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A long-awaited event came on 23th April in Zabrze (Poland) on Metalmania. The megastars of death metal heaven - Death - played a concert in support of their last fantastic LP, Symbolic. We undertook the daring task of asking the great Chuck Schuldiner to comment on individual tracks of this prodigious album. Read and be astonished! |
Empty
Words
Chuck: That song touches very much upon its title -empty words - as in
broken promises. I think that life obligations, especially lack of commitment
and trust in life itself is often attacked by people who actually don´t
know the meaning of these words. It´s their "blah blah blah",
blabber about things they have no idea about. For me personaly this song
has a very deep importance.
Symbolic
Chuck: That´s my most favourite track. It concerns growing up, when
you are young and innocent, first toys, first kissess and all the things
that go along with it. As you are growing up many things change.
Spark: You mean life experience?
Chuck: Yeah, exactly. You grow old and you have some responsibilities
- all the simplicity is gone. That song is actually a look back on things
that are simple and eternal, like real heroes. I miss all that very much.
I think that nowdays there are a lot of strong heroes who children can
look up to. For me those were and still are Kiss, parents…
Spark: Parents?
Chuck: Yes, really. They were always O.K, they helped me with looking
for Kiss records, my mom bought me my first guitar. My parents grew up
in the era of Chuck Berry, Elvis and things like that, you know.
1
000 Eyes
Chuck: Song 1000 eyes concerns weapons, crimes and all these matters,
especially in the United States. It´s about "the video age",
when security will be controlled by police using cameras. I mean that
they will see and control everything that everybody does, something like
people with cameras instead of eyes who would observe and control us and
that would mean the loss of privacy for every human being.
Crystal
Mountain
Chuck: Unfortunately people are involved in very highly organized religions
in the States. Those people are very critical and they predict everyone
ending up in hell.
Spark: You mean something like bigots?
Chuck: Yeah, that´s it.
Spark: Do you know any personaly?
Chuck: Unfortunately I do. I´m sick of that those people think of
us in a bad way just because we are not the same as them, because we don´t
believe in what they do. Lot of religions in the United States are about
narrow-minded opinions. People often use religion for hurting others when
they want and that´s what this song is about.
Perennial
Quest
Chuck: Perennial quest for the feeling of hapinness in life. I think we're
always looking for something - hapinness, all we want to reach, what we
believe in. But there are various barriers which stop it. For example
jealousy, reputation, public opinions, deceit. These all impede people
reaching what they want. As far as I´m concerned I don´t ask
for anything complicated, I wanna live my life, pay the bills, feed my
dogs and cats. Simply to live and not to bother anyone. My life is neverending
questing.
Misanthrope
Chuck: I believe in extraterrestrial civilizations, I think there are
some beings in the space. So I hope they exist. It´s a sad idea,
that life is only on Earth, still I hope that life is on other planets
too. Misanthrope is a microgroup of Extra-Terrestrials, beings from other
planets, who watch down on the Earth, on us, how we are. Something like
God who observe killing animals for various reasons, crimes, mistreatment
of people, destroying the oceans, air pollution. Everything under the
control of weakness. I think that lot of population is a bunch of morons
who need do things which cause problems for other people. Those people
have no problems, e.g. when someone shoots somebody dead for money. He
doesn´t wanna work, he just wants to shoot anybody and say "Fuck
You!". This song is about such chaos.
Sacred
Serenity
Chuck: This song is about animals. For me especially dogs and cats. They
don´t know anything about the end of their lives, they are so free-minded.
We may suspect when our life will end but animals don´t. They just
live their lives, without questions, without analyzing their lives, they
are just happy when they can see us. For me it´s all this very important,
that they feel good and are happy.
Zero Tolerance
Chuck: That track is about intolerance, for example people from some magazines
who write lies, fabricating and twisting facts into something completely
different than what the reality is. I don´t tolerate them at all,
I don´t speak to them, they are not part of my life. Moreover my
life is too short to be concerned with these rumors.
Without
Judgement
Chuck: That song is about public opinion. In the States the music business
and media is full of rumors. I think all your life somebody has got some
opinion about you or wants to critizes you. Whether you have got long
hair, you are small, you are tall, they always critize you. A lot of people
don´t judge themselves but they do judge or critize other people.
Spark: Any personal experience with that?
Chuck: No comment! All I can say is Zero Tolerance!!
