Aflame of hope - A JJ2 Post -

Welcome back to the bowels of Wednesday as we crack open a swift case of brutality!!

Our happy tune today is called "A step closer" from Lykathea Aflame, a brutal tech death band (more brutal tech plz, I need MORE). Lykathea Aflame hails from the Czech Republic and released this one album in 2000, and before were known as Appalling Spawn only producing a demo and LP pre-2000. 

This entire album, Elvenefris, is truly one of a kind. Taking elements from Cryptopsy and Goreguts the band creates a uniquely brutal sound rich in intensity and technical skill. The thing that sets it apart is that the entire album sounds... happy and hopeful? Through the useage of an uplifting synth and major chords, Lykathea Aflame is able to make your ears bleed while simultaneously feeling hope for a better future. In my opinion, this is absolutely wild and I have not seen this replicated in any other album. 

This song in particular is a standout in an already near-perfect album.  One of the most distinguishable elements that you notice right away is the drumming in this song, which you can tell within the first 10 seconds is true masterwork. Just like early Cryptopsy, this is raw skill and talent; no triggers, no computers, just a caveman hitting something as hard and as fast as he can. I mean come on, check out the isolated drums:

I can, and have, listened to this whole album with just the drums, that's how musically inclined they are. Specifically listen to 45:30, it sounds like every single hit is gravity blasted?! Absolute insanity. The drummer does this crap the whole song, and by god is this not the most technically beautiful thing I've ever heard. Every hit accents the tone and brutality of the surrounding music perfectly. 

I could gush about the drums forever, but I think it's time we turn to the vocals and lyrics of the song. The vocalist primary sound is a brutal, Aborted-esque growl, nearly incomprehensible, but a perfect fit for the song. He occasionally switches to a much softer, almost chant-like voice in the quieter parts of the song to really hammer home the point.

One of the most interesting aspects of the song is the lyrical content. Typically, with this level of technical intensity and brutality, you would expect the lyrics to be a word-for-word transcript of an invasive medical procedure, or perhaps a really in-depth description of an alien abduction and experimentation with words longer than my last name. But no, what we get is a song about finding true freedom in liberating yourself and respecting the freedom of others, and compassion and non-judgement forms the basis of this freedom.

The first lyrics of the song:

"Jealousy is degrading us from

Divine freedom to futile slavery

Be free and let them be free

Be free and let them be free

Spiritual teachers we become when giving

Freedom and possibility of choice"

The chanting chorus is a repeated "Then we will be a step closer to home", and I think this means that only when we respect each other fully, and give each other the freedom to be and improve ourselves, can we reach 'home' - a metaphor for some kind of enlightenment or peace and happiness. 

The song ends with: 

"Within us, we won't be afraid

Of the impurity of others

And fear is gone

Only beautiful harmony remains"

 

I take this as basically, mind your own damn business and everyone will be alright lol. 

This is a shockingly positive message for a song that sounds as brutal as it does, but man, this is a truly positive and uplifting message that is prudent today more than ever. This song is face-meltingly awesome, and gosh diddily darn it the whole album is just as good so go give it a listen! Hope you like this weeks WMW-HMT mashup, I've been Joshua diddily darn it!