Track By Tracks: Blackstar Republic - Humanatti (2019)

1. Humanatti:

We wanted an intro track we could play before live shows and came up with this. Funny story is that when we recorded Nuclear Hollywood last year I was singing the line “Illuminati, chemtrails everything’s going to Hell” but I said Humanatti in a take and we all laughed but took to save it since it’s a made-up word and sounded kind of cool. Our producer Josh Johnson wrote the music and we had Steve Page from Rivethead come in and do guest vocals on this one too.

2. Dead Man Walking:

Just a song about the current society we live in. The struggles we all have. But mostly focused on how we are all on some kind of pill, drug, or vice to keep us going. We choke on the pills designed to heal us and we all feel we need these things to even make it. We also added the vocal harmonies and it’s the first time we’ve tried that with this band. 

3. Nuclear Hollywood:

We did a remix and changed a few minor things. I wrote this one and used the metaphor of Hollywood as the way to describe how the world, media, want to control you, make you get in line and brainwash you. Offers you the world but really it’s a ball and chain. We made a killer music video for this one and it's in the movie Cherokee Creek.

4. Desensitized:

My first attempt to write a song about a relationship. Basically how once you’ve been burned a few times you become desensitized to the whole concept of love and trust and happiness. We all want it but it can come with a price. I love what Mykol and Cam do with the guitar harmonies throughout this song. 

5. She’s the Devil:

A really fun song to sing and play. You can take this as a “She’s” to any vice or person you know. You see her and say damn she’s hot but you also know she’s going to be so bad for you and only give you pain. It’s a very bouncy song and Petey does some really cool things when he plays the drums on this. 

6. Animalistic:

We Call this a prequel to our song Zodiac off the last album Wolves of War. I wrote once again from a serial killers viewpoint. Basically, he sees his next victim and describes how it makes him feel. Mykol has a really cool solo and Josh added a lot of nice sound effects to this song. It’s defiantly a nice groover and the ladies seem to love it. 

7. Xciter:

I had a chorus idea for this song and was saying Backslider instead of Xciter. But after someone said “it was really cool of y’all to play a Toadies song” we changed it all lol. I guess you could say this song is about someone escaping prison or a mental hospital. I really just got on a roll and phrases were coming that sound cool. Steve from Rivethead did guest vocals on the second verse and kills it. Petey also wrote the keyboard parts that make this song really pop. 

8. Shell Shocked:

Maybe the heaviest song on the record. Got a very cool Korn vibe, Nu-metal feel. Really fun to play and the crowd gets crazy on the breakdown. A song about overcoming the many trials I’ve faced in my life. And I try to make a point about making choices on feelings alone. Feelings will mislead you at times, so stick the facts. They don’t lie.