The Last Generation of Lovers: 2014

Friday, June 27, 2014

The Last Generation of Lovers Available NOW!!!

The Last Generation of Lovers available NOW at:

http://thecurseofhalos.bandcamp.com/

You can check it out here also:

https://soundcloud.com/thecurseofhalos

Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

Friday, June 20, 2014

The Spark

This image was the spark that started the fire in my mind that was this album.

It was late December 2010 and I had just entered into a new relationship with the woman who would become my wife. She gave me a journal as a gift and this was the cover. As I studied the cover image I wondered what the woman on the cover looked like before she became this vision of death. Then a story sprung to mind.

In September of 2010 I had turned 30 and I went to Chicago with my best friend to see Roger Waters perform the Wall. It was the greatest spectacle I had ever seen. I wondered why no one did albums like this anymore, or spectacles like this, and I vowed to make one. I just needed a story, and I would come up with that story just a few months later. The Last Generation of Lovers.

This blog is an attempt to clarify my vision for this album. To further explain the story and add to it in a way that music can't convey. I would love to eventually turn this into a stage production, but unfortunately that is probably a dream that will never come to fruition, but who knows.

The Title

So how did I come up with this title?

Earlier in 2010, my best friend and I were having a discussion about relationships and how the divorce rate is so high, and how love in general just wasn't how it used to be. We talked about how our Grandmother's generation was truly the last of people who took the vow "Until Death Do Us Part" seriously. So I deemed them "The Last Generation of Lovers" and really like that title. I had no idea at the time what I would use it for, but when this story came to my mind, I just knew that would be the title. I wrote this title page on January 1st, 2011.

The Process

For this album, I decided to not go about how I normally did things, and see how that went. Usually when I write music, I come up with the music then add lyrics that reflect the tone of it. This time, I decided to go lyrics first, then music. More specifically, I first wrote a line or two or just a title in my journal. That gave me a direction and a theme for each song. Next, I went through song by song and thought about what part of the story I wanted to tell in each, and then just started writing. I didn't know if it would work or if I would write too much or not enough. Surprisingly though, I didn't have to cut or add much, and everything worked out pretty perfectly lyric wise.

After finishing lyrics, which took actually a couple months, I went to the task of writing music. To accomplish this, I set aside one day a week to lock myself in my studio and I recorded video of what I would come up with as a way to remember it all once I was done. As I approached each song, I would think of how I wanted this song to sound, even down to instrumentation and how it would sound next to the song before and after it. And I knew that I would try to repeat musical themes throughout, much like The Wall.

Writing the music took quite a while, and once that was done I made some crude demos to flesh them all out and make sure they were all structurally sound. I think I went through a couple rewrites, and lots of happy accidents happened along the way.

After demoing them all, I tried to lay down some final tracks. My original plan was to lay down guitars and vocals and get a drummer to do play real drums on the album, but that didn't happen. I finished what I thought would be final tracks, and went back to listen and decided I hated it all. I realized that I would have to start with drums FIRST then build upon that. So I built drum tracks using samples, loops, and a MIDI keyboard and went from there. It was the best call I made and finally got me somewhere after being stuck it seemed for the past 2-3 years. Once I built drum tracks, the guitars and vocals came easily and I had re-recorded everything in just about a month. I even had my wife play violin and piano on some tracks.

The final piece of the puzzle was my friend Kyle Snyder. He and I had been in a band previously back in our hometown and he had just moved to Nashville. I told him about the project and asked if he would play guitar on it and help me with mixing since I knew he had worked in a studio previously. Not only did he play some amazing lead guitar on the album, but he also did all the bass work and mixing as well. He was a tremendous help.

The Last Generation of Lovers

This post will be the beginning of me sharing lyrics and further explaining the story. Enjoy!

The Last Generation of Lovers

They grew up down the street from each other

Used to chase bugs and dreams

It always pained him to see her with another

When he got the chance he would not leave

He asked for her hand before he left for the war

Promised he’d be back one day

He never broke his word

He came back for her

Their lives began that day

“Darling, don’t you understand

I will love you ‘til the world ends

It’s you and I for the rest of our lives

You are my soul’s sunshine”

Holding hands like the day that they first met

Every kiss was filled with fire

Every tragedy that they faced was met

With determination and desire

They shared every sunrise and sunset

The day wasn’t long enough

And every night they laid together

Couldn’t wait until they woke up

Seemed nothing in the world could break them

No earthquake could shake them

They never felt forsaken

They never knew where life would take them

Until it was too late

No love like this love will be

No love like this love will be again.

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

This is the story of a boy and a girl who grew up together. Both were born in 1920. As they grew older he fell in love with her and while she may have dated a few other fellas, she eventually fell in love with him. They even attend college together. She studied to become a nurse, he double majored in chemistry and medicine. When they graduated college in 1942 he proposed, but also joined the army to fight in WWII. He promised to return to her and finally marry her. He kept his promise and they were married in 1945.

The Penalty of War is Death

It came back with them

It started as a fever and ended a mess

A thirst and a longing

For blood and for flesh

One thing is for certain

It spread like a wild fire

It demanded the courage

To tear your world apart

Was it a gas?

Or radiation?

No one is for sure

Was it a test?

A consequence?

Many theories washed ashore

Chemical reactions

He always understood

But this one was different

To it there were no rules

It started in the cities

But nowhere was safe

Could it be the water?

Or could it be the rain?

Barricade yourself inside

Board up your windows and doors

Best now to keep quiet

Noise draws them close

Breathe in destruction

Breathe out your dreams

A world in dysfunction

Where living is a luxury

Ask yourself now

If it came to be

Could you bring yourself

To kill your family

“Can we make it through the winter?

Or any season at all?

How did it come to this?

Where did it all go wrong?”

“I guess we’re being punished

A price put on our heads.

The cost of fighting wars

The penalty is death.”

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

Once Vets return from WWII, something starts to happen. A mysterious outbreak? It's a full blown epidemic by 1949. The world starts to crumble. No one knows how it started or why. Pure panic. Everyone blames everyone.

A Few Became Too Many

A Few Became Too Many (A Story of Survival)

Been days since they seen the sun

Forgot what fresh air meant

Their best friend was now a gun

Each other was all they had left

Supplies had gotten low

They had to venture out

The others came from nowhere

He knew he shouldn't have shout

That day had started like any other

Their future up in the air

Hard to think not too long ago

Their lives not filled with dread

Their only heat was each other

The only company they kept

Long as they had one another

They could face the day

From that fatal call out

Running from the horde

The dead and hungry look in their eyes

They knew what was in store

And so they fled

With short supply

Into the woods

With a thousand eyes

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

Since the end of the world, they have barricaded themselves in their house after acquiring supplies. After a while though, their supplies run low and they must go searching. They both go because they do not want to be separated and they can watch each other's backs. While searching, a horde approaches and catches Her off guard. He screams to warn her, therefore attracting more. They run into the woods to lose the horde.

The Road is Paved With Blood/A Final encounter (If Only He Knew)

The Road is Paved With Blood

Forced from their home

Running from death

Never alone

Not knowing where to head

They were weary of others

Never knew if they had control

So they stuck together

The trust in each other for sure

The roads are paved with blood

No one could see

That this day would come

Where fear would roam free

When the bombs fall

And cleanse the city

Pray that it’s not

In our vicinity

Scraping by

With whatever they could

Hoping the next town

Delivered what it should

Cities were always

More frightful than the woods

Because the others

Lurking and hungry for you

Vocals, keyboards - Nathan Shouse

On the run looking for shelter where they can. They have to be careful. There are infected and not infected to worry about. People looking to pillage and plunder as well as those looking to turn you and feed upon you. They have to watch for aircraft bombing cities overrun. But soon enough, even the bombings stop. They wander from town to town searching for what they need to keep surviving.

A Final Encounter (If Only He Had Known)

They turned the corner and there they were

Stumbling and oblivious

But once they got the scent of her

It sent them into quite a fit

Back to back

Weapons drawn

Searching for an escape

If only he had known

What was to occur

He would have said,

“I love you” that day

Vocals, keyboards - Nathan Shouse

She runs head on into a group of them. No amount of warning or screaming can warn her or save her in time.

He screams anyway, to no avail.

The Bite (Scarlet Kiss)

It all happened so fast

But when it did time stood still

The crimson stained her dress

There was no time to feel

He snatched her up

And took shelter

He wasn’t sure what to do

At first he just held her

The scarlet kiss will sever bliss

He knows how much he needs her

“Our fate not sealed, this wound will heal."

It’s no wound it’s a scarlet kiss.

Minutes to hours

And hours to days

Her breathing had slowly

Started to fade

Her skin grew cold

He knew then

In short time

She’d awaken again

So he bound her up

For her own good

As delicately

As he could

Then he placed her

In the corner

Of their little

House of horrors

Patiently he waited

To see what she would do

And after a few hours

She stirred and he understood

Softly she moaned

As if to ask, “Why?”

A look of pure terror

As she opened up her eyes

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

The scarlet kiss is the bite. She is bitten and He grabs her and takes off. Eventually he finds a building to go into and locks himself in. This place is some sort of medical building, but not a hospital. It is a private doctor or a dentist's office. He holds her for a while then frantically cleans the wound, and goes searching through the building to see if there is anything else he can find to help. Then her condition worsens, and he holds her to try and comfort her as she dies. Then, when she does die, his face goes blank. He delicately ties her up and places her in the corner of a room and waits and watches her. Finally, she starts to stir and move and he stands up and leaves the room. Closing her in alone.

What Do I Do?

This is the first Instrumental. I was going for a "Goodbye Blue Sky" vibe with both of my instrumentals. My wife Laura played piano and violin on this track.

Guitar - Nathan Shouse
Violin, piano - Laura Shouse

This song is to just be a time to show that He is trying to figure out his next move.

No Cure Part 1

No Cure (Part 1)

Where in lies death?

Where does life hide?

Must you fight decay?

Or must you find your mind?

It took him a while

To gather what he could use

Bunsen burners and glass beakers

Needles and test tubes

No sleep for days

The obsession remains

He must find a way to reach her

His hope refused to fade

A cure must be made

“I will not let this thing keep her”

He couldn't bear to see her

So he worked in the next room

Failure always repeated

He started to sense doom

He maintained his struggle

He wouldn't be defeated

If death can be created

Then death can be defeated

To cure death you must find life.

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

He decides to use his medical and chemical expertise to try and find a cure. These are the questions he's asking himself as he prepares to find a cure for her. He then ventures out and about the city to find all the stuff he needs to do his experiments. He then begins his work. But failure abounds.

The Breakthrough

THE POWER TO REGENERATE

It was a gas at first

But needed a spark

A supernova

Inside of her heart

At first it only worked

When she digested

But soon it begged

To be spread again

To infect

To tear apart

But she healed

Did not give in to decay

I can buy time

To revive her

Discover some sort

Of reawakening

Beauty

With hunger forever

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

After many failed attempts He finally finds a way to keep her body from decaying. She still wants to feed and devour, but she does not rot. Almost an elixir of life, but it will not work on the living. It's a preservative of sorts. It works by injecting her and letting her feed and the flesh eaten acts as a sustenance to trigger the regeneration of her flesh. It's almost as if she absorbs their life force. Hence, beauty with hunger forever.

Feeding Her To Buy Time

Feeding Her to Buy Time

“What have I become?

A murderer for love?

A savior to a cause?

No way to clean this blood

From off of my hands

This medicine demands

For me to do things

That no one understands”

“I do it for love

So I can feel her touch

And see her warm smile

Instead of cold eyes

The price that I pay

Is worth it to say

“I love you” again

So I commit this sin…

For love.”

“The hardest part of all

Is finding a loner

Someone I am sure

That does not have another

So in a way I am saving

Them from the pain

Of being alone

Am I fucking insane?”

“I’m feeding her to buy time

Until I finish my tests

There’s no way I can keep this up

My mind’s becoming a mess

Doing this is taking toll

I can’t bear to watch her feed

I must try to retake control

Put an end to this disease.”

“I just need more time…”

Vocals, piano - Nathan Shouse

In order to continue his work , he now needs to feed her. He ventures out to find people to use for his ghastly work. He keeps telling himself he does it to further his research and that it's for good. Little does he know, it's all for no good.

No Cure Part 2

No Cure Part II

Days shed from the calendar

As if it had any meaning

Seems the seasons just blended in

Into one gigantic feeling

No sleep for days

The obsession wanes

There is no way to reach her

And now my hope

No longer remains

There is no cure for this creature

Hope has run out and left me here

Left me alone with my failure

While the shadow of a former love

Mocks me while covered in blood

Vocals, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse

Months have passed and no progress. He tries what He has determined to be His last time, and it fails. He just stares at Her as she's feeding. She finally looks up at Him, stands up and tries to venture towards him to feed more. All hope lost.

The Last Hoorah

He found a box

Of old cigars

And a bottle of old bourbon

And as he drank

He did contemplate

Taking the pain

Of 2 bullets

The first for her

His one true love

And then the other

For his temple

But he could not muster

Up the courage

To kill his only lover

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Bass - Kyle Snyder

Knowing He has failed, He gets drunk and has what He thinks will be one last night on Earth. As He grabs the gun and points it at Her, She looks at Him quizzically and a flash of the good times they had goes through His mind. He can't kill Her.

All Hope Lost

This is the other instrumental on the album. My wife plays violin on this track as well. This song is meant to express the despair and hopelessness He is feeling.

Guitar - Nathan Shouse
Violin - Laura Shouse

The Breakdown

Defeated and broken

He accepts his fate

For them to be together

He must bury the pain

“I want to sever

The hand that draws me

Towards you, darling

But instead I’ll feed mine

To you.”

So he said goodbye

To the world he knew

“Here I come my darling”

“We’ll be together soon”

We’ll be together soon. (for love)”

She became

Oddly still

As if she knew

That it was time

They had paid their

Dues

So she watched

As his breath did fade

Their roles reversed

And soon the same

Never had there

Been so much

Life in death

And never will there be a love like theirs

Again

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

Instead of killing Her and Himself, He will join Her. He lets Her bite his hand and He falls back into the corner. She doesn't lunge to devour Him oddly enough. It's as if She even knew what He was trying to do. She just watches Him take his last breath and then reanimate.

Together Forever and Never

There are no words

To describe or between them

They were now together again

Never ending love in death

Can’t understand but always understood

They had done the best that they could

As they wanted it was him and her

Together forever and never

A blood sunrise ascending into chaos

A black sunset “Nothing will phase us”

A waxen twilight “This is a new beginning”

A radiant starlight “Our lives now have meaning”

Seasons turn and winds may change

But this love will always remain

Empires fall, civilizations may crumble

But they will always have forever and never

Forever and never my dear

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Bass - Kyle Snyder

Him and Her are finally together in Living Death.

Scarlet Kiss Eternal (Invincible Death)

Red

The color of blood and love

Although blood isn't forever

It’s a slow burning candle

You just pray to stop the wind

Green

The color of life and magic

Although magic isn't real

Unless you count that feeling you get

When you realize her love is real

We bring death to your town

With a scarlet kiss eternal

Invincible death unfurled

We hold hands as we destroy the world

Blue

The color of sadness and the sea

Although some say the sea can’t be conquered

And sadness, like the undertow

Can make you feel like you’re drowning

Black

The color of death and a new moon

Although death can also be considered new

A chance to atone, a chance for final peace

Yet still you know your love will never cease

Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Nathan Shouse
Lead Guitars, Bass - Kyle Snyder

The Dream

This album has been a labor of love/hate for the past three and a half years. I wanted to tell a coherent story that was vivid and compelling. My ultimate dream was to put this album out on vinyl with an accompanying graphic novel. I even had a friend that was going to draw it, but he got busy with life and sadly, we couldn't make it work out. Maybe one day. Another dream was to turn this into a stage production. I really thought it could be an amazing musical of sorts. Maybe someone will happen upon it one day and it could happen, I certainly do not have the means to make it happen.

Finally I'd like to thank a few people.

My wife, Laura, for never giving up on me and for always being encouraging and pushing me to finish this thing. I'd also like to thank her for her wonderful violin and piano playing and I hope we get to make music together for the rest of our lives. I love you!

My best friend, Adam, for always inspiring me throughout my life.

Kyle, Thank you for your amazing talent and for coming back into my life exactly when I needed you the most.

And finally I'd like to thank music itself and all the artists making music and all forms of art from the beginning of time. Than you for your inspiration, for igniting my fire, for shaping me.