Track By Tracks: Carbellion - Weapons Of Choice (2023)

1. Barfight:

“Barfight is a tale of what happens when different groups, alcohol, and musical tastes mix together told with a twist of irony. It’s Rock n’ f’n Roll. This one is the opener because it's an ass-kicker. We went big on guitars, bass, and drums throughout. The vocal is pretty raw and spans a few styles with a nudge and wink to an influence hidden in the breakdown too…”

2. Listen For Ghosts:

“This song was the first song completed with the current line-up of the band. You can hear everybody pushing each other for space in the song but in a good way. The overdriven bass tone in the breakdown after the drum fills bring it in really resonated with the band. Lyrically Listen For Ghosts is a warning to musicians and fans alike about what could happen as fewer and fewer bands get started with people playing instruments and working to write original music”.

3. Pity The Backseat:

“Outsiders. Greasers vs. Socials. Stay gold. This our “Action Rock” or “Punk n’ Roll” track on the record and a respectful filled love letter from Carbellion’s drummer.”

4. Spaces:

“Heavy riffs. This is a stoner metal meets post-grunge song that ties lyrically into a number of life lessons and some perspective on learning through loss as well as taking time to appreciate what you have. Carbellion “Respects the Riff…””

5. Weapons Of Choice:

“This one has a bit of metal riffage built in courtesy of the lead guitar player’s influences. It’s fairly heavy deliberately. Thematically, those in power almost always prey on those that are not leveraging fear and misdirection to stay in power. Weapons of Choice accompanies the song Preacher in an effort to get people to think about their respective government’s impact on their lives.”

6.Preacher:

“This song was intended as a rock anthem initially. The guitar melodies have a feeling of sadness but urgency offset with staccato verses where bass/drums/vocals take the lead. The choruses are meant to be sung along with in a call-and-response way- “Unity through division/Rioting the decision”. Preacher addresses an age-old tactic of uniting people with the sole purpose of being against another group of people by implied, though often false, social polarization. This song accompanies Weapons Of Choice in its message.”

7. The Jungle Song:

“Lost in a far-off jungle. Death. Life after death. Sensory overload. Witchdoctors. This song is a story about all of these things. This track stands on its own separate from all of the others in style. We were after a quiet-to-loud dynamic and feel we accomplished it.”

8.Origin:

“Longtime fans would say this song sounds like Carbellion. Kind of rock, kind of metal, solid grooves, and big rock vocals. Screamer of a guitar solo in this one too. Lyrically it states the obvious about the existence of alien life beyond and historically on Earth through the delivery of just over 3.5 minutes of heavy rock music.”

9. Season of Failure:

“It’s heavy with lumbering giant guitar riff foundation. The tempo is slower, not doom slower, but stoner groove slower. The vocal style is dirty in the verses and yearning in the choruses. It’s kind of like the story told in that everyone knows those people in their life who just can’t overcome their own demons and failures despite the repeating cycles of effort to do so. This is their song.”

10. Stalemate (Live):

“This bonus track is performed live in the studio and is from Carbellion’s 2009 The Horse LP. The riffs and feel of the song were written by the current lead guitar when he was the drummer in the band! It’s a hard rock/heavy metal throwback-sounding song. The opening lines of the song were meant as a homage to the band that started it all in heavy metal, Black Sabbath. Lyrically Stalemate is about making the tough call to change which is never easy.”