Rites of Passage
Rebuilding Strength from Ashes
The tenth track, Rites of Passage, delivers a visceral jolt after the introspective calm of Oasis, plunging listeners into a numetal-driven storm of sound and emotion. Drawing from Ernest Hemingway’s philosophy of stripping language and life down to their bare essence, the song encapsulates moments when everything is lost—only to find that this loss becomes an opportunity for reinvention. Through its raw energy and potent lyrics, Rites of Passage stands as a bold testament to resilience, underscoring that transformation often requires destruction first.
Hemingway’s story of losing his early manuscripts serves as both metaphor and inspiration for the track. His initial despair, followed by the eventual creation of his celebrated lean prose style, mirrors the journey many face when life’s scaffolding collapses. The song explores this universal theme of being stripped bare, forced to confront oneself, and ultimately rebuilding something truer and stronger. The lyrics encapsulate this journey with phrases like "Pages gone, but courage saved" and "Failure forged, and freed from shame," offering a poetic reflection on the creative and personal growth that emerges from adversity.
The choice of numetal as the musical foundation intensifies the song’s emotional impact. Heavy riffs, dissonant chords, and rhythmic complexity mirror the chaos and upheaval of life’s most challenging periods. Yet, within this sonic aggression lies emotional depth, echoing the catharsis that comes from facing and overcoming one’s struggles. The screamed refrain, "Write, write, write, Rites of Passage," is an invitation to transform pain into power, emphasising the value of channeling adversity into creative or constructive outlets.
This track also ties into the broader themes of accountability, self-discipline, and resilience. By highlighting that moments of destruction can serve as rites of passage, the song aligns with the philosophy’s core belief in growth through challenge. It reminds listeners that struggle and loss are not endpoints but crucibles for transformation.
As with Hemingway’s stripped-down prose, Rites of Passage distills its themes into raw, unfiltered emotion, leaving a lasting impression of strength and potential reborn from ashes.
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Lyrics
Resistance whispers, pulls me in,
Holds me hostage deep within.
Chasing shadows, grasping air,
Bold beginnings lead nowhere.
Lost in lessons, patterns burn,
Dreams die slow, and ideas churn.
Write Write (Write) Write Write
Rites of Passage
Hemingway’s loss, his written grave—
Pages gone, but courage saved.
From empty hands, a new voice came,
Failure forged, and freed from shame.
Fires fade, ashes settle,
Dreams rebuilt in twisted metal.
Write, write, (write) rites of rage—
Break the chains, escape the cage
Lost in lessons, patterns burn,
Dreams die slow, and ideas churn.
Write Write (Write) Write Write
Rites of Passage
Hemingway’s loss, his written grave—
Pages gone, but courage saved.
From empty hands, a new voice came,
Failure forged, and freed from shame.
Fires fade, ashes settle,
Dreams rebuilt in twisted metal.
Write, write, (write) rites of rage—
Break the chains, escape the cage
Rites of Passage
Summary
The tenth track on the upcoming album, Rites of Passage, channels Ernest Hemingway’s transformative loss of his early manuscripts to explore the power of starting anew. With a numetal soundscape of raw riffs and emotional intensity, the song captures the journey from despair to renewal, echoing the themes of resilience and self-reinvention. Rites of Passage reminds listeners that loss is not the end but a chance to rebuild something stronger. The full album, including this cathartic track, will be released on December 12, 2024.