Dante's Inferno (song)
Encyclopedia
"Dante's Inferno" is a song by the American
heavy metal
band Iced Earth
. The song was originally released on the groups 1995 album Burnt Offerings
, but was re-recorded in 2011, with the current line-up of the band. The song is also the longest the band has ever recorded, with the original clocking in at sixteen minutes and twenty-six seconds and the re-recorded version clocking in at seventeen minutes and twenty-eight seconds.
-segment of Dante Alighieri
's epic poem the Divine Comedy. In it, Dante travels through the nine circles of Hell
, guided by the Roman
poet Virgil
. The circles are concentric
, representing a gradual increase in wickedness, and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan
is held in bondage. Each circle's sinners are punished in a fashion fitting their crimes: each sinner is afflicted for all of eternity by the chief sin they committed.
The first circle is Limbo
, where reside the unbaptized and the virtuous pagan
s, who, though not sinful, did not accept Christ
. Beyond the first circle, all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin are judged by the serpentine Minos
, who sentences each soul to one of the lower eight circles. In the second circle are those overcome by lust
. These souls are blown to and fro by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without hope of rest. The third sircle is gluttony
, where the gluttons, guarded by Cerberus
, are forced to lie in a vile slush produced by ceaseless foul, icy rain. Those whose attitude toward material goods deviated from the appropriate mean are punished in the fourth circle, avarice. They include the avaricious or miserly, who hoarded possessions, and the prodigal, who squandered them. The two groups are guarded by a figure Dante names as Pluto. The two groups joust, using as weapons great weights which they push with their chests. In the fifth circle, anger, in the swamp-like water of the river Styx
, the wrathful fight each other on the surface, and the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water, withdrawn "into a black sulkiness which can find no joy in God or man or the universe."
The lower parts of Hell are contained within the walls of the city of Dis
, which is itself surrounded by the Stygian marsh. Punished within Dis are active (rather than passive) sins. The walls of Dis are guarded by fallen angel
s. Virgil is unable to convince them to let Dante and him enter, and the Furies
and Medusa
threaten Dante. An angel sent from Heaven
secures entry for the poets, opening the gate by touching it with a wand, and rebuking those who opposed Dante. In the sixth circle, the heretics
are trapped in flaming tombs. The seventh circle houses the violent. Its entry is guarded by the Minotaur
, and it is divided into three rings: the outer ring (which houses the violent against people and property), the middle ring (where lie the suicide
s) and the inner ring (the violent against God
and the violent against nature). The last two circles of Hell punish sins that involve conscious fraud or treachery. In the ninth circle, in the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is Satan. Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow. Satan is waist deep in ice, weeping tears from his six eyes, and beating his six wings as if trying to escape, although the icy wind that emanates only further ensures his imprisonment (as well as that of the others in the ring). Each face has a mouth that chews on a prominent traitor, with Brutus and Cassius
feet-first in the left and right mouths respectively. In the central, most vicious mouth is Judas Iscariot
. Judas is being administered the most horrifying torture of the three traitors, his head gnawed by Satan's mouth, and his back being forever skinned by Satan's claws. Dante and Virgil finally escape Hell by climbing down Satan's ragged fur, passing through the centre of the earth.
-concert, after which it was no longer played. Band leader Jon Schaffer
later shed light on why it was taken out the bands setlist:
After the band released the re-recorded version of the song in 2011, they announced that it would be played at all the upcoming dates of the World Dystopia Tour
.
. And now with a new click track, the band no longer required a keyboard player to the play the song live, so the song was brought back in to the bands setlist for their World Dystopia Tour. Also, according to Schaffer, the band would have re-recorded "Dante's Inferno," for that same reason, even if previous vocalist Matt Barlow
hadn't left the band earlier that year.
The re-recorded version of the song was given away for free on the bands official website on September 5, 2011. A CD version of the song was also sold on the World Dystopia Tour.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Iced Earth
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
. The song was originally released on the groups 1995 album Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings (album)
Burnt Offerings is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley...
, but was re-recorded in 2011, with the current line-up of the band. The song is also the longest the band has ever recorded, with the original clocking in at sixteen minutes and twenty-six seconds and the re-recorded version clocking in at seventeen minutes and twenty-eight seconds.
Lyrics
The song is based on the InfernoInferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
-segment of Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
's epic poem the Divine Comedy. In it, Dante travels through the nine circles of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, guided by the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
poet Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
. The circles are concentric
Concentric
Concentric objects share the same center, axis or origin with one inside the other. Circles, tubes, cylindrical shafts, disks, and spheres may be concentric to one another...
, representing a gradual increase in wickedness, and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
is held in bondage. Each circle's sinners are punished in a fashion fitting their crimes: each sinner is afflicted for all of eternity by the chief sin they committed.
The first circle is Limbo
Limbo
In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
, where reside the unbaptized and the virtuous pagan
Virtuous pagan
Virtuous paganism is a concept in Christian theology analogous to that of the "righteous gentile" in Judaism. It addressed the problem of pagans who were never evangelized and consequently during their lifetime had no opportunity to recognize Christ, but nevertheless led virtuous lives, so that it...
s, who, though not sinful, did not accept Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. Beyond the first circle, all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin are judged by the serpentine Minos
Minos
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
, who sentences each soul to one of the lower eight circles. In the second circle are those overcome by lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
. These souls are blown to and fro by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without hope of rest. The third sircle is gluttony
Gluttony
Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
, where the gluttons, guarded by Cerberus
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
, are forced to lie in a vile slush produced by ceaseless foul, icy rain. Those whose attitude toward material goods deviated from the appropriate mean are punished in the fourth circle, avarice. They include the avaricious or miserly, who hoarded possessions, and the prodigal, who squandered them. The two groups are guarded by a figure Dante names as Pluto. The two groups joust, using as weapons great weights which they push with their chests. In the fifth circle, anger, in the swamp-like water of the river Styx
Styx (mythology)
The Styx is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld . It circles the Underworld nine times...
, the wrathful fight each other on the surface, and the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water, withdrawn "into a black sulkiness which can find no joy in God or man or the universe."
Dis (Divine Comedy)
In Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, the City of Dis encompasses the sixth through the ninth circles of Hell. The most serious sins are punished here, in lower Hell...
, which is itself surrounded by the Stygian marsh. Punished within Dis are active (rather than passive) sins. The walls of Dis are guarded by fallen angel
Fallen angel
Fallen angel is a concept developed in Jewish mythology from interpretation of the Book of Enoch. The actual term fallen angel is not found in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Christians adopted the concept of fallen angels mainly based on their interpretations of the Book of...
s. Virgil is unable to convince them to let Dante and him enter, and the Furies
Erinyes
In Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
and Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
threaten Dante. An angel sent from Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
secures entry for the poets, opening the gate by touching it with a wand, and rebuking those who opposed Dante. In the sixth circle, the heretics
Christian heresy
Christian heresy refers to non-orthodox practices and beliefs that were deemed to be heretical by one or more of the Christian churches. In Western Christianity, the term "heresy" most commonly refers to those beliefs which were declared to be anathema by the Catholic Church prior to the schism of...
are trapped in flaming tombs. The seventh circle houses the violent. Its entry is guarded by the Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
, and it is divided into three rings: the outer ring (which houses the violent against people and property), the middle ring (where lie the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
s) and the inner ring (the violent against God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the violent against nature). The last two circles of Hell punish sins that involve conscious fraud or treachery. In the ninth circle, in the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is Satan. Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow. Satan is waist deep in ice, weeping tears from his six eyes, and beating his six wings as if trying to escape, although the icy wind that emanates only further ensures his imprisonment (as well as that of the others in the ring). Each face has a mouth that chews on a prominent traitor, with Brutus and Cassius
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...
feet-first in the left and right mouths respectively. In the central, most vicious mouth is Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
. Judas is being administered the most horrifying torture of the three traitors, his head gnawed by Satan's mouth, and his back being forever skinned by Satan's claws. Dante and Virgil finally escape Hell by climbing down Satan's ragged fur, passing through the centre of the earth.
Live
After it's release in 1995, the song was performed live until the 1999 Alive in AthensAlive in Athens
-Disc II:Bonus track -Disc III:-Personnel:* Jon Schaffer − rhythm guitar, vocals* Matthew Barlow − vocals* James MacDonough − bass guitar* Larry Tarnowski − lead guitar* Rick Risberg − keyboards* Brent Smedley − drums...
-concert, after which it was no longer played. Band leader Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer
Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
later shed light on why it was taken out the bands setlist:
"The simple reason why we haven’t is because the original click track was erased, therefore requiring a keyboard player to do the parts live. That’s OK for a special event like when we recorded Alive in Athens, but to hire a keyboard player for a full tour, for one song, just isn’t financially feasible."
After the band released the re-recorded version of the song in 2011, they announced that it would be played at all the upcoming dates of the World Dystopia Tour
World Dystopia Tour
The World Dystopia Tour is a worldwide concert tour by the American heavy metal group Iced Earth, in support of their 2011 album Dystopia. The tour is also the first with new lead vocalist Stu Block, who joined the band in early 2011....
.
2011 -version
In 2011 the band re-recorded "Dante's Inferno" with the new line-up consisting of rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer (who also played on the original), lead guitarist Trou Seele, bassist Freddie Vidales and singer Stu BlockStu Block
Stuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
. And now with a new click track, the band no longer required a keyboard player to the play the song live, so the song was brought back in to the bands setlist for their World Dystopia Tour. Also, according to Schaffer, the band would have re-recorded "Dante's Inferno," for that same reason, even if previous vocalist Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
hadn't left the band earlier that year.
The re-recorded version of the song was given away for free on the bands official website on September 5, 2011. A CD version of the song was also sold on the World Dystopia Tour.
1995
- Jon SchafferJon SchafferJon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
− rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Matthew Barlow − lead vocals
- Randall Shawver − lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Dave Abell − bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Rodney Beasley − drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Howard Helm - keyboards
2011
- Jon SchafferJon SchafferJon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
— rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, backing vocals - Stu BlockStu BlockStuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
— lead vocals - Troy Seele — lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Freddie Vidales — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Brent Smedley — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jim Morris - backing vocals
- Tom Morris - backing vocals
- Howard Helm - keyboards, backing vocals