Track By Tracks: Brain Stem - Nullified (2025)

1. Intergalactic Cattle:

Intergalactic Cattle was one of the most fun yet unsettling tracks to write. The concept of humans reduced to nothing more than livestock for extraterrestrial beings really stuck. There’s a dark humor in how absurd that is, but also a terrifying reality in the idea of feeling powerless. The lyrics capture that fear and helplessness, making it one of the more visceral tracks on the album.

2. Algorithmic Obsoletion:

Technology has always been fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Algorithmic Obsoletion was born from that fear — the feeling that we’re just data points in an endless sea of surveillance and control. Writing this one was like shouting into the void, trying to make sense of the chaos we’re all a part of. There’s no happy ending here, just a cold reflection of how easily we can be manipulated.

3. Unnatural Selection:

Unnatural Selection came from a place of body horror and fascination with the grotesque. It’s about losing control of your own body, becoming something else entirely. The imagery is brutal and disturbing, which made writing it feel like tapping into some of our darkest thoughts. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s what makes it so powerful.

4. The Blood Witch:

The Blood Witch is one of the most emotional songs on the album. It tells the story of a mother consumed by grief and rage, turning to dark forces to seek revenge. There’s a raw sorrow in these lyrics that we poured everything into. It’s a reminder that loss can break a person, twisting them into something unrecognizable.

5. Monarch Rising:

Monarch Rising was one of the most cathartic tracks to write. It’s about rebirth through suffering, but not in a hopeful way. The protagonist’s transformation is grotesque and violent — a reflection of how pain can shape and twist us. There’s something liberating about embracing the monstrous side of yourself, and this track leans fully into that idea.

6. Devoid of Life:

Devoid of Life is pure despair. The idea of existing in a state of neither life nor death is beyond terrifying, and the lyrics capture that endless suffering. Writing it was like sinking deeper and deeper into that void, exploring what it would mean to be truly lost. It’s a bleak track, but sometimes facing those feelings head-on is the only way to deal with them.

7. Confined:

Confined is honestly quite personal. It’s about the crushing weight of mental illness, the isolation, and the intrusive thoughts that can take over. We wanted the song to feel claustrophobic, like there’s no way out. The lyrics are brutal and honest because that’s what those experiences feel like. This one was hard to write, but it’s one of the most meaningful tracks on the album.

8. Mirrorborn:

Mirrorborn is about confronting the darkest parts of yourself — the side you wish didn’t exist. The concept of a doppelgänger was the perfect metaphor for that. It’s unsettling to face the reflection of all your worst thoughts and actions, and we wanted the song to feel like a descent into that mental abyss. Closing the album with this track felt right, like leaving listeners to sit with that lingering sense of unease.