Musical Writing Inspiration Part One

In the April session of Camp NaNoWriMo I wrote about some of the music inspiring me as I worked to finish Project Death: Revelation, and it averaged more views than typical, so I figured I would come back and do another post. Unfortunately, I realized there were probably too many songs for one post...so there will be two. First up, I have been listening to the new Kamelot album, Haven, quite a bit and much like with the previous album, Silverthorn, many of the songs spoke to Thanos and Tam's story. Like last time I will post the lyrics and then a little description of why it is relevant to the story or what about it calls forth that writing inspiration.

Sometimes I'm lost in the silence of empathy

A moment I can reflect

Sometimes I feel I am losing control

And feed on the essence of hate

Walking this world like animals

And into the dark we're wading

You are my reason to stay

Even if daylight's a lifetime away

- "Fallen Star" by Kamelot

The more I re-read over what I have written and think about what I still have to write, I can see a great deal of Thanos's struggles with the darkness inside him, and it really is something he has to fight to control. With Revelation we can see him starting to spiral towards destruction and darkness and he still hopes for a light at the end of a very long tunnel, and he hopes that the "daylight" he envisions includes Tam. I think a lot of these songs I've included in this list speak to the darkness and demons within Thanos and how it is dragging him down to where he could be the greatest threat of all to all life and death.

When the darkness brings the cold

To draw me under

I am caught between

The chapters of a dream

Something is reaching out and

My entire world is crumbling

And it whispers that I am

The chosen one...

Can you hear me...?

When the night begins to fall

I watch the shadows growing tall

Feeding my insomnia

Like a fly on the wall

- "Insomnia" by Kamelot

I think it is mentioned in the summary for this book, but something starts happening to Tam in this book and that makes Thanos feel trapped and helpless and like this life he has created with her and now with the Reapers is in jeopardy. At the same time he keeps thinking back to how he became Death in the first place, and that time of transition was one that crumbled his entire world and he had to rebuild himself. Now it becomes a question of if he can stand to do that again, or if this time he will self-destruct.

My dear I promise

Death comes to all

In a heartbeat...Only silence

Let's play with the fire

That runs in our veins

Trust in the might of a miracle

Now winter has come

And I stand in the snow

I don't feel the cold

And it is all that I will ever need

To believe

- "Veil of Elysium" by Kamelot

Obviously songs that talk about death and solitude and potential for danger really resonates for not just this book, but the whole series. In Resurrection Tam felt quite isolated, and then in Revelation, Thanos becomes Death and separates himself from everyone he had ever known, and from the little bit I've written for book three, Redemption, Julianne (Jules) is alone and hoping for a miracle, so this song really speaks to the series as a whole, and I love when I find songs that resonate that much with what I'm doing and the mood and feeling I'm aiming for with the books and characters.

You may call me a dreamer

Call me a fool

Just a blue eyed believer in you

But I'll die for that someone

In the blink of an eye

So tell me...Please tell me

Just what kind of fool am I

- "Under Grey Skies" by Kamelot

I still need to actually write this scene because I've been putting it off, but there's this great scene towards the end of the book where Thanos actually confronts his father, something he has thought about doing for over a century, but he finally reaches a point where he doesn't care about the consequences or if he steps over the line and does something completely against the Balance and just kills him. Thanos's dad always disapproved of Thanos and while not out-right calling him a fool, it was certainly implied. I have thought about this scene for quite some time and it's nice to have Thanos basically stand up and tell the man that he isn't a fool and that he is willing to die for his beliefs if necessary. I can't wait for you all to read this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Who fears the ticking of the clock

When centuries are passing in seconds

Black is the color of my past

A product of society's abuse

Come and take me off my daily dose of pain

Take me off and shelter me

From this static nothing

You're the antidote

For solitude injected in my veins

May the touch of you hand forever be

My therapy

- "My Therapy" by Kamelot

Every time I hear this song I can't help but think of Thanos and Tamesis. Seriously, when she became the Angel of Death and he started to really develop feelings for her and everything, she became this antidote for the solitude he had felt for so long, and it makes this song kind of perfect.

Would you pray if I said you were dying

Would you be a little stronger

Or fall down on your knees

Would you stay with me

If you knew that I was lying

Would you walk away

Or turn the other cheek

- "Liar Liar" by Kamelot

It becomes clear in Revelation while Thanos is thinking of his past that he has done quite a bit of lying and deceiving, and this song sort of highlights that aspect of his life, while also reflecting his position as Death. The new Kamelot album has been full of amazing songs, and add that to songs from Silverthorn, like "Sacrimony," "Ashes to Ashes," and "Torn" (just to name a few), and I know that Kamelot will continue to be a band that inspires my writing in the future. I so can't wait to see them in concert again this November. It will be amazing.

Part two of this musical inspiration post will be up soon, and it highlights another band whose music inspires my writing. See you then.