- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Today we have Arsenic Addiction inaugurating our new Track-by-Track commentary section of Infernal Masquerade. If you wish to participate in this section please contact us through the Contact form of the site.
Having released “An Undertaker’s Lament” (read review here) several weeks ago, the band sat down and provided some nice commentary about the ideas and thoughts behind this album.
Track 1: Invocation
Definition: An incantation used in conjuring or summoning a devil.
We wanted to write invocation for several reasons, but most of all to set a mood or tone for not only the album but our live shows as well. We realized that many bands will kick off their album with a sound clip of some sort, or a well known instrumental piece. It definitely sets a certain mood, but we wanted to create our own atmosphere and something entirely unique to Arsenic Addiction. With a few songs already written for “An Undertaker’s Lament”, the mood for the overall album was already determined, with that mood in mind we decided the song should sound like an opening sermon or summoning if you will. So was born Invocation.
Track 2: Lady Death
Lady Death was actually the first song written for the album, and the first song we incorporated keyboards back into the band. This song definitely set the tone for the entire album, and trickled its way into all the other songs written after it. We view this song as a turning point in our musical careers, and the defining sound of what Arsenic Addiction is to become. The song is meant to be full of bitterness, a dreary disposition, and a haunting melody. This song is loosely based on Countess Bathory, and written from her perspective but goes much further into this kind of dark matter then a history lesson.
Track 3: Narcissus
This song is an older Arsenic Addiction song that we felt never go its due. The song was written to immortalize the selfishness of one individual, and was written for no other reason then to get that point across. The strings are meant to be up-paced, thrash influenced, with your classic heavy metal riffs. The lyrics are meant to be delivered with spite and venom, and the drums aggressive driving the song and binding all the elements together. Narcissus is meant to be an in your face, heavy hitter, and nothing more.
Track 4: The Black Lullaby
Sweet Misery, this song is about someone being infatuated or in love with their misery or the misery of others. It’s meant to be soothing and melodic, as misery is to one who enjoys it. This song is vocally driven, and takes a lead from Broadway musicals with the overlapping differing vocals. “Misery loves tragedy, but tragedy loves pain. Misery loves company, but tragedy loves nothing.” This song is difficult to break down musically and in its meaning. The lyrics were written entirely before the music was, and the music was written piece by piece complementing the meaning of the lyrics. Beyond this we’re not sure what to say about The Black Lullaby other than it is the lullaby of a sweet good-bye and hello.
Track 5: Valor
The whole album has the underlining theme of death, but death is not always sorrow and pain. Valor is meant to be our anthem, our battle cry, our unity, the band standing together through all things, us against the world. We are extremely proud of Valor not only musically, but lyrically, and emotionally.
Track 6: Dearly Beloved
I’m not certain if one could tell from listening to Dearly Beloved, but this song is influenced the most by classical music and symphony. Replace the guitars with violins and cellos, and I bet you could imagine what we mean. The song is a story from two different points of views, total oppositions, the view of a man and a woman. We believe in all aspects of life and it’s hard to think from a different point of view than your own and we wanted to give both sides their turn. Vocals deliver the story while the guitars, drums, and bass give this song a bit of elegance while both are trying to get the other to see that there is no other way than their own, because they have no choice.
Track 7: Scream of the Banshee
This song is the fastest paced on the album, and not without reason. This song is meant to be eerie, aggressive, and have an unrelenting feeling of impending death or violence. It’s meant to give you the feeling of running from something, in this case the Banshee or Death. With lyrics in hand, and trying to create the right feeling and musical atmosphere this song was actually the most difficult to write, yet strangely enough was written in the least amount of time compared to the others songs.
Track 8: Benediction
Benediction is the closing song on the album, and the end to the introduction song Invocation. They are meant to sound similar because they are the beginning and the end, and like most good stories, the album ends where it began. Benediction is a closing prayer or ending to a service or worship. The song is meant to sound as though it could be playing in some ancient cathedral in a midnight mass or funeral.
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