motW had a consistent core membership which consisted of Jason Byron, Greg Massi, and Toby Driver. Throughout motW's career, they saw a sort of "revolving door" of members and session musicians as they were needed. In this regard, it may be more accurate to think of motW as a project rather than a typical band, akin to Chuck Schuldiner's influential death metal project/band, Death.
motW's music, lyrics, and atmosphere dealt predominantly with the subject of astral projection. The band tried to find music rather than compose it. This was attempted through practicing astral projection and lucid dreams, from which the band were purportedly able to "bring back" pre-existing music from the astral plane. This idea is similar to the common dogmatic notion that "all good things come from God", but with a new-age spin.
In late 2001, motW began working on a fourth studio album. During this time, the band lost longtime members, changed labels, and ultimately renamed themselves to Kayo Dot. This fourth motW album was released in 2003 as Kayo Dot's Choirs of the Eye.
Bath and Leaving Your Body Map were re-issued by Dark Symphonies in 2006 and the label has recently announced plans to re-release My Fruit PsychoBells...A Seed Combustible in September 2007.
On July 27, 2008, Toby Driver released a statement in his blog which confirms that a new studio album will be recorded starting February, 2009. The album, entitled Part the Second, was released in May 2009 on the band's website. The record was entirely fan-funded, and people who contributed to the funding of the record are listed on their website. A double-LP edition pressed at 45rpm was issued in November 2010 thanks to fan donations.
In 2012, the bands whole discography was re-released on CD through Blood Music, including The Secret Song single and the first CD release of Part the Second.
(Interlude 4)
maudlin of the Well Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every tear shall be kiss'd from thine eyes."
[DAIMON:]
"There is suffering in the Out Of Space
The jewelled lamps of Heaven are unknown."
"Ere you fall, I shall be there to lift thee
[DAIMON:]
"Naught but purity and secrecy abound
Under the surface of glassy Spheres."
"Hark and remember my creative song
Believe in me and thy heart shall grow light
Enter the tomb beneath my sacred blooms
Remain: I promise I shall thee receive?"
[DAIMON:]
"Lest magick doors thou shall ope in the stars,
In the seas, in the gardens of pure Thought."
"Nearest to thy soul is my whisp'ring Voice."
[DAIMON:]
"Ever else are the unseen Paths and Planes."
The opening lines of this song, "Let this cup of suffering pass from me, every tear shall be kissed from thine eyes", are a reference to Jesus' plea to God in the Garden of Gethsemane to spare him from the crucifixion. The subsequent lines spoken by the character DAIMON, "There is suffering in the Out Of Space, The jeweled lamps of Heaven are unknown", suggests that even beyond our earthly existence, there is suffering and pain, and that the heavenly realms are not immune to this. The idea of suffering and pain being universal and transcending all boundaries is reinforced throughout the song.
The character DAIMON provides reassurance and comfort to the listener, promising to be there to lift them up and warm them. He speaks of purity and secrecy existing below the surface of "glassy spheres" and promises the listener access to hidden doors in the stars, the seas, and the gardens of pure thought.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be grappling with the pain and suffering inherent in existence, while seeking solace and comfort in belief and the promise of something greater beyond this world.
Line by Line Meaning
Let this cup of suffering pass from me
I am in pain and I want it to end.
Every tear shall be kiss'd from thine eyes.
I will comfort you and make sure you don't cry anymore.
There is suffering in the Out Of Space
Even beyond our planet, there is pain and sadness.
The jewelled lamps of Heaven are unknown.
The beauty of the stars and galaxies is still unexplored to us.
Ere you fall, I shall be there to lift thee
Before you stumble, I will be there to support you.
Rest thy weary mind, warm thy bleary cheek!
Relax and let me soothe you with my care and affection.
Naught but purity and secrecy abound
Beyond what we can see is pure beauty and hidden mysteries.
Under the surface of glassy Spheres.
Beyond what we know lies a mysterious and beautiful world.
Hark and remember my creative song
Listen to my words and remember my message.
Believe in me and thy heart shall grow light
Trust in me and let go of your burdens, you will feel better.
Enter the tomb beneath my sacred blooms
Discover the secrets hidden beneath the beauty of life.
Remain: I promise I shall thee receive?
Stay with me and I will welcome you with open arms.
Lest magick doors thou shall ope in the stars,
Explore new worlds and open the doors to magical adventures.
In the seas, in the gardens of pure Thought.
Travel through oceans and the beautiful gardens of our minds.
Nearest to thy soul is my whisp'ring Voice.
I am closest to your heart, whispering words of love and comfort.
Ever else are the unseen Paths and Planes.
Beyond what we know are paths and places we have yet to discover.
Contributed by Sydney I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
noname
1."The Blue Ghost/Shedding Qliphoth"
0:00
2."They Aren't All Beautiful"
7:57
3."Heaven and Weak"
13:33
4."Interlude 1"
21:15
5."The Ferryman"
22:53
6."Marid's Gift of Art"
30:43
7."Girl With a Watering Can"
34:24
8."Birth Pains of Astral Projection"
43:08
9."Interlude 2"
53:42
10."Geography"
55:55
ishi_gho
This should play during the end credits of the universe
HoneycombLord
Not without LYBM immediately afterwards!
Fanta666
This band was so ahead of their time. I remember they got a lot of hate back when I was first getting into metal in the mid '00s. Truly avant-garde. God, the sax on the first track is so beautiful.
Vik
It seems they they got shit for their below average gigs, and people did NOT like My Fruit Psychobells. Looking online though it looks like Bath and LYBM were well received and kinda saved their rep
Bon Jon Bovi
@Vik do you have some sources for that? It is really interesting to reading this, as I got into them just recently. Were they really this bad live?
Vik
@Bon Jon Bovi they struggled to balance all their instruments, and essentially had a quickly thrown together lineup. Most of peoples opinions are on metalarchives. Bath/LYBM was received very well
driiifter
My Fruit Psychobells is the litmus test. if you don't like that you're probably not into this genre/style.
ð
@driiifter 🤡
FryingWithTheAntidote
very penetrating album, if you’re a musician you’ll definitely notice something special about this. Even if you dont like it, it should change the way you listen to music. The band has stated that they do not write their music in any normal sense, but rather “bring it back” from the astral plane while engaging in projective meditations. unforgettable for sure.
Vik
“Ight time for a songwriting session”
goes to bed