Track By Tracks: DEADLY VIPERS - Low City Drone (2022)

The name of the album can be explained in 2 ways, all the whispers from the people of the lower city create a kind of drone, and also that the big city, who is aware of something is going on, send drones to listen to a potential revolution.

1. Echoes From Wasteland:

The intro song is one of the last that has been created just before Covid happens. We wanted something that comes from far, from nowhere, kind of born in the middle of the Desert, and with a repetitive Tape Echo Pattern. David was back from tour with l’Epee (Liminanas + Anton Newcombe from BJM) and so the intro licks are a kind of interpretation of the king of psych (Anton). The second part of the song consists of a fat/imperial riff with a kind of diminishing pattern that gives a really post-apocalyptic vibe, which is the principal idea of the album.

2. Atom:

We really wanted to start on this drum pattern, a little out of time, it gives a strange effect. The song sounds urgency, with a very melancholic chorus. In the middle break, we felt that something was missing and when we found this very Serie Z keyboard sound a little out of place, we said to ourselves: This is it, we have to do it. We really enjoy the calm part after with the different keyboard parts, in a very french touch style. Lyrics are inspired by Richard Matheson's novels, it tells the story of an old man who'll become a kind of radioactive god.

3. Low City Drone:

Well well, a 9 minutes song (that started from 13 minutes)! The original theme was written by Thomas, when the principal vocal theme from the chorus appeared, it was a game changer, the song became so powerful after.

From all the feedback we receive after the release of this song as a first single, people think that it’s finally shorter than expected for a long song and they can easily listen to it on repeat, that is an accomplishment for a composer!

This song has been working for a whole year. We wanted a kind of big psychedelic jam, very 70s style. It was also the first song ever to introduce synth and organ by Fred, the result was so good and we were finally open to putting it more on the other songs. The drum/bass combo and crooner vocals make an unexpected part to the end of the song. This song talks about a renaissance for a devastated world, we can say that's an optimistic song.

4. Welli Welloo:

On this song, we wanted to stay in the style of the first album, with a classic stoner rock riff. On the chorus there is a quite identifiable Smashing Pumpkins touch, we are very fond of it! The song has a rather groovy break sequence until the explosion. The break is also very Pumpkins with the addition of the second guitar which is the idea of ​​Thomas, the bassist.

The name of the song started as a joke, in the style of Okidokili (The Simpsons), it’s a bit like We don’t care! When there is nothing, we are left with imagination and illusions.

5. Meteor Part II:

Certainly, the first song created, it starts exactly when part 1 ends on our first album. We needed something crazy, fast with a lot of breaks. In the middle of the song, there is a kind of « end of the world » doom theme that happens and it’s really heavy! It got tons of different fuzz inside. It moves from something more psychedelic with a 6/8 pattern with a kind of sitarish riff. When the bass starts his solo break at the end is total chaos, we experienced it live a few times and people become crazy, that Is always a great thing!

6. Last Rise:

The song idea came from Thomas, we did a ton of modifications during the year to find the exact amount of parts and changes. The organ part came in the really last days of recording, it was not present on the original version. The lead part is really out of control, really sludgy! We really enjoy the last chorus, the voice has this awesome orchestration with the guitars, all the end with the doom part is really fun to play. To watch the end of the world through the screen which could be our personal vision… (it's a little sarcastic because a lot of people are sure of what will happen to the world, but there are too many to agree among themselves).

7. Ego Trip:

We normally had to record the album in April but because of the pandemic we’ve been set at home, so the basic song idea has mostly been made during this time. It was the last song created for the album. We wanted something fast with a repetitive groove and a more open Chorus, that is the first one for us. When we finally could meet each other back, we incorporated this reggae/dub break that started as a joke months ago, but it was finally a good idea to add to the track like a bug in the matrix or when your tv changes for a strange channel. And the funny thing is the fact that we don’t listen to this kind of music.

Goodness is the best argument to control people. If you have what people need, they will believe in you and walk behind you.

8. Big Empty:

The song started as a doom metal song, in the style of Monolord but with time we modified a lot of the riffs and structures to finally get where it became, to something more in our style of music. It’s an ode to space. The end got a great shoegaze vibe with different layers of guitars, with some dramatic melodies in the style Lazarus from Bowie.

The song is about the end, actually, it could be the first chapter of the album. But we preferred a destructured order, so we put ‘Big Empty’ at the end. Despite ‘Low City Drone’ being an optimistic album, we chose to get a negative ending touch… It gave us the thought there could be the next chapter.