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At the Base of the Cockroach Spire

by The Big Scientists

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1.
The Off-Duty Cop: Red magnetic streets Awash with underground rain You face the long roofs of the city And hope the wind does not blow your scent Towards the ravenous Skarn in the temple district Below the Cockroach Spire the city is nothing All days have become this moment The moment of the singing The bright pulsations of flame Are like a code to the drooling denizens of the street They move like blood Through the smooth network But you follow too, deary You follow too... HEY HON! ARE YOU MAD OR SOMETHING? Joanne Price: I walk in the shadow of a rotting wyvern Drawn to the central flame It sings and crackles in a pot of iron Like a lover guessing my name Come closer The droning masses with hypnotic fervour Chant to the ascended bug But I can only focus on the heated rhythm Ignoring the smell of my blood To disperse into infinite particles To be the beauty without end Into the flame Into the flame Into the flame Into the flame I see nothing but who cares Forever looping the fabric of air Give yourself a break Nobody bothers me And nobody cries Nobody misses me And that's alright I'm inside it And I couldn't leave now I wouldn't want to if I could I'm inside it I'm excited
2.
Crux, Chief of the Scientists: The rats force their way into the black hole Sucking sound from the first engine with a gammy soul And me with my clipboard staring at you hopefully As the mincemeat pours from your horrid eyes The Big Scientists In fire, there's a place by the black lake Where I structured your labyrinthine rib cab To swarm with vermin until my claws find purchase And hold you close as cool glass on hot skin carcass And I told Jerimiah to take his hand off of the wheel And I told little Linda she can get out if that's how she feels The Other Big Scientists: We tried to tell him it wouldn't work Spat on the blueprints He went bezerk Heaven knows what he's doing in there Heaven knows what he's doing in there We tried to tell him it wouldn't work We downed our tools He went bezerk Heaven knows what he's doing in there What the hell is he doing in there? Crux, Chief of the Scientists: The Big Scientists... And I know and I know and I know and I know and I know that nothing lasts *Murmurs about what he would like to do to the machine* The Big Scientists
3.
Lorn, a human worker: Clutches of eggs Halt development Eyes on eyes on eyes on eyes Flailing legs Twitch out Bioweapons Force no complaints And eyes on eyes on eyes on eyes Watch us all day Fly, just fly This work it hurts so much We call this one rebar Suicide Arnold Cos some young Skarn who wished to die Threw himself into the pit And his mouth went AAAAAAAAHHHHHH This work it hurts so much And we've all been redeployed in very sensible ways
4.
Cockroach, from within the spire: ...
5.
Swak, Project Manager: Slime reek for ten days Strikes without thought Lights from the ever present roof The Big Scientists can't keep them in line A blackened corpse A split lip An eye folding in On the city All praise is undeserved The weeping Skarn form a line Claws and forms dispense all easy answers Please address your complaints to the highest authority you can think of A corpse A split lip A gas that inspires flight At the base of the cockroach spire Some Young Skarn: We'll never get out of here...
6.
The Archivists, scrambling for cover: The population was running wild So the dragons conceived an economy of corpses And every eerily silent child From every possible world Was brought by indifferent forces Made to work without end Or descend into lassitude All soon chose the spire or flame Mally, the one Skarn archivist: But soon a clicking god Who the dragons feared Spoke in codes an unholy name The Archivists, hopeful: The Big Scientists say Crux, Chief of the Scientists: Our gas cuts you off in your prime The Archivists, hopeful: But we have a future, don't we? Don't we-
7.
Some young Skarn: In parallel to the white flame A tower was built And a labyrinth with no name Spiders up its core I climb I climb A tribute to suicidals The Big Scientist salute But the wrathful cockroach at the top of spire Glares with grimmer visage I climb I climb Behold weaklings! Behold weaklings! I am going now! An intricate network of bulbs and eyes An infestation of work and toys Fragments and noise As the bug ascends As the bug ascends I'm coming down the other way sonny In short Please. Make. It. Stop. The On-Duty Cop: Everybody stay in your homes There's nothing to see here The dangers of living alone Are frightening and clear All the tomorrow people party All the tomorrow people Ignore the bug eating the city All the tomorrow people Fuck it Peace out!

about

Content warning: Suicide

Hey, this is a stupid Doom metal(ish) album.

I made it to get out of a creative rut and it kind worked.

Big credit to the just disgustingly talented Fran Hammond for the art and font which are most professional things about this project.

credits

released March 18, 2023

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all rights reserved

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about

The Mara London, UK

"You can never be strong/ You can only be free."
Guided By Voices

I eat spit and make psych shit. Or other things.

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