What if its a concept album about the last 9 months in the band's lives?
On the backs of Angels - represents their previous happiness about their lives after recording BC&SL, this is just the last 5 minutes of TCOT replayed over again to get people in a good mood about the album
Build me up, break me down - MP calls them all into have a discussion, leading them on to think he has some great news, such as he won't be doing growls anymore, (the band members spirits are lifted by this news!) but then tells them hes leaving (break me down). the band is devestated. the first half of this song will feature very happy music (even voice samples of MP's ANTR vocals in the background), before fading off to a slow moving ballad.
Lost not forgotten - A ballad about Mike and all they had been through, shows the band members dissapointment about him leaving. features JM singing, starting off with some slow remorseful singing, before we know it he is belting out screams remiscent of Rob Halford in Painkiller
This is the life - a song in the vain of "Friday" by RB, this shows the "partyin" lifestyle of the band (after their divorce with Mike, they went out to heaps of clubs and got drunk every night and stuff). Features some terrible lyrics, this is the single of the album. Gets wide radio play and causes DT to break through into the mainstream.
The shaman's trance - The band decides to have auditions, however no-one shows up so the Wizard must put a trance on MM, forcing him to be the bands new drummer. A dark scary song with some tribal chanting
Outcry - after announcing MP, much of the fanbase is devestated by the news. There is global rioting, some cities are burned to the ground. This isn't so much a "song" as a recording of angry protesters shouting curses on the streets, accompanied by a music video filmed by JP from his window
Far from heaven - a slow depressing song, basically the band are depressed and basically just dunno what to do next
Breaking all illusions(intro track)/beneath the surface - With rioters taking over the world in some kind of apocalypse, the band (just the 4 guys, as MM had been captured and sacrificed in outcry) gather together in a room to say their goodbyes to each other. Then, they realise what they truly are "beneath the human surface". breaking their illusions as humans, they transform into their alternate personalities, raging through the streets of new york. The Bear, the ninja, the wizard and the pirate rampage through the streets, killing innocent civilians, before finally the crowd realises they can't win and the fighting stops. this track is an epic, very heavy and dark, featuring Mikeal Akerfeldt (thats why he doesn't want growls on heritage, he put his everything into this track and never wants to hear another growl in his life).