The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara (TCOMAS) commendably fill a void in music by melding literature and history together into an arena where rock and metal meets electronica. The diligent pairing stride forward with the release of their brand-new sophomore album, Trust No Leaders, on Friday 1st July. With momentum building for the band, we asked them for this exclusive track by track breakdown of the album:
1. Human Sacrifice
Delivered in the vocal style of Hindu mantra chants, ‘Human Sacrifice’ blends Thrash Metal with Vedic chants and elements of Indian Classical music. The lyrics draw from an array of ancient and colonial texts, such as the Mayan Codices and Biblical texts, where descriptions of human sacrifice rituals can be found. The track revisits the practice of human sacrifice rituals of the past in order to shed light on how modern practices of human sacrifice still exist. In particular, in the context of the governments and institutions who seek to gain and profit off the lives of people who are led to die in the name of country or creed, for a cause that is not their own.
2. The Prophet
Released as a single and video in November 2021, “The Prophet” is the second single released from the album. The song is a tribute to Sylvia Plath’s poem, Lady Lazarus. Drawing inspiration from the cinematic soundscapes of Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock’s natural horror-thriller films, the song is told through the eyes of an advanced robot who is ‘resurrected’ like the biblical Lazarus with a destructive super-intelligence, wreaking havoc upon her human creators. “The Prophet” petitions for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence technologies in order to protect human consciousness and our existence as a species. The song is an ominous reminder that if we are not careful, we might find ourselves with a technology that destroys the civilisation that invented it – us.
3. Pound of Flesh
A synthesis of djent and thrash metal, “Pound of Flesh” combines elements of South American folk music with soundscapes evocative of the atmospheric scores of film composer, Ennio Morricone. Taken from William Shakespeare’s play, Merchant of Venice, ‘Pound of Flesh’ refers to something that is owed that needs to be paid back, at every cost. The song is a tale of revenge and mercy, and talks about the price of vengeance at the cost of redemption.
4. Shaman [video]
Native American soundscapes set the scene in “Shaman” which tells a tale of a symbolic journey into the darkness and depths of one’s psyche to encounter our inner worlds — much like in the Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony, inipi or inikagapi, whereby participants pass through four doors to cleanse and prepare themselves for Vision Quests, Hanbleceya, which are journeys into the spiritual world. The lyrics provide a narrative account which begins seemingly like Edgar Allen Poe’s Raven, then unraveling to tell the tale of a quest for human fulfillment, much like that of Goethe’s Faust, where she is led through a passage and taken on a journey to come face to face with her unconscious. “Shaman” introduces the idea that human fulfillment can only be attained through bringing the contents of one’s unconscious mind into consciousness.
5. The Chefs Song [video]
“The Chefs Song” is a satirical vaudeville that dramatises the pressures of working in a busy kitchen in order to shed light on the urgency of the issue of inhospitable and exploitative working conditions in the hospitality sector. What the theatrical comedy of the song belies is a sinister truth, a tragedy that plagues our modern societies — the prevalence of modern slavery in the 21st century. According to a study by the Human Trafficking Foundation (2018), more than 1 in 10 people who work in hospitality in the world are reported to be working under modern slavery conditions. For far too long, this has remained hidden from the public eye — behind the closed doors of some kitchens, hotels, and restaurants.
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6. The Pied Piper
Layered in structure, meaning, and historical significance, “The Pied Piper” alludes to the medieval legend of the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin, as told in Robert Browning’s poem. The hypnotic harmony of meandering layers trace cultural and musical connections across the Silk Route. The haunting sounds of the Chinese bowed-erhu give way to undulating rhythmic beats reminiscent of the music from the Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Persian worlds. The lyrics deal with the complex interplay of power, control, and helplessness in modern society. The verses draw inspiration from the narrative style of the 1934 poem, “All of us or none” (Keiner oder alle), by the German political playwright, Bertolt Brecht.
7. Nothing but Dust – https://youtu.be/av6Gbf0CCd4
Released as a single and video in February 2022, “Nothing but Dust” addresses the theme of modern man’s search for his soul. In our quest for advancement and progress, we have become detached from the very place we draw our creative energies from — the inner worlds of our psyche. The song revisits the ancient practice of desert hermitage as a means to confront and enrich one’s soul. Ancient man would spend months in the solitude of desert which they believed to be the pathway to the soul. The lyrics take inspiration from the colour, sounds, and semantics of the poetry of Persia, especially the poems of the 13th-century Sufi scholar and mystic, Rumi. Progressive rock and metal guitar riffs meld the modern with the traditional, the sounds of Indo-Persia mix synesthetically with the Rumi-inspired lyrics.
8. Count the Dead – https://youtu.be/JmNDPMdFsaE
Released as a single and video in October 2021, “Count the Dead” provided a well-received first taste of the album. Continuing the themes addressed in their debut album with the track “Love in the Time of Pestilence”, “Count the Dead” is the second installment of songs which address the ongoing pandemic and global crisis. The song draws attention to the social and economic injustices and violent health inequalities that have been further exacerbated by the global Covid-19 pandemic. The artist composed the song as a protest against world leaders, whose negligence and recklessness have resulted in one of the largest ‘avoidable’ losses of lives in generations. It makes one ask the question, “How much are our lives really worth in the eyes of our leaders?”
9. Smell of Your Rot
“Smell of Your Rot” is about breaking free from the chains of psychological abuse. The song is told from the point of view of a woman who reconnects with her soul in order to take back control of her sense of self after years of living under the control and oppression of a coercive partner. A symphony of metal guitars and classical strings set the scene for this triumphant moment of liberation — which can be likened to waking up from “a deep restless sleep lasting years and year long”. Finally, she sees everything in the world in a completely different light.
10. Hypermetamorphosis
Fleeting between dissonant metal guitar riffs and sensual jazz piano melodies, “Hypermetamorphosis” (a term used in the 1800s to refer to the condition Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) explores what it is like to live with ADHD. The stream of consciousness lyrics, dissonant melodies, and erratic rhythm and structure, recreates a sensory and cognitive experience of how the ADHD brain processes, perceives and interprets the world. Despite the chaos and restlessness that often comes with the condition, one of the traits that people with ADHD can develop is the ability to make sense of a seemingly chaotic sea of information and ideas. The song is a journey of discovery through the imagination of the ADHD mind, allowing one to see connections and flows in a way that is inaccessible through the filter of rationality in a neurotypical brain.
11. Scum of the Land
A dystopian theatrical and scathing satire that tells the truth of the “Scum of the Land”. In the 1980s, the term ‘scum’ was used by the tabloid The Sun to refer to an unpopular but defenseless minority group of British society to antagonise and provoke a response in order to sell more papers. Leaving no stones unturned, the song is about the true scum of society. They are ones at the top, the powers that be, those who “prey on the weak and powerless” and “leach upon the fat of the land, in the name of profit and power”. As the saying goes, “The honest man is defeated, and the scum always rises to the top”.
The track concludes the album in a dystopian near-future where “earth is nothing but a barren desert of empty fields and famished men”. To the beat of the marching band, onwards humanity goes, treading steadily towards the end…”
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