1. STORMCHASER

There's something else circling overhead now,
A different kind of creature, bigger, out in the distance.
I'm following, watching, and I find myself again
Underneath churning winds that draw me in.
Inside, a microcosm forms as emotions imitate the clouds,
Twisting themselves into a rope, knotted at my heart
And anchored in the manic horizon.
Let's free ourselves from this stagnant mess for a while.
I've grown so tired of the same damn crises.
Let's leave a trail of debris in our wake,
We'll watch the birth of catastrophes, nightly.
I need to be a part of this wild machine.

I don't care where it takes me, or if I make it out alive.
I'm going to chase it til it breaks me, not giving up until I get inside.

I can feel the electricity being pulled from the sky
Into the eye of this storm, and spit back out with a violent force,
Terrifying with its indiscriminate reach,
Echoing in my bones, thrilling me to my very core.
It cracks open time, and all the pressure in a moment is released.
The sound of it pounds the earth, then throbs through the ground.

I live this life always running to keep up,
With the wind following, driving forward,
Or in front of me, pushing back.
Sometimes, I'm moving so fast, as if weightless,
Other times, it feels as if my body's being dragged.
I'm racing my hopes along the veins of the country,
It's so hard not to fall behind.

I bury a drop of my blood beneath the soil of each city,
So that I can return and find myself, even if there's nothing else left.


2. FRAGILE HEROES

I always wanted to tell you I needed you
But now I'm glad that I never did,
Because I never lied about that…at least.
It probably would have scared you, anyway.
One more excuse for you to run away.
And it scares me that you're so easily scared.
What falsity did I lead my heart into this time?
Unfailingly naã¯ve,
Maybe I just fell in love with being the dream.

Ugh, more and more, I find I don't want you.
Shit, another lie. Tried to deceive myself; it's not easy,
It's just pathetic.
Well, they say we don't need anyone…at least.
Ugh, you don't know. You never know,
And your uncertainty is infecting me,
Because now even I'm not sure—
Do I hate you for not being who I thought you were,
Or do I hate myself for loving one i've just created?

Didn't you know?
A hero's a most fragile thing.
One must never get close
Enough to touch, or fuck,
For mortality can also be transmitted,
And with even a brush against our blemished human skin,
Slick with impious fluids,
Their skin becomes dry and cracked,
And holes form inside their perfect characters.
I guess now I can understand being let down
By an ideal…

When heroes turn to cowards, you start to resent your dreams.
You once glanced up into their brave, bright faces;
Now you can't even meet their dull, downward-turned eyes.
Plagued with constant failure,
The only thing they will ever succeed in is disappointing
(it's so easy, it's so pathetic).
And so they stop trying, and never give you the chance
That was their promise to you, implied all


3. THE ANHEDINIA EPIDEMIC

When her body gave into that sickness again
(she always knew it would),
She didn't want to say a thing for fear
That if he knew, he'd never risk
Getting even this close to her. Fever
Has made her shameless. She's desperate to infect,
And she'd kill to hear him moan with misery,
Burning sweet, keeping her suffering company with his,
Bowels twisted from that seductive disease.
Some shit spreads with a secret contagion,
And you'll either be fascinated or repulsed
By the velocity of defeat.

Tell me, doctor, are you giving up?
Yes, I know it's completely fucked.
Show me a credible witness
To the existence of a functional love…
Or even just a functional fuck.
Doctor, are you giving up on me?
Don't you see it's each other we need?
You're the sadist and it seems I just might be

A masochist, neither one of us satisfied
Until I'm writhing. And I overheard them say,
"Our guinea pigs are in for it;
We're straining day and night to find the origin
Of this mutant strain,
Once microscopic, now epidemic,
Which crawled its way into her brain."
She didn't ask for it, but she's passing it
To everybody she meets.
And it might not be the most pleasurable thing,
But the sensation can be so addicting.

He won't surrender. His system guards against
The potential agony. But he will never realize that,
Consequently, he's missing out on the ecstasy.
He won't surrender. His system protects him against me.

Well, it wasn't caused by amphetamines,
But his dopamine levels are unquestionably depleting,
And my favorite hypochondriac is starting to display
Symptoms of hysterical paralysis.
All the doctors can say is, "there's nothing physically amiss."
Isn't it ironic? I'm the sadist,
But now it seems he just might be immune to what I inflict.


4. BEGINNING WITH RELEASE

Chances only createeven more
Seconds to wait.everyone starts
Over, turns a new leaf,but
You're weak, and even the weight
Proves much too heavy for a
Pest like yourself, especially
When you already burdened
With a chip on your shoulder
That cuts as deep as her
Treacheryand this release,
Its not going to be the end for
Me.our tug of war taught me
Resilience and a few more
Things.i was only armed for
Battle, you see,but i didn (scream) t
Lose because im not lostand you
Have to be strong to keep holding
On,but it takes strength of
Mind, to know when to release.
You've been saving all your
Penniesjust to flip the
Coin.well, heads up, high
Roller,all you're going to see
Is tailsas you watch me
Leave.i never was your lady
Luck,and i'm fucking done being
Your second best.no need to
Worry about me;i'll bounce back
From this with easewhat a shame
You won't be so luckycause
You're not going up, and you're
Not going down‚¦you'll just waver
Back and forth, still impossible
To please.cause you're not going
Up, and you're sure as fuck not
Going down you'll just waver
Back and forth, still impossible
To please.and this release,
It's not going to be the end for
Me.our tug of war taught me
Resilience and a few more
Things.i was only armed for
Battle, you see,but i didn't
Lose because i'm not lostand you
Have to be strong to keep holding
On,but it takes strength of
Mind, to know when to
Release.you say, but we've
Only just begun.and i say, our
Beginning is done.you never
Should have left,no, you never
Should have come.


5. FIREHAVEN

This planet is a single sea
And we have crashed into its solitary island.
The shores roll like boiling sand against the waves.
Rain comes down in constant sheets,
And the only source of hope or relief
Is an oasis that mimics the sun.
I must find shelter, for I am in danger…
A few more hours of this, and I will drown where I stand.
Drops of lead drill holes through my skull,
Hack away at my flesh, bleach the color from my skin.
They worm cold trails through my hair,
Down my neck and spine.
Just praying for my body to go numb.

While some desert prisoners would challenge the sun and pray for rain,
I can't even lift my face to curse the bursting sky.
Millions of pelting, precious jewels are slowly driving me insane.
And I would kill a man just to feel the flames of Hell lick me dry.

Infinite streams tunnel into the soil
From steaming, angry clouds.
Melting away, stinging, crawling, dancing, slashing, choking…
We found him frantic,
Slapping at the heavy raindrops sweating down his body
Just repeating, over and over,
"Don't know enough to come in outta the rain.
Don't know enough to come in outta the rain."
I thought I saw the sun dome, radiating not far ahead.
My eyes transfixed, I raced for it, slipped and fell
And discovered my mind's trick.
"Lie here. It's only a mirage. Lie here, it's no use.
Drink all you want."

Somewhere in this single sea, maybe they have an Atlantis of their own,
Where they take you when they find you, use an entire day to drown and torture
Unwanted visitors like me.
I'm forced to hold my breath until I find this place, buried underwater.

Beware the chase; I sought the storm and now I can't escape.
Heaven doesn't look so holy when it's heaving


6. THE COLLECTOR, PART 1: MUSE

Lying here, inside a song, it seems, inside every song i've ever read
Written not by a bloodthirsty man, but a shock-hungry trend;
Rags of flesh discarded on the ground,

Eyes and ears hastily carved from heads while a frustrated surgeon searched for something he feared he'd never find.
The flies have long since settled on their feast,
Breeding maggots in the eyesockets of the deceased;
The walls and floor undulate under tiny beasts.

Amidst the chaos and all the unclean a body lay cold, yet cared for,
Stitched up, yet pristine.
A bedside jar held entrails waiting to be fit inside her empty shell.
She rested, queenlike, in this fragrant Hell,

Her arms smooth and white, sewn to hands missing fingers.
My gaze trembled up her delicate neck,
And I noticed her mouth was opened wide.
Her pale hair flowed down to the floor, brushed and clean,
And next to several organs in glass, floated two large blue eyes.

Footsteps trampled down stairs; he was dragging another lucky bride.
I balled my fists, flexed my legs, and cursed my restraints,
A bad taste left in my mouth from biting through tape.

Trying to build the perfect woman, I see.
How very creative… a love you can customize.
How many donors did you volunteer—now flayed, displayed,
And forgotten in dark corners if not for the stench they emanate?
Am I joining the ranks?
What part of my body will you attach to hers?


7. THE COLLECTOR, PART 2: DONOR

Thick hands released his victim's hair, as she slumped over,
I saw her slender fingers numbered, one to ten.
He sliced each from their knuckles.
Is taking a life as glamorous as your records make it seem?
What happened, a living woman wouldn't cut it for you?
Or, they wouldn't pay you enough attention
So you decided to fuck the girls that couldn't possibly say no?
He leapt from my new companion's side,

Clutching his ten dripping prizes,
And slapped me across the face, screaming…
"Bitch, shut your mouth! I won't hear another word!
You think you're any different from them?
Just pray that heart is more gorgeous than the rest, or else your death
Will be a waste of time… just like your life."
Damn, it's true.
Why are the ones who actually want the heart
The last ones we'd ever fucking give it to?

Flies scattered and swam around my bloodstreaked face
As he resumed his desperate work. The last finger sewn in place…
Unlikely for a man so drawn to novelty—
And so devoid of originality—to create,
From the blank canvas of his mind, such masterpiece.
Even fanatics occasionally exceed
Their idols' genius. Maybe insanity
Is just truly seeing beauty.
Still somehow, it may have all been for nothing.

She is beautiful, i'll give you that.
But she'll never be perfect. "She'll never talk back."
She'll never laugh, she'll never be warm.
"I'm used to them cold. I like it like that."
He scooped the insects from her sockets
And positioned her new eyes.
They'll never see you. She's soulless.
She's empty. "So am I.
She's ready for you. Are you ready to die?"

Jaded motherfucker! How many times have I heard that line?
You think I'm the same as the pawns in your game?
You're just a tired clichã©,
A character spawned from a teenage brain…
Are you ready to die? Well this is the end.
What inspired you to Slay and Slaughter?
Now you're just selling a fucking trend.


8. A DESPERATE RESOLUTION

"Don't get your hopes up,"
Said the people I trust.
More easily said than done.
It's been a hard lesson.
There's something wrong
When one becomes
Reluctant to fall in love,
When one's own blood
Stands, pointing the gun.

My helplessness is a vicious cycle,
Causing frustration that debilitates.
One is truly paralyzed when one sees that time
Has begun to move too fast and too slow all at once.
And I can't determine whether it happened
Gradually or immediately,
But my own weakness is now apparent to me.

Every day, everyone lies
Even if they don't realize.
So, go ahead and decide.
Focus your eyes on mine,
Tell me everything I'd die
To hear after all this time.
You'll just change your mind.
And guilty conscience drives
You to justify your actions,
Then criticize mine.

Fool me twice.
I'm ashamed to find
These hopes have gotten so high.
Always half-expecting your story to change.
Give me your word, then rescind.
Spit my confessions back in my face.
Nothing replaces trust like total control.

My helplessness is a vicious cycle,
Causing frustration that debilitates.
One is truly paralyzed when one sees that time
Has begun to move too fast and too slow all at once.
And I can't determine whether it happened
Gradually or immediately,
But my own weakness is now apparent to me.


Fathers and heroes may make promises they cannot keep.
But for the sake of continuing my life, I will promise myself one thing:
That I send my last hope to apathy,
For it is the only hero that will save me.


9. WAKE ME AT SUNSET

A flash brighter than lightning overhead,
But my town is asleep
So they don't see my father coming home
I imagine him walking in the middle of this night
All the way back to us
He likes to look up at the sky as he
Steps out onto familiar ground,
Now he's rounding our corner
Now he's walking through the door
He's walking through the door

And my mother with her deadened eyes,
She comes alive

"Don�t go" I plead even though I know
His strong love for us both won't keep him from the sky
I know it tears him up inside to say
"It's only one more time"
He knows it's just a lie
He wants to believe

"I need
The stars flying by me,
The earth afloat above, or below, it doesn�t matter where,
Just as long as it isn't right here


I'll be back before you know it and then
I promise you
I�ll be home for good"
"Let me go with you" I have begged ever since I was a child
I know just what he's going to say:
"I don't want you to end up like me,
Aching between
The mystery of new planets to be explored
And the comfort of this ancient discovery beneath our feet.

You'll struggle to give up that which you love
And it's not easy
Son, just please promise me
You won�t become like me."

I just nod and let go even though I know
His strong love for us both won�t keep him from the sky
I know it tears him up inside to say
"It's only one more time"

A flash as bright as a rocket ship exploding,
But my town is asleep
So they don't see my father die.
I imagine him falling into the sun
And I look up at the sky.
"If only you would have stayed this time"
Now he's rounding the corner
Now he's walking through the door
Please, just walk through that door.

You'll just disappoint your family
Every time you leave

You never kept your promise,
So I'm not keeping mine
Wake me at sunset
So I can say goodbye.


10. BRIDGE TO CROSS

Standing over a fault line with a foot planted on either side,
With the only world I ever knew balanced on one shoulder,
And a heart I'm just getting used to beating on the other sleeve.
I stood my ground in a place I knew I might never find peace,
And as my foundation shakes, I'm left to wonder,
Did I nurture this expanding divide?

Golden bridges turn the color of flame,
And suicide missions are redeemed when they become fatalities
Of natural disasters. My steel core is melting.
Oh, if you only knew about the doubts I allowed
To grow up through the cracks, pushing their way out,
Grasping at sunlight.

I can't choose a side, but I can't stay here anymore.
Standing on the edge, a voice begins to whisper.
I've tried to ignore it, but I can't avoid such a groundbreaking
Revelation. Standing on the edge of an abyss,
I know where my real home is,
And I'm leaving it behind.
Jump down, and lose it all. I have a feeling i'll fall
Anyway.

Standing on the edge of an abyss, because I'm holding onto so much,
I just might lose it all. I know where my real home is.
And I'm leaving it behind.


11. SAND AND SNOW

Every city is a ghost town where I
See remnants of us that will
Never fade because they'll never
See the light.the streets
Remember our footprints, maps made
In sand and snow, where we
Walked, side by side.the things
We told eachother, piece by piece,
As it comes back now,
Revisitingi stopped searching
For our missing ending.there are
No dry winds carrying torn
Pagesdown abandoned roads,
Fluttering, caughton telephone
Poles, waiting to be foundand
Read aloud. Even if i, alone,
Returned to those streets,
Deceased, i'd be choked by
Theashes of long-combusted paper
Dreams.you are being
Immortalized as i speak,not just
In words, but a reality i live in
My sleep.last night, i dreamt
You followed me.i can feel you
Always close, sometimesa day
Ahead, or two behind, hunting
Downa similar night, different
From the next.i can still hear
Your voice in air currents
You've since left and i've just
Foundi told you to never try and
Find me,but how can i ask
Memories to leave?they just come
And go as they please.and even
If i wrote a thousand songs,no
One will ever know what you've
Done to me.they'll hear it
Echoing, or see the delicate skin
Shed from a body still
Evolving,ghosts of emotions lost
And unable to give up,a carcass
Of a parasite that left one final
Scar before it was cast from its
Host.we're not bound by ties,
But inescapably intertwined in
Each other's lives.your love was
Glass cut like a diamond, but i
Have discovered a truer
Fortune.i take pity on your
Greed because you will never
Regain the wealth you lost in
Me.what did i do to you to
Deserve this?and even as i
Immortalize you with my words, i
Know you don't deserve this.


12. SELF PORTRAIT

Now, listen.
Because i've listened to you,
Your voice, your words
And the music behind them.
And all of it sinks in
And weighs me down,
Finds my heart,
And breaks it down,
Breaks it open,
And empties it out,
Tries to fill it back up,
But it just spills out
Again into

My whole body
Is awake.
I have never felt purer pain than this,
You're in complete control of all my senses…
Now you've gotten my attention, singing
You've gotten my attention now, sing it.

I left my heart's final punch
Echoing in that of the kickdrum's.
But somehow, my finger finds the button,
And the resulting music kickstarts
That vital pump.
Blood carries the beat
To my ears at the peak
Of heightened sensitivity.
And I'm listening to the sound
Of a different voice now;

He's pulling love out of
Daring melodies,
Wrenching me
From the most peaceful sleep.
The pieces come together again
And the blood just rushes back through it, singing
The blood just rushes back through me, sing it.

Don't you understand
This power in your hands?
You have made me understand
Everything I am.