Track By Tracks: Opensight - Mondo Fiction The Director’s Cut (2023)

When Opensight's last album "Mondo Fiction" came out it was described as a full-on collision between Metallica and Dirty Harry, mixing influences from 70's crime films, vintage horror films, and the extravagance of Grindhouse Cinema within the format of an intense Metal band for a . Opensight is releasing an extended edition of the album under the name "Mondo Fiction (The Director's Cut)" which includes instrumental versions of the songs that offer an enhanced experience of the album, plus some secret tracks that will be available for listeners who join 'The Director's Cult' via their mailing list. We summoned The Director for a track-by-track revisit on "Mondo Fiction", to reveal the vision behind it and how The Opensight Outfit came up with the ideas and inspiration for each song:

 

1. IN HERE WITH US:

A bombastic song that serves as the opening track for the album and sets the tone for Opensight's live shows. The main riff and melody are thematic and feel reminiscent of Kill Bill. The phrase "In Here With Us" is inspired by The Exorcist, but the intention is to send a welcoming message to the listeners as if they are ‘in here’ with no means of escape. The video for the song is more of a horror and thriller murder mystery "lost movie trailer," featuring a black-clad killer running rampant as if the murderer is "in here, with us." Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/kw5kEPg02uY

2. THE GREAT SILENCE:

This song has a funky "cop drama" intro, surf rock guitars, and twin guitar harmonies, which feel like a cool combination. This is one of our "Dirty Harry Goes Metal" songs. The lyrics are about secret pains buried deep within, never surfacing and perpetually kept silent (‘shamefully hiding, all the stories no one will be told’). Although the title of the song comes from the Western movie by Sergio Corbucci, who also directed the original Django. Since this one has a more Crime Film sound, we did a Reservoir Dogs-inspired video for it, with an interrogation scene and a Mexican standoff finale included! https://youtu.be/fggHZCPb7eQ

3. PLOT TWIST:

This is Opensight trying to emulate a “Pink Panther” sort of vibe in the intro before the song goes heavier with the electric guitars and orchestration. The song is about reaching a turning point in life or being aware that a pivotal moment (or perhaps death) is around the corner (a constant, wordless knowledge that your time has come). The title of the song just fits the mysterious and spy-like vibe of the sounds we used there. The video is another ‘lost movie trailer’, but this time for a crime film with lots of cops vs robbers action scenes. People keep asking us how we did it! https://youtu.be/c4RgNaqBOvs

4. STAINED REMAINS:

There was definitely a ‘John Carpenter’ intent for the vibe of this song, especially in the intro and outro, because of the type of synth sounds and general theme. The middle section mixes some traditional heavy metal twin guitar harmonies with dramatic orchestra hits. The song is about judging the dead for their past sins or mistakes (‘I will judge the departed. Digging up your past. Watching all this time’). The video is presented as a trailer for a horror film that was supposedly so terrifying it was buried deep beneath the earth in a vault. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/X0ian3C6T8Y

5. ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING:

This short instrumental track acts as a bridge between songs, specifically leading into the next track, "Primitive Principle." It features an enigmatic introduction that sets the stage before transitioning into a heavier sound. We headbang a lot when we play this one live.

6. PRIMITIVE PRINCIPLE:

Fast-paced for a road movie sort of vibe. The intro has an action and adventure sort of vibe that almost creeps into the 80s, and there are some 8-bit vintage video game chiptune sounds in the middle section. The song is about racing forward with unbreakable determination (‘You know that your road to paradise is through hell, you won’t have it any other way’). And the video is of course an intense ‘lost film’ trailer, inspired by Death Race 2000, filled with fast cars, dangerous stunts, and hard-boiled action. https://youtu.be/dULkPUbfv8w

7. CURSE:

This was an attempt to emulate the music from 'The Green Hornet' and get somewhere else. The intro and outro are obviously in the territory of surf rock, reaching stereotypical levels. Lyrics about how infatuation and obsession between two people could be a curse, so basically a love song.

8. HORROR VACUI:

This was inspired mainly by classic, synth-based Italian horror film scores, "Horror Vacui" is a short instrumental that gradually builds up into a bombastically eerie composition. It serves as a direct connection to the next song, "Villain," acting as an introduction to it.

9. VILLAIN:

"Villain" is about the struggle of being unfairly ostracized for being different. The idea was to have a theme song for a villain or antagonist, like the musical motif that you hear when Darth Vader or any other charismatic bad guy shows up in a movie. This one has a more steady-paced heavy sound with an ending that is also pretty headbanging. There is a trailer video we did for the extended single: A horror movie trailer of a kid that comes back from the grave to inflict revenge on his small hometown. https://youtu.be/WqF6TTX7ADA

10. SECRECY:

"Secrecy" embraces a dreamy and atmospheric spy theme, featuring twangy guitars and mellotron bits. The track has a truly melodramatic atmosphere. The lyrics are about isolating oneself from the world.

11. THUNDERBALL:

"Thunderball" is a cover of the James Bond theme. We added twangy surf rock guitars against heavy ones, theremin and mellotron sounds, and light and shade contrasts. Although it fits the overall vibe of "Mondo Fiction," it also feels a bit like a bonus track. So we used it to close the album.