as for lyrics:

Manic Dependence

They sit around
Watching our lives fade away
A dull existence
And there is nothing we can do
To rebuild what has been damaged
We've taken for granted
Our lives

We've sacrificed all that we have been given
Our human greed will always consume our lives
Our mother nature is being burnt down
Make way for their corporate life

Tear down what has been built
To destroy our dreams
That were lost so long ago

Our dreams were burned in the past
We have lost all direction
That we've worked so hard to achieve

Sidelined by our inabilities to fight
We must rise up as one
We must rise up together

We've come so far
We cannot turn our backs to this
Our dreams will never be forgotten
We must rebuild what we have destroyed

We've sacrificed all that we have been given
Our human greed will never end

Pathways

Smoldering remains
The shell of what once was a man
Pores overflowing with living ash
The body, once strong - skin cracked, tendons torn
The mind, diminished - open and hungry no more

A silent wave of cries pours over his being
Spiritual sickness unchecked has consumed the self
No deliverance found in the swarms that surround him
Not a hand to reach out to
No shelter from the storm

Some look towards the stars to find a cure
And seek their answers in a distant realm
Some reach inside and learn to endure
Without divine forces guiding at the helm

A timeless journey
A path with no end
Blaze a trail ahead into the fractured mirror maze
Serpent eyes
Tongues spitting deceit
At every turn a new lie to behold

Forge a path forward through fields of light
Endless plains of potential and unending might

Some look towards the stars to find a cure
Obtaining answers from a cosmic guide
Some reach inside and learn to endure

Secure your own path

Open the door

Into the Abyss

Terror is our all-engulfing flame
And your souls are the cattle that we claim
Your sons are the children we enslave
Your daughters bear the harvest of our race

We rule by force; by will; by fire
Your ignorance is your demise

Behind closed doors
Yet in plain sight
You live through us
You live to die

We pledge an oath in our own blood
To wage this war in brotherhood

We built this world
Consumed by fear
From soil to sky

“The blind cannot lead the blind without bringing them into the abyss”

And from that hole
We gather our sheep
Loyal and true
Naïve and the weak

The time has come
Accept your new fate
Breathing is useless
Your life is a #ing waste

“The blind cannot lead the blind without bringing them into the abyss”

Dead World

We roam the earth, dead

Our last breath is draining from our lungs
With one last chance to find a meaning for our existence
In this dead world we find nothing as contagious as disaster

Brainwashed into thinking for someone else
Blacklisted are those who don't fall in line
Is this what's right?

We fall in line to prevent what we fear most

Dead world

We cannot hide forever
The tides just wash away
And all the thoughts that dwell inside
Provoke the fears that we've built up

As that black cloud engulfs the earth behind us
Our strength is lost
And our disposition is falling apart
We've reached the end
Could this be real?

We cower
We cower and fall

We cannot hide forever
The tides just wash away
As we rebuild a brand new day

Unslaved

(Pt. I - Birth)

Living to kneel
This is the only sin

Baptized in ignorance
The seeds of fear take root
Smothering potential
Incarcerated existence

I will not accept this poison
Ill with disgust, I search for truth

The hollow word they preach – misguided
I have drank the wine that's blinding

I've found direction based on choices I have made
Stand without instruction
I alone decide my fate

Freewill is my destiny
Never fear what awaits
Refuse to bow down and forever be enslaved

Unslaved

Destroy this path of error

(Pt. II – Rebirth)

Exploring universal consciousness
An infinite connection
Never-ending beauty

I've found direction based on choices I have made
Stand without instruction
I alone decide my fate

Freewill is my destiny
Never fear what awaits
Refuse to bow down and forever be enslaved

Who shall construct the future?
Blur these lines between men and gods?
You and I

My voice will reach the furthest ears
The highest skies
My voice will reach the furthest ears
Across endless seas

There will be no more suffering
Transparent gods -
There will be no more suffering

11:34

Breathing life back into us
Can this be the one?
The bleeding starts
Sing to clear the dust

We'll never wish this had begun

I've been watching all day and night
The sky hangs low and reaches down to you
But all the rain can't weigh me down

Too much young life, all unbound
An incarnation of the age of static

We will glide away

Dark wet scenery lives here all year
Violent storms circle 'round us
In a fight we cannot win
You and I will surely meet our end

We will glide away

The Lord of the Flies

I am the blood of a child born within the sun
Burning a hole in time
Coasting between the light and the dark

Unaware of the cosmic structures that will crumble at the sight of my unholy power
Saturated by the entities that dare to question me

For the will of those in question
Will never bow to those creating fear
An intensified pulse of discontent
Has never seemed so clear

Manifested deep within my heart
I lay in need of the sympathy of the one who overcomes

Dwelling deep within my heart
Finding the strength within the deepest vessel
Conquer over helplessness

I am the aftermath of the architect awaiting the morning sky
Calculating the departure of this structural spine

Destroying the land, depriving the elements
I have become that which can create a wasteland
Turning the tides, shifting the sands
Breaking the hourglass so time stands still

The soul of that which inhabits the land
Is now just a phantom doomed to annihilation

For the will of those confined are brought to their knees
Paralyzed by the thought of feeling nothing
Failure and falling
Construction of shallow graves
Can't withstand the malice

I am the creation you've brought on yourselves
Constructed within your walls
There is no escape or salvation
You've brought this on yourselves
I am the creation you brought on this world
You've brought on the death of us all

The Shift Of The Ages

Write from material form
Ascending out of body
Weightless
No knowledge of how I would be defined

Such a sight to behold (earth sweet home)
I have lost all control

Coasting down that black road
Toward my own world of illumination
Deeper through the stars
Reliving all that I've known
Always dreamt and was never shown

These scars encompass my being
Draining human energy
I've come to see myself a god
I'm being introduced to my higher self

“We are all and one, the essence of a being of light. And in your darkest day, remember: bear and meditate. Your body will be heavy no more. And now your spirit vibrates with the cosmos; we are the light that radiates. Absorb my infinite ray.”

I give you release
Consciousness expanded

Write from material form
Ascending out of body
Weightless

I'm telling stories of a journey cursed to all shattered gods
Such a sight to behold
I've gained my control

This is my eternal flight of the mind

A New Chapter

There is a snarl on a man's face
As another passes by
A look of disgust

Hateful words still linger in the wind
Uttered by those who only see the color of one's skin

To some, the only color that matters is green
Expanding profit margins to fulfill financial dreams
Forfeiting judgment to feel a deep sense of satisfaction

Painfully blinded
Narrow minded
What's moving you?

Built upon an institution
Where wealth still walks atop poverty
Income designed borders in a competitive society

Ignorant minds building hate behind closed doors
I simply will not partake in the humiliation of man
Sinking below solidarity

Sour hiss of bigotry
Stuck in our ways
Ever rejecting diversity

Take a look around
It's not hard to miss
With so many disillusioned
Are we lost or drowning in bliss?

Sorely blinded
A biased mindset

Hateful words lingering on the wind
Striking down unity
This world is closed off to the open minded
We must bring this to an end

This is our story
Let's put an end to this chapter
A new generation to write the sequel
So tomorrow we may live as equals
Different skin. Different faith.
One people.

You're doing great - keep it up! I'm a metalhead "old school" (i.e., Judas Priest, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, 80's hair bands, etc.). Some of the new metal is a bit too hardcore speed/thrash even for me. Or sometimes I'll hear a new band come on the radio, with slick riffs, lots of minor & transitional chords, and I think, "Whoa! This is great! - Until the vocals come it and they're just screaming nonsense so I change the station.

Hope you're band does well, bro!

Good Stuff Man. As a Drummer Myself I can understand a Thing or Two about Shameless Promotion.


I can Dig your Lyrics

S&F

reply to post by Rockerchic4God

I know where you're coming from, when i first started teaching myself guitar I couldn't get enough of Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC/DC and a few others.
And I've heard the whole "I can't understand what he's sayin'! What's he yellin'about?" about a million times, haha i'm used to that perception by now. but we do have "slick riffs, lots of minor & transitional chords" & even guitar solos! hah thanks for encouragement though

reply to post by Gom3z

thanks dude!
listen to our stuff, our drummer is crazy good IMO

the only band i knew was lamb of god and they are awsome. what is your band name did u say?

Another metal head here! Good job! I wish you all the best in your musical endevours!

Originally posted by SpunGCake
the only band i knew was lamb of god and they are awsome. what is your band name did u say?

they are awesome, we're lucky to come from the same city as them, they are good fellas.

band name: This Time It's War
album title: Terror Plots

Originally posted by Night Star
Another metal head here!

Good job! I wish you all the best in your musical endevours!

thank you muchly!

Woo! You guys are awesome!!

Great lyrics!!

Come to Poughkeepsie Ny!!!!

I also play guitar and love metal as well. I like the guitar work, it's interesting and creative. I used to be heavily into the "screaming" bands about 4 years ago, but I just can't stand screaming anymore. I hate to put up the wall, because some bands aren't bad instrument-wise, its just the screams. Anyways, the guitar work sounds great. Do you play lead? The lyrics aren't bad either.

reply to post by Rockerchic4God


I totally agree man. Its not the instruments at all, its just the screaming vocals. One of the songs I listened to sounded pretty cool, like a mix of 80's and 90's metal with a touch of darkness in the guitar work that sounded a tiny bit like a RR influence while still maintaining a distinct sound.

Originally posted by chyeaaitskristyn
Woo! You guys are awesome!!

Great lyrics!!

Come to Poughkeepsie Ny!!!!

ah thank you very much! i think we've played in pouchkeepsie before, I know we've played in Rochester, and Binghamton. what's a good venue to play at in poughkeepsie?

Originally posted by FPB214
I also play guitar and love metal as well. I like the guitar work, it's interesting and creative. I used to be heavily into the "screaming" bands about 4 years ago, but I just can't stand screaming anymore. I hate to put up the wall, because some bands aren't bad instrument-wise, its just the screams. Anyways, the guitar work sounds great. Do you play lead? The lyrics aren't bad either.

i totally understand the screaming irk. hear it all the time. I myself don't listen to much metal on my own time, usually just anything that is relaxing. but of course i do keep up with the metal scene and right now we're doing screaming but our singer is very good and we're going to be phasing out screams for more singing in our new music. thanks about the guitar though. our other guitar player and I don't like to distinguish one or the other as a lead or rhythm because we both play both. some leads are the other fella, some are me. The first solo in the beginning of the album is mine...i think most others are too. "Into the abyss" features a solo section in which the other guitarist and I have a 'solo battle' where we solo back and forth and then finish with a harmonized lead. thanks for listening to our stuff!

i think it would be cool if any other musician members of ATS posted their music or lyrics here too. it would be cool to hear music made by like-minded people. I know there's some artists and musicians lurking in here...post up! music connects us all!

I'm digging the sound and the lyrical content. Another great metal band that has some "ATS-style" lyrics is Architect from Syracuse, NY. I'm not even sure if they are still active, but they were signed to Black Market Activities last I knew.

Thanks for the "shameless self-promotion"! I've found yet another great metal band to add to my playlist.

Also, you should look into coming up to Burlington, VT. Both Higher Ground and 242 Main put on metal shows and I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms.

I really really really like the music.... and the lyrics!
but I don't like the vocals as much... I like metal but this screaming is not my thing. Maybe if it was a bit less, just a bit less so you can make out the words a bit more...
of course, just my opinion and my music taste

best of luck to your band

reply to post by metalshredmetal


Come and play either at The Chance or The Loft. You guys would do great around here

My brother is in a metal band and my boyfriend is a nastyy drummer. lol You could probably get on a bill with him and a bunch of other bands I know.

Keep up the awesomee tunes!!

Originally posted by DroppinSuga
I'm digging the sound and the lyrical content. Another great metal band that has some "ATS-style" lyrics is Architect from Syracuse, NY. I'm not even sure if they are still active, but they were signed to Black Market Activities last I knew.

Thanks for the "shameless self-promotion"! I've found yet another great metal band to add to my playlist.

Also, you should look into coming up to Burlington, VT. Both Higher Ground and 242 Main put on metal shows and I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms.

thanks a lot dude, really glad you like our music. I checked out Architect, they're pretty awesome. Pretty angry sounding and high energy, I can get down with that sometimes. funny you mention "higher grounds"...we're doing a couple dates up in your-ish area later this month with a band called Anubis Unbound:

Thu, Feb 24 @ Ralph's Diner, Worcester, MA

Fri, Feb 25 @ Rocko's, Manchester, NH

Sat, Feb 26 @ Sinclair's Pub, West Babylon, NY

Sun, Feb 27 @ Popeye's Pub, Peekskill, NY

I'll have to look up 242 Main and see about playing up there sometime...if we could hook up with a popular local for a show it would be awesome...you know any?

Originally posted by GypsK
I really really really like the music.... and the lyrics!
but I don't like the vocals as much... I like metal but this screaming is not my thing. Maybe if it was a bit less, just a bit less so you can make out the words a bit more...
of course, just my opinion and my music taste

best of luck to your band

thanks a lot for the kind words, maybe one day we'll make iit to Belgium

Originally posted by chyeaaitskristyn
reply to post by metalshredmetal

 

Come and play either at The Chance or The Loft. You guys would do great around here

My brother is in a metal band and my boyfriend is a nastyy drummer. lol You could probably get on a bill with him and a bunch of other bands I know.

Keep up the awesomee tunes!!

I will look into the venues, thanks for the tip...does your brother or boyfriend play at those venues much? that would be awesome to hook up a show let's do it for real!

p.s. you should come check us out at one of these:

Sat, Feb 26 @ Sinclair's Pub, West Babylon, NY
Sun, Feb 27 @ Popeye's Pub, Peekskill, NY

S&F for ya, yung'n. Be lookin for yall in BTR/ NO sometime soon. You can tour down here, too dude.

Stay cold as steel.

Cole DeSteele

ETA: Just checked your website. Dude, your label bailed on y'all because you are a "renaissance" metal band. Not gonna go out and ditch the solos, right? Songs are too melodic? Not enough spitting blood and #ting fire from one end of the album to the other? F-that. Leave that crap to one hit wonder / flavor of the week types. It makes me proud to see a young band with their heads in the music, where it should be. Damned proud. In today's age, you don't need a label. Play with your hearts, keep the facebookers/ myspacers happy and, tour, tour, tour. Play any and all gigs that you will at least break even on. Get the # out there, the fans will find you. Remember, that one gig that you're thinking of ditching...could be the one that the right person happens to be at. Never waste an opp at exposure. You've got a good head-start. Now sprint!!! These days will fly by faster than you could possibly imagine.

Good luck J. God bless you long haired kids.

reply to post by metalshredmetal


There isn't really any GOOD local metal bands. If you were to play 242, you would most likely have to play with some good local hardcore bands. Luckily, the scene kids here are pretty receptive and, more than likely, they will welcome you guys with open arms.

got some new tunes...we made a split with another band from Richmond, VA...their name is Fixtures.

so we have 3 new songs available to jam....on our bandcamp site New Songs @ Bandcamp

give them a listen! it's a slightly new/different direction for us...less metal...more rock. let me know what you think