Feb 2022 science-rock all-the-guitars paleontology megafauna chapman-stick djent
The fossilised bones of an animal were found in the Ohio River back in 1740. The remains displayed similarities to an elephant, but its teeth suggested a carnivorous diet. Lewis and Clark's backers were confident that the expedition would be able to capture a specimen of the creature, which was known—gloriously—as the American Incognitium.
Sadly, what they'd dug up was a relative of the woolly mammoth: the mastodon, an animal that went extinct about eleven thousand years ago.
Or so we have been led to believe...
Lewis and Clark once almost saw me
I didn't stick around to wait
There wasn't much round here before me
that roamed across Ohio state
There isn't much left here I recognise
It's not the place I once called home
I'm still around, but I don't advertise
I find it easier to roam
As an Incognitium
A fleeting glimpse is all you'll get
Out of the corner of your eye
Nobody's photographed me yet
If they say they have, then it's a lie
You'll never know if I persist
or if I'm hiding hereabouts
But if you're told I don't exist
Be prepared to entertain some doubt...
@wylddandelyon Mar 2022
Nice job of making the vocals clear through all that other musical stuff! And it's a song about an unidentified cryptid, which gives you cool points.
@ryako Mar 2022
Lots of guitars, which is, like, your trademark LOL It works really well and gives that "I'm extinct" darker vibe. Interesting changeup in the middle!
@kcc Feb 2022
Holy shamoly love the change around 2:05! Sweet! I aspire to your production and composition skills. Love your music!!
KC
@js6 Feb 2022
It's 4/4 so of course it's simple, right? The groove is great and the lyrical theme intriguing. I like the contrast between the heavier stuff opposed with the more lighthearted parts.
@heliosonorous Feb 2022
Great piece of storytelling, your voice and the effects on it stand out well.
@acousticmaddie Feb 2022
Great and intense song, Great vocals!!! Very well produced
@tomslatter Feb 2022
Another song with a great groove. Like it. Some lovely parts here too, really nice mix of clean and gnarly riffs.
Love the subject matter too.
@elesimo Feb 2022
Love this song, Chris! The concept, lyrics, vocals, guitars... I love how you turn these little stories into amazing music!
@erucaesounds Feb 2022
Well after living in Michigan for 11 years, every time I ventured south into Ohio I would get pulled over by the police..... they were insanely brutal with cars with out of state plates....... result is.... Ohio gives me a visceral reaction..... that asides, the music is great!
@henika Feb 2022
Nice build. Great lift in the chorus and didn't see that bridge coming! Love the fractured groove.
@djtjb Feb 2022
What a wild ride! Everything comes together perfectly. Particularly enjoy the enunciation of Incognitium! Great job as always
@fuzzy Feb 2022
Perhaps the mastodon is hanging out with Bigfoot?
Lovely guitar lurking around in back of the verses.
Ah, great middle section in there with the guitars rising in to the sky.
Nice vocal delivery.
I admire your ability to make 4/4 sound like an odd time signature.
Great work, as usual!
@downburst Feb 2022
Djent! I don't know how you are so consistently creative and make everything sound so good. The big switchup to a lumbering, capering dance in the middle is really cool. I want to see that specific part used in a Fantasia-style film. And then at the end it kind of goes everywhere, fun, ominous, silly all at once. Love this.
@beat Feb 2022
Oh yes, dark and it’s contrast - humor. Brilliant. Thx.
@sapient Feb 2022
It's all dark, dark, dark, and then it goes all happy. Well, that was a surprise ;)
Such a strong arrangement with so much going on. Rearlly rich and engaging - an absolute delight for the earts of a fello guitar nerd
@coolparadiso Feb 2022
nice one! like the change midway. Interesting story, very dark and menacing
@doggolito Feb 2022
That switch of ambience around 2:00 was beautiful ! What a contrast between the dark tone and the "happy"/mysterious vibe
Good luck for FAWM :D
@majordanby Feb 2022
Got sucked into this by the story and then the music. I don’t listen to this kind of music much, but reminded me of Faith No More and then went off somewhere completely different. I was going to say I love the vocals, but is all great.
@ayehahmur Feb 2022
Chris! You're turning your board into a vertible wee Fortean Corner. I love it. So educational, again!
Musically I adore this one too. Those angry, busy guitars in the verse over that stomping through the woods beat just let us know in no uncertain terms what our Incognitium thinks about all this. The twin guitars on the instrumental break are ace too. Remind me of the old Aberdonian prog band, Pallas.
Highly entertaining!
@emplate Feb 2022
Goddamnit, how I love the way you create dark and menacing atmosphere, that verse is an awesome example of it! Like Leonard Cohen meeting Tool in a dark alley. There's of course happier parts here as well which are all good, but oh man, I live for your dark prog metal kind of stuff.
@timfatchen Feb 2022
:D Mind you, sometimes I think all of America IS an Incognitium! I love these over-the-top everything-running mashups of yours with that dangerous dangerous voice!
@janeg Feb 2022
I did not know that story though I have read a whole book about the competitive bone hunting that took place in America. Two utterly awesome science rock songs in one day. I could hate you if I didn’t like you and your songs so much.
@gubna Feb 2022
This is friggin' cool! I like the guitar a lot.
@silvermachine Feb 2022
Blimey those megafauna know how to riff, megariff actually.
You really have the voice to bring those bones to life, you made him sound rather lonely and lovable.
So Lewis and Clark thought they'd catch one of these and put him on the stage I suppose. I can see him with Alice Cooper!
I liked those little interludes of harmony guitar.
@philkmills Feb 2022
Great song idea!
Given the name, the "mysterious" music makes perfect sense. I like the contrasting break around 2:05.
@dzdandcunfsd Feb 2022
I'm not going to not listen when I see a tag all the guitars!
Brilliant idea for a tune, and it sounds amazing!
and like Mr. McGaughey's student synathesia J down there I thought it looked pretty awesome as well!
@ductapeguy Feb 2022
Hello headfirstonly. This is Mr. McGaughey. I listened with Mrs. N's Grade 2 class.
Here are their comments:
D: It sounds like a creepy song.
H: It was a good song because of the drums.
B: It made me remember Halloween.
M: It made me feel in the zone, like when you close your eyes.
O: That song made me excited.
G: It was too noisy.
J: It looks good. I saw when the drums made noises.
P: I like the guitar.
R: I liked it so much because I like the guitar.
C: I liked the guitar.
G: It sounds cool.
K: It is too noisy!
L: It was crazy because it was so loud.
L: It was loud and it was cool.
E: It was loud but it was OK.
@giantenemycliche Feb 2022
These rhythms are sending my head into another dimension. incredible
@fourzeroes Feb 2022
*nods head confusedly* what time signature is this in?
@nadine Feb 2022
I wish university lectures were taught in prog rock. It djents. Heavily. And dark.
@andrea Feb 2022
Very clever POV for this song. You voice is a masterpiece. Very cool - I love it!
@aeye Feb 2022
this is cool. A hard rock song about a bit of history I wasn't aware of.
@johnstaples Feb 2022
Aww hell yeah! This is fresh and clever and superbly executed! An awesome song all around! Love the historical context and the concept that this beast still roams! The music is perfect and your vox seal the deal! Fantastic!
@dragondreams Feb 2022
I've been waiting for this one since last night! :-D
And I'm not disappointed. I love your prog science lessons. ;-)
@frey Feb 2022
I was looking forward to your stuff this year! This is the AWESOMEST thing I've heard all week. I love the switch-up around the two minute mark, that guitar riff reminds me of the battle music from some of the Pokémon games