Snowfall On Judgement Day
2009 | Metal
"Behemoth rises from the soils of jealousy. Equality enforced on pain of death. Mistaking mankind's progress, for a dialectic truth, and smothering the spirit that's behind it."
Trivia
- Redemption was formed in 2000 by guitarist / keyboardist / songwriter Nick van Dyk.
- Van Dyk, was a businessperson who wrote and recorded music primarily as a hobby before a chance meeting with Vocalist Ray Alder of Fates Warning.
- Van Dyk was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. At that time it had a median life expectancy of 3-5 years and was largely considered incurable. Van Dyk achieved complete remission shortly before this album was released.
THE HOT TAKES
Luke Tatum
Right from the start, Redemption makes it clear they get it. "Monopoly of force," is not a lyric that finds its way into a song by accident. I'm a big fan of the explanatory factor at work here, as well. Instead of simply identifying the problem or even complaining about it, the song tells us that "Behemoth rises, from the soils of jealousy." What does this mean? Those clamoring for more and more government control are motivated, all too often, by a hatred for those who are better off. While it may be wrapped in compassion for the poor or disadvantaged, the underlying motivation is envy. This is fertile soil indeed for growing state power, and has led to more than one socialist catastrophe.
Sherry Voluntary
"This song kicks ass! It’s heavy enough, interesting melodically, and I can understand the singer. Oh happy day! They lyrics equal the rest of the song in its quality. It is, in my opinion, a completely accurate commentary on the condition of The United States at this time. One of the key ideas that this song focuses on is how fear is used by The State to intimidate and control people. All of life is about incentives, and fear can be interjected as an artificial incentive to make people behave in ways they otherwise would not. For example, the lady who calls the police on a family barbecuing at a park because they were using the wrong kind of fuel. The idea that we should obey every law large and small to the letter, not only encourages us to be concerned with every wish of the authority, but also encourages us to police everyone else and call in the authorities if someone is doing something that is not exactly correct according to the law. This mindset is created by fear of authority and also baser human nature to inflict on others what is inflicted on us. It is a twisting of our natural human desire for fairness and justice. As people who recognize the the insidiousness of authority worship, we should attempt to reveal and undermine it every opportunity we get. Unveiling the trap, removes its power.
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Nicky P
From a musical standpoint, there is some amazing progressions in this song. Makes me wish I got to sing some of the melodies. Yet another example of an artist i would have been otherwise ignorant of but FS365 to the rescue. My life can now be more complete with added progressive rock. "Cast off the chains we've made, and refuse to dig our graves. Stand up, the lives we save will be our own." Is an amazing record & possibly one of the greatest melodies ive ever heard. Makes me wanna go out and start a revolution.