Despite what you might believe, the idea of a band evolving (or dare we say, “maturing”), isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Forgoing previous trends for new innovative ideas should be seen as keeping things fresh, not selling out.
For whatever reason, in the Warped Tour world the term “mature” gets thrown around rather loosely to describe a band’s newer and experimental sound and unfortunately, it’s always accompanied with an eye roll or two. “Shut up and play your old stuff” is a phrase artists have come to know all too well from certain disgruntled fans as they react to new music before even fully digesting an artists’ updated vision.
When it comes to New Jersey genre-benders Palisades, this has been an on-going battle as the band has been transitioning from their previous breakdown- and-sample-heavy tunes for the likes of guitar-driven hard rock. While not entirely abandoning their early Outcasts roots, for their newest LP Erase The Pain, Palisades has progressed perfectly into a band that fuses both the young Warped Tour scene and the older Octane crowd.
Weighing in at 10 hard-hitting and moving tracks, Erase The Pain is sonically Palisades most polished album yet and lyrically one of their most important as it tackles the struggles of frontman Lou Miceli as he deals with feeling at his lowest and wanting to start over again.
To learn more about the band’s breathtaking release, today The Noise is giving listeners an exclusive look into the Palisades’ fourth full-length album via an in-depth track-by-track rundown from Miceli and bassist/co-vocalist Brandon Elgar.
To check out the eye-opening stories behind Erase The Pain, be sure to look below. Afterward, make sure to not only grab a copy of the sensational new release but also pick up tickets to see Palisades out on tour early next year with Nothing More, Of Mice & Men and Badflower here.
“VENDETTA”
This track was chosen as the first track because we feel it immediately sets the overall tone for the entire record. We love how it hits from the first note. ‘Vendetta” and “Fragile Bones” were originally one song lyrically, but we wanted to break them up because we felt as though they represented different emotions.
In this song, we deal with the anger caused by trying to make you into someone that they want you to be. The pressure to conform to someone else’s standards is something that can weigh heavy on us and anyone else. This song is a direct response to that. This song is about standing up for what you believe in without worrying about the consequences.
“ERASE THE PAIN”
“Erase the Pain” was the first new song we wrote for this record and it wound up staying pretty true to itself throughout the writing and recording process. This song really set the direction for what this album was going to be. Musically it had everything we wanted. It was dark, aggressive and in your face while being melodic and powerful. Lyrically, this song is meant to convey the feeling of being at your lowest point. The point where everything is caving in and you just want to start over again. The feeling of being alone and wondering if anyone can relate. What began as a desire to have this song reflect that ended up as a message that we found reflected throughout the entire record. That’s how this song became the album title, Erase The Pain.
“FADE”
“Fade” is a really personal song. It has to do with someone we all hold dear in our lives and their personal struggles with thoughts of suicide and depression. Written in first person, the song is meant to reflect how it feels to think that you can’t fix yourself when all you want to do is heal. The line “If I heal can I stay? Or will I fade away?” is in reference to the decision that is made to live when the pain feels unbearably heavy.
“WAR”
“War” is the last song we finished. We started with that riff months before we entered the studio and completed it at the very end. “War” deals with personal vices, and how people deal with them differently, sometimes not realizing how deep they are in or that they are hurting themselves and the people around them.
“WAYS TO DISAPPEAR”
“Ways To Disappear” was written during a time of conflict while being on the road. It took the advice of someone close to me to write a song about it while driving in the middle of the night. Anxiety has a certain way of causing one to push others away. Overcoming this fear and opening up to someone you care about is necessary. Keeping all these feelings inside is very self-destructive and paralyzing. Someone close to you can save your life if you’re willing to open up and listen. This song was necessary for this album and we feel it adds a very special moment.
“GHOST”
This song is a metaphor for feeling forgotten by someone. That’s a hard truth to swallow. We wanted to compare it to a ghost haunting a house doing everything to get the attention of the humans living there yet those humans don’t believe in ghosts. How can you hear a ghost when you don’t even believe that they exist?
“FRAGILE BONES”
“Fragile Bones” is a continuation of the song “Vendetta.” It deals with the sadness that comes along with someone trying to change who you are, rather than the anger. Seeking approval from someone that will never give it to you can damage a person deeply. “You’re making me hate me” is really the synopsis of the song. People have a tendency to try to make you feel less than what you are. Always be proud of who you are.
“PUSH”
“Push” was one of the earlier songs we wrote for this album. We road-tested it on the Jonathon Davis tour. After playing it live, we wound up changing the chorus pretty drastically, while the verses remained mostly untouched. Lyrically, this song is centered in the idea of trying to wrap your head around your own bad decisions and the consequences of those decisions.
“PATIENT”
“Patient” deals with the view of the world that some people seem to have. With the constant noise coming at the world from all angles, this song is about that pain that comes with the indecision of deciding to allow that noise in or not. Whether that is a person or an idea, sometimes we just can’t let go of it. This thought is best compared with a doctor performing surgery on a patient. The patient is at the mercy of the doctor. “I’m a patient, I’ve been waiting for you to ruin this day or to make it” is a direct reference to how a doctor can either bring you really good news or really bad news. That is how indecision can feel.
The line “You’re getting high off of playing god, either stop my heart or replace it” is a metaphor about how something can toy with one’s emotions to get a rise out of the distress it brings when all that is necessary is the truth. Whether that is in the media or in a relationship, this song is meant to represent that.
“SHED MY SKIN”
When we wrote “Shed My Skin” it absolutely felt like the last chapter to this story. Musically as well as lyrically. This is the conclusion that, despite all of the pain that we’ve gone through in this album, it’s not the end. It is a new beginning.
This song is the main inspiration for the album art as well. In life, self-inflicted or externally caused, pain will happen. It’s just part of life – at least for the five of us it has been. This is why we chose the snake and Ouroboros. That is what they represent to us. The snake represents natural change, and just as the snake does, we can shed our skin and begin again. Our pasts aren’t our futures, nor can they imprison us.
