Metal music
Song of the Day – Traverse the Abyss: “Nemesis”
Six Scars’ New EP Grants a Glimpse Into the Dark Side of Life and Love
Six Scars is a one-man metal project hailing from southwest Virginia. Heavily influenced by the many subgenres of rock and metal, Six Scars began his journey by exploring the more melodic and ethereal realms of shoegaze on his debut album, To Wilt and to Bloom. He has played with other subgenres, such as nu metal and alt-rock, in the intervening years, yet now, in 2024, he has returned to his roots.
The Silence and the Withering, the latest EP from Six Scars, was released on February 16, 2024. Driven by introspection, this record offers six hauntingly beautiful songs, written with self-reflection and painted in sounds.
The EP opens with “Another Scar,” a track lamenting wasted time and a life not lived. “Another scar, another excuse to not get off your ass and move/There’s a whole world waiting, but you already died,” the chorus erupts in frustration, and how often is this the case? How many times have we had plans, goals, dreams, that we were too afraid to pursue, and then suddenly, we’re looking back on the years that have passed with regret? “I wanna rewind, I wanna live my life,” our narrator says in conclusion, but that is an impossibility.
The next four songs – “Damaged From the Start,” “Dead Nothing,” “Dionysius,” and “Mausoleum” – are a tableau dedicated to the one thing none of us are immune from: love. Six Scars pendulums from the depths of heartbreak to a seemingly idyllic representation of that endlessly discussed emotion. For instance, in “Damaged From the Start,” he writes, “I owned you, you owned me, this orgasmic catastrophe,” hinting at a mutually toxic relationship.
“Dead Nothing” ventures a step further, diving into the depths of manipulation and torment the narrator experiences – and the resulting desire for vengeance. “You played me like a puppet, dancing to your every whim/But not the tables have turned, and it’s your turn to face this sin.”
We are then taken back to when the love was new, pure, perfect, though there is still an acknowledgment that it was tainted from the start. In “Dionysius,” the narrator fondly reminisces on the past. “My Dionysius, my odyssey…we’d fly away into the ether, never knowing what we were leaving/And the cosmos united for us when we retreated…” However, he soon admits that he lost himself to his lover and their shared addictions, including what could be the most damaging one – each other.
The lovers’ tale ends with “Mausoleum,” and despite the title, it is not as dark as one would assume. “Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love, a burning desire to become one/Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love/A burning desire to fill this mausoleum.” In the throes of passion, perhaps our narrator finds himself so happy he could die? Their union is still referred to as “unholy,” the underlying awareness that they are not meant to be ever-present, yet it is easy to overlook when “I’m dreaming, I’m feeling alive for the first time/I’m holding onto you.”
The Silence and the Withering closes with “My Finale,” a song that seems to tie together the opening and the four-part tableau. He mentions wanting there to be “no regrets about the life that I have led,” then says “Leaving ever-after, I’ll see your face again one day.” This could be a reference to any number of people in his life, but I perceived it to be aimed at his lover. Interestingly, his final line is “I, the villain, close the curtain.” Was our narrator truly his own worst enemy?
This EP is an unflinching study of the storyteller, and there are parts that will universally resonate with listeners. We have all wasted time, feared rejection, dragged our heels when we should have been chasing dreams. We have all fallen in love, romantically or otherwise, and been burned for our efforts. And we have all, by necessity, played the villain at some point in our own story.
The Silence and the Withering is available to stream everywhere now!
Links:
Song of the Day – Xandria: “The Wonders Still Awaiting”
Song of the Day – Shallow Black: “I Am The Moth”
Carbonstone Explores the Complexities of Relationships in New Single “White Noise”
Carbonstone is releasing a new song, “White Noise,” on February 17, 2024, and this is one you don’t wanna miss! I was given an early listen of the forthcoming release, and it is certainly a standout track in the Carbonstone library.
“White Noise” has an edge, musically revisiting the band’s heavier side. The aggressiveness of the guitars, carried by the combination of a driving drum beat and rapid-fire bass line, are the perfect foundation for a song that is thematically dark.
Front man Corey James utilizes his voice to evoke a visceral reaction from his listeners. The melodic delivery of the verses offers an audibly interesting contrast to the music; the clear intonation, almost a croon, lends beauty to the tale of heartache: “You poison everything, like you did to me…” Both the lyrics and the vocal performance speak of disappointment, a resignation to the situation our narrator finds himself in. “Somewhere I can’t be found, and now this wavelength is severed/We’re nothing but white noise.”
However, as the track progresses, anger and frustration leak through, raw growls woven intricately throughout until the breakdown, when they crescendo into a lengthy scream of catharsis. “Suffocating, close to breaking, you left me buried alive,” Corey snarls, and a strong sense of breaking free seems to be implied. Perhaps the struggle is not yet over, but the light at the end of the tunnel has been seen.
“White Noise” is a song that deals with the complexities of our relationships, romantic and otherwise, and does so in a way with which we all can connect. This is a must-hear, so head to Spotify, presave it, and get ready for Friday!
Song of the Day – Self Deception: “Fight Fire With Gasoline”
Seethe Spontaneously Drops New EP, Cavalier Dualities
Alternative/trap metal artist Seethe surprised his followers by abruptly releasing an EP, entitled Cavalier Dualities, to Bandcamp on January 29th. (It has since gone live on all major streaming platforms.) Staying true to the glitchy, yet melodic, sound that I have come to associate with Seethe, this trilogy of tracks is an eight minute, thirty-four second emotional purge – for both artist and listener.
Cavalier Dualities is a brief glimpse into the repeating cycle of various mental health issues, depression prevalent among them. Seethe never backs down from addressing darker subject matter, and this is again apparent in all three songs.
“Medicate” is the beginning phase. Whatever the struggle is with – mental health, addiction, etc. – this track references the attempt to best it, to medicate and cope and hopefully ascend from the depths, maybe even defeat it one day.
This is followed by “Smile.” In Seethe’s own words, “Smile” is about how, in life, sometimes all one can do is smile and move forward. Throughout the fight with one’s own personal demons is the occasional necessity to fake it ’til you make it, as they say.
The EP concludes with “In Two,” a heart-rending song in which our narrator realizes (s)he is back in the hole, that (s)he had a brief moment in the light but has yet again fallen into the rut. This brings us back to the start, the need to medicate, and the cycle continues.
The discordant music and vocal stylings seems to reflect the frustration and hopelessness that colors the whole sordid tale, a cry of “I’ve been here before and failed, but I have to keep trying.” And while Cavalier Dualities may be a story borne from the artist’s own battles, it is relatable to anyone who has ever persevered through a private, often unseen, war with oneself.
You can listen to Cavalier Dualities on your favorite streaming service! And once you’ve checked out the EP, ready yourself for Seethe’s next release: the new single, “Away,” which is dropping on Valentine’s Day!
Make sure you follow Seethe on his various socials so you never miss an update!
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