Under the name Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects, Thordendal released his first, and so far only, solo album in 1997 titled "Sol Niger Within" with Ultimate Audio Entertainment. The album featured Tomas Haake (drummer of Meshuggah ) on "spoken vocals", as well as Morgan Ågren on drumkit and Mats Öberg on keyboards, who both have played for "Mats & Morgan" and " Frank Zappa ". The style of music is best described as very a very similar style to Meshuggah's thrashy poly rhythmic Metal with Jazz elements and some obscure noise effects such as high pitched shrieks and screams.
The album was remixed and re-released by Ultimate Audio Entertainment and Relapse Records in 1999 under the title "Sol Niger Within version 3.33". The re-release contains two bonus tracks but omits several parts of the original version, most noticeably, the church organs. The Bonus tracks include "Missing Time" and "Ooo Baby Baby".
A second solo album is in the works, with the current Soilwork drummer Dick Verbeuren, but a release date is unknown.
Sensorium Dei
Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[transl. pali. 'the most excellent divine eye. eye of knowledge. all-seeing eye. budding eye. dhamma-eye']
god's eye point of view. neither to be born nor to perish. negation of
substance. impermanence of being. everlasting becoming. unconditional mind.
expressing absolute revelation of truth. manifested beyond the
trans-substantial >>i<<. all being and nonebeing. neither mind nor buddha.
in an all-embracing immanent end-in-itself. paradoxes are unveiled.
of darkness divine. entering the void where all things intertwine. this is
the existence of the non-existence of duality expressing the radiance of
ultimate reality.
The song “Sensorium Dei” by Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects speaks of the concept of the divine eye, which here represents the ability to see beyond the ordinary perception of things. The verse “god's eye point of view” shows how this vision is linked to the idea of a divine being, a higher power that is able to see and understand everything from a higher perspective. The use of the Pali language in the phrase “dibbacakkhu-pannacakkhu-samanta-cakkhu-buddhacakkhu-dhamma-cakkhu” reinforces the idea of an ancient and mystical knowledge, one that is difficult to grasp by ordinary means.
The lyrics then move on to explore some of the fundamental themes of Buddhism, such as the negation of substance, impermanence of being, and the ever-changing nature of existence. They also hint at the concept of non-duality, the idea that there is no separation between self and other, subject and object, or any other dualistic opposition. The phrase “all being and nonebeing” expresses this idea of unity and interconnectedness, which transcends the superficial differences that we perceive in the world.
Overall, the song presents a vision of ultimate reality that is both transcendent and immanent, beyond all dualities and contradictions, and that can only be fully grasped through the divine eye of knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
...dibbacakkhu-pannacakkhu-samanta-cakkhu-buddhacakkhu-dhamma-cakkhu
The song speaks of the various forms of eyes or knowledge that are considered divine or all-knowing.
god's eye point of view. neither to be born nor to perish. negation of substance.
The song describes a viewpoint as seen from a god's eye, which transcends the physical world, does not suffer birth or death, and negates the existence of physical matter.
impermanence of being. everlasting becoming. unconditional mind.
The song explores the fleeting nature of existence, the constant state of change, and the eternal development of the mind.
expressing absolute revelation of truth. manifested beyond the trans-substantial >>i<<.
The song suggests that ultimate truth can be expressed despite being intangible, and that it transcends the material world.
all being and nonebeing. neither mind nor buddha. in an all-embracing immanent end-in-itself.
The song posits that everything and nothing exists simultaneously, and that the ultimate reality is an all-encompassing, self-sustaining force that is not a product of the mind or religion.
paradoxes are unveiled. contradictions collapses. where boundaries failed.
The song reveals paradoxes and collapses discrepancies, creating a worldview that transcends limits.
plunging into the vortex of darkness divine. entering the void where all things intertwine.
The song proposes diving into a state of divine darkness, merging with the interwoven web of being.
this is the existence of the non-existence of duality expressing the radiance of ultimate reality.
The song posits that the ultimate reality exists beyond the confines of duality and that this truth shines brightly.
Contributed by Eva T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MikeWJones1497
00:00 "The Beginning of the End of Extraction (Evolutional Slow Down)"
01:36 "The Executive Furies of the Robot Lord of Death"
03:04 "Descent to the Netherworld"
03:33 "...Och Stjärnans Namn Var Malört"
05:27 "Dante's Wild Inferno"
06:26 "I, Galactus"
07:54 "Skeletonization"
08:08 "Sickness and Demoniacal Dreaming"
09:14 "UFOria"
09:51 "Z1- Reticuli"
12:44 "Transmigration of Souls"
14:12 "In Reality All Is Void"
14:41 "Krapp's Last Tape"
15:56 "Through Fear We Are Unconscious"
16:55 "Death at Both Ends"
17:54 "Bouncing in a Bottomless Pit"
19:07 "The Sun Door"
20:39 "Vitamin K Experience (A Homage to The Scientist/John Lilly)"
22:13 "Sensorium Dei"
25:41 "Z2- Reticuli"
28:37 "De Profundis"
29:06 "Existence Out of Joint"
30:19 "On a Crater's Verge"
31:33 "Solarization"
33:22 "The End of the Beginning of Contraction (Involutional Speed Up/Preparation for the Big Crunch)"
34:13 "Tathagata"
37:15 "Missing Time"
48:31 "Ooo Baby Baby"
Copy Paste Powa
@Yggdra666
I love music to the point where I've always said that I do not have a favorite album. I listen to anything, from tibetan ceremonial music to noise, anything I can get my hands on.
But this.. this is something else.
I can listen to this album 3 times a day and not get bored of it. Since I have found this album about 5 months ago I have listened to this easily over 100 times and I still love it like the first time I've listened to it. I have never heard of a single piece of music that has been able to capture my attention for this long in such an intense manner even though I know of some strong contenders, this one takes the cake by a long shot.
Thank you Fredrik, thank you Morgan and thanks to everyone else involved in the production of this, in my eyes, absolutely flawless piece of Art.
I will carry this until the day I die.
@johannrajan6357
Guitar Solos
- 0:36 The Beginning of the End of Extraction(Evolutional Slow Down)
- 2:35 The Executive Furies of the Robot Lord of Death
- 5:28 Dante's Wild Inferno
- 6:57 I, Galactus
- 9:55 Z1- Reticuli
- 13:17 Transmigration of Souls
- 18:00 Bouncing in a Bottomless Pit
- 24:08 Sensorium Dei
- 30:28 On a Crater's Verge
- 38:57 Missing Time
- 49:35 Ooo Baby Baby
Saxophone Solo
- 25:53 Z2- Reticuli
Bass Solo
- 42:10 Missing Time
Synth Solos
- 43:05 Missing Time
- 45:30 Missing Time
@MikeWJones1497
00:00 "The Beginning of the End of Extraction (Evolutional Slow Down)"
01:36 "The Executive Furies of the Robot Lord of Death"
03:04 "Descent to the Netherworld"
03:33 "...Och Stjärnans Namn Var Malört"
05:27 "Dante's Wild Inferno"
06:26 "I, Galactus"
07:54 "Skeletonization"
08:08 "Sickness and Demoniacal Dreaming"
09:14 "UFOria"
09:51 "Z1- Reticuli"
12:44 "Transmigration of Souls"
14:12 "In Reality All Is Void"
14:41 "Krapp's Last Tape"
15:56 "Through Fear We Are Unconscious"
16:55 "Death at Both Ends"
17:54 "Bouncing in a Bottomless Pit"
19:07 "The Sun Door"
20:39 "Vitamin K Experience (A Homage to The Scientist/John Lilly)"
22:13 "Sensorium Dei"
25:41 "Z2- Reticuli"
28:37 "De Profundis"
29:06 "Existence Out of Joint"
30:19 "On a Crater's Verge"
31:33 "Solarization"
33:22 "The End of the Beginning of Contraction (Involutional Speed Up/Preparation for the Big Crunch)"
34:13 "Tathagata"
37:15 "Missing Time"
48:31 "Ooo Baby Baby"
Copy Paste Powa
@coloripple
I'm pretty sure "Skeletonization" is my favorite song of less than 15 seconds ever! xD
@burntcrispycorpse
Sounds like morbid angel guitar solos meshugah and a little taste of doom metal
@apartment213
can we have the featuring artists names aswell. and which band they are from.
@MRSludgedude
Well the music cool..vocals ehhj. Got to respect it that's all in can say. Not bad but nothing addictive.
@chrispouliot1599
made man
Morgan Ågren on drums
From his own fusion project to his own electro project, he did also guest drums for the las Devin Townsend album(along with Samus66 and Anup Sastry)
Just to name a few
@pentexsucks43
This album has enough riffs for 10 metal bands entire careers. Best Jazz Metal album ever.
@XiyuYang
This album somehow sounds like it’s released in 2050.
@opendagates8642
Yes 💯 %
@aphexlane
I bought this at a Best Buy when i was like 14. I had no idea who he was or anything. I just thought the cover looked cool. I had no idea what i was in for..