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Liner Notes
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2021-09-06 16:19:29Related chapters
The Final Reconciliation QUOTE
“Songs that the Hyades shall sing,Where flap the tatters of the King,Must die unheard inDim Carcosa.”—“Cassilda’s Song,” The King in Yellow, Act 1: Scene 2
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 1-
-TRACK 1-RECONCILIATORY MATTERSMiles Hargrove peered at the old man through a curtain of cigarette smoke. The lights in the community room were turned down at the aging rock star’s request, but he still wore sunglasses, and Miles realized he could see the cameraman’s reflection in them.“Jody,” the producer said, snapping his fingers. “Can we get a different angle?”Aidan Cross sat back in his seat while the producer sought a better shot. He sucked down the first cigarette in two long drags and chuckled when the thought occurred to him: Maybe this is what Keith Richards felt like.Keith was dead, though. Had been for years. He’d shuffled off to that long-lost Valhalla to spend eternity drinking wine off the tits of beautiful women.Aidan had never met Keith Richards, but he liked to think they would’ve gotten along. Not that it mattered now.The producer, Miles, turned back to his interview subject. “Apologies, Mr. Cross. The low lighting is causing some difficulties. We shoul
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation RECONCILIATORY MATTERS
-TRACK 1-RECONCILIATORY MATTERSMiles Hargrove peered at the old man through a curtain of cigarette smoke. The lights in the community room were turned down at the aging rock star’s request, but he still wore sunglasses, and Miles realized he could see the cameraman’s reflection in them.“Jody,” the producer said, snapping his fingers. “Can we get a different angle?”Aidan Cross sat back in his seat while the producer sought a better shot. He sucked down the first cigarette in two long drags and chuckled when the thought occurred to him: Maybe this is what Keith Richards felt like.Keith was dead, though. Had been for years. He’d shuffled off to that long-lost Valhalla to spend eternity drinking wine off the tits of beautiful women.Aidan had never met Keith Richards, but he liked to think they would’ve gotten along. Not that it mattered now.The producer, Miles, turned back to his interview subject. “Apologies, Mr. Cross. The low lighting is causing some difficulties. We shoul
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 2-
-TRACK 2-THE GYPSY ON DARKENED SHORESThe first time I saw Camilla Bierce was in a dive bar called Murphy’s, the local watering hole in some no-name town out West. We were on tour then, supporting the Jesters in Our Court EP. It was our first official release, save for a self-titled demo we’d circulated to all the labels a year before. Most of the songs from that demo—‘The Infernal Machination’ and ‘Holes in the Fabric’ parts one and two, in particular—ended up on the EP, except this time they didn’t sound like they were recorded in Bobby’s basement.The suits at the label were cautiously optimistic at best. Our style of rock was a niche genre for sure—no one wanted 15-minute epic rock journeys anymore, and they hadn’t for at least 30 years—but other bands like Tool, Mastodon, and Opeth had found their audience, and our manager Reggie was able to convince the suits to send us on a small tour.“Let them get their feet wet,” he told them, or at least that’s what he told us he told t
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation THE GYPSY ON DARKENED SHORES
-TRACK 2-THE GYPSY ON DARKENED SHORESThe first time I saw Camilla Bierce was in a dive bar called Murphy’s, the local watering hole in some no-name town out West. We were on tour then, supporting the Jesters in Our Court EP. It was our first official release, save for a self-titled demo we’d circulated to all the labels a year before. Most of the songs from that demo—‘The Infernal Machination’ and ‘Holes in the Fabric’ parts one and two, in particular—ended up on the EP, except this time they didn’t sound like they were recorded in Bobby’s basement.The suits at the label were cautiously optimistic at best. Our style of rock was a niche genre for sure—no one wanted 15-minute epic rock journeys anymore, and they hadn’t for at least 30 years—but other bands like Tool, Mastodon, and Opeth had found their audience, and our manager Reggie was able to convince the suits to send us on a small tour.“Let them get their feet wet,” he told them, or at least that’s what he told us he told t
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 3-
-TRACK 3-LOST IN DIM CARCOSAMost of us had never been to Los Angeles before. I know it was Johnny’s first time, and for Bobby and Hank that tour was their first time journeying farther west than the Mississippi. Personally, I’d only ever been to Los Angeles once when I was a kid, on a family trip to Disney, and it was about the same as I remembered it: smoggy, the sky painted a permanent yellow haze, with traffic backed up on the highway for as far as the eye can see.The place was nothing at all like the movies had led us to believe. The whole goddamn city was a temple built to honor the nameless gods of greed and excess, a money machine that chewed up kids and shit them out every hour. For every star it birthed, ten more were damned to wander the streets and alleys, peddling their bodies for God knows what.And there we were, four southern boys lost in the wilderness. Calling it a culture shock was an understatement.The only one of us who wasn’t enchanted by the promise of th
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation LOST IN DIM CARCOSA
-TRACK 3-LOST IN DIM CARCOSAMost of us had never been to Los Angeles before. I know it was Johnny’s first time, and for Bobby and Hank that tour was their first time journeying farther west than the Mississippi. Personally, I’d only ever been to Los Angeles once when I was a kid, on a family trip to Disney, and it was about the same as I remembered it: smoggy, the sky painted a permanent yellow haze, with traffic backed up on the highway for as far as the eye can see.The place was nothing at all like the movies had led us to believe. The whole goddamn city was a temple built to honor the nameless gods of greed and excess, a money machine that chewed up kids and shit them out every hour. For every star it birthed, ten more were damned to wander the streets and alleys, peddling their bodies for God knows what.And there we were, four southern boys lost in the wilderness. Calling it a culture shock was an understatement.The only one of us who wasn’t enchanted by the promise of th
Last Updated : 2021-09-06The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 4-
-TRACK 4-THE USURPER’S ASCENTReggie was gone by the time we woke the next morning. We didn’t see him again for a month, and by that point we were so wrapped up in recording the album that none of us dared bring up what happened. When we woke up in the same room together, we just figured we’d had one hell of a bender the night before, and blacked out. It wasn’t the first time that had happened. For a while I had myself convinced that the blurry memories of that night were nothing more than nightmares, phantoms conjured from my subconscious by the booze.Magical thinking, you know. I think we all knew what had happened, but were too afraid to speak of it. Losing control of yourself is a hard thing to admit. You look back and think: Hey, there’s no way I could’ve done that. That wasn’t me. That was some other guy.But we knew the truth. That morning, Hank, Bobby, and me all booked flights back home for a short vacation. Johnny chose to stay in Los Angeles to start working on the alb
Last Updated : 2021-09-06
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The Final Reconciliation TATTERS OF THE KING
-TRACK 9-TATTERS OF THE KINGThe old rock star smoked his last cigarette down to the filter and slumped back in his seat. To Miles, he looked like an old worn-out doll, his days of bringing joy to children far behind him. Over the last few hours he’d watched life return to Aidan Cross’s eyes, only to fizzle and fade yet again as the old man recounted his band’s triumphs, failures, and untimely demise. Although he would never admit it to his crew, the story spooked Miles Hargrove to his core. He’d read the official police report from all those years ago, and he’d grown up hearing the rumors of ritual activity on the night of the final show, but to hear a first-hand account by someone who was there was soul-crushing.“So what happened after that?” Miles asked.Aidan Cross placed the smoldering cigarette filter into the ashtray with the others. He cleared his throat. “About what you’d expect, I guess. They found me on the curb outside the club, unconscious and nearly dead from smoke
The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 9-
-TRACK 9-TATTERS OF THE KINGThe old rock star smoked his last cigarette down to the filter and slumped back in his seat. To Miles, he looked like an old worn-out doll, his days of bringing joy to children far behind him. Over the last few hours he’d watched life return to Aidan Cross’s eyes, only to fizzle and fade yet again as the old man recounted his band’s triumphs, failures, and untimely demise. Although he would never admit it to his crew, the story spooked Miles Hargrove to his core. He’d read the official police report from all those years ago, and he’d grown up hearing the rumors of ritual activity on the night of the final show, but to hear a first-hand account by someone who was there was soul-crushing.“So what happened after that?” Miles asked.Aidan Cross placed the smoldering cigarette filter into the ashtray with the others. He cleared his throat. “About what you’d expect, I guess. They found me on the curb outside the club, unconscious and nearly dead from smoke
The Final Reconciliation THE FINAL RECONCILIATION
-TRACK 8-THE FINAL RECONCILIATIONWe were four days into rehearsals when Bobby asked the question. “What the hell does all this even mean?”“Which part?” Johnny asked. He was in the middle of adjusting the microphone stand. One of the hired roadies had underestimated Johnny’s height.“This,” Bobby said, gesturing around the stage. “The album. The art. All this gold shit. Half your lyrics are fucking riddles, dude.”Bobby had a point, although I’d been able to piece together just enough to follow a narrative running through each song. Johnny, however, took a cue from his girlfriend and played coy, merely shrugging with a smile.“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Johnny asked. “All will be revealed tonight.” He tapped his microphone. “Check-check, one, two, three ... ”Bobby looked at me and shrugged. Hank just shook his head.“I stopped trying weeks ago, brother.”I would’ve walked them through the album, what I’d been able to piece together in my own head, but j
The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 8-
-TRACK 8-THE FINAL RECONCILIATIONWe were four days into rehearsals when Bobby asked the question. “What the hell does all this even mean?”“Which part?” Johnny asked. He was in the middle of adjusting the microphone stand. One of the hired roadies had underestimated Johnny’s height.“This,” Bobby said, gesturing around the stage. “The album. The art. All this gold shit. Half your lyrics are fucking riddles, dude.”Bobby had a point, although I’d been able to piece together just enough to follow a narrative running through each song. Johnny, however, took a cue from his girlfriend and played coy, merely shrugging with a smile.“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Johnny asked. “All will be revealed tonight.” He tapped his microphone. “Check-check, one, two, three ... ”Bobby looked at me and shrugged. Hank just shook his head.“I stopped trying weeks ago, brother.”I would’ve walked them through the album, what I’d been able to piece together in my own head, but j
The Final Reconciliation BEHIND PALLID MASQUES
-TRACK 7-BEHIND PALLID MASQUESCamilla dropped the charges on the condition that Reggie keep his distance from her. In truth, it was her way of keeping him away from Johnny and the rest of us. Reggie was a wildcard in the scheme of things, the only real opposing force that could present any threat to whatever she was up to. That much is obvious to me now, but back then, we were so tired and scared and drunk on the hope of wrapping up the album that we didn’t give it much thought. We were just sick of the drama and wanted to be done with it.I can understand why some bands implode, and I can understand why some take years between records. You work with the same people long enough, they become family, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get tired of seeing them day in and day out. Sometimes you just get sick of their shit. Sometimes you need a break to recharge, and sometimes that takes years to do.We wrapped up recording the album with Joe a few days after the incident with Reggie. Me
The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 7-
-TRACK 7-BEHIND PALLID MASQUESCamilla dropped the charges on the condition that Reggie keep his distance from her. In truth, it was her way of keeping him away from Johnny and the rest of us. Reggie was a wildcard in the scheme of things, the only real opposing force that could present any threat to whatever she was up to. That much is obvious to me now, but back then, we were so tired and scared and drunk on the hope of wrapping up the album that we didn’t give it much thought. We were just sick of the drama and wanted to be done with it.I can understand why some bands implode, and I can understand why some take years between records. You work with the same people long enough, they become family, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get tired of seeing them day in and day out. Sometimes you just get sick of their shit. Sometimes you need a break to recharge, and sometimes that takes years to do.We wrapped up recording the album with Joe a few days after the incident with Reggie. Me
The Final Reconciliation BENEATH BLACK STARS
-TRACK 6-BENEATH BLACK STARSReggie called me back the following morning and told me to meet him at a small diner a couple blocks away. “Bring the guys,” he said, “and let’s talk about this.” I told him I would, but I didn’t say which guys. I roused Hank and Bobby from their rooms, but none of us bothered calling Johnny. He’d been staying at Camilla’s loft, an invitation which had been extended to all of us, but none of us were brave enough to accept it. Hank and Bobby had had various trysts with her since that night in the hotel, but like I said before, I’d made it a point to stay as far away from her as possible. Besides, Johnny wasn’t invited to this meeting.Our manager was waiting for us in a booth at the far end of the diner. Three mugs of coffee were already on the table.“Thought you might need this,” he said, moving over. “Drink up. It’s fresh.”We took our seats and nursed our coffee. Reggie was silent for a few minutes, watching each of us, inspecting us. Afterward, I
The Final Reconciliation -TRACK 6-
-TRACK 6-BENEATH BLACK STARSReggie called me back the following morning and told me to meet him at a small diner a couple blocks away. “Bring the guys,” he said, “and let’s talk about this.” I told him I would, but I didn’t say which guys. I roused Hank and Bobby from their rooms, but none of us bothered calling Johnny. He’d been staying at Camilla’s loft, an invitation which had been extended to all of us, but none of us were brave enough to accept it. Hank and Bobby had had various trysts with her since that night in the hotel, but like I said before, I’d made it a point to stay as far away from her as possible. Besides, Johnny wasn’t invited to this meeting.Our manager was waiting for us in a booth at the far end of the diner. Three mugs of coffee were already on the table.“Thought you might need this,” he said, moving over. “Drink up. It’s fresh.”We took our seats and nursed our coffee. Reggie was silent for a few minutes, watching each of us, inspecting us. Afterward, I
The Final Reconciliation SEASON OF THE LEECH
-TRACK 5-SEASON OF THE LEECHAll the rumors about the dark ritual shit that went on in the recording studio were true. Camilla had offered us free reign over her extensive book collection, an invitation which Johnny took full advantage of. I bet he carted at least thirty tomes down to the studio. They weren’t top choices from the bestseller lists, either. These books were fucking ancient, dusty old things bound in cracked leather, and paper so thin it might crumble to dust if you breathed on it the wrong way.“Grimoires,” Camilla called them. Johnny was enamored immediately.“What the hell do you need those for?” Hank asked him. We were hanging out in the control room, waiting for Bobby to finish setting up his drum kit in the studio. Johnny dropped a stack of books on the coffee table.“Inspiration,” he said.Hank picked up one of the books and blew off a layer of dust from the cover. “Sacred geometry?” He shot Johnny a thin smile. “Don’t you remember Mrs. Rice’s class? You nea
