The Ghosts of Past Failures

The ghosts of past failures

Facing the reality
Of our own imperfections

The waves crash without warning
Overwhelmed and short of breath
Never able to escape
The bloodstains upon your hands

I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known
I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known

The core of our being
Torn out and cast aside

I never looked this far away
Never saw what lies ahead
In the midst of false comfort
The scars were hidden but never healed

I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known
I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known

- Shadows Fall (2004)

Shadows Fall is arguably the biggest act to come out of the Boston area since Aerosmith. The combination of precision musicianship and the powerful (yet somewhat limited) vocals give this band a thrash metal sound with death metal elements that is unique in the metal world. This song is taken from their 2004 album The War Within.

The ghosts of past failures is something we all confront. Whether it's taking on a new project, trying to change something about yourself, or something as simple as trying a new food, we all have things that serve to negatively affect the decisions we make. For many this can be a completely debilitating problem.

These ghosts never go away. They are always present, at least in the subconscious. But here they seem to be at the surface. The singer seems unable to banish them from his conscious mind, and this inability is a source of great torment. The ghosts almost revel in his torment and seem happy to make it continue. The wounds he's never known will keep bleeding. These things can last a lifetime. A good measure of a person is how he or she deals with these ghosts and is able to banish them to the darkest recesses of the mind.

Musically this song has a dynamic range from melodic guitars to heavy rhythms to burning solos. The fast pace of the music almost brings out the desperation felt by the singer, with his powerful voice lending anger to what he feels.

This isn't considered the best song on this album (I've seen them live on 2 occasions and never heard it played and as far as I know it's never been part of their live set) but the lyrics are nonetheless some of the most powerful. What do you think, Mardi?