The City of Fire: A new Song... an old tale.

Just wanted to share the lyrics to "City of Fire", now that it seems to be my next main focus. It was named after a view I had of BOK one afternoon while sitting on the hillside. The city was catching late sunlight and a strange fog was behind the city kissing the distant mountains, so the towers and spires where glowing almost as though they were on fire.. an illusion that was magnified as the city seemed to hover in the air against the grey gloom and dark mountains of the day behind it. I remember things. Anyway, the tale of this song and the creation of it goes back a little while and so what you'll hear soon enough is a wonderful story that took many twists and turns to arrive finally at this moment. It will be really nice to finish it and release it and move on. I literally have books of lyrics to this track... which is generally the process for me as I'm constantly sculping the lyrics and patterns to Hadder tracks. I generally always see things in my mind as I'm writing lyrics... and I tend to see these images flashing as a song is playing. Some words take longer than most to pen, and this tale took a long time to crack the code, at least how I envisioned it anyway. It might not get a grammy nod, but it's almost done.

Video Info:

Just some "City Of Fire - soloed Vocal Tracks with Keys" - played along to some cringe worthy video clips from various test footage and video shoots I've done around BOK in the last few months. I have some rather grand ideas for this video once the track is completed. I'll try to release some stuff along the way.

“City of Fire”

Was an angle, lured was he,

by whispers in the serpents tree

it said... take a bite before you leave

so cast out from the garden...damned was he

day and night they worked their wicked fingers to the bloody bones

slaves to his unholy reign

like moths drawn to the flame

into the fire

city of fire

city of fire

so the king he was pleased

vowed his kingdom not be seen

but only by the sinners be

who dare to seek.. who dared to see

years did pass, his palace hid, so proud of all the work they did

he cast them last into the sea to guard the waters of the deep beneath

Below the Cliffs a masons road

at the end a doorway goes

shimmers when the sun it shows

the city of fire

mirrored castles echo the golden rays

flaming spires adorn misty lanes

paved before we ever came

BEHOLD!!!

the city of fire

So we race the sun... born to run, on a midnight turn to nowhere.

So we race the sun... born to run, on a midnight turn....

to nowhere!!!!

City of Fire

City of Fire

City of Fire

City of Fire

So we Race the Sun born to run… until the midnight comes

And we face the one... who built the sun… to hide it all

#diamondshadder #johnevermore #hadderuniverse #newoldsong #heavymetal #cityoffire #newmusic #singer #songwriter #creation #lyrics #losangeles #behindthelyrics

Hadder News: The little things.

Just a little update on some things happing around the Hadder grounds… it’s hard to pick a nail to hammer, so to say, but I keep swinging and driving.

You may have noticed a new animated front page of the website which was on my mind for about a month. At least if your looking at this on a computer, mobile users unfortunately will not see it yet. I finally had a window last week to sit with the concept and design some diamond plate backgrounds… I always wanted to show what Zabble and Ezra kind of looked like in my mind and there is just something about diamonds and windows that excites me. I’m a doorways and windows kind of person. I may shoot a music video in the same fashion… a still scene with open windows showing things as the song plays, we’ll see.. it’s a thought anyway. There’s a lot of possibilities surrounding the overall concept and it's pinging my radar. Yes, I'm writing something novelesc called "Diamonds Hadder".... more on that later.

The Stargazer video: I’m still editing it, well not really, I was in a holding pattern waiting for schedules to align with other people involved so that we could finalize some clips. We had our second clip finalization day this week and I'm approaching the finish line now. Excited to release it of course as it was a very overwhelming amount of work to complete it. I'll be traveling to the Red Forest lakes in the coming weeks for the annual autumn ale festivals, so it will be great to release it before I disappear. Don't tell Zabble, as he considers ale a silly poison. Stepping away from things offers a nice perspective and I like the deep woods.

Auditions: Take it from me... trying to assemble a band in Los Angeles is more difficult than you might think or imagine. Especially when you dress like a strange band leader super hero villain and have peculiar ideas that don’t fit into a traditional mold of sorts. I’ve had lots of inquiries and gatherings over the last few months and some things are organically coming together… I like it that way. I consider the endeavor of assembling a group of likeminded talented people like building an elaborate garden... which I've done before on the hills above BOK… and like an elaborate garden... as I water the seeds more and more each week some things are starting to show, are they weeds or fruit I don’t know yet. There’s no hurry really, nails are being hit, holes dug and poles planted… the tower is being lifted regardless.... and Im always aware that devious squirrels still might come and eat me out of house and home so to say.… it wouldn't be the first time... it’s a blurry picture but there are a few elements that are coming into focus. Let me lastly say, I’m fortunate and grateful that people even ring the bell.. and I’m ever grateful for each inquiry I get and any effort that people put into answering my add. I hate having to choose, I do really. Did I mention I'm considering buying a tour bus? Well I am. It's either that or a plot at Notre Dame cemetery. I figured the plot could wait..., I don't think my stone is going anywhere, besides I like the idea of loud music and the open road. A marriage made in heaven.

New collaborations: I have a meeting with Lord Ramsay later in the week to discuss what will come of the DEMO collaboration sessions we have accidently started. "Last Light" and "Lord of the Golden Tower" will be up for discussion. I'll talk in lengths about this later as I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it exactly on my end and how far to take it. Everything takes time and I don't want to stray to far from some of the actual Diamonds Hadder things that were already in process, unless of course it falls under those rafters. For now, I love to create and so something was created rather quickly and with great intentions from all parties. That's reason enough for it to exist for me.

New music: Aside form the Ramsay collaboration... on the topic of new Diamonds Hadder material, I have several new songs I'm working on including an original Hadder version of "City Of Fire" which I hope to release in the coming weeks. "Ballad of the Dead Rabbit" edits are being done to bring that track to a reasonable length and finality, as it was always intended to be. "The Crying Game" is also getting it's due overhaul which includes some shortening and a few re-sings to close it out for official release, work that was originally intended just before I was willingly sidetracked with the TOR project. Stargazer Cover will release soon.. with video.. other song titles in the works. "Shine" "The Rock King"... "Rivers End", all in process and at varying stages of completion. I'm sure you'll hear a lot about all this stuff in the coming months as I try to drive the nails home and release things in as timely a manner as I see fit.

#stargazer #diamondshadder #johnevermore #hadderuniverse #tribute #newoldsong #coversong #musicvideo #heavymetal #therockking #shine #cityoffire #newmusic #lordofthegoldentower #lastlight #auditions

"Lord of the Golden Tower" MP3 is up

I’ve added a new DEMO song to the music page. It’s a sketch of “Lord of the Golden Tower”, which was written by Lord Scott Ramsay and myself over the last week. I’ll leave it up a little while, just wanted to share the initial process of creation again. Something I'll be doing a lot more of these days. It's missing a solo I think and a few little things but it's a great start to something. It's a step outside of the more traditional sounding music I love and seem to gravitate towards for the Hadder project, but I have a very eclectic taste in music. Generally, if it moves me and inspires me, I really have no problem with pointing my voice, my passions, my focus and my efforts towards it in good hope... perhaps that's true with other things in my life as well. I'll talk more about this new path later. Truth be told. It's a long and lonely river at times and the further down you go.. it's harder to trust the windings... but the falls are pretty.

"Lord of the Golden Tower"

I sailed away

into the black

with open eyes, to find

a reason worth the rhyme

I tried to stay

but she was faster

the river bled, it said

Beware... the dead

who's the lord of the golden tower.. my lord, it's you..... it's you.

Seasons came and seasons went

adrift at sea

do distress sent

no letter left

no somewheres end

no jack or Jill

just a whisper that said

who's the lord of the golden tower... it's you.

my poles they drag the floor

searching for something

down below the water line

hopes are cast and dreams they fall... into nothing

my ship it holds it's course.... well into the night

It took me in

and the pain was gone

with ever step, it said

I'm sorry but you were wrong

this water ends

this time is short

soon land breaks and we wake

as we tumble into the falls

who's the lord of the golden tower, the one who dies at the final hour... it's you

#lordofthegoldentower #diamondshadder #johnevermore #hadderuniverse #scottramsey #newsongs #heavymetal #sketch #demosessions #lyrics