Premiere: SameStory Tackles Religious Corruption In “Commit Life”
Every few months, there’s a meme that makes its rounds on social media, seemingly boiling down the strife between modern religion and atheism. At the top, a question intended to be simple and straightforward: “How do atheists decide between good choices and bad choices?” Of course, any answer is the wrong one here because the premise itself is flawed, summed up perfectly by the bottom half of the image. “If you need the threat of eternal punishment to be a good person, you are not a good person.”
This exchange underscores a troubling misconception: that religion is the sole measure of morality. Too often, people dive headfirst into religious dogma, motivated by fear of damnation rather than a genuine understanding of its teachings. The lessons themselves aren’t inherently tied to any religious text. The Golden Rule, for instance, was not originated by the Abrahamic religions. Its essence dates back to around 1850 BCE, over 1,000 years before the appearance of Judaism and even further predating Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31, where the Egyptian story “The Eloquent Peasant” states “Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do.”
The point isn’t to litigate who first articulated this principle but to highlight its universality. Morality transcends religious boundaries. You don’t need to be Christian or adhere to any specific faith to recognize the value of compassion, empathy, and communal well-being. True morality is rooted in the desire to help others, to love them despite their flaws, and to foster a thriving, supportive community. Yet, the obsession with clinging to religious dogma has bred a deep-seated discontent within society. This has eroded the principle of separation of church and state, fueling a push toward a theocratic system where religious ideology dominates public life, stripping away any thoughts not deemed “uniform.” Such a shift threatens not only the diversity of beliefs but also the very foundation of a pluralistic society.
To many, the concept of “the church” has become synonymous with corruption, affecting society on both a broad, systemic scale and a deeply personal level—each with equally devastating consequences. The casualties of this ongoing “culture war” are left sifting through the wreckage, often feeling scared, bitter, and nihilistic about the future. Their anger frequently targets everything around them rather than the root cause, fostering a pervasive sense of disillusionment.
However, when that collective ire focuses on the true source of the pain, the results can be truly powerful. Such is the case with “Commit Life,” the latest single and video from Richmond industrial noise act SameStory. In this seething release, the raw fury and anguish drawn from both societal and personal disillusionment fuel a harrowing critique that boldly confronts uncomfortable truths without hesitation. The video amplifies this sentiment, using familiar yet unsettling imagery to reinforce the concept, creating an artistic statement that undeniably demands pause and reflection. Today, The Auricular is excited to premiere this new single & video for “Commit Life,” with a stream below followed by more in-depth analysis.
Opening with recordings of sermons, both modern and antiquated, “Commit Life” wastes no time revealing its target. A relentless industrial march pulses in the background, its mechanical thrum building tension as the lyrics tear into the subject with precision and fury. “Down on my knees / In one hand is my life / Down on my knees / In one hand is the knife,” SameStory mastermind Dillon Dix barks, delivering each line with raw intensity. The song’s grinding, oppressive soundscape mirrors the weight of its message: a searing critique of the religious structures it reviles. The experience is both distressing and galvanizing, as the relentless march progresses towards a particularly jarring moment.
“Is it you / Who lies like the snake / Is it my father,” the lyrics demand, before invoking a twisted echo of one of the most iconic verses from <em. In doing so, “Commit Life” distorts a cherished symbol of faith, mirroring how religion itself has, in the view of many, corrupted society’s moral compass. This lyrical inversion reflects the central theme of the song: that the very institutions meant to guide and uplift have instead twisted sacred ideals into tools of control and exploitation. Yet, naming this malevolence is not a fool’s errand. It is the first crucial step in any meaningful action–an act of defiance against the structures that perpetuate harm, and a rallying cry for those seeking to reclaim morality from the clutches of fear and manipulation.
Mimicking Christ’s walk to Golgotha, the accompanying video features a figure struggling beneath the weight of a crucifix—a potent symbol that has become an even more brutal burden on society. Interspersed with this procession are images of religious iconography juxtaposed against the modern consequences of unchecked faith: the exploitation, hypocrisy, and disillusionment wrought by those who wield religion irresponsibly. The figure’s journey concludes at a body of water, a setting synonymous with evangelical mass baptisms, where countless individuals have sought to be “born again.” Here, the act is rendered hollow, critiquing the notion that mere submersion could wash away the deeper corruption at play.
Like any work within the darker sub-genres of industrial or noise, “Commit Life” is uncomfortable, but its discomfort is purposeful, not gratuitous. The visceral sounds and imagery underscore the fractures that blind faith and dogma can create within both individuals and society. Yet the track offers more than despair; it wields its scorn as a weapon, urging listeners to confront the pervasiveness of religious overreach and fight back. As 2025 looms, it becomes a call to arms, a reminder that we need more tools–and the courage–to resist and fight back.
“Commit Life” is the lead single from SameStory’s debut full-length album, The Great Work, slated for release on March 7, 2025, via Richmond label Cacophonous Revival Recordings. This marks the end of a two-and-a-half-year silence, following the 2022 release of Lamentations through Death Eternal. Themes of betrayal and combative spirituality coursed through that record, and The Great Work promises to be a bold continuation of SameStory’s journey toward atonement and vindication, one that seems to have only intensified during the break between releases. For the first entry in this new journey, “Commit Life” offers plenty to look forward to in the full record, but also gives us much to contemplate as we brace for another new norm–one that seems to be driven even more frantically by the rise of Christian nationalism.
“Commit Life” is out everywhere now, with The Great Work due on March 7, 2025 via Cacophonous Revival Recordings. To keep up-to-date on SameStory, make sure to follow them on social media by clicking here.
