released March 4, 2022
Maxwell Kozen - Vocals, Guitars, Keys/Programming, Mix & Master
Jericho Leal - Guitars
Jared Leal - Drums

This is the second self-produced single that we have released after our debut full-length album "A Fearful Wonder," the previous being "Jitterthink," which is featured on Maxwell Kozen's personal soundcloud. This song follows metalcore and melodic death metal conventions for the majority of the first half, and takes a number of cues from funk, new jack swing, pop, and gospel music in the later half of the song. This is our first song using programmed bass rather than a human bass performance. 

Thematically, the song is about the increasingly common human experience of getting into a heated debate with someone who has no idea what they're talking about. 

Because of Spotify's volume normalization, we chose to once again keep the master of this track somewhat quieter than the average mainstream release. Preserving the minimal amount of dynamic change in this song seemed valuable. 

Lyrics; 
It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From all of the stupid things you say.
It’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now
It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From doubling down on your mistakes,
It’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now

Open your mouth and let them out
All of these words
Without a doubt what you pronounce
Just makes things worse
How can someone so ignorant
Still talk so much?
Your time would be much better spent
On catching up

Empty your pride out
And shut your mouth

It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From all of the stupid things you say.
It’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now
It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From doubling down on your mistakes,
It’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now

Deny the truth, refuse to see,
cover your eyes
Safe and secure down in your
Bunker made of lies
Board up the house, keep the light out
Cut off your ears
Backpedal faster and just hope that no one hears

Truth will find you out
I will burn you down

How will you hide now
When truth has found you out?
Tear all your pride down
And shut your mouth

It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From speaking when it was not your place
it’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now
It’s gonna be hard to walk away,
If you ever realize one day
it’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything now
It’s gonna be hard to walk away
From using your words to dig your grave
it’s gonna be hard to walk away from everything

Backpedal

"As Wide As Zen" is our first new song since 2022. This marks a new iteration of the band - continuing on with the core team of Max (Vocals, Guitar), Jericho (Guitar), and Jared (Drums), but with the addition of Chandella as a new second vocalist. This song in particular also sees the return of two former band members as guest performers - Jeremy John returning on Bass Guitar and Kyron Newbury - the original drummer for the band - contributing backing vocals and additional guitars. 

This is also the first new Kozen song to feature the Sanshin - an indigenous instrument from Max's Okinawan heritage. The first time the Sanshin was used in a Kozen song was in our 2022 remake of "Undercurrent" for the acoustic EP of the same name. This is the first new song in our usual sound to feature the instrument. 

The song's name is a play on "広善" - which is both Max's middle name and, by virtue of that, the name of this band. (Note that there are variant pronunciations of these characters.) In addition to the English lyrics, this song contains words and phrases from Japanese, Tagalog, Hebrew, (Koine) Greek, and Uchinaaguchi.

LYRICS:
Woah-oh-oh
Something beautiful kissed my dreams again
Woah-oh-oh
It’s like I opened my mind as wide as 善

Stand up and face it
The threat of uncertainty
Is it telling you that you don’t have a reason to believe?
Absence awakens
The dreaded absurdity
You fear is hiding somewhere in your mentality
心を開いて、見つめる
There a mystery inside the very fact of being you
And if your heart can
Focus and feel through the haze
You’ll hear an anthem humankind and sung through every age

Woah-oh-oh
Something beautiful kissed my dreams again
Woah-oh-oh
It’s like infinity finds me now and then
Woah-oh-oh
Something beautiful lifted me again
Woah-oh-oh
It’s like I opened my mind as wide as 善

Sing הַלְלוּ־יָהּ
Into the light that you’ve seen
I often wonder if someone is singing back to me
Sa Diyos na hindi kilala
We take a chance on a name
Not knowing if it would call itself the same
Look at your good dreams
Could they have come from somewhere
Where eternity is everything and legends fill the air?
Conscience and stories
Permit the people to see
A softer strike in the process of hammering

深い霧の向こうから
美しさが舞い降りた
The πλήρωμα was pleased to dwell
Creator, reconcile me to yourself
The core of me, my まぶい
Reflects the light of the source of everything
So if mysteries should still remain
If questions ever cause me pain
My hope will always be rising up all the same

Woah-oh-oh
Something beautiful kissed my dreams again
Woah-oh-oh
It’s like infinity finds me now and then
And now it’s everything I know-oh-oh
Something beautiful lifted me again
Woah-oh-oh
It’s like I opened my mind as wide as 善

Something beautiful kissed my dreams again
It’s like I opened my mind as wide as 善

はーいーやー
いーやーさーさー
はー, はー
はーいーやー
はーいーやーいーやーさーさー

As Wide As Zen

This song features guest vocals by Evin Nazya (Indie-R&B – Nassau, Bahamas) and a guitar solo by Sheldon Fernandes (from the Toronto-based Prog Metal band Polarity). 

The official title of the song, "BKBPT2," is an abbreviation of "Boiling Knife Bucket Part 2." Part one was originally conceived as an instrumental piece under Max's solo brand before Swimming To The Stars had been recorded, and is in the process of being re-imagined and re-recorded under that brand. Part 2, on the other hand, was written towards the end of the Swimming To The Stars recording process. The song was the only one to ever be primarily developed by Max and Jonathan Aristide, who's original bass parts still appear on the track. The composition process was strange because then-drummer Kyron Newbury had already finished his work on the album, so BKBPT2 was conceived with electronic percussion.

The song was released for a couple of weeks in 2015 before Max pulled the album down from Bandcamp and proceeded to split Swimming To The Stars into two halves and re-record the guitars. This is the first time that the song will be broadly available, and re-arranged to have a complete, proper drum part.

Maxwell Kozen - Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Synth Sanshin, additional Bass
Chandelle King - Vocals
Jericho Leal - Guitar
Jonathan Aristide - Bass
Jared Leal - Drums
Evin Nazya - Vocal feature
Sheldon Fernandes (of Polarity) - Lead Guitar feature

LYRICS:
(Lead Guitars - Jericho Leal)

(Verse 1: Evin Nazya)
Tell me that I can’t find
Another kind of answer
Tell me that I won’t be
The one to sing a new kind of song
I’d show you another way
But you can’t see what that’s worth
You’re too right to care for being wrong
That’s your swan song

(Lead Guitar - Jericho Leal)

(Verse 2: Maxwell Kozen)
Everyone has conformed
Like icy, freezing waters
They’re Shadow-Ocean-Stuck
And it has risen to their necks
Blinded by status quo
You’ll miss what I can offer
But if you test me, that’s a challenge I’ll accept
‘Cause I’m what’s next

(Chorus: Chandelle King, Evin Nazya, Maxwell Kozen)
Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
Sound blades
Soundscapes
The trail we blaze
Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
I break frames
So you, make way!

I’ve got so much more to say
And I am not afraid
The trail we blaze
I’ll forge the voice insane, unsafe
And say
“I break frames
So you, make way!”

"Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh"

Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
Sound blades
Soundscapes
The trail we blaze
Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
I break frames
So you, make way!

I’ve got so much more to say
And I am not afraid
The trail we blaze
I’ll forge the voice insane, unsafe
And say
“I break frames
So you, make way!”

"Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh"

(Guest Guitar Solo - Sheldon Fernandes of Polarity)

(Bridge 1: Chandelle King)
In fear and in wonder I swam to the stars
The spoilers, the small talk, the sound of guitars
The fruit of my passion and polarity
I float in the sunwaves
I’m free

(Bridge 2: Evin Nazya)
In fear and in wonder I swam to the stars
The spoilers, the small talk, the sound of guitars
The fruit of my passion and polarity
I float in the sunwaves
I’m free

(Chorus: Maxwell Kozen, Evin Nazya, Chandelle King)
I’ve got so much more to say
And I am not afraid
I’ll forge the voice insane, unsafe
And say
“I break frames
So you, make way!”

Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
Sound blades
Soundscapes
The trail we blaze
Sound blades
Soundscapes
Go at my pace
I break frames
So you, make way!

BKBPT2

"Gazelles" originally appeared on "Swimming To The Stars (B)" and is the only song from the B half of the STTS project ever performed live by the band. It climbed surprisingly high among our most-played Spotify songs, and it felt appropriate to bring the song back revamped and with some significant additions. 

The most notable changes are Shy Musiq's guest vocal section and the extended ending instrumental and metal sections. 

Shy came on board the project in the spring of 2024 and brought a lot of flare to the song. Her Kenyan background and incorporation of Swahili lyrics reflects the location where the song was originally written and inspired, directly enhancing the lyrics by providing a secondary perspective from the song's main narrating voice. 

This added feminine perspective is further reinforced and intensified by Chandelle's screaming section at the end. While the metal instrumental ending was written as a live arrangement for the 2019 release show for A Fearful Wonder, the screamed vocals only came into play about a month or two before the release of the EP in 2024, as Chandelle was finishing her vocal sessions for the record.

Maxwell Kozen - Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Additional Bass
Chandelle King - Vocals
Jericho Leal - Guitars
Jared - Drums
Jonathan Aristide - Bass 
Antonia Lawrence - Vocals
Shy Musiq - Vocals

LYRICS:

(Verse 1: Maxwell Kozen)
There’s nothing quite as innocent
As losing innocence
Wide-eyed in the wide world and so naive
A sense of awe and wonder
Overwhelming common sense
Making moves without knowing what to believe

When tenderness grew brave
We put her in a cage

(Chorus: Maxwell Kozen & Chandelle King)
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free

(Verse 2: Maxwell Kozen)
There is no way to justify
A life within a cage
When threats within can match the ones without
The wolves within the walls warning
Gazelles of lion’s rage
And wondering why they still try to get out

Fangs and claws beyond these doors
So elegance must wear her horns

(Chorus: Maxwell Kozen & Chandelle King)
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free

(Bridge 1: Shy Musiq)
Am I good enough for your heaven?
You write me out of my story like I’m nothing
All my nights up, nobody knows
All of the tears I wipe on the low
I’m tired of living under your control
I feel my horns, they’re starting to grow
Coming in fast, but I’m taking it slow
It’s not a threat, I’m just letting you know
Hakuni kati yangu na Mungu
Oh ni tamu kuwa na uhuru
So nitavaa pembe unazozichukia
So nitavaa pembe unazozichukia

(Bridge 2: Maxwell Kozen & Chandelle King)
And you’ll be safe if you’re as wise as serpents
Wise as serpents
But innocent as doves
When wolves and lions make your spirit have to
Stand for itself
Your strength will be enough
And you’ll be safe if you are doves like serpents
Doves like serpents
Innocence reborn
Just take the time to become doves like serpents
Doves like serpents
She can wear her horns

(Chorus: Maxwell Kozen, Chandelle King, Antonia Lawrence, Shy Musiq)
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free
Captives, oh so sweet
I think I want to set you free

(Guitar solo - Maxwell Kozen)

(Antonia Lawrence & Chandelle King)
I think I want to set you free

(Outro 1: Shy Musiq)
I'll find my own way to break out of my cage
I'm brave and I know my strength
Nitasimama mwenyewe
I'll break out of my cage
With my joy and my rage
Watch me break, break, break

(Guitar solo - Maxwell Kozen)
(Guitar solo - Jericho Leal)

(Outro 2: Maxwell Kozen)
Stand for yourself
Your strength will be enough

(Outro 3: Chandelle King & Shy Musiq)
There is no way to justify 
A life within a cage
So I will wear these horns you hate
And stand in my own strength
None between
(Hakuni kati yangu na Mungu
Oh ni tamu kuwa na uhuru)
God and me
(So nitavaa pembe unazozichukia
So nitavaa pembe unazozichukia)
Oh so sweet
To be free

Gazelles (Set Free // Extended)

Burning, oh the sky is burning 
Holy red lights dazzling this judgment day 
Yearning, I can feel the yearning 
Of the lawless jaws that long to carry me away 

Light, erase this age 

Scarlet lights - the sky’s so blinding 
I’m ready for the foe that finds me 
Watching all the world unwinding now 
Crumbling down 
Scarlet lights - the end is nearing 
See the signs that you’ve been fearing 
Blood for a world running weary now 
All around 

Watching the world unravelling 
The earth begins to sing itself to sleep 
Slumber for this perishing age 
But come and wake the graves 
Empty graves, greet the morning 

Come awake 

O Behold! 
The end inaugurates a new forever 
Baptize it in blood 
And let the world rise up in flames 
Come hell and high Heaven 
Let light erase this age 

Erase this age 

Scarlet lights - the sky’s so blinding 
I’m ready for the foe that finds me 
Watching all the world unwinding now 
Crumbling down 
Scarlet lights - the end is nearing 
Open hearts no longer fearing 
Blood for a world running weary now 
All around 

Look to the red skies

A Fearful Wonder

Red Sky

Show me my hubris and my abuses 
All my excuses become elusive 
Another broken vow today 
Another price I couldn’t pay 
Another nail in hands that save 
I let my promise break 

Oh, it’s burning in my mind 
How I can’t face all my mistakes or bring them to the light 
No, I’m running out of time 
And I can’t face my judgment day if I can’t make this right 

My mind’s a ruthless internal Judas 
This voice abuses, tells me I’m useless 
Another hour wastes away 
Another selfish word to say 
Another nail in hands that save 
I let my promise break 

Oh, it’s burning in my mind 
How I can’t face all my mistakes or bring them to the light 
No, I’m running out of time 
And I can’t face my judgment day if I can’t make this right 

It’s time to go; terror grips my throat 
Death calls, I know just why the bell tolls 
I stand alone at the judgment throne 
Guilt breaks these bones 
There’s no way that I could atone 

Oh, it’s burning in my mind 
How I can’t face all my mistakes or bring them to the light 
No, I’m running out of time 
And I can’t face my judgment day if I can’t make this right 

Oh, I can’t believe my eyes 
But I’ve seen grace replace mistakes with perfect sacrifice 
And though I fall a thousand times 
I will remain to rise again and stand to face the light

Burning In My Mind

Don’t you know just what you’re made of? 
Child I see you there 
Regretting all you couldn’t be 
A fearful wonder when you wake up 
‘Cause you were unaware 
That you have a destiny 

Nail the lid shut on your past 
The casket for your doubts 
Who you want to be is yours for finding out 

Don’t be satisfied with a compromise 
When you realize that you’re worth so much more 
Don’t be scared to try; raise your colours high 
If you don’t then I’m afraid you’ll never know 

You’re a child of eternity 
Seen by Divine eyes 
Bought by sacrifice 
And led into the light 

Nail your colours to the mast 
And let the whole world know 
You’re not scared to face the danger on your own 

Don’t be satisfied with a compromise 
When you realize that you’re worth so much more 
Don’t be scared to try, raise your colours high 
If you don’t then I’m afraid you’ll never know 

Someday you will wake, and you won’t run away 

Don’t be satisfied with a compromise 
When you realize that you’re worth so much more 
Don’t be scared to try, raise your colours high 
If you don’t then I’m afraid you’ll never know

Nail

Release the lamentation, the anguish in a burning lung 
For all the devastation that’s only just begun 
The mandibles of sorrow have come to drag away the world 
The season of the locust, the sickly skyward swirl 

So never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end 
Never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end 

Provoke the day of darkness; The ancient hand strikes the field 
The army comes devouring, reversing Eden’s yield 
So gather all the people whose hope has still survived 
The day for dreams to come alive has arrived 

So never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end 
Never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end 

When the world is wrapped in dread wonder 
Brother, sister, just look up 
Don’t be fearful when you hear the thunder 
Blood and fire means it’s only just begun 

As the sun goes dark it truly seems 
That the whole world’s sight’s gone blind 
But the sons and daughters dream their dreams 
For they know that it is time 
And the locust season sinks its teeth 
Into every faithless mind 
But the children dream their father’s dream 
For they know that it is time 

Never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end 
Never let my spirit break; We will begin again 
Never let my spirit break, and I’ll embrace the end

The Locust Season

Taken hostage from skies where I once flew 
My heart is chained and my wings removed 
Tethered to the earth, taking undesired root 
The heavy, fettered birth from seed to bitter fruit 

For my wings I wait in the silence 
Keeping my eyes trained on the horizon 
When they bloom from me, I’ll fly away 
I’ll take the sky, I’ll take the sky today 

Sever the ties, the stitches that they used 
To bind me down, to serve the ground 
I’m ready now 
For my wings to bloom 

For my wings I wait in the silence 
Keeping my eyes trained on the horizon 
When they bloom from me, I’ll fly away 
I’ll take the sky, I’ll take the sky today 

Fly away 

Run, and fall, and rise again 
For no fall is ever the end 
Lift me up to where I belong 
Let the weak say “I am strong” 

For my wings I wait in the silence 
Keeping my eyes trained on the horizon 
When they bloom from me, I’ll fly away 
I’ll take the sky, I’ll take the sky today 

No imprisonment to circumstance 
Hope is endless 
No destiny but liberty 
Convalesce 

Sever the ties, the stitches that they used 
To bind me down, I’m ready now 
To fly away

Take The Sky

Throw it away to the wind and start again 

We built a wall made out of words 
To try to keep us safe 
We built that wall into towers 
With keepers at the gates 
Now I want to find out what is real 
Not just what they told me I should feel 
I saw a light from the outside 
A window opened wide 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Backspace on bricks around the frame 
Remove the windowpanes 
The wind could blow this house away 
Erase the phrases out of place 

My faith, my heart rose to the wind 
And I don’t know where it will lead me 
I don’t know where to begin 
But I’ll take my chances just to find a firmer foundation 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Let the walls give way 
Let the walls give way 
Backspace what’s fake, throw it away 
They can’t keep me safe 
I’ll hold to my faith and find a new way 
I’ll find a new way 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Throw it away to the wind and start again

To The Wind

KOZEN - To The Wind

Produced by KOZEN & Stephen James Kerr
Mixed & Mastered by Stephen James Kerr - https://www.sjkaudio.com 

New album 'A Fearful Wonder' out June 7, 2019

Stream us online:
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2t6ZSmS
iTunes - https://apple.co/2LLHF6a
Google Play - http://bit.ly/2HQtUAU
Bandcamp -http://bit.ly/2JHXoSZ

Connect to us online:
https://kozen.org
https://www.facebook.com/KozenMusic/
https://twitter.com/kozenmusic
https://www.instagram.com/kozenmusic/

2019 - All Rights Reserved

Lyrics:
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

We built a wall made out of words 
To try to keep us safe 
We built that wall into towers 
With keepers at the gates 
Now I want to find out what is real 
Not just what they told me I should feel 
I saw a light from the outside 
A window opened wide 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Backspace on bricks around the frame 
Remove the windowpanes 
The wind could blow this house away 
Erase the phrases out of place 

My faith, my heart rose to the wind 
And I don’t know where it will lead me 
I don’t know where to begin 
But I’ll take my chances just to find a firmer foundation 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Let the walls give way 
Let the walls give way 
Backspace what’s fake, throw it away 
They can’t keep me safe 
I’ll hold to my faith and find a new way 
I’ll find a new way 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Let the walls give way; they can’t keep me safe 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

And if I don’t belong here in this place 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 
And if the words are wrong, find out what’s fake 
Throw it away to the wind and start again 

Throw it away to the wind and start again

KOZEN is a band whose sound represents the diversity of their Toronto home town.

KOZEN

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