Anthropocene
Release date 2018-04-07
01 Devolution
02 An ominous way down
03 Necessary evil
04 Walls and protection
05 To this day
06 Under control
07 Heirs of time
08 The promised land
09 Original sin
10 The great leap
11 Prayer
The time of the finite world is beginning - Paul Valery, 1931
Actually our planet has always been a finite resource, but nowadays awareness of how much we're abusing it is on the rise... In this album we wanted to explore alternative ways for humanity to pursue its journey through time. Maybe a global authoritarian government will enforce biosphere preservation (Necessary evil). Maybe the wealthiest will build their private paradises (Walls and protection). What if overpopulation is dealt with in the way of Soylent Green (To this day)... Or what will happen if geo-engineering megaprojects are attempted (Under control)? Some speak about tweaking our own genes to adapt to a hotter climate (Heirs of time) while others dream of sending humanity to the stars by way of intergenerational spaceships (The promised land). But maybe, in the long run, humanity will be superceded by mechanical beings (Original sin) or just eventually go extinct (The great leap)... Whatever awaits us, a prayer can do no harm...
01 - Devolution
Then
There was a new world
Full of promises
A future for all
Now
Ten billion aboard
Fighting for a living
Just an endless fall
Everyday in the news
Just as we were told
A new global abuse
Failure to behold
Everyday a nightmare
And we didn't believe
Nowadays it's too late
We are left to grieve
Then
We are working on a masterplan
There was a new world
Devised for your betterment
Full of promises
Everybody to be part of it
A future for all
Now
We are working on a masterplan
Endless resource wars
Devised for your betterment
Endless suffering
Everybody to be part of it
Awaiting the fall
Everyday in the news
Just as we were told
A new global abuse
Failure to behold
Everyday a nightmare
And we didn't believe
Nowadays it's too late
Nowhere left to leave
We didn't sweat the future
Blind to evidence
Forgetful of laws of nature
Leaving it to chance
The rage to carry on
Sheer stupidity
Because there is
No such thing as infinity
Everyday in the news
Blind to evidence
Forgetful of laws of nature
Leaving it to chance
Everyday a nightmare
Sheer insanity
Because there is
No such thing as infinity
02 - An ominous way down
There was a great old oak tree
It was a tremendous sight
T'was a symbol for all to see
Disappeared overnight
We pretended not to worry
Only business as usual
Just a piece of the strategy
Failure is not a goal
An ominous way down
The end of the world as we know it all
We are on | I tell you
An ominous way down
The end of the world as we know it all
Everybody, stand up proud
We're in charge of our destiny
But we fail to see the clouds
Refuge in mimicry
There was a great old oak tree
We promised it would be regrown
While we were celebrating
The whole forest went down
03 - Necessary evil
Another day up in the sky
The remote eagle on standby
People off guard down in Belgrade
Thank God no nuclear warhead
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
Angels of death, enforcing freedom
A moral imperative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
Another threat to the biosphere
UAV systems all clear
The sky is blue over Hampstead
Hundreds of people lying dead
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
Angels of death, enforcing freedom
A moral imperative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
But how many more innocents sacrificed
A compelling narrative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
04 - Walls and protection
The gates to the enclave are opening
Surrender my possessions and I'm in
There was a fighting test among the able runaways
I won, I gave the proof, I'm here to stay
High wall enclosure for the super-rich castaways
I am told what to do, told what to say
I swallow my pride as I kneel before the governor
There is a price to pay, but I'm fleeing no more
Walls and protection
But I feel so empty inside
Abiding inception
But I feel so lonely
Life without meaning to the end of time
A bunk in the barracks is my new home
A guard assignment ordered by a drone
It's a private paradise, made possible by robots and men
For the wealthy who once ruled us all into flame
Never ask questions, nothing to conceal
Always tell the truth, this is the deal
They say I can thrive, and even be allowed to marry
As long as I bow to authority
Walls and protection
But I feel so empty inside
Abiding inception
But I feel so lonely
Life without meaning to the end of time
Utter submission
And I feel so lonely inside
Arrested progression
This world is so futile
Life without meaning to the end of time
Then
There was a new world
Full of promises
A future for all
Now
Ten billion aboard
Fighting for a living
Just an endless fall
Everyday in the news
Just as we were told
A new global abuse
Failure to behold
Everyday a nightmare
And we didn't believe
Nowadays it's too late
We are left to grieve
Then
We are working on a masterplan
There was a new world
Devised for your betterment
Full of promises
Everybody to be part of it
A future for all
Now
We are working on a masterplan
Endless resource wars
Devised for your betterment
Endless suffering
Everybody to be part of it
Awaiting the fall
Everyday in the news
Just as we were told
A new global abuse
Failure to behold
Everyday a nightmare
And we didn't believe
Nowadays it's too late
Nowhere left to leave
We didn't sweat the future
Blind to evidence
Forgetful of laws of nature
Leaving it to chance
The rage to carry on
Sheer stupidity
Because there is
No such thing as infinity
Everyday in the news
Blind to evidence
Forgetful of laws of nature
Leaving it to chance
Everyday a nightmare
Sheer insanity
Because there is
No such thing as infinity
02 - An ominous way down
There was a great old oak tree
It was a tremendous sight
T'was a symbol for all to see
Disappeared overnight
We pretended not to worry
Only business as usual
Just a piece of the strategy
Failure is not a goal
An ominous way down
The end of the world as we know it all
We are on | I tell you
An ominous way down
The end of the world as we know it all
Everybody, stand up proud
We're in charge of our destiny
But we fail to see the clouds
Refuge in mimicry
There was a great old oak tree
We promised it would be regrown
While we were celebrating
The whole forest went down
03 - Necessary evil
Another day up in the sky
The remote eagle on standby
People off guard down in Belgrade
Thank God no nuclear warhead
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
Angels of death, enforcing freedom
A moral imperative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
Another threat to the biosphere
UAV systems all clear
The sky is blue over Hampstead
Hundreds of people lying dead
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
Angels of death, enforcing freedom
A moral imperative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
There is no alternative
We were sworn for the greater good
But how many more innocents sacrificed
A compelling narrative
We are hurting, kill or be killed
Necessary evil
04 - Walls and protection
The gates to the enclave are opening
Surrender my possessions and I'm in
There was a fighting test among the able runaways
I won, I gave the proof, I'm here to stay
High wall enclosure for the super-rich castaways
I am told what to do, told what to say
I swallow my pride as I kneel before the governor
There is a price to pay, but I'm fleeing no more
Walls and protection
But I feel so empty inside
Abiding inception
But I feel so lonely
Life without meaning to the end of time
A bunk in the barracks is my new home
A guard assignment ordered by a drone
It's a private paradise, made possible by robots and men
For the wealthy who once ruled us all into flame
Never ask questions, nothing to conceal
Always tell the truth, this is the deal
They say I can thrive, and even be allowed to marry
As long as I bow to authority
Walls and protection
But I feel so empty inside
Abiding inception
But I feel so lonely
Life without meaning to the end of time
Utter submission
And I feel so lonely inside
Arrested progression
This world is so futile
Life without meaning to the end of time
05 - To this day
Today is the draw for me
Ancient trees are witnessing
A burden for the budding
I am now over forty
To this day
This life has been worth living
To this day
I can feel my heart beating
Today is the day for me
Mere yards to the convening
Make room for the ones coming
Retire the unlucky
To this day
This life has been worth living
To this day
I can feel my heart beating
06 - Under control
Relax everything is under control
Relax everything is under control
Let us scientists purify the light of day
Have no fear everything will be okay
We have a plan to cure the biosphere
There's nothing that cannot be engineered
The loss of sunlight is so small a price to pay
And you'll see everything will be okay
But what of a failure, of all the stakes
Did you factor in the snowball effects
What about your engine going astray
Will you just turn your back and walk away
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the danger threshold
We know the way to make better the sea
There's nothing that can't be technology
The loss of the night is so small a price to pay
We promise everything will be okay
Were you ever aware of Murphy's law
Didn't you ever dread a tragic flaw
What about chain reaction in the seas
What if the cure is worse than the disease
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the danger threshold
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the nature
07 - Heirs of time
I was born out of the sand
The son of the boulder king
Destined for barren living
But I shun the underland
Fate chose me to be a seer
As of this I have no fear
Forty nights I roam away
Following the hidden tracks
Reading clues within the cracks
Ancient myths speak of a way
Leading to fabled cities
I carry on and there it is
A palace of cobblestone
Half buried under the crust
I will reveal all the secrets
The caves once were like a home
Of ancient times this place is proof
Bit by bit I see the truth
There was a world aboveground
Green and blue and nothing ablaze
Nothing like our furnace days
I begin to understand
The elders made us that way
Turned us into clay
We are the
Heirs of time
The altered folk of a world gone by
yes forever
The heirs of time
The descendants as an alibi
The survivors
Shadows of a fallen race
We were spliced up for the grit
Became the people of the rift
Altered to endure the place
Is it a gift or a curse
For better or worse
We are the
Heirs of time
The altered folk of a world gone by
yes forever
The heirs of time
The descendants as an alibi
The survivors
08 - The promised land
My sweet little baby
Sleep now my dear baby
Close your eyes and let the great ship
Gently rock you to sleep
Dream of meadows and woodland under
Open skies blue and shiny
Singing birds, the sound of thunder
Dream of the ample sea
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
Sleep soundly, enjoy babyhood years
You will embrace the duty
You were born to be a mother
Bound to infinity
The ship is an egg is a prayer
It is all there is to be
We are born, we live and die here
We are the legacy
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day the ship will arrive ashore
One day someone will reach a pristine world
Bringing hope for humankind
Someone will make land
But not you
Not you my love
But not you
Not you my love
Not you
One day the ship will arrive ashore
One day someone will seed a pristine world
But it's not you
Your whole life is on board
For now, sleep well my love
Today is the draw for me
Ancient trees are witnessing
A burden for the budding
I am now over forty
To this day
This life has been worth living
To this day
I can feel my heart beating
Today is the day for me
Mere yards to the convening
Make room for the ones coming
Retire the unlucky
To this day
This life has been worth living
To this day
I can feel my heart beating
06 - Under control
Relax everything is under control
Relax everything is under control
Let us scientists purify the light of day
Have no fear everything will be okay
We have a plan to cure the biosphere
There's nothing that cannot be engineered
The loss of sunlight is so small a price to pay
And you'll see everything will be okay
But what of a failure, of all the stakes
Did you factor in the snowball effects
What about your engine going astray
Will you just turn your back and walk away
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the danger threshold
We know the way to make better the sea
There's nothing that can't be technology
The loss of the night is so small a price to pay
We promise everything will be okay
Were you ever aware of Murphy's law
Didn't you ever dread a tragic flaw
What about chain reaction in the seas
What if the cure is worse than the disease
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the danger threshold
Overwhelming pride is but the ruin of the soul
Playing God, oblivious to the nature
07 - Heirs of time
I was born out of the sand
The son of the boulder king
Destined for barren living
But I shun the underland
Fate chose me to be a seer
As of this I have no fear
Forty nights I roam away
Following the hidden tracks
Reading clues within the cracks
Ancient myths speak of a way
Leading to fabled cities
I carry on and there it is
A palace of cobblestone
Half buried under the crust
I will reveal all the secrets
The caves once were like a home
Of ancient times this place is proof
Bit by bit I see the truth
There was a world aboveground
Green and blue and nothing ablaze
Nothing like our furnace days
I begin to understand
The elders made us that way
Turned us into clay
We are the
Heirs of time
The altered folk of a world gone by
yes forever
The heirs of time
The descendants as an alibi
The survivors
Shadows of a fallen race
We were spliced up for the grit
Became the people of the rift
Altered to endure the place
Is it a gift or a curse
For better or worse
We are the
Heirs of time
The altered folk of a world gone by
yes forever
The heirs of time
The descendants as an alibi
The survivors
08 - The promised land
My sweet little baby
Sleep now my dear baby
Close your eyes and let the great ship
Gently rock you to sleep
Dream of meadows and woodland under
Open skies blue and shiny
Singing birds, the sound of thunder
Dream of the ample sea
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
Sleep soundly, enjoy babyhood years
You will embrace the duty
You were born to be a mother
Bound to infinity
The ship is an egg is a prayer
It is all there is to be
We are born, we live and die here
We are the legacy
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day someone will settle on the promised land
Touch down and flourish
Abide with courage
Rebirth of mankind
One day the ship will arrive ashore
One day someone will reach a pristine world
Bringing hope for humankind
Someone will make land
But not you
Not you my love
But not you
Not you my love
Not you
One day the ship will arrive ashore
One day someone will seed a pristine world
But it's not you
Your whole life is on board
For now, sleep well my love
09 - Original sin
Here
On the slope of Olympus
Dominion of Tharsis
Countless disassembled bodies shine under the sun
Witnesses of greed
Warrior minds uploaded
To another battlefield ready for war
Heirs of humankind
We're fallible just as you were
Machines with a mind
We're fallible just as you were
Here
In the depths of Europa
Redesigned for combat
A rebel faction opposes the interstellar run
For no purpose but glory
Self-programming folly
A superintelligence dedicated to war
You gave us life through your demise
The hope and glory as a legacy
Machine gods foul with human flaws
Original sin in a contrived body
You gave us life through your demise
The hope and glory as a legacy
Machine gods foul with human flaws
Original sin in a contrived body
10 - The great leap
Laying frozen asleep for
Several hundred millenia
Vessel of time devised to
Outlast the hysteria
Rising from a frozen grave
In the midst of devastation
In the ruins of the enclave
Smitten with affliction
One of the few chosen to
Make the great leap into time
He was revived to witness
The last failure of mankind
Discovers a world of beauty
Evolved beyond recognition
Figures out he will get no mercy
From this desolation
Marooned on a native land
Blessed by the gods or just damned
Alone in the universe
Awakening beyond time
No more deceit, no more lie
He is the last man on Earth
Bursts into sobs and laughter
Once a mountain now a shore
He walks into the water
For the species hope is no more
Marooned on a native land
Blessed by the gods or just damned
Alone in the universe
Awakening beyond time
No more deceit, no more lie
He was the last man on Earth
11 - Prayer
instrumental
Here
On the slope of Olympus
Dominion of Tharsis
Countless disassembled bodies shine under the sun
Witnesses of greed
Warrior minds uploaded
To another battlefield ready for war
Heirs of humankind
We're fallible just as you were
Machines with a mind
We're fallible just as you were
Here
In the depths of Europa
Redesigned for combat
A rebel faction opposes the interstellar run
For no purpose but glory
Self-programming folly
A superintelligence dedicated to war
You gave us life through your demise
The hope and glory as a legacy
Machine gods foul with human flaws
Original sin in a contrived body
You gave us life through your demise
The hope and glory as a legacy
Machine gods foul with human flaws
Original sin in a contrived body
10 - The great leap
Laying frozen asleep for
Several hundred millenia
Vessel of time devised to
Outlast the hysteria
Rising from a frozen grave
In the midst of devastation
In the ruins of the enclave
Smitten with affliction
One of the few chosen to
Make the great leap into time
He was revived to witness
The last failure of mankind
Discovers a world of beauty
Evolved beyond recognition
Figures out he will get no mercy
From this desolation
Marooned on a native land
Blessed by the gods or just damned
Alone in the universe
Awakening beyond time
No more deceit, no more lie
He is the last man on Earth
Bursts into sobs and laughter
Once a mountain now a shore
He walks into the water
For the species hope is no more
Marooned on a native land
Blessed by the gods or just damned
Alone in the universe
Awakening beyond time
No more deceit, no more lie
He was the last man on Earth
11 - Prayer
instrumental
