The $5.98 TAC EP Roulette V.4 Final Results

[TAC]

Guess a letter, man.

[The Walrus]

S for Stop bossing me around 

[faizoff]

D

[TAC]

WOLF-MAN


1.   Evergrey – The Awakening
2.   Evergrey – King of Errors
3.   UDO-_o__
4.   Dream Evil – Evilution
5.   Evergrey – A Touch of Blessing
6.   Lord – Reborn
7.   __re__nd – Back To The Throne
8.   Eluveitie - King
9.   Sepultura – Arise
10.   Mors Principium Est – _onster _n _e
11.   Trivium – Betrayed
12.   Trivium – Se_er T_e _and
13.   Mors Principium Est – T_e A_aken_n_
14.   Mors Principium Est– Departure
15.   In Flames – Art__a_ts O_ T_e __a_k Ra_n
16.   So__t_on .45 – _ea__ __es T_e _ro_n



DORK TANPES

[Lethean]

mors principium est

[Lethean]

Could one be Eluveitie?

[The Walrus]

O

[jingle.boy]

UDO

<Some band> - Betrayed
Dream Evil - Evolution

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Trivium?

[Crow]

In Flames

[TAC]

Updated!

[faizoff]

Gonna take a wild guess that one track is called Departure

[jingle.boy]

Lord / Reborn

[TAC]

Gonna take a wild guess that one track is called Departure

You sure?

[Lethean]

King for the Eluveitie track.

How about an N

[wolfking]

You guys rippin' through my bands here.

The last two are a power metal band and a melodic death metal band.

[faizoff]

(band) - _a_k T_ T_e T_r_ne


Walk to the throne?

[TAC]

Close Faizoff.

[faizoff]

Disregard...
I need to get some sleep.

[faizoff]

Back to the throne
or Jack to the throne.

[TAC]

It's Back, jack.

[Lethean]

Solution 45

[Lethean]

The Awakening

Monster in Me?

[faizoff]

Mors Principium Est – T_e A_aken_n_
Is this also The Awakening?

Mors Principium Est – _onster _n _e
Mors Principium Est - The Monster In Me ?

[faizoff]

The Awakening

Monster in Me?

Dang, same thought process posted seconds apart.

[TAC]

WOLF-MAN


1.   Evergrey – The Awakening
2.   Evergrey – King of Errors
3.   UDO-Holy
4.   Dream Evil – Evilution
5.   Evergrey – A Touch of Blessing
6.   Lord – Reborn
7.   Firewind – Back To The Throne
8.   Eluveitie - King
9.   Sepultura – Arise
10.   Mors Principium Est – Monster In Me
11.   Trivium – Betrayed
12.   Trivium – Sever The Hand
13.   Mors Principium Est – The Awakening
14.   Mors Principium Est– Departure
15.   In Flames – Artifacts Of The Black Rain
16.   Solution .45 – Heavy Lies The Crown

[faizoff]

Cool

[TAC]

Here is Wolfking's:

Crown of Thorns - Story

Ambicatus wakes to another Wednesday morning and looks out at the rising morning sun.   He goes through his regular morning routine and heads for another day at work.  Ambicatus or Kat as he normally likes to go by was 35 and lived a quiet, simple life.  He never really had any dreams or ambitions, but just sort of floated through life.  He was smart, skilled but working in an important firm that he never thought he would be doing when he was a boy.  He grew up in a rather loveless household, his mother and father never showed much affection towards each other.  He got whatever he wanted however.  He hated his name.  For some reason, his parents loved old roman mythology and even his mother had some background or ancestry ties from that area.  He despised it and he always felt his confidence was never quite where it was due to this.  The name means back in ancient roman times along the lines of  ‘king of the world.’

As his years went on he was becoming more and more lost in his life.  He had a successful job, but he was beginning to question everything and just felt like he was making mistakes time and time again in life.  Everything he did or try through his years felt like errors.  His daily routine was crushing his soul and he was feeling more and more empty.  Every day was feeling more and more like wasted time.   He felt like some sort of king or errors.  In his work life however, he was the king.  He was tremendous at his job and put his whole life into it.  He had so many people relying on him and he was leading people every day and so many depended on him and respected him.  As time went by in this job though, the more he feels his time is wasted.  His perspective was changing.  He enjoyed the responsibility and being in charge, even though he was dying inside.  His work was all he had and he’s realised after so many years, putting in for the higher powers in his work was a mistake.  He was getting used and abused but took so much pride in his work and helping the people around him.   So many people over the years had burnt him after he helped them though and it was taking a toll. It was coming to a point where he needed more.  They call him a king, but are watching him fall down broken without even knowing it.  Funny though as many people long to be in the position of power he was in.

One day Kat met with a potential business client named Dirk.  He was a friendly chap and Kat took to him right away.  Their initial business meetings and transactions went very smoothly.  Once their business deals had secured, Dirk wanted to buy Kat a coffee to say thanks to a new long business relationship ahead.  Dirk asked Kat about his work and how long he’d been doing it as he can see how professional and skilful he is at his work and leading his team around.  Kat mentioned how things are good but personally, he’s getting a bit stale.  Dirk took the opportunity to ask him to a church service and asked if he’d considered any kind of religion in his life.  Kat immediately dismissed it and laughed it off.   He’d never been to a church in his life.  Dirk left him with a flyer to his service which was on Sunday night.  He told him to think about it.  Dirk’s real name was Antumnos, so he related to Kat, especially in the name department.

The Friday of that week he had a horrible day and it was all too much.  He went home alone that night like he always does and turned on the sport channel and sat down to a meal.  He put his work folders on the table and the flyer for Dirk’s church service fell out.  He looked at it and pondered.  Sunday night came around and he decided to go.  Kat didn’t know any different but this wasn’t the normal church service.  Dirk captivated Kat.  He felt a strong connection to him.  He raised his hands and bowed down to him.  He immediately became the holy one.  Kat, went back to work the next day even more depressed than ever.  The holy one and what he was giving him was all he could think about.  Every week he would go back and get more and more of an affliction towards him.  Kat was a smart guy but little did he know he was getting brainwashed.  One week Dirk personally asked Kat to be the man he should be, stand up and leave.  To stand by him eternally.  He told him his heart belonged with him and his followers and his religion.  Kat was getting involved in some sort of religious cult.  This was evilution at its finest.  Kat was ready.  He quit his job and basically cut himself off from everybody.   This was the greater journey he was looking for.  Any dreams he did have were cut short and any friends he did have, were dead to him.  He had officially been brainwashed into this cult.  It was beautiful though to Kat and a beauty he thought he would never find.  He had left and was practicing in this cult far away night and day.  He felt more powerful than ever and the people around him were gracious and loved him.  He was reborn.  The old story and old chapter was closed, this is the new life he was looking for.  Little did he know this was all leading to something devastating but for now, Kat had a new life and was a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Time went on and Dirk saw so much potential in Kat.  He even looked at him as his next in line, his second in charge, his main and number one loyal servant.  Other members looked up to him and felt the same.  This was no surprise given his old life and the reason Dirk recruited Kat.  What they were working on was a terrorist like operation looking to try and destroy mankind to rule the earth over time.  Dirk wanted to be God and wanted Kat as his King, firing his shots.  The operation was in full swing but Kat still had time to gain respect from everyone.  Everyone were starting to worship Kat and he was slowly making his way towards the throne and king like status once again.  He was loving getting the power ruling the minions and he felt he once again had to take control. 

After time, he worked and worked and became the king Kat.  Dirk was thrilled and ready to put his plan into action.  Kat felt power like never before, and was worshiped, he was ready to conquer and their plan was about to get into action.  They were going to rule the world.
With their army of soldiers, they attacked in an apocalyptic clash.  Cities were falling and mankind was slowly getting destroyed.  Land was destroyed and the earth was getting old and destroyed.  No religious intervention would do anything.  Kat, Dirk and their army were taking over everything, no other army could stop them. 

Near the end of this campaign, Kat looked around smiling but something came over him.  He was in the town of old and where he worked in his previous life and a place where he spent 15 hours of every day had just been destroyed.   At that moment he couldn’t believe what he had done.  He had become a monster and that night could not sleep.  All he could see were faces of the ones he had destroyed.  Haunted by voices and cannot fathom what he had become.  He could not undo what had been done and knew all of this was not what it was and that he had been tricked and used as a pawn.  Once again visions of people in his other job has come back around again.  Again people have used and abused him and taken advantage of him.  These people didn’t care, this was all a hoax.

Kat decided to confront Dirk about everything.  He calls him out as a betrayer.  He scolds him and says he knew what he was doing all along.  Kat was not going to be a victim anymore for him.  He felt like a fool but no more.  He could never forgive him for this.  Dirk laughed and told Kat he was under his power and nothing will change that.  He dismisses him and tells him to go away and that he will continue to do as he says, to continue the campaign.  He says this was never about Kat, just Kat doing the work to make Dirk the world leader so his religion and army ruled forever.

That night, Kat again was lying awake.  Crying because he knows the power that Dirk has had over him.  He needs to free himself from this once and for all, but how.  He feels again, his errors are coming back to haunt him.  Life is burning him alive.  He feels like a noose or a leash is choking him, he needs to sever his ties from this once and for all.  He needs to be free, and the continuous feeling a life burning him alive made it all boil over.  He has an awakening that he can free himself from this power. 

Kat, wakes Dirk and starts beating him.  He just wants him to feel the pain that he is feeling in one way or another.  He can’t control what he’s doing, he meant to just talk to him but he can’t control himself or his rage.  The temptation of attacking him is too much.  All the burning anger and hate comes out.  He looks at him and simply can’t forgive him for everything he’s made him do and put him through.  He has moments while he is doing this of love, conflicting thoughts of just wanting to hug worship and love the one he calls his leader and god.  He keeps beating him however and realises soon after he had killed him.  He never meant to kill him, but lays him down, gives him one final kiss of the forehead and covers his body. 
Kat is now free.  Others soon see what he has done to their god but they do nothing.  He was a king but simply walk away.  The power Dirk had destroyed this religion and this army.  Some soldiers kill themselves, some try and start a new life with what’s left, others, who knows.  Kat just walks away.

It’s night and Kat is still walking.  Looking at the full moon lit over the destroyed cities and bodies on the ground.  He walks through one building.  Empty galleries with artefact like remains of black rain.  He can’t stand to witness the devastation.  He becomes a misanthrope, disgusted with the human race and all human nature.  He walks into the wood, where he simply lays down and prays for any kind of death.  He prays for any God that is left to take him. 
Kat realises then that no matter what crown he wears, the weight is close to unbearable.  Looking around, everything that has happened is because of the crown on his head.  A heavy crown of thorns.  He actually thinks back to his old life and realises how much worse this has all become.  Maybe his old life wasn’t too bad.  He thought he had it bad back then, but that was nothing.  Perhaps in life he had everything right in front of him, he just didn’t know it.  Was his crown all that heavy to begin with?  Or did he himself make the weight unbearable by his own hand.  He only has himself to blame. This makes him more frustrated and angry.  Life lessons yet all too late.  Messages he can’t even pass on to anyone.  Is this Kat’s final goodbye?  Does he end it all, looking up to the bright moon looking for answers crying to the gods.  Or does he continue?  Looking around he has no one, it’s over, but the thought of being king with some sort of crown again in any aspect no matter how heavy makes him get up and keep walking, pondering which way to go.

[TAC]

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GVsYC8wUwJfbpR3uJfOL7?si=7XtA9tZXTA-m_rZud79A3Q

Tracklist;

1.   Evergrey – The Awakening
2.   Evergrey – King of Errors
3.   U.D.O. – Holy
4.   Dream Evil – Evilution
5.   Evergrey – A Touch of Blessing
6.   Lord – Reborn
7.   Firewind – Back to the Throne
8.   Eluveitie - King
9.   Sepultura – Arise
10.   Mors Principium Est – Monster in Me
11.   Trivium – Betrayer
12.   Trivium – Sever the Hand
13.   Mors Principium Est – The Awakening
14.   Mors Principium Est – Departure
15.   In Flames – Artefacts of the the Black Rain
16.   Solution .45 – Heavy Lies the Crown


Song breakdown and thoughts

I’m not much of a story teller but there is a lot of this story that is somewhat about me in the beginning.  Obviously before the part where he meets Dirk and joins a cult I based upon myself.  A bit lost in life, good at my job with a lot of people dependant on me, yet in the last year, realised everything in my life, the hours I work and what I do for my career is all my own fault.  Is it worth it?  What have I done?  Am I in too deep?  Can I ever change?  I’ll get to the moral of the story but let me go through the songs first and why I chose them.

Evergrey – The Awakening/King of Errors

I know Evergrey isn’t the smartest band to put on here but the 2 songs I love and are pretty important parts of the story IMO.  This obviously starts things off and this is a top 3 Evergrey song for me.  The atmosphere is brilliant.  The sets the mood of Kat realising his life is hollow and pondering if the moves that he has made in his 35 years have been wrong.  He’s respected, but dying inside and empty.   This song is important due to the word ‘king.’  Especially in the Awakening where the first line is ‘we’ve crowned a king with no soul.’  This represents the importance in his role yet he feels that emptiness with his feelings and emotions getting less and less by the day.  The paragraph of the Awakening is the self doubt, the mind telling you you’re wrong.   With King of errors.  Again ‘crowned a king with no soul.’  I like the line ‘no one left to fault.’ Realising it’s all his own doing.  The chorus is important too. ‘They call us king, then watch us fall down broken.  Lost right to the throne, then crown the king of errors.’   This is very relevant to me and what I’ve put across in the story too.  Or what I’ve tried to.  Praised at work, but falling down slowly, broken.  Lost in life and realising everything possibly has been a mistake.  I do really like Tom on this one, and as I said, the atmosphere is great and the chorus is powerful.


U.D.O. – Holy

This is where Kat meets Dirk and starts to attend his meetings and realises he’s some sort of messiah.  This one is pretty self explanatory with the story.  Lines like ‘I’m taking over,’ ‘now you’re mine,’ ‘you’ll be mine,’ ‘raise your hands.’  Pretty simple this one.  This is a great song with a stomping rhythm yet kind of laid back and unassuming.  I think the unassuming mood fits the part of the story of Dirk trying to start to control Kat.  It builds up in the solo section where I feel is the song exploding a bit translating to Kat submitting to Dirk’s power.  Cool tune.


Dream Evil – Evilution

Just a cracker of a power metal song this one.  The powerful driving rhythm I think represents Dirk finally getting hold of Kat and putting it all on the line to him and gaining his control.   Some important lines here are, ‘it’s time to be the man, the man you see in your dreams.’ Basically saying he has wasted his life and this is where he should be.  ‘stand by me, eternally.’ Self explanatory. ‘Your heart belongs with us.’ Again gaining full control and brainwashing.  The Satan kneel part is cool too and works well.  Great band, great vocals, catchy melodies.



Evergrey – A Touch of Blessing

Again Evergrey, I know.  This is where Kat basically disconnects from everyone to join this cult.  Obviously the mood is a bit darker after the Dream Evil but portrays the sadness of Kat cutting off his old life and people he knows, so abruptly.  You’ll notice the line, ‘crown me king and be my servants.’  Again, the crown and the king comes up very relevant to the story.  This line kind of gives off that already he has visions of being high up in this organisation, from a leadership point of view.  ‘Their arms wide open, willing to take me in.’ Obvious line which is relevant.  ‘All the dreams I had, put aside for a higher journey, left my friends so coldly.’  As you can see the lyrics are very relevant.  One thing I like is the guitar solo.  This part sounds like the final conversion from his old life to his new one.  It’s interesting Tom plays the solo so having him sing the lyrics plus the play solo I think works quite nicely in the scheme of the story.  Not confident you’ll like this one, but it has to be there.



Lord – Reborn

The trashiness of this one represents the title of the song, Kat’s new life and he finally feels fulfilled and reborn.  The lyrics are very relevant to his conversion.  I won’t go through the lyrics as the whole thing works.  I will say the line ‘old ties ripped and severed,’ is perfect.  Fucking monster song with riffs galore and shred galore.  Great melodies too and Lord Tim’s wailing vocals.



Firewind – Back on the Throne

This is a cool little tune with some nice shred from Gus G.  Not much to mention here but this is the part where he is working his way up the chain and gaining more and more respect from his fellow man in the organisation.  Simply about the journey of that and taking the time, working towards that leader type status which he still seems to yearn for. The line ‘and he’s gotta take control,’ seems to see that even though he’s started a new life, he’s still the same person deep down.  The ‘take some time to put you back on the throne,’ is just the time it takes to gain respect and show everyone his worth.  The straight ahead no nonsense approach of this song represents the will and power and charge Kat keeps taking to get to the top.



Eluveitie - King

Basically Kat has become the king and this song states his name which is very relevant along with Dirk’s real name.  This is kind of the autobiographical song of the characters which is cool.  You’ll notice the first introduction of growls.  The growls here represent kat screaming as he’s conquered the cult status and made it to the top as the King as second in charge under Dirk.  The happy instrumental section in the middle too makes me think of a nightly celebration of Kat being crowned king with lots of food and drink.  This is a cool melodic death metal song.  The bands pretty hit and miss but have some nice tunes.



Sepultura – Arise

This is where the killing begins and the organisation starts to unfold their plans of world domination.   The vocals again represent the killings and the music aggressive to reflect that also.  The lyrics kind of show from both sides of the cult killing plus the victims of the war.  If you read the lyrics it’s all there.  The line ‘apocalyptic clash’ is probably the most relevant and sets the scene of what’s happening here.  Arise is a thrash metal classic and the whole album is wonderful.  I love everything about this song, the riffs, solo, aggressive vocals, it’s beautiful and fits this part of the story nicely.  I didn’t focus a lot on the killing side of things with the story and I think this song leaves everything os what might have been happening open to imagination, which I like.



Mors Principium Est – Monster in Me

You notice things getting more aggressive again.  Perfect point where Kat realises what’s finally going on and the pawn that he has become.  The vocals portray his frustrations so perfectly.  The lyrics like ‘the cold dead eyes of those I’ve killed staring back at me,’ or ‘I burn in the torment of what I have done,’ or ‘the horrors of what I’ve seen plagued with regret.’  Just so good and the execution is brilliant for the story.  This is an underrated melodeath band with a few cool albums.  This song in particular is very very nice.



Trivium – Betrayer

Pretty simple, Kat confronting Dirk feeling like he had been betrayed.  The harsh and clean vocals back and forth kind of makes me think that he still a bit confused, especially with Dirk not having a bar of it and ultimately telling him to go away and do what he’s told.  I love this song, and off Trivium’s latest album which is very mature.  Some great things musically here.  Pretty much all of the lyrics are very fitting and relevant also.



Trivium – Sever the Hand

This is where Kat needs to try and free himself somehow of the power of Dirk and this cult.  That song is about trying to do just that.  He’s still confused but deep down know that he needs to be free somehow.  The line ‘sever the hand, of any god or man,’ shows that Kat is and needs to be his own man, not controlled by anyone, no matter what life.  The ‘life burning me alive,’ line is a culmination that again he thought he’d found something better but again it’s wrong.  The lyrics are simple, relevant and powerful.  I find the amazing riff in the middle and the ,’life burns me alive,’ heavy shouting section in the middle somewhat of a climax to the story and the point where Kat is tipped to the edge.



Mors Principium Est – The Awakening/Departure

More heaviness portrayed in Kat losing his cool and beating Dirk to death.  The awakening this time is the actual realisation that he’s being exploited even though in the back of his mind he’s in fact still in two minds but is so angry and can’t control himself. ‘I will never forgive you, for all the things you made me do.’  That’s the brainwashing and all the killing he made him do.  The lyrics here are funny, all relevant but Kat still feels somewhat under the spell of Dirk hence the metaphor line of ‘twine your arms around me.’  And then, ‘I didn’t mean to kill you, I only tried to hurt you.’  The lyrics very much fit that love hate type of thing but in this story a different point of view.  This is a cracker of a song, very powerful and heavy.  Love it.



In Flames – Artefacts of the the Black Rain

The mood of this song even though the vocals are growls is somewhat more restrained to represent the freeness Kat feels.  The music and growls still portray the destruction but with a bit more clarity.  The lyrics for this one are vague, but I took ‘empty galleries with the artefacts of the black rain,’ as the ruins from the warfare.  ‘Swept in the shroud of misanthropia he went away,’ as he was done with everyone and everything and couldn’t face humans or humanity again.  Also ‘making friends with the soil,’ him going to the woods and just being alone and wanting to die.  The guitar melodies in this one are simply beautiful, great song.



Solution .45 – Heavy Lies the Crown

Again the lyrics are slightly vague but brings the whole king and crown concept back into it.  ‘Lost between here and forever,’ represents Kat in his current state. ‘Final goodbye?’ questions if he kills himself.  ‘Wound to heal the breach,’ also gives the impression that perhaps wounds can heal and he can carry on.   The lyrics on a whole represent the confused state he is in, admitting that the crown is heavy no matter in what capacity.  Again the lyrics do seem a bit vague but that leaves the door and the concept of what Kat does open.  I LOVE the chorus on this one.  The structure for a final song seems weird but that chorus sums it all up for me.  The structure I like because it represents the open endness of the story.  The structure is simply verse chorus, verse chorus then riff to fade out.  The fade out gives off a perpetual feel that maybe Kat can continue and start a new life yet again.  Or it can mean he’s spiralling out of control for the rest of his days.  Could also mean he does kill himself.


To sum up what I was saying about the story initially relating to myself I think I come up with this story and concept based on my own fear.  The concept of this story is kind of like the old saying ‘better the devil you know.’  As humans we are so fearful and we are scared of change because of failure.  We play it safe based on the fear of the risk going wrong.  Even though what we may be doing in the first place isn’t the best for us, the fear of the unknown and failure makes us not take chances in life.  This fiction and pretty out there concept relates to my own fears.   I’ve been in my job for around 13 years and I feel that a change is probably what I need.  I’m so comfortable and probably scared that I just can’t do it.  The fear of losing everything and starting again and throwing whatever I have away is scary.  This story and the downfall of Kat’s new life as I said, portrays what our minds tell us is going to happen, because it’s unknown.

The other side of it again is unknown.  I feel I need a change, but do I?  Kat realised that what he had initially all along was better than what he left for.  He didn’t know that at the time and we never do but his perception of what he had changed after what he then got.  Relating to myself, what if even though I’m not happy, what I have is infact what’s best and I just don’t see it.  Again, it comes back to that fear.

[jingle.boy]

Jesus I got a lot of reading to do tomorrow morning.

[TAC]

Jesus I got a lot of reading to do tomorrow morning.

And listening!

[faizoff]

I've read and listened to Buddy and Cyril, have to start with Puppies next..then Evermind and Wolfking

Not sure I will be done with them all  before new ones get posted.

[Crow]

read both stories posted today.
evermind's is... really good, are you like a writer or something dude? you're definitely getting a bonus point, anyways 
wolfking's... well that escalated quickly  can't believe Katt took over and destroyed the world like that. rude.

[wolfking]

Yeah, that's kind of what I was referring to earlier with the whole writing thing.  I wish now on reflection I put some timelines in or something in the story.  Most of my focus was the overall conept and tying the songs and lyrics in with the story.  The story is meant to on for quite a period of time but I guess that's what I meant by not a great writer, missing details like that.

I'm still really more happy with the underlying concept.  That's what as I said was my main focus.  The initial character is based on myself too in the first part.  The headspace and concept is something I'm going through and have been for a while, so a lot of self thoughts, reflections and ideas went into that, and have been since writing.  So, win or lose, this concept round has been somewhat comforting putting some thoughts on paper in a way, which I never do.  This has been a good thing moving forward and again as I said, I'm proud of the way I exectuded the concept and put my own thinking and fears into a story.

[Evermind]

wolfking's... well that escalated quickly 

Hahaha no shit That was quite a wild ride, not bad at all though, highly entertaining too

The initial character is based on myself too in the first part.

In his work life however, he was the king.  He was tremendous at his job and put his whole life into it.  He had so many people relying on him and he was leading people every day and so many depended on him and respected him.

Good to know you're quite a humble dude

Also when I saw this was called Crown of Thorns I thought you would include Ray Alder's song from the new album.

you're definitely getting a bonus point, anyways 

I hope so!