Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Matt McChesney from The Autumn Offering tells us about "Synapse" from their brand new self-titled album. We now turn it over to Matt for the story:"Synapse" is the opening track on our 2010 self titled album, The Autumn Offering. A synapse is, in layman's terms, an impulse. In this case, I'm implying lyrically that drug abuse is hereditary, and the impulse to start down the path of self-destruction is pre-determined. My father's father was a heavy drug-user and an alcoholic and so was my father. Unfortunately, the addict-gene was passed on down to me. I have since realized that life is worth living, and changed my wayward ways.
The track itself is brutal and uncompromising. It is more of a death metal song than a traditional metal song, and by far the heaviest track in our catalogue. It features an array of blast and grind beats, dissonant, technical guitar riffs, and vicious, guttural vocals. The chorus of the song, while heavy and screamed, has a catchy melody to it. The way I scream, which is the correct way, allows me colorful harmonic overtones to my vocals. That's why its pleasing to the ear. This part of the song is the only thing remotely melodic in the track. The rest is an exercise in brutality." Synapse" is also one of our only songs that does not have a guitar solo. We opted instead for a crushing breakdown to close it out.
Lyrically, the song is pretty bleak and does not offer much in the way of hope. The opening line tells a cautionary story: "Opiate magnet, it's thirst and it was pulling, we met in the earth while I laid on dry dirt". The was my first date of a long and twisted romance with heroin. I was 15, and tried the drug on a playground near my house. I remember laying on the dirt, feeling like I was floating. After the initial sickness subsided, I felt as if all my problems drifted away like the clouds above me. We all know that later on you learn that is not the case and you stop getting high. You need the drug just to function, to live. Your future is now a string of methadone clinics and recovery groups. It is not worth it. If you are lucky enough as I was, to escape this drug, you will bear the physical and mental scars of it forever. Some, such as my father, were not so lucky.
Lastly, I'll touch on the chorus, which is junkie 101: Placing blame. It drapes the line : " I am the product, rotten offspring of the needle". Here, instead of taking responsibility for my actions, I'm blaming my bloodline for what I've done. You realize later, you have a choice, you've always had one, and no one is to blame but yourself. Heed the words of this song carefully, all you would-be thrill seekers. You may get more then you bargained for!!
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album - right here!
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