Idola, by Karoshi

Idola

by Karoshi

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1.	The Emperor 03:52	lyrics	buy track
Distantly A flicker in the void A flame burns low Begging for a breath to fuel its form Threatening A cold world without An absence of the soul Casting shadows to bloat its worth Nowhere to hide The master observes Gazing unopposed The cosmic eye feigns all’s within its scope Some dreams ago, a hand reached out But failed to grasp a shifting mass Too long I’ve lived with fear and only suffered the wrath Now tempt the tempest, provoke the deathless Let loose your anger, have I not outserved my sentence? Can you sense the air is stirring? Can you sense the air is growing sick? I feel it weaken The light on high begins to flicker again, below, the shadows cull the sheep Smoke turns to storms and hurricane winds, if not through love, then fear it be From usurped throne in my infant skull, it starts to speak in cryptic tongues Twisting verse and prophesied rewards: cling to me and all will be as it should By my hand the die is cast And by my breath, the currents pass Scattered wings to some distant shore flock Chasing a higher power than lies upon this earthly rock By my hand, the die is cast On sovereign seas, spreading sermons like contagion Foaming mouths at the thought of my salvation By my hands, the currents pass Distantly A flicker in the void A flame burns low Begging for a breath to fuel its fading form
2.	The Hierophant 04:36	lyrics	buy track
Structured submission Give as you’ve been told Taught all you should know Don’t question the lies that have taken hold Rite and ritual The nexus spiritual Structured submission to the ghost Complacent and comatose Have you felt the fingers losing their grip? I think you’re finally starting to slip (I see) Through the cracks begun to creep, I see the truth now slowly seeps I see through the mist (Distantly) A faint flicker in the void, a whisper threatens to destroy A flame burns low, all alone Begging for a breath to fuel its fading form Guide me no longer into caverns untouched by the sun Where the light of day shines bright on our scene, I see all that you are A conman masked in revelations, a barrier to autonomous thought An aversion to self, preying on conformity to feed your power fantasy Servant to the last Shoulder for the lost Keeper of flames now passed A merchant of mystics just peddling dust I hear through the din I’m searching within This loathed and captive skin: Abandoning A vulnerable soul just frightened to die Inverted and begging for flight Find yourself a new Gullible mind to consume Finally outgrown you I sever the threads and claim existence Distantly, a light Flickers in the void A frightened flame burns low Begging for a breath to fuel its form Like the mounting pressure on a dam about to split The river reclaims the freedom once stolen from it And is made whole again Servant to the last Shoulder for the lost Keeper of flames now passed A merchant of mystics just peddling dust I hear through the din I’m searching within This loathed and captive skin: Abandoning
3.	The Tower 05:18	lyrics	buy track
Uproot and upheaval Lungs filling with dust Compromised and cowering eyes Dreading the dusk Thunder drawing closer Fear flooding the bones Foundation built on vexed whims Total structure collapse The fire is burning low I wonder what it signals Do you wonder too? Do I follow suit or follow through Seems like the glowing dissipates around you All this time I’ve been dead: danced with ghosts in my head Does it end? Ripped open like a deathbed prophet Does it end? Ripped open like a deathbed prophet Does it end? Uproot and upheaval Flesh forming from stone Heavy with uncertainty Thrust into the cold Head-first from the steeple Becoming human again A war raged for sentience Total structure collapse Hear the sound Hang your head Destruction-bound Fear no end Hear the sound Hang your head Destruction-bound Fear no fucking end I exist (underneath) Heavy eyes that have ever been asleep Shackled in a dream so deep I exist Preaching fairy tales and crawling serpents Trusted conmen to divine my purpose Come destruction, ruin, light the torches Rip ‘em open like a deathbed prophet Ripped open like a deathbed prophet Don’t follow me Ripped open like a deathbed prophet Don’t follow me Uproot and upheaval Uproot and upheaval Preaching fairy tales and crawling serpents Trusted conmen to divine my purpose Come destruction, ruin, light the torches Rip ‘em open like a deathbed prophet
4.	The Hermit 06:38	lyrics	buy track
The fire is dead, out behind me The only light, I now carry Illuminate the closing night Finding my steps, one at a time The wind, it whispers, oh, so queer A sound heard distant in my ear Never been darker but so clear Behold the night, it speaks round But where’s it vanished? No voice above nor on the silent planet Is this what I wanted? The lonely sphere spins on autonomous The lonely sphere spins on (x3) The lonely sphere For seven days and seven nights, I wandered aimless and afraid In woods uncounted, walked alone, my soul in hand, no gibbering mouths above And as the silence mounted, imagined watch-hands ticked away infinitely in godless space Blue to black and black to blue I accepted absolution Soul decay Soul reclaimed Pale Horse, let your rider show I consult no aether lord above Have you ever truly felt alone? My lonely song sung duet with infernal echoes The lonely sphere spins on (x3) The lonely sphere
5.	The Hanged Man 04:46	lyrics	buy track
The sculptor’s knife A new flesh emerges from the stone I’ve been held captive in timeless passage Upside down and rearranged (x2) It feels like dying Or am I born again? Take a pause to catch my breath, I’m hanging Upside down and rearranged (x2) Our only sin was giving in Upside down and rearranged (x2) A moment’s delay Tip-toeing on a knife’s blade Where I’ve come from seems so distant Am I drowning Or born again? With every step there’s less resistance A flame burns low out in the cold Begging me to fan its form But I’ve moved on I found my legs begging for dirt Seeking the worms that lie below Calling for the earth The sculptor's knife A new flesh emerges from the stone I’ve been held captive in timeless passage Upside down and rearranged (x2) It feels like dying Or am I born again? Take a pause to catch my breath, I’m hanging Upside down and rearranged (x4) Above the chasm, swings Another casualty A lonely soul silhouette in abject metamorphosis Into the arms of death Into the unknown depths Tread on sure-footed Cause heaven’s empty Above the chasm, swings Another casualty A lonely soul silhouette in abject metamorphosis Into the arms of death Into the unknown depths Tread on sure-footed Tread on The sculptor's knife A new flesh emerges from the stone I’ve been held captive in timeless passage
6.	The Empress 04:40	lyrics	buy track
Mother, forgive us For we know just what we’ve done I will not follow in the steps of gods And ignore your call Roots burrowed spring again Survived beneath the skin It is not dead what ever dreams There’s grace within the seed The cycle always mends We cannot kill what grows again Cast out the enemy There’s beauty in our ends Unshackled eyes The cold recedes A sun unbid curves o’er the scene Farther down Farther in A drifting cloud brings the rains of Spring And now it cleans (x2) Wash me anew (x2) Roots burrowed spring again Survived beneath the skin It is not dead what ever dreams There’s grace within the seed The cycle always mends We cannot kill what grows again Cast out the enemy There’s beauty in our ends There’s grace within the finite seed It cannot die what ever dreams Awaken (x2) Roots burrowed spring again Survived beneath the skin It is not dead what ever dreams There’s grace within the seed The cycle always mends We cannot kill what grows again Cast out the enemy Gaze outwards on reality There’s grace within the finite seed It cannot die what ever dreams Awaken (x2)

about

My vision for Karoshi has always been to form a band that could incorporate my friends whenever the timing was right despite it being my main creative outlet. Because of this, the band has served as a space for freely exploring our musical identities over the years. Although I typically have a vision for the guitar and drum parts, “Idola” marks a new turning point for the band with the addition of Vocals by Adrian Parcioaga and Kyle Prusky (members of Our Last Crusade), and Brendan McGuigan on Synths. When I passed along the guitar and drum tracks to the guys in the middle of 2020, I wanted them to know that they had free reign over the material, and I am so proud of their contributions. Adrian formed a concept for the album that has our protagonist navigating each song as an interpretation of a tarot card, and Kyle was also the visionary for the final mix and mastering of the album (Apex Audio). I really believe that the relaxed nature of the band has allowed everyone to express themselves in a way that elevates each song to it’s highest potential. “The Heirophant” is our first single from the album, and it is an explosion of energy that aims to dissect concepts surrounding spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions, personal beliefs, freedom, and challenging the status quo. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed writing it. You can listen to “Idola” on any major streaming service as of August 1st, 2021.

credits

released August 6, 2021

Joshua Witt: Guitar, Bass, Drum Programming (GGD)
Adrian Parcioaga: Vocals, Lyrics
Kyle Prusky: Vocals, Mixing, Mastering
Brendan McGuigan: Synths

Nathan Sargeant @ Entruvia: Artwork and Youtube Videos