Track By Tracks: UNTO THE WOLVES - Year Two (2018)

"Unto the Wolves"  is a Hard Rock/ Metal project with one goal in mind, to inspire tolerance and acceptance of all races, religious beliefs, and cultures. Every song is inspired by historical or religious writings that are considered important by one people or another. The songs are not based on the text found in these books, but rather served as inspiration for the ideas behind the songs.

The newest album name "Year Two" is referencing the second year of content released on Patreon. Patreon is where the songs are actually released on a monthly schedule exclusively for patrons, then after one full year of content is completed, it's combined to create a full-length album. This means each song was inspired from something unique in comparison to the other songs on the album.

Lyrically, “Validate the Pain” was 100% inspired by the folklore stories told and held to be real by its followers. The origin of the saints in Mexican Folklore are people in stories that hold real relevance to the people of Mexico (and others all over the world). Many people suffer due to hunger and health issues and Saints serve as patrons of faith to those in need. Due to this relevance, these Saints validate the pain that the people are going through. This is not to say the stories didn't happen, but simply how important it is to add meaning by deeming the

character in the stories as a saint.

“The Written Word” is inspired by in general, by Druidism. Celtic Druidism dates back to even before 3000 BC. In the beginning, many of the practices were passed down verbally. There are next to no writings about the origins of Druidism. Many believe it’s because the Druids of old believed the written word could be corrupted. This concept is what inspired the song.

“Immune to the Cold” was inspire by a tale told amongst the Inuit Tribe. The Inuit Tribe have a legend about a woman who transformed into a wolf. After raising two sons and them moving out, she wanted to be left alone in isolation. She often would go hunting in the forest nearby on her own, presumably to be by herself. Witnesses said she would typically take one shoe off prior to leaving view, why was unknown. The final day she was seen, she left both shoes behind and witnesses say they could have sworn they'd seen her shape shift into a wolf just after going into the forest. She was never seen again. The isolation she was seeking, inspired this song.

“A Will of Servitude” was inspired by The Whirling Dervish. The Whirling Dervish is called as such due to a dance performed in ceremony. As they dance, one hand is facing up and one hand is facing down. This is to act as a path of positive energy to pass from the heavens to the earth for all life to benefit. They themselves serve only as a conduit and a servant. This concept of having a will to be a servant is what inspired this song. Lyrically, it focuses on the many people who do not see the value in being a servant. When in fact the reward for those with a will of servitude, is to serve.

“Symptom of Loyalty” is inspired by American Culture or rather the American Soldier. Throughout history, America has been known as a world power. One of the reasons for the title was the strength of its military force. Multiple countries have attempted to duplicate and improve upon the structure and training typical of the military personnel in America. On Jan. 27, 1973, America shut down the military draft and made it 100% voluntary. Many other countries saw this as a poor decision thinking that America could not maintain the world power status with a dwindling military force. However, to the world's surprise, the loyalty of American citizens showed in spades and the strength of its military only grew. Many officials believed that it was loyalty to country, but many testimonials proved the loyalty was actually far more complicated. Loyalty to family, to freedom, to a way of life. This song is about what happens when that loyalty is put to the test by questionable conduct of leadership. 

“Doomsday” is inspired by the Mayan Calendar. The Mayan culture has many aspects well known worldwide. One such cultural aspect is the Mayan calendar. In 2009, information started to stir on a global level among the scientific community and online in general. It was said that the Mayan long-count calendar—which spans roughly 5,125 years starting in 3114 B.C.—reaches the end of a cycle on December 21, 2012. This was found to be true. This spawned rumors and speculation that the reason why the calendar ended was because it was the end of the world. This of course, was found to be false. However, prior to that date, the speculation continued to grow to monumental proportions. The closer that date came, the more media outlets began to focus on it. Talk shows, news outlets, even fictional TV shows used it as a topic. The movie industry picked up on it as well creating and releasing a blockbuster movie the same year of the supposed end, named 2012. The song this month is called "Doomsday", inspired not by the Mayan calendar directly, but rather the paranoia it caused in our so called "civil" society.

“Conflict Resolution” is inspired by Judaism. Just as there is a time to “cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together” (Eccl 3:5) there is a time to build up and to tear down, "a time to kill and a time to heal" (Eccl 3:3, 5), but to know when is the right time for what action may be the most important piece. In Scripture from the old testament, God uses other nations to discipline nations that are evil. According to scripture, he can use nations to do his own disciplining so the wisdom of Solomon is true and in doing so, there is a time for war and there is a time for peace. Trying to determine which time that is can be difficult for man alone. The culture of Judaism is an interesting one. Those who practice Judaism have always been proud of their ability to rationalize during conflict resolution, however, their nation of Israel has always been in conflict. When looking into the teachings and just the overall cultural views, a clear picture of how conflict is seen in general reveals much about the Jewish people. Resolution is always preferred by mutual benefit but if that is not an option, domination is the next plan of action. It’s interesting to me that generosity and compromise do not play a role in this process of resolving conflict. The song, "Conflict Resolution" refers to the ideology of resolution by mutual benefit or domination, but in the sense of internal conflict.

“The Catacombs” is inspired by the Austrian Culture. Austria has many things about it that make it unique. However, I chose to focus on The Catacombs below St Stephen's Cathedral. St. Stephen's Cathedral is arguably Vienna's No. 1 attraction all round. It's certainly a marvel of Gothic architecture – and it's truly ancient: work began in the 12th century and the present structure was completed in 1511 (though the north tower was never finished). It is Austria's largest and most significant religious building. However, the main attraction of the cathedral lies deeper, literally: beneath it – in its catacombs. And yet, only part of the catacombs is actually located under the church, and rather constitute a system of crypts. During the Bubonic plague, the decision was made to dig up diseased bodies from graveyards and place the bodies in the catacombs in an attempt to stop the rats from getting to them. When the plague was finally under control, the catacombs were closed up and there the bodies remained. Years later, a smell of the bodies decaying came up into the Cathedral which deterred attendance. The Catholic church then worked with Vienna’s prisons to create a new reform program. The program including spending time in the catacombs addressing the bodies. This meant prisoners would go down, shave the bones clean and stack them neatly along the walls. Eventually, the years of work paid off and the Catacombs were clean. Over time, the catacombs became the resting place for the wealthy, the powerful, and the poor. Here, Vienna's bishops are laid to rest (as well as other clergy). The song is about how this unique resting place serves as a reminder that we are all equal in death.

“Judge and Jury” is inspired by Atheism. Atheism is, in the broadest sense, the absence of belief in the existence of deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which, in its most general form, is the belief that at least one deity exists. One of the most common topics brought up about belief to Atheists is without a higher power or deity, where does their moral compass come from? At atheists.org, Frank Zindler wrote; Plato showed long ago, in his dialogue Euthyphro, that we cannot depend upon the moral fiats of a deity. Plato asked if the commandments of a god were “good” simply because a god had commanded them or because the god recognized what was good and commanded the action accordingly. If something is good simply because a god has commanded it, anything could be considered good. There would be no way of predicting what in particular the god might desire next, and it would be entirely meaningless to assert that “God is good.” This song is inspired by the idea that our moral compass is in direct relation to who we are from the beginning. That we are born with a compass that merely needs to be nurtured for us to understand right from wrong. And the cause of human decency is choice over all else. It's as if, we are our own Judge and Jury.

“Immortal” is inspired by Raelism. At the age of 27, on the morning of December 13, 1973, while he was still leading his successful racing- car magazine, RAEL had a dramatic encounter with a human being from another planet, at a volcano park in the center of France, known as "Puy de Lassolas". This extra-terrestrial gave him a new detailed explanation of our origins and information on how to organize our future, as recorded in the book: Intelligent Design. After six consecutive meetings in the same location, Rael accepted the mission given to him, to inform humanity of this revolutionary message and to prepare the population to welcome their Creators, the Elohim, without any mysticism or fear, but as conscious and grateful human beings. After a few months considering this huge task, Rael almost developed a stomach ulcer before finally deciding to give up his much-loved career as a sports-car journalist and devote himself fully to the task assigned to him by Yahweh - the extra-terrestrial whom he met. Within the year following the encounter, he managed to print the book reporting about the event and appeared on two of the main TV and Radio shows in France, announcing a public conference. This first public conference held in Paris on September 19, 1974 attracted more than 2000 people. Shortly after, he founded the association MADECH - a group of people interested in helping him in his huge task- that would later become the Raelian Movement. By the end of the year 1974, the association counted 170 members. They are now more than 85,000 members in 107 countries. Although to many this belief seems absurd, I would contend that it is a perfect example of a faith amidst skepticism. For any one person to truly have faith in any singular belief, that topic of faith must speak to that individual on a very personal level. A connection must be made on a deeper level for true faith to exist. Raelians believe that we have only one life. In rare instances, the Elohim may grant immortality but only to those few who are deserving. So, living a life deserving of immortality. This is what serves as the inspiration for the song. Live a life worthy of immortality! Live.....a life worth living.

“The Gray of Duality”: is inspired by Luciferianism. This is a belief system that venerates the essential characteristics that are affixed to Lucifer. The tradition, influenced by Gnosticism, usually reveres Lucifer not as the devil, but as a liberator, a guardian or guiding spirit, or even the true god as opposed to Jehovah. Sometimes mistakenly associated with Satanism due to the Christian interpretation of the fallen angel, Luciferianism is a wholly different belief system and does not revere the devil figure or most characteristics typically affixed to Satan. Rather, Lucifer in this context is seen as one of many morning stars, a symbol of enlightenment, independence, and human progression, and is often used interchangeably with similar figures from a range of ancient beliefs, such as the Greek titan Prometheus or the Jewish Talmudic figure Lilith. The name “Lucifer” comes from a translation of Isaiah 14:12. It literally means “bright star, shining star, or morning star.” Most scholars see this as a description of Satan before his rebellion against God. Passages like Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 teach that Satan was created the highest, most beautiful of the angels, but that his pride and desire for God’s own throne resulted in his being cast out of heaven and being given the name “Satan” (meaning “adversary”). One type of Luciferianism is really nothing more than the worship of Lucifer as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is venerated as a being of knowledge and light (2 Corinthians 11:14–15). The focus is on the “good” that was in Lucifer prior to his rebellion and not the evil and darkness that is associated with the name “Satan.” Though Lucifer and Satan are one and the same, Luciferianism portrays him as a god of light, a god of knowledge, and a god of magic. Luciferians seek to become gods themselves, a position attained by living a life of goodness, seeking after knowledge, practicing magic, and opening one’s mind to the cosmic mind of Lucifer. Another type of Luciferianism, which rejects the idea that Lucifer is a personal being, is still seeking enlightenment apart from God. These Luciferians may see themselves as lovers of light and goodness but are being of both the light and the dark. Indicating no one person is good or evil, but rather both at all times and that we are merely the equivalent of our own actions. The idea that inspired the lyrics is to know and acknowledge that there is a duality in existence. To understand that no one is good or bad, but rather a balance between the light and the dark. There are some who sway more so in one direction or the other, but both will always be present.

“Reprieve from Reality” is inspired by the Cthulhu subculture. Cthulhu (/kəˈθuːluː/ kə-THOO-loo) is a cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft and first introduced in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the American pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the pantheon of Lovecraftian cosmic entities, the creature has since been featured in numerous popular culture references. Lovecraft depicts Cthulhu as a gigantic entity worshipped by cultists. Cthulhu's appearance is described as looking like an octopus, a dragon, and a caricature of human form. Its name was given to the Lovecraft-inspired universe where it and its fellow entities existed, the Cthulhu Mythos. Today, Cthulhu and his universe have become a part of pop culture. H.P. Lovecraft and his mythos have had a significant influence on later works in a wide variety of media. From video games and movies to clothing and political satire, the Cthulhu Mythos is still very alive. The Church of the SubGenius parody religion has been established which includes some aspects of the Cthulhu Mythos, such as the Elder Gods who are led by Yog-Sothoth. The song is about the escape from reality. This idea stems from the worship of a deity that would annihilate mankind such as Cthulhu and taking comfort in that thought. It's almost as if people would rather believe in something that will kill them rather than live in the reality we have.