Track By Tracks: Fathom Farewell - Kraken (2021)

1. Kraken:

Kraken was one of the first instrumentals I started working on with Steve Almon upon him joining the band in 2018. The initial lyrics I wrote to it didn’t really run in tandem well with the other stuff we had been writing so initially we scrapped it. Then about 6 months later Steve convinced me to just start fresh and write new lyrics. Very happy I did because now it’s one of my favorite songs we’ve written in general. Kraken uses the concept of a sea monster laying waste to everything in its path as a metaphor for the internal struggles we cope with day to day individually that are completely below the surface. Many people develop social anxiety because they have issues they don’t fully understand how to express, and those issues will present themselves as discomfort or being awkward or shyness or even aggression. We need to all take a second to consider the possibility that we don’t understand everything people are going through behind the scenes when they act in ways we have trouble fully comprehending. This song essentially addresses the worst-case scenarios we experience when we are isolated in our minds and how at that point, nowhere will feel safe.

2. Eulogy:

The Eulogy instrumental I would simply describe as a crushing force of energy. It is the heaviest song Fathom has developed thus far instrumentally. Lyrically this song is entirely about what can happen when someone with mental health issues goes far too long without getting help. The first verse describing desperate cries for help dampened by a great deal of self-doubt and anxiety. The second verse delves into the aggression and sadness that can develop and the 3rd and final verse (breakdown) ultimately delves into the deterioration of the person due to a lack of assistance.

3. In Time:

Instrumentally In Time is just a fun, easy, catchy, bouncy good time. Lyrically In Time is specifically all about the discrepancies in how people treat each other in modern society but also is a commentary on how they are treated by those who feel mistreated. There is a vicious cycle at play keeping us at each other’s throats, greedily working against anyone outside our direct circle in many cases, not because they are malicious but because they’ve been brainwashed to believe their fight for survival is frantic. For some, it very well is absolutely, but there are many who carry these anxiety weights with them through each day with no relief. In the song I suggest if we can find it in ourselves to understand we are all the same thing simply living different experiences, then we can find harmony.

4. Nameless City:

Lyrically Nameless City was entirely inspired by an HP Lovecraft short story called the Nameless City. This story focuses on a lone explorer traversing the ruins of an ancient city with no name. The farther he dives into the city, the more devious it seems, growing narrower, and damper, and darker until the explorer notices large reptiles emerging from the darkness while the light dies. It’s one of the most harrowing stories I’ve ever read in terms of imagery and environment description. The second I heard that riff kick in I immediately just started thinking in general of ancient mysteries and this felt like it would be the most fun and intriguing to tie into the sound.

5. Save Your Breath:

Save Your Breath lyrically is about a subject that has always followed me throughout life. Being misunderstood. From as long ago as I can remember I have been very energetic and maybe to some even at times overbearing. I’ve learned over time how to filter some of my actions based on who I’m around so I don’t interfere with their natural process of getting to know me however before I had a proper grasp on who I am, I definitely rubbed people the wrong way at times without intending to. This lead to instances where I would be scapegoated or blamed for something bad that happened near me, most of the time if not every time I remember, being something I didn’t personally do. This misrepresentation of who I am occurring via the perception of others for me to “witness" and attempt to work around has left me sympathetic to any being experiencing the same difficulty of having a strong personality and being completely misunderstood by people because of it. I feel Pit Bulls specifically experience this every day. They are some of the most compassionate, empathetic and caring creatures we have on the planet and yet due to the misbehavior of a small few (which in every case is due to an owner who should have never gotten a dog), Pit Bulls are stigmatized as vicious and threatening. Having spent a great deal of time with Pit Bulls I love like family members, I relate to them a great deal in terms of the stigmatization they experience based on their strong personalities and big presence. This was the main point I was considering when writing save your breath, I want it to be a voice for anything or anyone that’s persecuted for being misunderstood. People simply project the worst of what’s within them into the gaps of things they don’t understand and this has lead to Pit Bulls suffering everything from being shot by police simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time to legally mandated euthanization. I adore Pit Bulls with every piece of my heart and this song and video are a letter to anyone who’s allowing their personal stigmas to justify the harassment, abuse or murder of others. Not every family is only human beings. Control and interfere with what we all hold dear, your intentions are clear, but we will never fear.