The Legacy of Vexd

Seeing it's tuesday again it's that time for another D'Verse excursion.  So I was trying to think of something to write for Open Link Night, hosted by the lovely Tash.

While seeking out the muse I began rummaging through some old notebooks. Lots of interesting things in here, half started screenplays, story outlines, old poetry and so forth.  Lots of things in here.  These notebooks are from the olden days, back when I was still in high school, well this particular one I'm referring to now is anyhow.

When I was in High School I was in a band, well sort of.  Two guys and myself got together a few times with grand intentions.  But the problem was, despite the one kid having a couple guitars, keyboards, drum kit, amps and the other guy brought his brothers bass, none of us knew what we were doing.

What resulted was a bunch of screaming and disjointed sound.  It really was fun but in retrospect it probably sounded like a really bad grunge laden garage session.  And Oh, did I mention I was the singer, and I really, really can't sing.

Anyhow, those few times we got together, inspired me for many years.  I remember those Microwaved Baloney sessions, yep that's what we were going to call ourselves-lol, and how from that point delusions of grandeur would always seem to linger in my psyche.  So I would write endless numbers of albums, some filled with song lyrics and later some notes as well, but they all had a really rough sketch of album art, which was always terrible by the way, a title and a listing of songs with their playing times.

So running across this particular notebook today was fun, reminiscing on my youthful creativity I never really knew I had in me at the time.  So this might explain a bit why I've always loved perusing the record shelves looking at the album covers and the track listings.

With this said I thought it would be fun to create a poem, or as it turns out a set of poems, using this particular style.  What I did was use the notion of connectivity.  In brief it says that everything is somehow connected, in one way or another, and so I extrapolated the idea over to words.  Word association games are easily found and this, in a way, is like that.  Each song represents something independent from the others, yet, if you really think upon it, you'll figure out a connection of sorts and in so doing you'll piece together your own interpretation of what each song is about, and then what all the songs together represents.  So with that said let's begin:

First I created an obviously fictitious band, I went with the name of Vex, but after I did the album covers I found out that there was already a band named vex with a similar looking logo.  So, as not to have to redo each album's design over I added 'd to make it vex'd.  Yes I know kind of cheating a bit, but anyhow, bear with me here.

The band is a four-piece from Stockholm.  They started out playing local bars known as Syndrome back in the early 90's.  Sven Svenstrom on lead vocals, Lars holstrom on bass, Janne and Mikhael VanDesworn on guitar and drums respectively.  I first saw them playing the Devil's Rectum, a death metal club in the seedy part of town.  I approached them to sign on with my label, Nidhog records, which boasted, at the time, the most famous Black Metal group of all time, Seppuku.  These young kids really appreciated the offer and were really strong in their recording of their now extremely rare Bloodbath in Baal, four track record that gained a lot of prominence in and outside the general Stockholm area.

After a brief tour the guys began on their follow up, their first full-length LP.  Villainelle was recorded on Sept 5th, 1996 and went straight to number 4 on the Billboard top 100 metal albums of the year.  But more important, we secured a spot on the world tour that was on it's final leg.  So these kids were about to join their idols Seppuku in North America to shred the states.  I could tell the guys were really nervous but I also knew talent and these guys had that for sure.  I was not worried in the least bit.

October 31st, 1996 one day before the now named band Vex'd would join the legendary Seppuku on stage in Boston, playing the legendary Boston Gardens.  We set flight that morning, arriving at Logan sometime in the afternoon.  I was a bit worried how the guys would react to their first international flight, but these guys were so pumped it wouldn't have made a difference if the plane landed in Seattle, these guys were going to eat it all up.  That night though, an unfortunate set of events prompted the tours cancellation.  Seppuku, the legends that they were, decided to committed ritualized suicide, none of the band survived this act and in so doing, a tragedy had taken place and yes, the show could not go on.

Years later it turns out Vex'd was still rolling out quality albums.  They never got to where I thought they'd get, but they are living their musical life and they are huge in Denmark, Finland and their hometown of Stockholm.  They've given up the aspirations of becoming worldwide sensations, but I guess, for a death metal band, that's probably a bit of a pipe dream anyhow.  So now in their mid 30-s, these guys are still metal all the way, in and around the place they love more than any other, their homeland of Sweden.

Villainelle (Including the long lost Bloodbath In Baal EP)

1.            Frigid Inquisition                                                  (0:58)

2.            Identity squelch                                                     (3:33)

3.            To tread upon quills                                               (2:44)

4.            The Lioness                                                            (5:32)

5.            Seven deadly Sincerities                                           (4:19)

6.            Bricks Part I (In construction)                                  (10:11)

7.            Bricks Part II (In completion)                                     (1:22)

8.            Bricks Part III (In destruction)                                   (8:47)

9.            Bricks Part IV (In seclusion)                                       (3:00)

10.        Drifting upon a lake of ambergris (Instrumental)           (1:14)

11.        Promiscuity                                                            (4:01)

12.        Flutter, flatter, faster, fuller                                       (2:22)

13.        Octaves unmeasured                                                (2:48)

14.        Nocturnal respite                                                   (3:13)

15.        Cubistic renderings (Portraiture)                               (0:44)

16.        Crumpets and Tea (Observations from a kinder place)(1:04)

17.        Biscuits and Beer (The defilement of cadmium)         (1:52)

18.        Stale Toast and Tears (Last Rites)                            (1:41)

19.        Syllabic charcoal (The warmth in honest resolution)    (2:56)

 62:21

Idylls of A Fractured Soul

1.            Temporal state of disbelief                            (7:23)

2.            Only dust remains                                         (5:37)

3.            An admission of guilt                                     (3:00)

4.            Unexpected parting of ways                          (6:59)

5.            As the pendulum swings                                (5:44)

6.            Plausible deniability                                      (3:01)

7.            Corrosive anti-toxins                                    (5:00)

8.            Autopsy                                                     (1:16)

9.            Purge                                                        (2:35)

10.        A paranoid refrain                                        (3:26)

11.        Reconciliation of an empty soul                    (2:01)

12.        Pause                                                       (0:58)

13.        Invisible codes of honor                               (1:50)

14.        Idylls of fracture                                        (4:10)

15.        You don’t bring me flowers (Corporal remix)(6:00)

59:00

Malice in Wonderland

1.   Along Came An Angel                     (3:19)       

2.   Breaking & Questioning                (13:22)

3.   Even Heroes Fall                          (4:52)

4.   Malice In Wonderland                    (9:01)

5.   It’s Never Just A Couple                 (3:37)

6.   Intrinsic Decay                             (8:04)

7.   Dance Of The Reaper                     (7:06)

8.   Water Vs. Heartbreak                    (4:00)

9.   On The Edge Of Possession             (2:41)

56:02

The Neophyte

1.   Portrait of Terror                                              (0:36)

2.   A Nation Divided                                              (0:44)

3.   Accolades                                                         (5:11)

4.   Borders                                                            (3:10)

5.   Ciphers                                                            (6:04)

6.   How Can This Be?                                         (3:22)

7.   Harbingers of Fate                                        (5:33)

8.   Centaurs                                                        (2:11)

9.   Disciples of Discipline                                 (4:14)

10.   Reclamation of the Armor                        (8:23)

11.     The Forge of the Forgotten                     (5:51)

12.        Numbness Of A Kiss                                (3:44)

13.         Wishing Well (The Neophyte)                 (11:59)

61:02