Autumn Carcass

I am resurrecting A.C. I needed something to inspire me last night and I started looking through random tabs on my computer and came across the material Thiago and I wrote. I talked with him and we decided it'd the right time to bring it back. So what now? Well, I will be programming the drums on guitar pro, and then I will re-learn the songs and then record them. The songs are very simple, so learning them won't be a problem at all. Saying that relieves me! Instead of spending months and months practicing it'll more be like minutes and minutes. The music largely takes from doom metal, stylistically, however, added ambience will come through. I will be recording two guitars, may be bass, and perhaps a third guitar for harmonies or other weird experimentation.

i want to mix the world, by that i mean this
hear the melody within, and surround it variously
in this perilous war, we shout madness and fight silence
the clouds bring us justice, raining on our pathetic bodies
by then we absorb all the rain and spew all poison
we rape your justice and mock you in awe
we defile our selves and mock you more
a god of thunder, a god of rain, a god who knows not what his people believe

thinking
where has it gotten me, where can it get me
"not thinking"

living simple vs complex/in depth
simple/in depth
two huge vistas of viewing life, where do I fall? balance?

what do i want out of life- most likely just happiness
so what brings happiness
why do i want to live one way vs the other, is there really a difference?



areas i want to excel at
social
music
art
physical
philosophical
career/education

chase those once i identify them, perhaps keep everything else simple

The lyrics that changed my life

So, I have been slowly coming to this conclusion on my own, and it is amazing how dream theater captured this using the perfect words. The song/album related to being trapped within an octave, however I feel it has a lot to do with life as a whole and not just "music." This explains a lot of the conflict I have been going through and it's resolution.

[I. Someone Like Him]

[Lyrics: John Petrucci]

I never wanted to become someone like him so secure
Content to live each day just like the last
I was sure I knew that
This was not for me
And I wanted so much more
Far beyond what I could see
So I swore that I'd
Never be someone like him

So many years have passed
Since I proclaimed
My independence
My mission
My aim
And my vision
So secure
Content to live each day like it's my last
It's wonderful to know
That I could be
Something more than what I dreamed
Far beyond what I could see
Still I swear that I'm
Missing out this time

As far as I could tell
There's nothing more I need
But still I ask myself
Could this be everything
Then all I swore
That I would never be was now
So suddenly
The only thing
I wanted
To become
To be someone just like him

[II. Medicate (Awakening)]

[Lyrics: James LaBrie]

A Doctor sitting next to me
He asks me how I feel
Not sure I understand his questioning
He says I've been away a while
But thinks he has cured me
From a state of catatonic sleep

For 30 years
Where have I been
Eyes open
But not getting through to me

Medicate me
Infiltrate me
Side effects appear
As my conscience slips away

Medicate me
Science failing
Conscience fading fast
Can't you stop what's happening

A higher dosage he prescribes
But there's no guarantee
I feel it starting to take over me
I tell him not to be ashamed
There's no one who's to blame
A second shot
A brief awakening

I feel the relapse
Can't break free
Eyes open
But not getting through to me

[III. Full Circle]

[Lyrics: Mike Portnoy]

Sailing on the seven seize the day tripper diem's ready
Jack the ripper Owens Wilson Phillips and my supper's ready
Lucy in the sky with diamond Dave's not here I come to save the
Day for nightmare cinema show me the way to get back home again

Running forward
Falling back
Spinning round and round
Looking outward
Reaching in
Scream without a sound

Leaning over
Crawling up
Stumbling all around
Losing my place
Only to find I've come full circle

Flying off the handle be careful with
That axe Eugene gene the dance machine
Messiah light my fire gabba gabba
Hey hey my my generation's home again

Running forward
Falling back
Spinning round and round
Looking outward
Reaching in
Scream without a sound

Leaning over
Crawling up
Stumbling all around
Losing my place
Only to find I've come full circle

[IV. Intervals]

[Lyrics: Mike Portnoy]

[First]
Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath
Remove all obstacles from our path

[Second]
Asking questions
Search for clues
The answer's been right in front of you

[Third]
Try to break through
Long to connect
Fall on deaf ears and failed muted breath

[Fourth]
Loyalty, trust, faith and desire
Carries love through each darkest fire

[Fifth]
Tortured Insanity
A smothering hell
Try to escape but no avail

[Sixth]
The calls of admirers
Who claim they adore
Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more

[Seventh]
Innocent victims of merciless crimes
Fall prey to some madmen's impulsive designs

[Octave]
Step after step
We try controlling our fate
When we finally start living it has become too late

Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium

[V. Razor's Edge]

[Lyrics: John Petrucci]

We move in circles
Balanced all the while
On a gleaming razor's edge

A perfect sphere
Colliding with our fate
This story ends where it began

Inspiration

My friend Thiago just finished up the cover art for The Beckoning Lake. I will not post it up yet. It looks amazing and exactly what I wanted. The song has also greatly inspired him to do more with the music which is exactly what I want!! This song is the essence of my music and self and the best way to show connection. Everything is slowly coming together in a process and it is just inspiring. I have done my job and everyone else is doing their jobs!!!

Going back to basics

I have not been updating much due to lots of stress, but slowly I am getting better...

Going back to the roots, or the basics is always a good idea. That is how we develop because it builds us a solid foundation. I randomly got the urge to listen to Atheist today, and I am hearing so much heavy metal and thrash in their music, that it is making me want to learn their songs or just general heavy metal. And guess what I started learning when I bought a guitar. Heavy metal. Metallica and Iron Maiden. I want to start learning songs again just for the fun of it. It will also help from a practical sense, especially considering I have begun down-picking once again.

Down picking is a great technique, but one that doesn't go so far. Alternate picking is almost always superior. For a while I switched to only alternate picking and no down picking, but down picking helps for palm mutes, just look at Master of Puppets and a ton of other Metallica songs and you will see.

I will also be having a new student shortly. he is 16. This kid also draws *really* well, especially for his age. I will be adding him to The Beckoning Lake.


My newest project that I am working on will be me writing a sound track to a story. I recently have been writing more and more in the vain of short stories and it is something I thoroughly enjoy, so it's only natural to put the two together. I am not yet sure what the story will be about.

Motivation and important practice tips

"If you are looking for motivation, or inspiration, change something." It doesn't matter what.

Well, first and foremost, I was in a terrible rut recently, for weeks. I had no desire at all to play guitar and was somewhat depressed and what now, but it has come back and I am loving to practice yet again. I have also killed my facebook addiction which probably had a huge impact on my practicing habits.

A big part of practicing and learning is also not practicing and de-learning. When you are learning/practicing something, your subconscious mind absorbs EVERYTHING you are doing, whether or not it is correct or incorrect. As a result it is important to do things slowly and do the best of your ability so that you learn more correct than incorrect. Regardless of how well you practice, you will learn both good and bad. That is why it is good to stop practicing at times. You need to give your mind a chance to absorb what you have learned and sort through what is good and bad. Your mind will also lose the bad habits, aka de-learning, which will in effect make you much better at what you do. I have experienced this many times and continue to do. It is also a good way to break through plateaus.


Another subject I would like to touch upon is standards. So many times I have been criticized that my standards are too high, and that goes for pretty much anything I do. First things first, if I did not have high standards, I would never be anything "special" and I would just fit another common mold like everyone else. The obvious benefits of high standards is for self improvement. The harder you judge yourself, the harder you will push yourself. Standards are the foundation to goals. Holding high standards is also how prized objects gain more significance. The higher your goal, the harder it is to obtain, the more you will have obtained by the time you reach it. It is the difference between reaching 100% and 50%. It will be quicker to reach 50%, but 50% really isn't a large value. It will take a very long time to reach 100% and that encompasses everything that you want. Which is more worth it? Well for some it might be the 50%, but not for me. Upwards towards 100% is where I lie, that is what I shoot for, that is what makes my self as well as the things I obtain unique.