The Haunter and The Haunted EP is an extended play by solo artist Troy Mascenon formerly from the band Reckoner. The EP was written, recorded, produced, edited, and mixed by Troy Mascenon and Troy Mascenon only in his Glasgow studio 2 weeks prior the announcement of his return to the music industry. The EP showcases some of Troy's latest written material and the new sound and musical style he was going to represent as a solo artist, Dale Tucker (Reckoner's music video director and official artwork guy) makes his return to creating artwork for Reckoner/Troy by making the incredible picture you'd see once you buy the hard copy. After signing to Chaos Records, it was agreed upon that to keep the the fans from waiting for Troy's new album, it was better first to build a hype, to give the fans a taste of what's to come. The EP contains four original songs, The Hunter and the Haunted, Monkey in the Middle, Raging of the Dawn, and Peripheral. The EP would be released digitally on the 28th of September while the CDs would be released on an earlier date (25th of September) but in every music store it is going to be sold in, only 5 copies would be available so keep your eyes wide open for this.
Track listing:1. The Hunter and the Haunted (4:51)
Writing:
-The title track of the EP was written by Troy while on vacation in Mumbai, India after meditating and drinking hot tea as he watched the beautiful sunset, reflecting on his life and how he has lived. He used the term "The Hunter and The Hunted" and changed the last word to Haunted to emphasize on what Troy wanted the song to be about.
"It's about the conscience actually. I was in Mumbai when I wrote this song, meditating, when all of a sudden an idea struck me. I was inspired to make a song about guilt since I consider myself to be a very sinful person. I was changed at that moment and I wanted to look back and reflect on all of my mistakes and to write a song about them to change my crooked ways. As others say music is life and I want them to experience my mistakes through music so that they won't be able to do it to themselves if they are faced with the situation. My concept is really weird and I doubt anybody understood it, but that's how music is. It's not understandable to the naked ear and we'd need to have a microscope like device for our hearing to really know what musicians are talking about."
Music:
The song features a brass section throughout and a dominant saxophone, the first time Troy has ever used a wind instrument in any of his songs. Another interesting fact about the song is that it has Troy's record for the lowest note he has ever recorded (a B2), something different from his routine use of falsetto and hitting high notes. The song, as with all the other tracks, uses both the drums and a drum machine.
Song Progression:
The song starts out with military style drum beats with the faint sound of a battalion marching to war. The brass section then enters with a joyful tune, as if it was for victory or a parade. The drum machine accompanies the drums as the distorted bass enters the song. Troy starts singing with a low note but it is very obvious that he is hard up since he is almost inaudible. The chorus features the brass section doing random improvisations, heavier bass lines, and the electric drum beats are more audible now then the drums as Troy's vocals soar up two octaves. The second verse has all the same instrumentals except that it has a heavily distorted guitar doing the same riff over and over again until the next chorus. The second chorus ends with a saxophone slowly being fitted in for a solo/outro which was an obvious tribute to the late Clarence Clemons, as the sound of 5 different guitar solos overlapping each other added a messed up atmosphere to the song while it slowly fades away.
Lyrics:
Verse:
My heart beat raises up as I aim at the hay
But suddenly my eyesight fades away, leaving me as the prey
and i pray that I see the light, but I don't mean the other way
oh I pray that I see the light, I don't want to die this way
And I hear the growls, i hear the noise, I hear the footsteps come closer
I hear the breath, I feel the chill, I just want to get this over with
and I pray that I see the light, I pray I'd still see the day
I don't want to leave tonight, but there's a price to pay
Chorus:
And it tears me up from the inside
I couldn't live with what I couldn't hide
The hunter is the haunted
but the liar stays alive
Oh the liar stays alive
Verse:
They say there's a fate worse than death, and I know what they're talking about
Oh I know how it feels; haunted by a ghost that isn’t real, keeping me silent when I want to shout
But I can't keep it any longer, I can't stay like this for the rest of my time
oh I can't keep this any longer, I need to get peace of mind
Chorus:
And it tears me up from the inside
I couldn't live with what I couldn't hide
The hunter is the haunted
but the liar stays alive
Oh I don't want to live with more lies
2. Monkey in the Middle (3:09)
Writing:
Monkey in the Middle is an electro pop song about being trapped in a situation where you really can't decide if you should do what is good for yourself or if you should do what is right. It's a question of self respect, if we are willing to bring our moral down just to satisfy our greed. The song was written also in Mumbai, immediately written after The Hunter and the Haunted.
"Monkey in the Middle is one of my personal favorites, not just because it has this diverse musical direction, but also because it has a very deep and touching meaning. It's basically about our greed, we humans are greedy in different ways, some have greed for money, some for knowledge, some for sex, some for illegal stuff, it's part of the system right now. My aim for this song is throw them a wake up call, we all need to change. I myself used to be a drug addict and a drunkard but now I am a changed man, I may drink at times but I learn how to control myself most of the time since the New York incident, I'm human I commit mistakes but I do my best to limit myself. I want to be a role model to others that we can still change, we can move away from our mistakes if we just learn to be less selfish, that is what I want this song to teach."
Music:
The song features Troy's two most favorite instruments to use, the synthesizers, and the piano. He has shown his love for electronic music and what better way to show off that love. Another interesting fact about the song is that Troy sings all choir parts in the solo, showing off his extremely wide vocal range. The weird thing about this EP is that it features less orchestration than regular Reckoner records, being that Monkey in the Middle is the only song that features a string arrangement in the whole EP. This track would most likely be the fan favorite since it has the distinctive Everything X sound and is the least experimental of the whole album.
Song Progression:
The song begins with a piano melody in the key of B minor being accompanied by violins and a cello as the electronic drum beats enter smoothly. Troy sings in a voice reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley and a light guitar riff is played in the background to add to that sentimental effect Troy had aimed for. The bass enters the chorus and Troy begins to hit high falsetto notes as the heavy synthesizers replace the string accompaniment for both the chorus and for the melodic intermission played before the second verse. For the solo, all the instruments come to a halt as the string accompaniment becomes dominant for a few seconds before being joined in by Troy's one man choir. The solo ends with a scale being played by the guitar leading to an outro, ending in a bizarre showdown between the synthesizers, the drums, and the string accompaniment.
Lyrics:
Verse:
Couldn't look myself in the mirror, now that I'm getting bigger
I couldn't stop myself from feeding on what's left of my enemy
I'm beginning to see more clearer, but I can't believe my eyes
when I find you in front of me again
Chorus:
Shame, oh what a shame
I try my best to catch my ticket, my one chance of getting away
And they think that I'm crazy, crazy for doing what's right
but who should I really listen to? Who knows what's real in this life
Verse:
My hands can feel what they want to feel, my eyes can see what they want to see
my ears can hear what they want to hear, but that won't take away my misery
Temptation tries to get the best of me
But I won't go down without a fight, I couldn't let go of what I have in sight
Chorus:
Shame, oh what a shame
I try my best to catch my ticket, my one chance of getting away
and they think that I'm stupid, to follow what is right
I won't let myself down, I won't bring myself down with all of their lives
Solo:
Oooh ooh ooooooh(3x)
Outro:
You can take all you want but you'll soon just blow up
You can live how you want, and you won't get enough
You can laugh all you want til your lungs would give up
but I won't go that way, no you're not taking me anywhere
3. Raging of the Dawn (3:54)
Writing:
Raging of the Dawn is a progressive metal song written by Troy while he was in the recording studio, being the only song written during recording sessions. The song was inspired by the rallies and protests going on around the world, trying to make the world a better place but ending in the most violent ways possible. The song was meant to be a rock anthem to give hope for the beaten and the weak, that someday, they will be victors too.
"Raging of the Dawn gives you that feeling of relief, that feeling of tasting sweet victory after suffering for far too long. It gives the people hope that things would change for the better, the title may seem violent or maybe angry, but the song is more of like my own "Kings and Queens", a song for the masses to sing, a song for the people to feel. The first time I heard this song, I felt really happy and tears started to fall from my eyes, it was just too beautiful and I hope that people see the song as I see it, I hope they get my message."
Music:
The song is the most simple song on the album consisting of a simple four chord progression throughout the whole song. Troy listened to a great deal of Black Gold Reign, Blood of Wecz, and the early records of Mind to achieve that metal sound and to try his hand at sounding like a frontman of a metal band. The song features Troy’s soaring vocals on the chorus where his voice ranges from an A5 to a D5 using his chest voice only, no falsetto this time unlike how Reckoner fans are used to.
Song Progression:
The song begins with silence for almost 6 seconds; the faint sound of the lead guitar part can be heard on the 7th second as it gets louder and louder until the 14th second where a heavy-on-distortion guitar enters playing the chord progression accompanied by a simple bass line and a drum beat that consisted mostly of snare drums and cymbals. Troy enters after a repeat of the chord progression where he sings in his speaking range as the lead guitar, bass, and drums are only heard with him. The song goes berserk when the chorus comes in as the distorted guitar enters once again, the drums and bass become heavier, and Troy’s vocals soar from a C#3 straight to an A5. This pattern is retained for the second verse and second chorus. The song has no solo but in place for the solo is the bridge where synthesizers come in and Troy recites a poem he had dedicated to those who have died trying to fight for freedom or those living in war zones in their respective countries. Troy repeats the poem, this time singing it before ending the bridge belting a high C5 note for almost 10 seconds, followed by one last chorus.
Lyrics:
Verse:
We all fall down; we go down on our knees
But that doesn’t last for long
We all want justice, we all want answers
But the answers they give seem so wrong
Chorus:
No! They can’t keep us down forever
They can’t make us lose the fight
We will never surrender
They can’t stop, the rising of the sun
The raging of the dawn
The world is one!
Verse:
We all lose hope, we lose chances
But we can never lose our faith
And they have guns, shields, tanks, planes, soldiers
Waiting for the command to fire
But our hearts can fight them all away
Chorus:
No! They can’t keep us down forever
They can’t make us lose the fight
We will never surrender
They can’t stop, the rising of the sun
The raging of the dawn
The world is one!
Bridge:
(Spoken)
For all the people hurt for trying
For all the families in hiding
You’ll live forever
For all the children forced to fight
For all the fighters for the right
You’ll live forever
(Sung)
For all the people hurt for trying
For all the families in hiding
You’ll live forever
For all the children forced to fight
For all the fighters for the right
You’ll live forever
Chorus:
No! They can’t keep us down forever
They can’t make us lose the fight
We will never surrender
They can’t stop, the rising of the sun
The raging of the dawn
The world is one!
4. Peripheral(2:43)
Writing:
Peripheral is a dance rock song written by Troy during his visit to New York City a few months back. He wrote the song after a wild night in an underground and somewhat illegal club where he had a couple of drinks, one of which was spiked with an illegal substance, danced with a lot of women, listened to some house music, and spent the night in prison after a raid. Troy regards the song as one of the most fun and energetic songs he has written in his life.
"Peripheral is pretty much about getting wasted and just having a good time. I had a good time back in New York but right now I regret it. It almost ruined my life but I never thought about that when I went to the club, I was free spirited and rebellious, I was a complete asshole, that experience in prison made me a better man though and I'm glad I changed. About the song, it's inspired by different parties I've been to and how wasted I'd be in every one of them, the title Peripheral came into mind because I remember having a bar brawl in my teen years and I was completely fucked up that time. Funny thing about that brawl was when the other guy threw the first punch at me, I saw his fist through my peripheral vision in slow motion and I was able to duck quickly, just like in the movie Spiderman, maybe the Spidey Sense was just a euphemism for being drunk."
Music:
While in New York, Troy was influenced by a lot of music he heard in the clubs, specifically Goldfrapp and Justice. After arriving in the studio for some jamming sessions, Troy experimented with some beats from his laptop, a drum machine, and with synthesizers, he then thought of making a song that people could dance to so he became determined and more focused on making the dance track. The song features no proper lyrics but only a few lines being recited in some parts of the song, covered up by vocal effects. The song features the use of a drum machine, synthesizers, a heavily distorted bass guitar, a microphone with vocal effects, and Troy's laptop, the most unusual line up of instruments Troy had ever used.
Song Progression:
The song begins with the continuous thumping of the digital snare drum before being joined in by the distorted bass guitar, the beat becomes more chaotic now, with the addition of cymbals and a bass drum, as the synthesizers enter with a very catchy riff. Troy speaks into the megaphone and recites some inaudible lyrics as the beat starts cooling down for a full stop. Everything becomes silent for a few seconds before Troy counts one, two, three, the beat then explodes and a chaotic drum beat with even more cymbals and some digital claps enters, accompanied by a very dominant bass line and synthesizers that repeat the same riff it has been playing since the beginning. After repeating the same tune over and over again, everything comes to another halt as Troy counts one, two, three. This time, the synthesizers change key from G#m to E and some echoes can now be heard in the background another effect Troy uses for the rest of the song. The finale of the song consists of a continuous and very rapid drum beat accompanied by a static bass line and synthesizer riff all falling into place before ending suddenly.
Lyrics:
(There are no lyrics)
*All songs written by Troy Mascenon
Release Date: September 25 (digital release would be September 28)
Recorded: July 2011, Glasgow
Genre: Unknown
Length: 14:37
Label: Chaos Records
Personnel:
Troy Mascenon: production, engineering, mastering, vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, bass guitar, drums, drum machine on Track#1, Track#3 and Track#4, piano and synthesizers on Track #2 and Track#3, string arrangement on Track #2, saxophone on Track#1, brass section on Track#1, laptop on Track#4
Dale Tucker: Cover art and Packaging
Edited by user 25 September 2011 23:39:04(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified