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CLAWFINGER > A Whole Lot Of Nothing (2001)
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Clawfinger is a Swedish/Norvegian metal band that has been making music
for almost a full decade. You don't know them ? Well that's one of Clawfinger's
features : they're pretty good, damn good should I say, but they never became
famous while lame groups were in the spotlight ! Anyway I'm pretty sure they
don't give a shit about fame, so who cares, as long as you don't miss a great
band like them !
I can't remember when I first listened one of their tunes, from what I
recollect there was one CD in my brother's collection and surely I took it at
random... That was when I first came to meet USE YOUR BRAIN, their second album
from which you may know the "famous" song 'Do What I Say'. You may also know
'Pin Me Down' but it depends on the kind of music you listen to, either cheap
radio shit or undergound metal bands :-)
Then what kind of metal is it ? I would say a "bit" like Rammstein, but it
would be quite inaccurate... Anyway you can say that CLAWFINGER is a band that
mixes metal playing with rap singing, tho I purely *HATE* that word rap ! One
thing is sure tho, this is not the kind of band that can easily bear a label !
Former albums, tho always a combination of that rap & metal thing, also had
touches of electronic beats or exotic rythm and this album is no exception.
Technically speaking, it's no Opera for sure but the guys know how to get
the vibes stronger and stronger again ! Some songs are so neatly designed that
you'll feel your flesh go weird and suddenly you will feel like you're full of
life and energy ! To me that's a definite sign of a "perfect" song, one that
manages to reach you, going down your skin and running thru your veins !
Is this album different from previous one ? I don't think CLAWFINGER is
seriously considering a "red line", they create stuff and don't care how it's
called and if it sounds hard or soft. Indeed this is no _brutal_ stuff, esp
compared to some of the metal bands I listen to :) If you can stand a bit of
metal, soft stuff like Linkin Park for instance, then you can listen to
Clawfinger without risking ear/brain damage :) Unlike groups like KORN or
RAMMSTEIN (which are the closest comparison I can find tho not a good example)
these guys DON'T HAVE a big head full of shit ! You'll surely never spot them
on MTV or on the radio but surely they deserve to be listened to by people who
like real music !
Clawfinger's music is always a nice surprise. Tho they cling to a gender,
not strictly still, they never miss to add that little touch of spice that will
make a tune sound so different. Above all, CLAWFINGER have things to say and I
like it a lot when people use their mouth to SPEAK words and not puke crap !!
Ooops I did it again ! Baaaaaaaah.
A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING lyrics aren't different from previous stuff the band
released except maybe that I feel that they seem to "shoot" stereotypes : the
title of the album comes from the same song telling us about people who "have a
smart smile but no personnality, a lot of money but a whole lot of nothing..."
the other songs will refer to politics, religion, people being aggressive,
looking down on others, lost dreams and so on... Lyrics go point blank like a
bullet in your head (uh I needed to put that one somewhere :)
Maybe the whole thing is a bit dark ? I really cannot say since I'm biased
when it comes to such topic :) "I close my eyes and hope that this is just
another dream, reality can't really be as bad as it seems". What they say is an
accurate portrait of today's world with its awful lot of pain and misery but
they NEVER tell you into letting it down ! Instead CLAWFINGER "won't break,
won't bend". I really love their thirst for life, keeping the fight hot and
intense. The world is our battlefield and there's always a victory you can
dream of !
Before I write the last words about this album, let me give you an extract
of A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING with full content and lyrics to 3 of my fave songs.
------------------------------ C o n T e n t -------------------------------
1. Two Steps Away
2. Out To Get Me
3. Nothing Going On
4. Are You Man Enough?
5. Confrontation
6. Evolution
7. Don't Look At Me
8. Simon Says
9. Burn In Hell
10. I Close My Eyes
11. Fool In Paradise
12. Revenge
13. Vienna
----------------R u n n i n G T i m e : 5 5 m i n u t e s----------------
Grabbed from DarkLyrics.com <http://www.darklyrics.com>
5. Confrontation
You want confrontation without knowing what you're gonna hit
you kick up shit in all directions but no one seems to benefit
You waste your hate on decent people who don't deserve to feel your pain
You keep on breaking your confidence down until you drive yourself insane
You make accusations To justify your own abuse
Instead of just directing your anger where it could come to some use
You turn your back on bigger problems and let them go over your head
and then you turn someone you know into your biggest threat Instead
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
Everything you say is bullshit so don't raise your fucking voice
all you ever do is scream just for the sake of making noise
cos' You want confrontation
cos' You want confrontation
What's your motivation when you start to yell and shout
If you don't know when to be patient How can you learn to let it out?
You can't react without all sense of logic
That's like beating yourself with your fist
tell me what you can accomplish If you can't even learn to resist
You make accusations faster than you throw a dart
if you don't where you should aim it how can you turn hate into art
stay focused on the things that annoy or be caught in the same trap you set
becos' no one will need to destroy you if you're chasing your own silhouette
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
You want confrontation
Everything you say is bullshit so don't raise your fucking voice
all you ever do is scream just for the sake of making noise
cos' You want confrontation I'll give you confrontation
cos' You want confrontation I'll give you confrontation
You want confrontation, well that's what you're gonna get
You want confrontation, You ain't seen nothing yet
You want confrontation, what's the fucking use
You want confrontation, have you got a good excuse
You want confrontation, Is that the best that you can do
You want confrontation, Tell me something new
You want confrontation, Who's confronting who
You want confrontation, Now I'm confronting you
8. Simon Says
You say destiny decided what was meant to be
I say I decide myself what's to become of me
Simon says there's not a chance we'll ever get along
and none of us say anything but we both think he's wrong
You say we can't choose the path of life we walk upon
I say I already know which path I'm walking on
Simon says to both of us we're not allowed to move
And none of us say anything but we both disapprove
Simon says
Simon says
Simon says
Simon says
Simon says
You say we can't change the world if it can't change itself
I say I can't change the world before I change myself
Simon says we're not allowed to change the world we see
And none of us say anything but we both disagree
[Chorus]
10. I Close My Eyes
I close my eyes and hope that this is just another dream
Reality can't really be as bad as it seems
I hope for something better but I'm waiting for the worst
And when I open up my eyes I see the bubble burst
All my dreams are broken as the world is torn apart
Was it really meant to be this way right from the start
If this is all we live for then I wish that I was dead
Just so I could stop these thoughts from going through my head
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes again and wish that everything was fine
Even though I know that I'm just wasting precious time
I'm loosing my direction life is driving me insane
The more things keep on changing the more they stay the same
So please somebody catch me before I hit the ground
I just can't understand what makes this crazy world go round
The more I look around me the less I seem to know
If this is all there is then I don't know where I can go
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes and wish that I could turn back time
I close my eyes and wish that I could press rewind
I close my eyes and wish that I could change my mind
I close my eyes and wish that everything was fine
I close my eyes one final time to make my vision clear
The more I try the more my vision seem to dissappear
The world keeps turning around as I turn my inside out
I'm doing all I can to understand what life's about
But everywhere I seem to look the answer isn't there
Nobody's asking questions cos' nobody seems to care
There has to be some sort of meaning and a reason to exist
If this is all there is there must be something that I missed
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes and wish that I could turn back time
I close my eyes and wish that I could press rewind
I close my eyes and wish that I could change my mind
I close my eyes and wish that everything was fine
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Last words : great metal sound mixed with a raging 'rap' voice is a nice
summary ! I know this album is about a year old but it's pretty hard to find
their albums in stores :( Surely you can find a lot more from the internet...
As I write this I know they're working on their next album as I was asked to
design a logo for them !! Great opportunity I couldn't grab because of my tight
schedule :( I also hope I can spot them play 'live' sometimes but since they're
not considered as a 'famous' band, you will have to visit small festivals :(
Anyway if you're tired with numb and flat sounding music, I STRONGLY recommend
you give it a try, you'll surely not regret it ! I'm eargerly waiting for their
next album now and wish I have a chance to 'meet' them at some festival !
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