Track By Tracks: Parallel Minds - Every Hour Wounds .... The Last One Kills (2019)

1. Every Hour Wounds:

This is the instrumental intro of the album. The goal here was to create a small musical summary of what to expect on the rest of the record. So the first half is very Thrashy, fast and intricate, whereas the second half is much more open and melodic. It sets the stage for what’s to come.

2. The Last One Kills:

The first full song. Just like Every hour Wounds, this song is a good summary of the whole album and has a lot of our trademarks : Thrashy and complex guitar riffs, wicked fast double bass stuff, aggressive and powerful lead vocals, but also a very melodic and catchy chorus, and a more atmospheric and laid back middle section with its melodic guitar solo.

The lyrics deal with a lot of what’s wrong in our world today, corrupted politicians, religions and brainwashing medias. I guess our message here would be : Question everything and don’t blindly follow what people tell you to follow. Be your own guide in life.

3. Amerinds:

This one talks about the tragedy and slaughter of the Native Americans during the European colonization. A very heavy subject matter.

The music here is a bit more Power Metal than some of the other songs we have, and also has a little bit of Progressive elements with its Phrygian riffing and odd time signatures on some of the parts.

4. On Your Own:

This one is a bit more laid back, and slower than the rest of the album. It’s not really a ballad though, as it’s still pretty heavy and dark sounding. Just like some of the other songs on the record, we started with Steph’s original vocal melodies and we built the music around it, so the vocals are really the main focus here.

The lyrical theme is Solitude, and the idea that no matter how surrounded you can be, there will always be moments in your life when you will feel desperately lonely. The melancholic vibe of the music portrays that feeling very well.

5. I Am C:

This is another Thrashier number. The guitars and bass are tuned very low, so the overall sound is much darker and sinister than the other songs. There’s a bit of a Nevermore inspiration there. We wanted to experiment a bit more with the vocals and the different layers, so it’s not your typical Thrash Metal straight forward song, it has a bit more of a “twist and turn” aspect that makes the song different and interesting.

We wrote that song right after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in France, so the lyrics and music refers to that tragic event. Another heavy subject matter.

6. Syria:

This is one of the 2 “epic” songs on the album. It obviously talks about the Syrian Civil war and migrants. Steph took a more personal and emotional approach with the lyrics. It’s really about leaving your home and everything you’ve ever known behind, and facing the unknown and the uncertainty.

Musically we built the song with a very Progressive structure, kinda like what Metallica did with “One”. Starting with a nice acoustic and intimate intro, and adding more and more layers as the song progresses until a very climatic and bombastic ending.

We are fortunate enough to have both Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land singer) and Yossi Sassi (Orphaned Land ex-guitar player) on guest on that song, and they made the song extra special !  A big thank you to both of them !!

7. How:

This is our more Rock n Roll driven song, with a more bluesy yet super heavy vibe à la Black Label Society. The contrast between that and the more Melodic Metal aspect of the chorus and prechorus makes that song really cool and special.

Similarly to The Last One Kills, the song is an observation of the flaws of our modern society, where people sometimes value money and their latest smartphone more than they value people.

8. The 52hz Whale:

This is the other “Epic”, and one of the highlights of the album.

It’s a very progressive and atmospheric song, and has kind of a more Folkish vibe. Yet the guitars and drums are still very loud and Heavy. The vocals are very layered and have a bit of a Blind Guardian influence, especially on the chorus. We experimented a lot of that song, especially with the arrangements, to make it as grand and memorable as possible.

The lyrics were inspired by a documentary we read about a whale that was unable to communicate with its siblings and the other whales, due to an unusual pitch with its singing, and was thus condemned to live alone for the rest of its life. We thought about telling that very sad story as a metaphor for people dealing with loneliness in their lives, and the struggles they face.

9. Kolyma:

It’s the closing track and one of the very last song we wrote. This one is the fastest, thrashiest and the most intense song we’ve ever written. The riffing and drum work is insane, and the vocals are very aggressive as well. It really was the perfect song to finish the album. The Russian choir gives the song a very ominous feeling.

Kolyma is the name of a road built under Staline’s reign, by Goulag’s prisoners. Most of them died because of the cold during the construction of Kolyma and their bones became part of the road. Such an intense story asked for a very intense song.