Clues are all over the place that the rev killed himself, despite the press release that it was "accidental". Obviously it is never good for a band to have that "Suicide band" label. A former member Justin Sane already tried killing himself. They did not openly admit it, but left enough clues for their fans to figure out. The Rev also had a heart condition he knew about which almost certainly meant he would die in a few years anyways. He certainly could have "accidentally" overdosed on a combination of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Valium, Nordiazepam and adding alcohol to the mix. But authorities say many people would die from that mix anyways. It also just happens to be the ingredients of a Brompton Cocktail(Another song Rev wrote about medically addicted suicide due to terminal illness and having the right to die the way he pleases)
While so Far away gets praise for being their Rev dedication, Victim is also a dedication with a more sorrowful angry edge. The friends of the Rev are the victims of his crime. Suicide being the crime.
Very strong emotion in this song. Moreso than in so far away. The Lyrics "We all need a reason....a reason just to stay...but Some just can't be bothered....to stick around another day" comes across as accusatory. Rightfully so given how much they all loved him. "Ask questions to myself about the things I'll never know. What's left to find? cause I need a little more" strikes hard as "Why did you kill yourself man?? How could you do this to us"
The song Fiction, which was originally titled "Death" before the band changed the name to Rev's nickname fiction was handed in by the Rev to the rest of the band 3 days before he passed away as he said "here it is, the last song for the album". The song comes off as if it is a suicide note, although none recognized it at the time until after he died. Gates breaks out sobbing during many of the live performances of that song when he is singing(Has a nice voice too). It is heartbreaking. Sure he could be sobbing because it is the last song Rev wrote. But I feel it is deeper.
I hate even writing this because in the song Victim itself it asks us to save our speculation for another time. But it has been 7+ years so I think some things should come to light.
To this day, they have NEVER played Victim live . And I suspect they never will. It is the most passionate song they have ever written and it stinks that they will not play it, but if they were angry and hurt when they wrote it, it may feel wrong for them to play it. They always play so Far away and have played fiction many times. And I have yet to see a setlist with Brompton cocktail on it since he died
Clues are all over the place that the rev killed himself, despite the press release that it was "accidental". Obviously it is never good for a band to have that "Suicide band" label. A former member Justin Sane already tried killing himself. They did not openly admit it, but left enough clues for their fans to figure out. The Rev also had a heart condition he knew about which almost certainly meant he would die in a few years anyways. He certainly could have "accidentally" overdosed on a combination of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Valium, Nordiazepam and adding alcohol to the mix. But authorities say many people would die from that mix anyways. It also just happens to be the ingredients of a Brompton Cocktail(Another song Rev wrote about medically addicted suicide due to terminal illness and having the right to die the way he pleases)
While so Far away gets praise for being their Rev dedication, Victim is also a dedication with a more sorrowful angry edge. The friends of the Rev are the victims of his crime. Suicide being the crime.
Very strong emotion in this song. Moreso than in so far away. The Lyrics "We all need a reason....a reason just to stay...but Some just can't be bothered....to stick around another day" comes across as accusatory. Rightfully so given how much they all loved him. "Ask questions to myself about the things I'll never know. What's left to find? cause I need a little more" strikes hard as "Why did you kill yourself man?? How could you do this to us"
The song Fiction, which was originally titled "Death" before the band changed the name to Rev's nickname fiction was handed in by the Rev to the rest of the band 3 days before he passed away as he said "here it is, the last song for the album". The song comes off as if it is a suicide note, although none recognized it at the time until after he died. Gates breaks out sobbing during many of the live performances of that song when he is singing(Has a nice voice too). It is heartbreaking. Sure he could be sobbing because it is the last song Rev wrote. But I feel it is deeper.
I hate even writing this because in the song Victim itself it asks us to save our speculation for another time. But it has been 7+ years so I think some things should come to light.
To this day, they have NEVER played Victim live . And I suspect they never will. It is the most passionate song they have ever written and it stinks that they will not play it, but if they were angry and hurt when they wrote it, it may feel wrong for them to play it. They always play so Far away and have played fiction many times. And I have yet to see a setlist with Brompton cocktail on it since he died