MONDAY Q&A

Q:  I ordered the vinyl of the new album but have enjoyed listening to the digital version until it arrives.  The last song is really different but I do enjoy it.  Can you tell me about it?

A:  First, thank you for ordering the vinyl, as we certainly appreciate it and need the support to continue to offer physical releases.  As for the last track, certainly not a typical ‘song’ by any stretch!

It is more of a soundtrack, broken into three ‘movements’; ‘the gathering’, ‘the storm’ and ‘the calm’.   Here is my idea behind this piece.  I have always been interested in scoring and love how music works as a backdrop to scenes in tv and movies.  When we were working on the running order for our debut record, ‘finding beauty in chaos’, I had wanted to tie the record together with short sonic soundscapes, but once we did the math and the record hit the 79+ minute mark, there was no way to do it.  With ‘the calm before the storm’ being a shorter listen, I revised the idea.  Once I learned Adrienne LaVey was an opera singer, the idea fell into place.  Instead of using her pieces in between the tracks, I decided I had almost 30 minutes of sonic-canvas to do something unique…. With no time constraints.  I think what we created is a meld of David Lynch, Pink Floyd and Trent Reznor … along with an interesting operatic twist.  There is certainly a lot of elements going on as this piece evolves, and I think Michael Rozon did an amazing job assembling the crazy blend of synths, guitars, sitar and voices I provided him.  We wanted this to be a sonic journey that the listener hears something ‘new’ each time.  Is it a bit self-indulgent?  Maybe, but I love the way this closes out this album, which is why it is the ‘title’ track.  I guess if someone has not yet heard it, they will have absolutely no idea what I am talking about!! … MC X

Adrienne LaVey .. featured on ‘the calm’, the 3 movement on ‘the storm before the calm’