Part 1 of 3, the songs in this album follow a middle-aged man trying to come to terms with his own mortality and purpose in life. A fateful knock at the door by Jehovah's Witnesses. Answers to every question. And eternal life, guaranteed. Maybe this is the truth. Maybe it's worth the turmoil in the home when priorities and financial decisions favor the almighty. But how long can one wait for paradise earth?

This System of Things Volume 1

The one true religion's work is never financially secure. A real believer must make sacrifices in this system of things, for we are in the final seconds of the final minute. Make your donation gracious, hefty, and known for your brothers and sisters.

God's Holy Profits

Where is the salvation in moderation? To excel in one's faith, you must dive in headfirst. You cannot turn your back. You cannot hesitate or falter. You must do what is expected of you. Shepard your family and show them the light. And keep your eyes on the prize.

In It To Win It

For those focused on doomsday, there are events in the past that solidly reinforce such a belief. Reflecting on these circumstances, it's almost understandable how the right moment in the right mindset can shape the rest of your future.

Waco

The smiling faces. The warm welcome. The eternal promise that seems so easy to attain. Sometimes, the stories even seem to make all the pieces fit. They give you the answer for all the confusion around you. They make you feel like you belong. You sing the simple song. Their knowledge distills existence. They make you one of them.

Kingdom Hall/At Your Door

Life is not always a gentle river or a quiet breeze. Sometimes it's switches and doors. Abrupt changes without direction. Some are always searching for the remedy to the feeling of being lost.

When One Door Shuts

Never ever felt the embrace
Never ever felt the belong
Never ever tied together
Never ever sang the song
The sun in my eyes
Now it’s time to shine
Never have felt so far
Never have been so alone

As I stare 
Across this room
It feels like
Attending my own funeral

Lonely, empty
Guilty, filthy
All alone, and all along
I never ever sang my song

Never ever lacked form
Never ever had the wander
Never ever had to look ahead
Never ever will I wind up dead

Spring is Turning 
Summer Reaching 
All this should be 
So fulfilling
Decorated
Celebrated
All this should be 
So fulfilling

Ghost Ship

This tune was inspired by a letter someone wrote me in 2020. In its contents, the letter affirmed my life choices have planted me on the wide road to destruction. Not to fear, because it was not too late to change my ways. Additionally, a helpful map and timeline of biblical events was interwoven with the situation the world was dealing with in 2020.

The song itself had a really cool Pink Floyd vibe with the opening riff. I kind of played off of that riff and the airy verses with a heavier "B" part (I guess it's functionally a chorus) and the lyrics were re-worked a bit to fit between the ping-ponging of the musical pieces. 

I had initially recorded this song and was not happy with my drum performance, and after recording all the different parts I was really disappointed with the way it sounded. I re-did the whole song, tightening up the drum parts the best I could and this is the result. The fast jam in the middle was spur of the moment during drum tracking and I just went with it.

Sheeps And Goats

The god-fearing character in this song decides to leave his family to start over somewhere else, in the sacred name of the lord, of course. Musically, I wasn't really sure what to do. I was playing around with a riff that kind of gave me Queens of the Stone Age vibes and just went with it. I dusted off the JCM 900 for one of the rhythm guitar tracks, just for fun. Lacking a fuzz box, a little treatment with the boogex plugin helped too!

Rapid City

This tune is about loopholes. As strict as religion can define something, there always seems to be a way out if you need one.

Absolute Endangerment Of Spiritual Life

This tune is about shunning someone close to you. I had a completely different riff in mind, but when I recorded the drums, I realized it didn't really work with what I had recorded. The riff was re-tooled for the funky danceable one you hear.

This System of Things Volume 2

The Temptation

When you're looking for doomsday, the year 2020 certainly played into your hand - pandemics, riots, etc. I was hesitant to release this song because my drum playing was a little more loose (even more so than usual) than I would have preferred. It ended up being a sprawling blues/metal hybrid jam that I struggled to find a vocal melody I liked. The chorus ends up being a nod to Metallica's Frantic (too much so) and the main riff was originally inspired by Alice in Chains' Drone. As it fits on the album, it conceptually ties "The Temptation" with "Sheeps and Goats", so I trudged my way through it.

2020

I heard an industrial rock song and thought to myself, "hey I wonder if I can do that?". I don't really think I made an industrial song. I started with the drums, which were acoustic recorded and I chose not to play to a click, which would let the song breathe. I was already running full speed away from electronic music. The bass guitar nods to electronic sounds by means of my Boss bass synth. I tried to layer some keyboards and synths in an effort to industrialize it, but I think the guitar tracks are really the wildest sounding parts of the song, thanks to tremolo, an e-bow, and some whammy pedal. Recording the guitar solo was a challenge too - It's a tapped-sounding part that's not played with two-handed tapping and my cellphone decided to pocket-dial 911 when I was recording, which really frazzled my nerves. The lyric subject matter speaks to those who want full control of their bands, but are incapable of connecting with their audience. I definitely captured something in this tune and I'm not really sure what it is.

These People Want To Rock

I wrote this song to capture the essence of moving on from a bad relationship. It hurts at first, but as you pick up and discard the pieces, you realize that you've lost the person you used to be; that's when the healing can begin.

One Man's Trash

I’ve found me an angel
Straight outta hell
It’s got me believing
I’m drawn into her spell
One day she appeared
Then I didn’t wanna have to part
She spoke to my soul
And then she stole my heart

I’ve found me an angel
Straight  outta hell
She’s a goddess in my eyes
Beneath her demon shell
I want to be on her leash
Staring into her eyes
Worshiping her body
Beneath the autumn sky

Stoke the fire
I want to burn within her flames
My heart’s desire
Inferno left untamed

I’ve found me an angel
Straight from hell
Rough around the edges
But she rings me like a bell
She makes me want to live
To be the best I can
I love to be her lover
I love to be her man

Found me an angel
Carved from my greatest dream
And I’m still beside myself
That she is on my team
I want to be on her leash
Staring into her eyes
Worshiping her body
Beneath the autumn sky

Angel From Hell

Hey, hey come on let's ride
Together to the ocean side
A perfect cure for your icy stare
Or will you melt away?
Or will you melt away?

Whose fault is it you act that way?
Who did this to you, I swear they'll pay
Whose fault is it you act that way?
Who did this to you, I swear they'll pay

Get off your high horse and
Onto my pony
We can ride it bareback
If you only show me
You're not the frozen monarch
They claim you to be
Wings of tissue paper 
Soaked with tears of jealousy 

[crown, scepter]

Hey, hey, come on let's ride
Me and my icy bride
I finally got my wish
Deep in those frozen cliffs
Deep in those frozen cliffs

Now it's my turn I'll take my time
Watch you burn up inside my love
Now it's my turn I'll take my time
Watch you burn up inside my love

Get off your high horse
And onto my pony
We can ride it bareback
If you only show me
You're not the frozen monarch
They claim you to be
Wings of tissue paper
Soaked with tears of jealousy 

Now it's my turn I'll take my time
Watch you burn up inside my love
Now it's my turn I'll take my time
Watch you burn up inside my love

Monarch

I've put you so high on on a pedestal 
I'm scared I'm going to knock you down
And I'm fairly certain you can't hear me
From that high above the ground

I must look like an ant to you
Just aimlessly wandering around
I highly doubt you'd believe I've been juggling knives
It falls on ears deaf to sound 

Can't find an uplifting phrase
Can't stop the crumbling away
Can't stop the silent screaming lies 
Sudden surprise when it’s goodbye

Living with you is like being dead
A lonely headstone the world forgets  
Loving you is a compromise 
Disrobe my values to soak in lies

It's soaring high above your head

I built a village around your shores
Swallowed whole by rising tide
Your howling winds they cried for more
Does an empty horizon shatter pride?

I must look like a fool to you
Just blindly feeling my way around
I highly doubt you’d believe I’ve been placing mines
On this once sacred ground

Can't find a single moment to spare
Can't find the words to feign a care
Can’t find a mirror void your glare
Can you be surprised when I'm not there 

Living with you is like being dead
A lonely headstone the world forgets  
Loving you is a compromise 
Disrobe my values to soak in lies

It's soaring high above your head

I must look like a fool to you
Just blindly feeling my way around
I highly doubt you'd believe I've been juggling knives
It falls on ears deaf to sound 

Can't find an uplifting phrase
Can't stop the crumbling away
Can't stop the silent screaming lies 
Sudden surprise when it’s goodbye

Living with you is like being dead
A lonely headstone the world forgets  
Loving you is a compromise 
Disrobe my values to soak in lies
Living with you is like being dead
A lonely headstone the world forgets  
Loving you is a compromise 
Disrobe my values to soak in lies
To soak in lies
To soak in lies
Lies...
Lies...

Above Your Head

If you take it off 
Be sure to put one on
It's puff puff pass
Buried deep in song
And I'm feeling alright
Because here you are
I dreamed you were out there
One day you came along

Can we waste… another night
Can we kill…. Nothing but time

When the bowl is empty
We’ll burn behind the doors
Melting in the madness
Connected beyond ignore 

Rocking out tonight with our heads just right
Promise it will never end
Vintage vinyl platters and time that doesn't matter
Everyday with my best friend

You see I sketched this out
Many moons before
Every want every wish
Ever wanting more
Aimed high for the sky
I simply thought I wouldn't find
But you appeared one day
And it simply blows my mind

Can I taste… you again
Can we make…. Every second when

When the bowl is empty
We’ll burn behind the doors
Melting in the madness
Connected beyond ignore  

Rocking out tonight with our heads just right
Promise it will never end
Vintage vinyl platters and time that doesn't matter
Everyday with my best friend

If you take it off 
Be sure to put one on
It's puff puff pass
Buried deep in song
And I'm feeling alright
Because here you are
I dreamed you were out there
One day you came along

Altar of the Beast

Pinned to spotlight

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