iam-hypernova

[iam-hypernova]

Today I wanna talk about a typology gold mine.

Silent planet's Everything was Sound (2016). Named after the C. S. Lewis Novel "Out of the silent planet", this band will excite any and all bookworms with an open mind and the will to try on a new music genre. This is a concept album that follows a person who enters a panopticon, a prison where nine subjects with an assigned enneagram type are studied. I'm very excited for this, so let's dive right in.

Inherit the earth: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5. We find a protagonist, a Fool of no name drifting in the woods. In these woods, he finds a hidden panopticon, seemingly under the earth : "I'd wonder upon this grave then fall, I'd fall inside". With only a diary on him "With nothing to show but a rain stained book containing my literary charades... New blots of ink, archetypal shapes and shades bleed through each and every page" he begins to explore a prison so impressive it seems like a miracle: "I wandered upon the altar of human invention, an exhibition of erudition. Find me here, son of man. How far we fall". He's ready to listen to nine soul touching stories.

Psychescape: “I think that I’m a better problem-solver because of my schizophrenia. When you have to question reality every single day, I think that makes you change how you view the world.” Cecilia McGough. The first subject is enneagram six, with the Magician archetype. It's a person suffering from schizophrenia. They introduce the protagonist to the cruel hand played on them: "Oh fragile mind, you will learn how to fracture". They begin describing their experience as a bizzare mix of suffering and enchantment "Follow me, I'll take you to the edge of reason. Fall with me, we'll make a home in our delusion". Their mind is a unique mix of fragments with no exit. A trap with a fascinating tale to tell anyone who wants to hear. They have a spark in their eyes, a childlike wonder with a vision to change the world, yet are trapped inside their own head: "I'd change the world but I'm chained to myself". Trapped inside their own head, unable to cause any change in the world and themselves.

Dying in circles: "We loathe the church, not its poison. Apart from the church, we too love the poison". Friedrich Nietzsche. The second subject is enneagram two, a god loving prisoner of their own worship, and of the Saint archetype. Motivated by their love for people, they followed the commands of Jesus, finding shelter. But as he goes on, he describes his worship and community to be violent, critical, legalist, bloodthirsty: "Water poured out, but we want wine". What should be a loving, altruistic, humanitarian way of life is filled with violence, spite, and feelings of having desecrated their God with disappointment. "The image of God is sleeping on the ground". But the worst part is that they probably also see themselves in their counterparts' violent approach to faith. "When you fell to your knees to wash my feet, did you see the trampled shadows stained underneath?". Trapped under the altar of a God forsaken by His own believers.

Understanding love as loss: "When they're so alone they find a backdoor out of life. You know you're not the only one" Amy Lee. The third prisoner is enneagram four, of the Creator archetype. A (very relatably so) sufferer of depression. They live their every day regretting of living, never finding warmth or shelter, or joy. Not necessarily bc they aren't surrounded by loving people, but because their soul is so sick they struggle to feel any joy, or love, ever. "Searching for solace in a toxic temple, servants of lead climbing through your head". As if trapped in a room, sitting still, watching their own body, mind, heart collapse through a window. Scared and with no control left, they are even more scared that going outside, finding help, isn't even worthy, or possible. They can't express how it feels to die before everyone's eyes every day "Floundering in a state of metaxis, one is waning, one is dead; In both we feel too much". It feels like everyone simply lives their life without them. Stained by thoughts that they are a breathing burden to them, only capable of causing pain. And yet, they express love constantly. "Intricate: I watched the world dance inside your head [...] misery: losing hope for a dying world, or did we lose hope in ourselves, my ineffable?". They speak to someone describing them as a miracle too great to be spoken; ineffable. The last thing that they do is very scarily lament about them with love: "you were my ineffable". Not going to be trapped for long.

Tout comprendre: "To understand all..." there's nothing but silence here. The archetype of the ruler is sitting on the center. Ruling over the subjects, watching them, letting them die. With the visitor of the panopticon already very shaken. As if the people there are little toys, not to be played with, but collected, observed, locked.

Panic room: "S... O... S... Help... Me...". Johnny got his gun. Next in the front lines is enneagram five, of the hero/warrior archetype. A soldier. A disposable hero. By the lyrics, it seems like he's fidgeting, repeating words (which is called echolalia): "Tap tap tap, the window glass... My disconnected self... Self... It's self consuming". He is trapped in a dark room, panicking, watching through the window on the other side of the room. He is haunted by atrocities of war he was unfortunately a part of. He recalls atrocities that are too haunting to anyone who is around to listen. He recalls being shaken by the fact that he, in self defense took a life: "I took a life that takes mine". Laid inside a homeless nest, all the darkness comes alive, it drags him to the void. Trapped inside his memories.

RedivideЯ: "Mania starts off fun—not sleeping for days, keeping company with your brain, which has become a wonderful computer, showing 24 TV channels all about you. That goes horribly wrong after a while." Carrie Fisher. The next subject is enneagram seven, a Seeker, a person with bipolar disorder. All the lyrics here are perfectly palindrome, just like the title of the song. Best part? The palindrome mirroring happens to the perfect middle of the song: "I did, didn't I? I didn't, did I?". On top of the world, they feel big. Unstoppable. And unforgiving. "there is me, forgiving nothing, manic then depressive". They are perfectly symbolically split in half. "Sister moon, brother sun". The other half is small, weak, helpless, meek. "Depressive then manic, nothing forgiving me, is there...?". Trapped in switching between feeling like a god and feeling helpless in the face of god.

Nervosa: "I starved myself to feel in control, only to find myself losing control of everything" Unknown speaker. Next is enneagram three, a lover "I am haunted by a nonexistent lover; the specter, the ghost, the soul starving host", a sufferer of anorexia. "Look straight through me, look at the nightmare, behold your child, perfection; a rotting shell of atrophy". One of the most haunting stories. One that my family knows of. I have no words, I'll just let the song speak of its own greatness: "I am not my own reflection, I am not myself. I am not myself! No! I was gifted with the vision, but cursed to be the witness... Invisible to me...". A person haunted by their mirror, and trapped in a depleted body.

C'est Tout pardonner: "... Is to forgive all". The second half of the quote that inspired Garrett Russell to write this album. The archetype of the Innocent is floating inside the prison, seemingly liberating mentally the prisoners, maybe the visitor too.

Orphan: "Until my city stops crying, do not ask me to wipe away my tears." Moe Moussa. Next in the front line is enneagram nine, a simple Orphan, as the title suggests. Plagued by war, this orphan simply calls for action. "Singing songs of life, when all we know is death". Wherever you live, do not forget to help victims of war in any way you can. Donate, speak about it, protest. Just do something in your power. "Love will take hold","If love's a sin, I'll become a heretic". Let love take hold. Help those who are trapped in genocide. #freepalestine

No place to breathe: "Δεν έχω οξυγόνο" (=I have no oxygen) Tempi train disaster slogan. Second to last, this Rebel is of enneagram eight, and speaks of their own shackles, fascism. Reflecting the band's merch, the dear rebel says: "Make every breath a protest in a world where your neighbors cannot breathe". Do not forget to protest, people. There are many things to protest against, many causes to fight for. Just look around you. You are trapped in a world where your neighbors cannot breathe.

First father: "She's the soul of my soul." A father in Palestine who lost his daughter. This Sage and Hero speaks of death. One of the most universal pains. One that haunts me, my friends, my family, and my family's friends right now. The last subject, the enneagram one, seems to be a priest, or a religious leader of some sorts: "I'm a priest afraid to pray". He has been a harsh and legalist leader, but reformed after his loss: "You pulled me through time, to the edgeless night, I learned to love as you learned to die! I'll begin to feel again, and finish the chapter you couldn't write". "Candles in the dark, defiant to the night and shadow". He self admittedly struggles to feel for others, as his harsh inner critic dooms everyone involved. "Tongue tethered to the skeptic beating in my chest". But he wants to change. He will. Even if he's trapped in grief.

Inhabit the wound: "We inherit the earth, we inherit the war. I inhabit the wound, I dwell on the harm." Garrett Russell. The outro song is one of my favorites. Slowly but surely, they shake free from their prison. They gather around him. "The earth with a final gasp shook free from our inventions". "Nine lovers stumbled out from their shells of brokenness, they reached inside their roots to find the seeds born from their suffering". Now that they are free, they have one mission: To "Plant the tree of life inside the heart of the Machine". They only have one thing to cry out to the world: "REACH INSIDE! HEAL THE WOUND! MAKE US WHOLE!".

I adore this album. I was so fascinated to find out it revolves around the enneagram. The music, the storyline, it's just so theatrical, and I love it. It really became a part of me. Give it a listen. Infinity out of ten.

[iam-hypernova]

Alright. Time to talk abt one of my fav bands.

This is Invent, Animate's Everchanger (2014).

An album heavy on themes of grief, existential crisis, maybe even depression. This is a band that stands out from the standard metalcore scene, because of the more proggy riffing and ambient sounds integrated into a perfect musical collage. The music is filled with so much emotion, it helps build a coherent psychological profile for the narrator. For most of the album, it's angry and angsty, withdrawn, hopeless, but also very emotionally repressed. However, I want to dive deep into each song:

Sol: Referring to the Sun, and the note (G minor), it's the kickass starter of the album. It's already very angsty: "Don't believe in love, it will let you down, I believe in loss, when I hear the sound, the song in the distance". And then proceeds to cry out the most harrowing scream. A simple soft guitar riff along with the angsty guitars makes me imagine the protagonist screaming in a nightly forest. Lyrically, it's a lament. On how imperfect and cruel everything is. On how the protagonist suddenly finds himself in a lot of hurt and disappointment, longing for love he can't have. He feels like he want it all to end. For the dark to consume him. He's very angry "Pull me back into the dark, it's been calling me for years, it's been taking my time, and it's taking my life. Pull me back!". The song ends suddenly, the drums echo. But alas, it isn't over. A sad ambient melody plays, with an echoed effect, which feels like it's coming from the distance.

Naturehold: "TAKE NOTICE, THE EVERCHANGING IS ALL AROUND YOU! TAKE NOTICE, THE EVERLASTING IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!". Coming on strong, continuing the song in the distance left in the end of the precious track, this song is an anxiety attack. He can't process how everything around him, and even his own emotional world, changes ever so quickly and violently. Thus navigating his soul as if he's lost in a forest. Heavy themes of death are present, but aren't explored deeply yet. The protagonist merely understands and laments around the concept, instead of revealing what is going on exactly in his head. "As you fall and sink to the ground, some loved ones die, some loved ones fight to survive". He feels weak. He can't survive, and he can't control his emotions, they fully dictate his life at this point. "I've been under siege and overthinking it. Thinking endlessly and now I know the truth. Walls are meant to be broken down. It's all built to be broken down. FUCK!". While still blurry first time going in, it helps paint the picture of what actually happened to him even more.

Nocturne: Lost faith : He has no support system. As he said, "he lost the only crutch that he had". He's become cynical. Cold, dismissive of people. He has lost faith in everyone, including himself. "I lost faith in you. I lost faith in me". He tries to navigate the present hiding from people "draped in a cloak that hides my skin, but not my shame". He screams in doubt, revealing something big: "where do I turn when I question myself? Where do I turn when I lose someone else?"

Courier: And thus our fate ridden protagonist tries to establish his boundaries to the world. A world that has continuously disrespected them all his life. He keeps asking "Who's on my side?" in his mind. But he is done with questions. He wants to act. "I'm not answering questions anymore". While he still laments, he drops a big bomb: "I still have this message to send, the family tree is dead to me". He cut off his family. A family that once again, disrespects the message: "Return to sender".

Moon phase: He is completely lost. Wandering within the moonlight ridden forest with the dead weight off his back. This song marks the first positive turn for the album: He uses that change in his environment to navigate the forest. He finds potential for growth. "Wandering with no intention gave me a reason to stay and grow, I will not decay". However, he still doesn't feel like he's home. He doesn't know what that feels like, merely asks "Take me home" repeatedly. One more repeating phrase on this song is "I am the only constant". His conscience is the only constant in an everchanging psyche, environment, universe. He finds resolve and finds his home: "I will shift with the winds, and I will grow as my own. I am home". As if staring at the moon, after the tall trees hid it for too long. That resolve is his home.

Forest haven: But what now? He starts panicking about the future. He reluctantly starts looking forward instead of to the past, but it's scary. "Hold on, hold on! A future's what I fear!". He revisits his loss. Speaks to his loved one: "You made me, shaped me into exactly who I need to be. I don't wanna lose you, but I know I have to". He doesn't wanna let this carry on, he wants to face everything: "Onward! To the future I fear so much!"

The desperate are the calm: He is aware of how deep down he is. Hills, rabbit holes, mountains from above, trenches. He looks into the sky, desperate but tranquil. "Fall deeper with me, the further we fall, the more beauty we'll see". One with the audience, he repeatedly sings "reveal". He is locked out of the truth, since his grief repressed all the memories that are too painful. He unleashes his independent mind and dives right in, and calls the whole world to do so as well: "Uncage the free mind, unshackle the free hands". He wants to dive down. And the further he falls, the more beauty he'll see.

Native intellect: He has a mental breakdown. Facing the unknown completely and utterly breaks him. "I have so much faith in the fact that things will all go wrong, I'll never doubt that, I'll never doubt it again". His need for the truth and his need to survive are battling each other. "I need a chance to survive!". He acknowledges the outside world and speaks of how he wished he were different and better. "I know that I always assume the worst, but I know the world assumes the worst of me!". He surrenders himself to the truth: "Go on, expose the truth for what it is".

Half-Life: Strap on, this is a roller coaster. We find the protagonist young and idealistic, accompanied with his dear brother (Armin and Eren energy). As if they are together in the sunny forest. He warns him of the dangers of the world. He doesn't want him to stray too far. Like a big, protective brother would. They enjoy themselves and they plan for the future. They want to reach the sun, the sky, and make it theirs. In other words, they want to be free: "We are one, we are forever". They hug as one life. One whole life, one organism. Wait, the song title... And then his brother, along with the song, literally FADES...

Luna: The truth is out. His brother committed suicide. Our dear protagonist finally accepts his emotions, and lets them dance, like a white ballerina radiating sunlight in the night forest. This song, the closer of the album, is the first and last song of the album that isn't at all emotionally repressed. On the contrary, it's all led by emotions. Sadness, grief, love, all dance together like sparkles in the night sky. The lyrics may sound angry still, though. He completely breaks down in tears. He laments what could have been. The better life he could've had with his bro. "Despite what I've said, I'm not bitter, only regretful of the time we didn't spend, the laughs we didn't share... The brother you could have been".

Can you tell this album made me cry so much? It's a fucking masterpiece. While not strictly advertised as a concept album, the continuity is always there and brings the album together very intuitively. It's one of a kind, and it always feels like it's one level up the standard metalcore scene, at least for me. Infinity out of ten. Definitely give it a listen. Maybe it will change something in you, who knows.