Track By Tracks: Mortal Realm - Stab In The Dark (2024)

1. Ox:

This intro track was designed to be more of a mood setter, rather than addressing any topics. The images in my head when making this track were a BDSM dungeon owned by a minotaur, hence the name, and the whipcrack samples.

2. Trash:

I wrote Trash with a double meaning. One aspect of the song is how I felt in mid-2023 when I switched ADHD medications in an attempt to battle insomnia. The medication I switched to made me not only extremely irritable and uncomfortable both physically and emotionally, but also gave me extremely vivid nightmares almost every night I took it.

The second inspiration for the song was how I felt at one point years ago when I was in a toxic relationship and job before I even started medication that would later help make life easier. Times were ROUGH, but I'm glad I hung on because I'm in a great place now, in a fantastic relationship and working a job I legitimately enjoy.

3. Death Debt:

This song has a double meaning. On one hand, it’s inspired by the harsh realities of capitalism, like living paycheck to paycheck or getting stuck in the vicious cycle of payday loans. It’s about the constant struggle to make ends meet in this society and the stress and feelings of hopelessness that come with it. On the other hand, it’s about trying to keep a relationship going when it’s constantly on the brink of falling apart. You give it your all to hold on to those few happy moments, but it ends up taking a toll. It’s that exhausting effort to make something work, even when it feels like it’s never enough, and putting false value towards something (or someone) that is eating away at you.

4. The Face:

I want to plead the 5th on this one. First, I want to clarify that I'm not a violent person at all. I prefer to let the song speak for itself and allow each listener to interpret its meaning. Essentially, I want oppressed people to challenge authority. The song urges people not to trust wealthy authorities—there's one specific person I reference with a Hollywood Star in the song—and to demand a fair life for everyone. Otherwise, they risk following the fate of other tyrants in history who took advantage of their people.

5. Nostrum Nepenthe:

"The call of the void" is that weird, sudden urge to do something really dangerous or self-destructive, like when you're standing at the edge of a ledge and feel a fleeting impulse to jump. A lot of people experience it, but they quickly brush it off. It's not about truly wanting to hurt yourself. Most folks just shake it off and move on, but it's an interesting peek into the strange things our minds can come up with.

6. Terminal Fate:

This is another topic I don’t really want to break down to avoid upsetting unsavory people and bringing unwanted attention. Basically, it boils down to me hoping I never have to see more news of a mass shooting by another bitter bachelor, a Proud Boys parade, or anything like that ever again. It’s an ode to the end of what I always hoped was a dying culture but, unfortunately, is still breeding hatred and callousness.

7. Bitterness of Life:

This song really gets into the struggle of just existing, focusing on the empty promises we were told in our youth and are still being told today. It looks at the tension between pretending to be happy and the hidden urge to break free from our alleged destinies. The song addresses the desire to end something and start anew on your own terms while holding onto the hope that things can change (which they often do). It's about resisting the urge to give up and starting to live for yourself, even when you're running out of patience with life's constant setbacks.