Chthonic, who have been huge in their home country of Taiwan and have been seen in Europe at Wacken and Download Festival, as well as in the US at Ozzfest, continue to shake up the metal scene with their new single “Endless Aeons” and a very influential video. The characters in the video are victims of the 1947 228 Uprising and massacre, who are caught in a hellish cycle of reincarnation, but fall through a time continuum tunnel into Chthonic’s concert, which symbolizes the interruption of rebirth.
At the same time, “Endless Aeons” ends the band’s long silence, during which the band’s vocalist and primus motor Freddy Lim focused on his political career in the Taiwanese parliament. Although the band has released new music since 2016, it has rarely performed abroad. In 2019, the band performed to 50,000 listeners in front of the Taiwanese presidential palace.
They say rock can change the world, and Freddy Lim made it a reality during his two terms in parliament, pushing for reforms. He promoted legislation that made Taiwan the first country in Asia to adopt marriage equality, and pushed for better protection of indigenous rights. He also supported budgets that provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He pushed for transitional justice, demanding that the government open secret documents from the authoritarian era so that truth and justice could be realized in society.
In 2023, these declassified archives unexpectedly revealed the tragic and previously unknown history of Freddy Lim’s family. Combining history and mythology, it seemed no coincidence that Chthonic’s music had previously told the sad but courageous stories of Freddy Lim’s grandparents. Freddy was deeply shocked to learn of this. In a whirlwind of emotions, he decided to end his eight-year parliamentary career and announced that he would not run again. He paused to consider the direction of his life and where his music might take him.
The Taiwanese title of the song “Endless Aeons” is 百萬遍 Pah-bān-piàn, a Buddhist term referring to the collective recitation of sutras to break karma.
“In the past, our music was about Taiwan’s constant disasters and rebirths. When I learned that someone in my own family was a victim of such a tragedy, it became personal. When will these disasters end? If we could start our lives over, would it be possible to live without regrets? This song is a question and an answer,” says Freddy Lim.
Jesse Liu, who composed the song, continues:
“The song sounds complicated, but it’s ultimately simple. It answers a complex question with simple words – that’s how it was meant to be.”
The band’s vocalist Doris interprets the song in a Taiwanese enka style, which was also a challenge for her.
“I’ve been practicing for a few years and I gave it my all, but to be honest, I was pretty nervous during the recordings.”
Chthonic, who has won several accolades, including a Taiwanese Grammy and Golden Melody Award, will release the MEGAPORTAL 2425 live EP in May.