Track By Tracks: Forged In Black - Ten Years At The Forge (2020)

1. Forged in Black:

I was actually a fan of the band (then named Merciless Fail) and this was their great closing number live. I was lucky enough to be asked to replace the original singer, who on departure took his lyrics with him. A daunting challenge then to re-write a track I loved so much as a fan but now as the ‘new guy’. I kept the title and Kieron’s growl section and wrote the rest around that, a blacksmith forging a pact with an undead army, to spend their days "Forged in Black”. 

2. The Tide:

I wrote this song about casting ones nightmares and struggles away to the sea, for them only to return on the next high tide. Inspiration for this comes from obviously everyone’s personal struggles, but that we all come from the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea in England. 

3. The Exodus:

This song is about a mass exodus or exit from the world, or place you are currently in that’s not so great, to a new beginning with dreams of new hopes and promise. But is the grass always greener? “Do we leave Heaven, do we leave Hell? All we know is time will tell” 

4. Fear Reflecting Fear:

An interesting bit of trivia here, we actually came up with the main riff of this track at a hillbilly themed BBQ at Andy’s house, played on an acoustic guitar with a bottle neck as a slide. This song deals with burning the proverbial candle at both ends. 

5. Sinner Sanctorum:

My rough Latin attempt at “Holiest/greatest of all sinners”. Lots of imagery here of violence and creation of a superior sinner against mankind, but I always try and write so the listener can find their own meanings and imagery. 

6. Descent Of The Serpent:

Andy wrote the riff and had a working title of “King 2”. I tried to work with that, but couldn’t get anywhere with it. So ‘Descent of the Serpent’ was born. Based on the stone serpent at the Mayan Temple of Chichen Itza. Its scales are illuminated upon the Equinox and in folklore it was believed that it was a portal to the realm of the Mayan’s ancestors.