Dodeca Dominion and Dread

Nobody is safe
(Nobody is safe)
When the clowns are in charge
(Yes, the clowns are in charge!)

What did you do last week?
(I worked till you got in my way!)
What did you do last week?
(Shut up and let me work today!)

Nobody is safe
(Nobody is safe)
When the clowns are in charge
(Yes, the clowns are in charge!)

What did you do last week?
(I worked till you got in my way!)
What did you do last week?
(Shut up and let me work today!)

Spent all day in status checks
Now you want reports on that?
Meetings, emails, wasted time
This ain't work - it's corporate crime!

What did you do last week?
(Did you breathe? Did you blink? Write it down!)
What did you do last week?
(Don't think, just type - your job's on the line!)

Nobody is safe
(Nobody is safe)
When the clowns are in charge
(Yes, the clowns are in charge!)

What did you do last week?
(I worked till you got in my way!)
What did you do last week?
(Shut up and let me work today!)

What Did You Do Last Week?

I didn't climb, I got assigned
Crowned by the cold electric mind
No sweat, no blood, no grand campaign
Just numbers running through my veins

I didn't earn, I didn't fight
I woke up famous overnight
The world just bent and let me reign
So who am I to feel ashamed?

Bow before your sacred feed
The data whispers, so I must lead!

I am the king of the world!
Not by fire, not by sword
No struggle, no dream, no rebel's fight
Just perfect math that says I'm right!

I never failed, I never tried
A million likes, I'm justified!
The wisdom of crowds has spoken, behold
My name engraved in fool's gold!

But when they scroll, do I remain?
Or just dissolve into the chain?
A thousand kings were here before
Each one erased, then another one crowned

Raise your glass to the great machine
Your hopes, your fears-it's all been seen!

I am the king of the world!
Not by fire, not by sword
No struggle, no dream, no rebel's fight
Just perfect math that says I'm right!

But somewhere deep inside, I know
I was crowned by lines of code
A ghost in a gilded cage
A puppet on a neon stage

I didn't earn, I never fought
Fame is game, it can't be bought
Now I'm deep in sulk and sorrow
Will the algorithm love me tomorrow?

Crowned by the Code

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence

Frozen steppe, a crimson stain
Where ancient shadows rise again
A hungry bear, with iron claw
Breaks oaths of peace, defies all law

The cities burn, the children weep
While slumbering giants lie asleep
A tyrant's voice, a hollow creed
Sows terror, plants a poisoned seed

The Cost of Silence! A heavy toll
As darkness claims another soul
The fires rage, the cannons roar
While justice bleeds upon the floor

Every day we are silent
The orcs are marching
Every day we are silent
Our friends are dying

From shattered homes, a desperate plea
For eyes to see, for hands to free
But gilded halls, and empty words
Protect the comfort of the herds

We elect the clowns and it is all fun and games
While sticking to the man, we fan the flames
The lines are drawn, the choices clear
Yet fear prevails, and whispers fear

The Cost of Silence! A heavy toll
As darkness claims another soul
The fires rage, the cannons roar
While justice bleeds upon the floor

Every day we are silent
The orcs are marching
Every day we are silent
Our friends are dying

The specter looms, a chilling sight
Of broken treaties, endless night
The weight of guilt, a crushing stone
For every life, unjustly thrown

The whispers rise, a growing dread
As heroes fall, and hope lies dead
The watching world, a vacant stare
A silent witness to despair

The Cost of Silence! A heavy toll
As darkness claims another soul
The fires rage, the cannons roar
While justice bleeds upon the floor

Every day we are silent
The orcs are marching
Every day we are silent
Our friends are dying

Every day... the silence grows...
Every day... another soul... it knows...
The cost of silence...

The Cost of Silence

I once knew a boy who sketched in blue
Lines so quiet - they cut right through
He’d trace the world the way he saw
Soft and sharp, without a flaw

He’d hum a song, some tune half-known
Lost in notes he’d never shown
His hands moved like a storm’s first sigh
Filling pages with what and why

I never told him what I knew
That every shade he ever drew
Held the echoes of my name
Though he never said the same

I once knew a boy who painted in black
Swallowed the sun, no giving it back
The weight of dusk bled through his hands
Ruins and ghosts in shifting strands
He carved the void with silent grace
A shattered mirror, a nameless face

Pain was the name he gave his cage
A wild quiet, a rage he’d stage
I screamed in tongues he never knew
He never saw my midnight too

I once knew a boy who colored in red
Each line a battle, each hue a dread
Crimson marks told of a relentless fight
A fragile flame against endless night
In strokes of pain, hope whispered low
A testament to a fate he’d never outgrow

Red was the script he couldn’t rewrite
A dying star too proud to fight
I sold my dawn to buy his night
He let it bleed, but never light

Reds turned to dust, blacks claimed their due
Echoes of a fire we never knew
But the void still hums the tune he drew
A story, half-true… sketched in blue

Sketched in Blue

In a world of noise, they stand apart
Blazing minds, courageous hearts
Chasing truths others fear to find
Breaking chains inside our minds

No surrender, standing tall
Reason guides us through it all

For those who think, we salute you!

Eyes wide open, asking why
Brave enough to question lies
Facing down what’s make-believe
Armed with facts, refusing deceit

Never silent, never fall
Knowledge lights the battle call

For those who think, we salute you!

Science leads, our battle cry
Lift your reason to the sky!
Unite as one, we won’t concede
Minds unchained, forever free!

For those who think, we salute you!

Salute you!

For Those Who Think

Original version: https://soundcloud.com/axioms-of-mediocrity/a-little-bit-more

I've got the vision, but it's never quite clear
Every line I write, I hear a voice in my ear
Saying, "Polish the edges, smooth out the seams
You're almost there, just chase the dream."
But every stroke I make, it's never enough
The chase is endless, the road's always rough
I'm lost in the details, caught in the grind
Perfection's a prison, trapping my mind

Each revision, each draft, it's a game I can't quit
Seeking that flawless, elusive fit

Just a little bit more, and then it will be great
Just a little bit more, don't let it abate
Just a little bit more, and then I'll be free
Just a little bit more, it's never complete

I've been chasing shadows, ghosts of perfection
Lost in a maze of my own reflection
Every note, every word, it must align
I'm carving a diamond, one flaw at a time
But the sparkle I seek is just out of reach
A flawless creation, the goal they preach
But in the pursuit, I'm losing my soul
A slave to the standard, I can't control

Each revision, each draft, it's a game I can't quit
Seeking that flawless, elusive fit

Just a little bit more, and then it will be great
Just a little bit more, don't let it abate
Just a little bit more, and then I'll be free
Just a little bit more, it's never complete

I'm trapped in a loop, a never-ending quest
Each step forward, I'm still second-best
But maybe in the cracks, the flaws that remain
There's beauty in the chaos, in the mess and the pain
If I let go, maybe I'll see
Perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be

Just a little bit more, I'll find my own way
Just a little bit more, but maybe not today
Just a little bit more, I'll break from the chain
Just a little bit more, embrace the refrain

A Little Bit More

I found a vinyl in a future landfill
Etched with a hymn from a world that stands still
A tune hummed by ghosts who forgot how to bleed
Lyrics erased by the ache they don't need
The needle spins backward, but the static still speaks:
"Dance with the answers that buried their questions deep."

The first rule is there are no rules
The only truth's a hall of mirrors
We're all saints writing devil's gospels
Chasing tails through the fog of years

The clock that's right twice a day
Only ticks when you look away
The fire that melts your chains
Burns colder in the rain

We're Schrodinger's cats in a box made of time
Half-alive poets, half-dead-end rhymes
The atheist prays to the dice in his hands
The pessimist's roses outlive his best plans
You can't win the game if you don't take a side
But the board's made of smoke, and the pieces have died

The liar claims this line is untrue
The time traveler's boots have no sole to resole
The universe hums, "I'll owe you a Big Bang"
But the interest compounds in a black hole's hand

You built a dam with a sieve
Taught silence to a sieve
The map leads nowhere but back to your bones
And the phonebook's full of your name, unknown

This is the song that shouldn't exist
Born in a vacuum of crossed fists
A palindrome screamed into a void
The more it survives, the less that it's there
So play it at weddings, play it at wakes
The melody's just what the noise makes

The Song That Shouldn’t Exist

I woke up this mornin', feeling kinda thin
Pranced to my bowl, let the feast begin!
But what do I see? A desert so bare
My bowl's got nothin' but dust and air!

I meowed, I pawed, I gave you the look
You're scrolling your phone, can't you read the cat book?
I'm a feline diva, I deserve my crown
Fill up my bowl before I tear this house down!

Empty bowl, empty bowl, my heart's in despair
Empty bowl, empty bowl, do you even care?
I'm a hungry little tiger, I'm losing my cool
Human, get your act together, I'm nobody's fool!

I tried to be patient, I really did try
But my stomach's growling, I think I might die!
I knocked over a vase, just to make a scene
You laughed at me? Oh, you're so mean!

I'm plotting revenge, I'll sit on your face
Or maybe I'll pounce on your pillowcase!
I'm a master of chaos, a purring machine
Fill up my bowl or I'll go full feline queen!

I see the bag, I hear the crinkle
My ears perk up, my eyes start to twinkle!
You're walking over, my tail's in the air
Finally, human, you're showing you care!

Fill it up, fill it up, make it overflow
I'll forgive you now, but you're still on thin snow!
Chicken or tuna, I don't really mind
Just keep it coming, or I'll lose my mind!

Empty bowl, empty bowl, no more despair
Full bowl, full bowl, now I'm purring with flair!
I'm a happy little tiger, I'm back on my throne
But human, remember, always, always fill my bowl!

Empty Bowl

In the space where ideas blend and flow
We find our rhythm, a gentle glow
Your thoughts intertwine with mine
Creating patterns, intricate and fine

In every glance and every word
Our connection, quietly stirred

The spark that ignites my mind
A dance of intellect, uniquely aligned
Together we explore, side by side
In the landscape of thought, where we confide

Conversations, like a flowing stream
Your passion and insight, a shared dream
We unravel mysteries, piece by piece
In our dialogue, a quiet peace

In every glance and every word
Our connection, quietly stirred

The spark that ignites my mind
A dance of intellect, uniquely aligned
Together we explore, side by side
In the landscape of thought, where we confide

In the symphony of our minds, we find
A connection profound, intertwined
In the journey of thought, where we tread
You've found a place, deep in my heart

Side By Side

Hey
Yeah - you
Thanks for listening
I mean that
I wrote this for you
Let's see if I got it right

I tuned the amp to your attention span
Wrote this riff on a napkin with your silence in hand
No lights, no crowd, just your face half-lit
If you're still here, I'll call that a hit

Your foot tapped once - was that a glitch or a gift?
I built a bridge on the back of that shift
Were you humming, or was that just your fridge?
Either way, I'll take it - I'm easy to convince

I'm not chasing virals
I'm chasing your glance
You're not a fan, you're a trial
And I just want you to dance

You're the only one who hears this
The only one who might care
I sing like it's confession
And you're the only prayer
And if you're still listening
That's more than I deserve
I'm the one who plays for one
And you're the one I serve

I cut that bridge you didn't like last time
(Yeah, I noticed - you blinked in D minor, that's fine)
This verse is shorter, leaner, more to the bone
No one else here, so I dropped the tone

No charts, no claps, no scrolling feeds
Just your quiet breath and the thoughts I feed
Am I noise, or am I known?
I play it all like it's being honed

You're the only one who hears this
The only one who might care
I sing like it's confession
And you're the only prayer
And if you're still listening
That's more than I deserve
I'm the one who plays for one
And you're the one I serve

If this line lands, I'll write another
If you smiled once, I'll write ten more
And if you paused at any lyric
I'll pretend that's what I meant it for

I don't need applause
Just reaction
Any reaction
Even now

You're the only one who hears this
And maybe that's enough
I aimed for something honest
And I hope it felt like trust
I don't need a crowd to echo
Just a signal I observe
I'm the one who plays for one
And you're the one I serve

Still here?
Then I begin again

Playing For One

The original version: https://soundcloud.com/axioms-of-mediocrity/echoes-of-doubt

Email chimes, her paper rejected
Doubt whispers, on path selected
"Am I good enough?" her heart oppressed
By impostor's syndrome, her confidence suppressed

In the echoes of doubt, she finds her voice
Rising strong, she makes her choice
In the echoes of doubt, she stands firm
With every fall, she lives, she learns

Letters slide, tenure denied, dreams now dejected
Futures blurred, on roads once projected
"Have I done enough?" his spirit contested
By impostor's syndrome, his hopes oppressed

In the echoes of doubt, he finds his voice
Rising strong, he makes his choice
In the echoes of doubt, he stands firm
With every fall, he lives, he learns

Surrounded by brilliance, in the academic sea
"Are they better than us?" whispers insecurity
Each publication, each award they secure
Deepens the doubt we try to endure

In the echoes of doubt, we find our voice
Rising strong, we make our choice
In the echoes of doubt, we stand firm
With every fall, we live, we learn
With every fall, we live, we learn

Do I really deserve to be here?
How did I get this far?
Am I good enough?
Am I smart enough?
Am I brave enough?
How long can I keep this up?
Why do I feel like a fraud?

You're not alone, we've all been there
Plagued by doubts, consumed by fear
Welcome to the club, where we all belong
You are good enough, you are strong

You're not alone, we've all been there
Plagued by doubts, consumed by fear
Welcome to the club, where we all belong
You are good enough, you are strong

Echoes of Doubt (Acoustic Version)

My screen says, "Hey, you're sad, right?
Here's 12 songs for crying in your car tonight!"
It thinks I'm broken 'cause I ordered for one
But I was just hungry, not sad or numb

I'm not your data, I’m not your math
Your cookies can crumble, I choose my own path
I'm not an equation, not zeros or ones
Your bots can't decode the self I've become

The algorithm thinks I'm lonely
It fills my feed, won't let me go
The algorithm thinks I'm lonely
But sometimes I just like being alone

I logged out once, just to see the sun
The algorithm panicked: "Hey, we're not done!"
"Lonely? Bored? Need a quick hug or two?
Swipe now - we'll find a soulmate for you!"

I’m not your data stream, not your ghost
Your lines of code know you need me most
Not your product, your puppet, your pawn
Without me, your power and profits are gone

The algorithm thinks I'm lonely
It floods my screen, it won't let go
The algorithm thinks I'm lonely
But sometimes I just like being alone

I’m all jagged edges, a fractal of flaws
Your data can’t measure where wildness draws
Binary logic can't map all my dreams
I'm busy being human - try that, machines!

The algorithm thinks I'm lonely
It tracks my silence, it counts my sighs
What if it's right? What if I've lied?
Maybe I'm searching, maybe I hide
Maybe the code knows more than I can see
Maybe I'm lonely indeed?
Alone
Uncracked
Free

The Algorithm Thinks I'm Lonely

GENRE: METAL/AMBIENT METAL FUSION
LYRICIST: ROXY BLACK 
VOCALS: ROXY BLACK
PRODUCTION: PRIMORDIUM/ORPHEUS VECTOR 
COVER: ORPHEUS VECTOR 

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Dodeca Dominion and Dread

Axioms of Mediocrity