One of the great things about music is the ability to express one’s feelings and thoughts on the current state of affairs. There are bands that write only about what’s going on in the world. From the obvious like Rage Against The Machine to the not so obvious band like Napalm Death or Nuclear Assault, many songs are written in protest. One such band that I have listened to off and on is Firewind and recently I came across their song “Tyranny.” Let’s take a look…..
There are a lot of very good politically charged songs and this is definitely one of them. For those who don’t know, Firewind is a Greek metal band who in 2004 released the album Forged By Fire. Led by main songwriter and lead guitarist Gus G and then vocalist Chitral “Chity” Somapala, “Tyranny” is a badass song about the cruelty of war. According to Chity, the song was “directly inspired by political commentary surrounding George W. Bush and concerns over power trips, military intervention, and conflicts driven by control over oil. The song focuses on standing up against oppressive rulers and forces that manipulate people. I feel like what makes this song great aside from the musical arrangement and great guitar riff is that this can be interpreted any way you want. Yes you can take this at its face value and if you’re against war, this is a perfect song. But if there is anything that you feel is holding you back/down then this can be a song about empowering yourself and rising through whatever internal challenges you face. That’s what makes songs like this great. So if you’re going to get into Firewind, this might be a good song to start with.
