1. |
Perceptions (Overture)
06:06
|
|||
2. |
The Grindstone
06:43
|
|||
|
Artificial light, hidden from the sky
Vision failing, strained and reddened eyes
Furrows on the brow, ache from within
Posture wilted, arthritis setting in
This place is Tartarus, withering the mind and heart
Being punished for being alive, helplessly falling apart
Slave to the grindstone, chained to the wheel
Wills broken, souls become part of the machine
Each of these days are all the same
Lifeless faces without a name
Trapped in circles of sheer dismay
Poisoning lives with a haze of grey
Moving pieces around the board
Wishes are memories, all dreams are ignored
Seconds on the screen ticking away
As time drifts away, to the end of the day
Every evening, worn out, passion drained
Nothing to be done, nothing to be gained
Lifeless shells recline, shutting down for the night
Filled with apathy, never put up a fight
One has had enough, pressure rising up
Though these times are tough, one will stand up
Slave to the grindstone, chained to the wheel
Wills broken, souls become part of the machine
Pebbles ground to dust, expendable parts made of joyless hearts
Molded to the square hole, longing to be free from misery
Longing for release, patience wearing thin
Hoping for the revolution to begin
The rules are set in stone, with no hope for change
Shackled to the wheel, crying out in vain
One has had enough, the cuffs have worn away too much
Pressure rising up, the damage has been done
Though these times are tough, one will stand up to it all
Opens the bottom drawer, reaches for a gun
|
||||
3. |
One Step From Perfection
05:28
|
|||
|
Enjoy your evening out, my love
Let me know when you'll be home next
I'll stay in and wait for you to come home
Smelling like someone else
I was so satisfied, I'd do anything for you
Life was beautiful, milk and honey-dew
If you ever needed me, any hour, any day
When you turned around, I would be standing there
Can I come out with you, my love?
It would be nice to give it a try
I can make up a story now to explain
This black eye
I was so satisfied, I'd do anything for you
Life was beautiful, milk and honey-dew
If you ever needed me, any hour, any day
If I could talk to you, I would tell you
Living with you makes me insane, my emotions tattered and torn
Giving you all that I can, met with fury and scorn
I'm tired of your selfish ways, you're a spiteful hypocrite
Sleeping around behind my back, you venomous piece of shit
My obsession, a hypnotic infatuation
An infection, a selective vision of you
My perception, an omission of degradation
Absolution, only one step from perfection
Have I not done enough, my love
To make you not want to be apart
I can't stay away from you, to escape
To be free of your blackened heart
It would be wonderful, if you were honest with me
Stop defending, trying to disagree
And for just a second, listen to what I have to say
Would you turn around, don't you dare walk away
|
||||
4. |
My Cage
05:13
|
|||
|
In his cage of steel, the engine gives motion
Is this the beginning or the end of his journey?
How would this stranger feel if he knew his end was near
Would he live his life or would he just worry?
Limitless possibilities, horizon calls
Ambition or wasted life, darkness falls
In her cage of concrete on the seventh floor
Washing dishes somberly, automated, hypnotised
Does she have a partner, close friends, family?
What does she dream when she closes her eyes
Edges of the atlas, white boundaries
Is life for living and creating memories
Is there passion for more or are they content?
Recharge with emptiness
My den with my voice
The tension, the pressure, I can't breathe
I want to be where I can live alone, no one to disagree
Fragility, the solitude I've known against a desire to be
Chorus:
My sanity requires a void, the safety of isolation
Society, something that I can't avoid, panic from anticipation
I don't know that I could ever go on, without these four walls around me
People below, it's like an open prison
If it wasn't for the world, I'd be free
Recharge with emptiness
My den with my voice
The outside is out there
This cage is my choice
The tension, the pressure, I can't breathe
In my cage of bricks, staring through the window
Maybe I should seize the day, but my solitude is my escape
|
||||
5. |
Patterns
04:57
|
|||
|
Staring at the yellowed paper
Headline: 'GENOCIDE'
Fatalities, casualties, several million died
Just another horrid cautionary tale
Voices from the past, from the dead
From those who failed
Pixels on the tablet screen
Headline: 'MASSACRE'
Public shooting, people murdered, no time to cry
Mankind is dezensitized
Time repeating again and again
What will it take to open our eyes
To the patterns repeating again
Humanity, guided by terror
Fallacy, better than our elders
History, a catalogue of errors
Destiny, to repeat the same mistakes until the end
Never ends, once again, the fall of man
We let it happen, we may as well have pulled the pin
No use pretending, we are all guilty as sin
It's time for us to go
We don't deserve to be top of this planet's food chain
Surely by now we should know
We will destroy ourselves before we learn our lesson
|
||||
6. |
Insects
08:46
|
|||
|
Part I - Ants Underfoot
(Born)
We're all born the same as each other, treated as a target to achieve
(Raised)
Blank canvasses to project upon, indoctrinated by the naive
(Done)
Too young to choose your own beliefs, too late to make your own opinion
(Self)
Too deaf to hear that you could be wrong
(Aware)
Too blind to see that you should listen
Stupid breeds stupid
(Born)
We're all born the same as each other,
Carrying the genetics of our mother
(Grown)
Products of micro-evolution, mistakes are yet to be discovered
(Done)
Which parts of you are of your design?
Which parts were there from the beginning?
(Self)
Can you admit you're responsible?
(Aware)
Can you accept there's something missing?
Each one deciding that their way is right
Monochrome thinking, it's black or it's white
I'm surrounded by idiots and fools, opinionated egos
If I were a bigger man
I would crush them like ants under my boot
At each others throats, from sports to politics
An infestation of deplorable...
No way they're wrong, not possible in their mind
Selfish obtuse morons, these are the worst of our kind
-------------
Part II - One Of The Hive
Working hard to be seen, guided by the silver screen
Carbon copies, mannequin dolls
Become independent by following the trend
Misshapen in your own skin
Desperate to fit in
In order to stand out
We're all just one of the hive
Trying to live a life
To a plan of their divine design
Pictures in the magazines
Dictating people's dreams
Must-have names, designer brands
Lead us by the hand
A mirror machine, a heinous industry
Everywhere we go, rammed down our throats
Just be different, independent
Ignore the fashions, instead just wear what you like
Be an individual, changing isn't difficult
Drop the names, become your own, be just like me
-------------
Part III - Cocoon
Looking back at how I judged
I was no better than the rest
Seeing my error, I took myself aside and a had a word
Changed the way I saw the world
Chose to see only the best
Never again would I be angry, no matter who they were
I took the time to make myself
A better person than before
Everyone should do the same then we'd all get along
(If I can change then, why can't everybody /
Else needs to change their ways, they're holding us back)
Let's be better people
I'm a better person
(For the sake of each other can't you change your personalities)
Now I'm your model personality
(For the sake of each other change your personality)
|
||||
7. |
Reason For Being
03:59
|
|||
|
A lion, hunts a gazelle in order to survive
The lion, does not concern itself with reasons why
A drop in the ocean of time, era: holocene
Emerge as the species prime, what are we meant to be?
If there was a goal for our kind, a target to achieve, humanity would advance so far beyond our current status. But without a reason to come together as a united community we turn inwards and destroy ourselves, fighting for personal gain at the expense of each other, a true waste of the gift of conscious thought that only our species has.
Why can't we find our reason for being
Instead of blindly marching on
Burdened by our sentient nature
We're alone
Some need to believe there's more to come after we die
Others don't care what comes next as long as they're alive
Is there a true creator, watching from afar
Out there beyond our galaxy, has he left us to expire?
What is the point of our flesh and bones?
What's the need of being alive?
Our smallness in the universe
Is there a reason we should try?
|
||||
8. |
Super Star
05:42
|
|||
|
Part I - Chasing Escape
The music plays, increase in tempo
A burst of stamina, ready to play
Elation hits, feel untouchable
This is how you want to feel, every day
Amplifying confidence, rocket fuel
To satisfy the social itch, powdered jewels
When the stars come out at night, falling into your hands
Holding on so tight for the next dance
So vulnerable, a knight without armour
Without the stellar coat, you can't feel
The edges blur between this world and the haze
In this life you never feel that you're real
Gaze upon sights never seen, electric square
Floating through a waking dream, true nightmare
When the stars come out at night, falling into your hands
Holding on so tight, letting go was never the plan
This is not a video game, you cannot be revived
You're not invincible, there are no extra lives
Do you know it isn't real, there is no super star
Anchor down to this world before you go too far
-------------
Part II - Call From The Veil
Don't mistake reality, ignore it's calling, let it be
(Come behind the veil, set yourself free)
Back again, let's play, old friend
Feel it in your soul, a jigsaw complete
This is what you want, this is what you need
Stay here on this side of the veil, chasing that feeling, you will fail
I am your life, this is real life
Supplemental energy, hangover
Chemical dependency, game over
|
||||
9. |
Time To Live
06:36
|
|||
|
At the moment every soul is born, his lifeless hand turns over the glass
As grains begin to tumble down, you can hear his haunting laugh
There's an ache within my being, when I lay awake in bed
Fulfilment of my purpose laid to rest
These bones won't last forever, they're subject to the sands
I'll use them while I've got them, while I can
When I'm looking back through the book of my memories
I don't want to see times wasted by complacency
Around me I see life decay, happiness in stagnancy
Home at five, in bed for eight, and I'm glad that isn't me
They say there's only one life, no rewind or undo
We have no way of knowing if it's true
So I'll live life to its fullest, burn the candle at both ends
Until I see him coming round the bend
I won't regret what I have done, I will regret what I don't do
There is no second chance for me to start anew
When it's time to say goodbye, I want to close my eyes and know
I wouldn't change the things I chose so long ago
(Take the time to live each moment, don't miss out on life for living)
Every time I fall asleep, I dream I should be doing something else
I keep running out of fumes, should I ever stop to take a breath?
I can sleep when I die, but I can't live like this
As I'm chased by the scythe looming over my shoulder
I won't look behind me, I don't want to see
His face staring back at me
Uncertainty hanging over my head, when will my hourglass be empty?
Can I be free from the expectations, from the need to live and not just be
Apologies for wasting my time, for existing, for not taking the leap
Mortality, crushing pressure to live, like I'm holding the heavens
I won't regret what I have done, I will regret what I don't do
There is no second chance for me to start anew
When it's time to say goodbye, I want to close my eyes and know
I wouldn't change the things I chose so long ago
(Take the time to live each moment, don't miss out on life for living)
Take the time
|
||||
10. |
The Cost Of Living
04:25
|
|||
|
There's a house on the hill, a seven bedroom residence
Unoccupied three-sixty-four
Just a holiday home, a peacocking of decadence
Barely remembered anymore
Well dressed and clean shaven, inflated salary
An offshore tax haven, prosperity
There's a man on the street, with seven pennies in his cup
Sleeping outside three-sixty-five
He's committing a crime, just so he could be locked up
To eat a meal, be warm and dry
Jobless, emaciated, cycle of poverty
Homeless, uneducated, inequity
The blood, the sweat, the tears from our eyes
The years of our lives, the cost of living
Our wants, our thoughts, our cares set aside
No room for our pride, unforgiving
There are people in charge, behind the door of number ten
Ignoring all the malcontent
Shaping rules for themselves, decide what we can have and when
No ability to represent
Democracy dictating, prioritise the one percent
Self congratulating, our government
The blood, the sweat, the tears from our eyes
The years of our lives, the cost of living
Our wants, our thoughts, our cares set aside
No room for our pride, unforgiven
Protesters fill the streets, cries for equality
Twisted by the media, replaced with a fallacy
Safe in their ivory towers, high above the battlefield
Puppeteers turn their deaf ears, to petrol bombs and riot shields
Society suffers wounds that never heal
Corruption drawing blood to fund their every deal
How much more will we take
They're given more than we can make
The blue of blood, the silver spoons with all the green
It's time we said no more
RIOT!
|
||||
11. |
Storm Clouds
10:41
|
|||
|
Part I - Sinking
There's many shades of black but the darkest is invisible
Storm clouds envelope me in a sphere that's inescapable
The rains fall down, surrounding me, water rises up to my head
Locked inside without a key, I feel familiar dread
Room with no door, can't feel the sun on my skin anymore
Storm is all around me, I can't ever break free
Please rescue me, help me
Weather beaten inside, was there ever clear sky?
Believe me, life is full of suffering, to care is smothering, I can't go on
Relieve me from the inhumanity, it breaks my sanity to carry on
Sinking, I'm drowning, the ebb is pulling me under
Save me from myself, save me from this misery
With everyday, I grow more tired of drifting
Do or don't, I'll end up failing
It has to end, I can't stay here just existing
Never more, I close my eyes, exhaling
It drags me down into the abyss
The dark is peace, unending bliss
I try to sink but I float away
Something inside is making me stay
The waves subside, the surface stills, the water reflects back at me
My duplicate quiets me, who's confronting me?
Here's a mirror of myself desperate to connect with me
Tell me something, mirror man, what have you to say? Speak!
Save me from the waves because I want to live
There is another way to see the world
Out of this blackened dome of stupefying
Isolation
Hear these words I tell you
I can't let you drag us downward
You don't have to spend a life in such a hopeless
World gone so wrong
-------------
Part II - The Plateau
Slow down, breath in, focus, listen
Stop living life with this weighted perspective
Trapped in a ball of dismay, disconnected
It's all a dream
A creative way to explain the wish for absolution
I am just what I seem
A troubled man with no reason to address delusion
That's when his outstretched hand took hold of mine
Lifted me high up above the sky line
Stillness surrounds this plateau
Behold! Your life laid below
Wind sweeps your storms asunder
Baring the beauty under
Seeing unveiled a new sensation, how could I possibly feel so low
Living seemed like a complication
Witness the beauty, so hard to believe
This is a grand illusion, that is not real
Just like in magazines, selling me advertisements for paradise, show the reveal
Fake like on television, I can not believe
Shadows split, the clouds are parted, I can see all the trees in the forest
With this fresh perspective we could live a life where everyone can enjoy the
Wonders of the world in technicolour, there's the beauty I was promised
If we all stay up here on this plateau we'd be free, I have to believe
That's when I saw where my life ran aground
Vision from childhood were buried underground
Stolen, the essence of youth
Given, the sight of truth
Forgotten the time of wonder
Chased by the sound of thunder
Reigns of responsibility
Tethered while our eyes are blinded by the sun
It's not what they said it was to be
Exhausted from the lies, it's over, now I'm done
-------------
Part III - Resolution
Innocence, gone away
All the time that I lost
Missed connections from the paths that never crossed
My reflection made me see the world anew
Joy and spectacle across the land
I spent too long with a jaded point of view
Those times are gone, now it's time to make a stand
Here today, the storm will give way
It's time to leave these clouds behind, and clear the sky
I will see what I choose to see
This is my new perspective, this is my battle cry
Sight is mine, none more divine
Worlds of colour to discover
From this day I will keep the storm at bay
When I feel it closing in, I'll sweep the clouds away
|
||||
Chromatic Eye Glasgow, UK
Progressive rock and metal grown in Orkney, released in Glasgow.
If you like Chromatic Eye, you may also like:
featured on Bandcamp Radio Oct 27, 2023
go to album
The Indonesian act Kekal leaves no genre unturned, colliding black metal with industrial music with melodic post-rock on this stunning LP.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Aug 5, 2022
go to album
Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers
by Seven Nines and Tens
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jan 7, 2022
go to album
The Acoustic Verses [2021 Remaster]
by Green Carnation
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jan 7, 2022
go to album
The Australian prog band channels the chaos of climate change into powerful songs that juxtapose beauty with unpredictable brutality.
go to album
Chronicle: Prologue
by Mountain Caller
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jul 9, 2021
go to album
