Laid to Waste

I heard from the guy who’s supposed to be sending me that ’96 Tull show from Santiago, Chile. He’s been out of town on business so he’ll post it soon. I’m looking forward to hearing it. I’m still hung up on IQ. The Wake is such a killer album! I should really get the super-hoolie remastered version of it. Ralston is going to send me his new CD for review and I’ve got those two Celtic folk albums to review as well. Is it possible to have too much music? Ooh! Some details on Porcupine Tree’s new album, Deadwing have been released. Here’s the tracklist:

1. Deadwing
2. Shallow
3. Lazarus
4. Halo
5. Arriving Somewhere But Not Here
6. Mellotron Scratch
7. Open Car
8. The Start of Something Beautiful
9. Glass Arm Shattering

”Mellotron Scratch” intrigues me even if I’ve never heard a note of it. Perhaps it’s an extension of “Gravity Eyelids” in that it uses the old prog warhorse but also new, funkadelic elements as well. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth and Adrian Belew of King Crimson make guest appearances. hehe I had this weird idea pop in my head involving Belew adding some elephantosity to a PT song. It would at least make the proceedings light-hearted. I mean, if you’ve got a guy from a Swedish death metal band playing a bit on the album, you know it ain’t gonna be all fun & games. There’s a smattering of tour dates listed but none for the States. Oh, I am anxious to see if they come to Milwaukee again. Preferably Shank Hall but I’ll take what I can get as the show in ’02 was just an incredible experience for me.

Have you read about that sick womyn down in Kansas City, Jesusland who killed a pregnant womyn and removed the child from her womb? This Lisa Montgomery is charged with strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett and then slicing her open and removing the fetus. It happened in a small town and there was a quote from a resident about how he expected such things to happen in New York or Los Angeles but not their precious haven of good Jesusland values. I don’t know what the fuck he was thinking. I lived in a rural community long enough to feel comfortable extrapolating from my experiences into more general statements like: all manner of inbred fucked-up shit happens pretty regularly in small towns. Underneath all that neighborly cheer is a dark side. Often “small town values” is stained with xenophobia. Red staters break their marital vows and get divorced like people around the globe. There’s theft, fighting, and bloody murder too. Take Mayberry RFD out of your mind and envision Winesburg, Ohio. At least the little girl, Victoria Jo Stinnett, is doing well. OK, what the fuck is up with this “Jo” thing? (No offense, Billy Jo!) At least we urbanites have a little variety to our naming schemes.

…

The room was dark but smelled rank. Jander brought a torch nearer and I beheld the full horror. Along both sides of the wall were piles of corpses - some two dozen of them. They were the bodies of the Keep’s soldiers – barely men at age 18. The floor was covered in pools of blood and littered with entrails. Some of the men had been eviscerated while others were mere stumps missing as they were any combination of appendages. These men had been despoiled of not only their lives, but also their human dignity. No doubt their bodies were plundered for more heinous experimentation like that which befell that man in the other room. What foul creature could perpetrate such deeds which run so contrary to nature? And for what purpose? Despite the grotesque scene borne from the hands of one without conscience, I was determined to learn as much as I could about these infernal contraptions and their abominable maker.

My fellow adventurers fled the repugnance which left me to look about the room alone. I found no secret doors – only more death. As I turned to leave, I heard movement behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw 6 men crawling up from beneath the piles of corpses wielding swords. There was something about them that drew my attention. They seemed mindless and groaned as if they were one of the dead come back to haunt the living but their appearance was more normal. My attempt at turning them failed and I ran out to alert my companions. It took us a while but they were finally put down. I examined them afterwards and found that there were holes in the backs of each of their heads about 2” in diameter. My suspicion had been correct – they were not of the undead but human still, though barely. The holes must have been drilled to gain access to the brain whereupon some device was surely employed to sap the men of their essences turning them into yet more mindless apparati in the service of evil.

My mind could barely grasp the full horror of it all. Someone was violating the laws of Nature by marrying man and machine in the most unholy of unions.

…

I’m about half done with my Xmas shopping. Becca revealed that she wants a TiVO for Xmas and Stevie is keen on having me pitch in with him to buy her one. Not only will Becca’s desire be fulfilled but it would also contribute to the commonweal as all of us would partake in its use. I completely forgot to consult with Heidi on Friday night about buying Dogger & Mel a new dishwasher. I told Dogger back in September that, if need be, I’d make a house payment for him so he & Mel may well get two Xmas gifts. Little Miss Regan needs a nice home until she turns 18 at which time she’ll have to make do in Dormland. Fortunately, it hasn’t come down to that yet as Dogger hasn’t given any indications of being in dire financial straits.

Hey! Less than a month til Spamalot! I’m off to push the pram a lot.