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.
A Conception Pathetic
maudlin of the Well Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eyes wild, like oceans caught up and glittering.
Everything 'comes all dark, save those embers that burn right through my quaking soul!
The old man is frightened and waiting to die.
She looks on from her Lunar perch and laughs:
"One sip from this cup of steaming wine, and then you dream!"
They all sing to me,
stars in their brightness
The opening lines of the song A Conception Pathetic evoke a sense of urgency with the imagery of an old man who is frightened and waiting to die, as well as the singer describing their soul as quaking. The setting is described as languid, indicating a slowed or lazy atmosphere, while the wild eyes of the beckoning figure add a sense of urgency and desperation to the scene.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to focus on a character referred to as "she" who laughs and invites the singer to drink from a cup of steaming wine. The line "and then you dream" suggests that the drink may be something more potent than just alcohol, potentially a hallucinogenic or a potion with mystical properties. The final lines of the song describe all the stars singing to the singer, creating a sense of otherworldliness and transcendence.
Overall, the lyrics of A Conception Pathetic seem to be exploring themes of mortality, temptation, and the unknown. The song creates a vivid, dreamlike atmosphere that draws the listener in and invites interpretation and analysis.
Line by Line Meaning
He beckons from across the languid room
The man is calling out to the observer from the other side of the room, with an air of slowness and tiredness.
Eyes wild, like oceans caught up and glittering
The man's eyes are intense, like the vast and shimmering expanse of the ocean.
Everything 'comes all dark, save those embers that burn right through my quaking soul!
The darkness surrounds everything, except for the small fires that blaze within the observer's trembling being.
The old man is frightened and waiting to die
The elderly man is scared and expecting his imminent death.
She looks on from her Lunar perch and laughs:
'One sip from this cup of steaming wine, and then you dream!'
A woman watching from the moon's surface mocks the observer, suggesting that consuming a cup of hot wine will cause the observer to hallucinate.
No more, now is night. Poison!
The night has fallen and there is no more time, and there is a dangerous substance present.
They all sing to me, stars in their brightness
The stars are shining down upon the observer and singing to them, bringing light to the dark surroundings.
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Hextator
I'd never seen the shirt before. After reading your comment, I looked it up and came up with this quick interpretation:
A powerful sort of demoness enchants, poisons, and kills some old man (the one from this song, of course, but presumably also the one in RHtN, Pt2; I also want to believe this setting is what's being described in The Antique). The old man may have been a warlock who could have opposed her? Then, the demoness lures an onlooking apprentice into congregating with her. Later, she gives birth to...probably The Numberless.
The squids all over the shirt indicate a more marine terror is involved, but I always imagined The Numberless to be more of a terrestrial creature, both in origin, and appearance. That said, a lot of the songs in MFPB/ASC talk about marrying the sea by just sort of drowning in it, and in Catharsis, the gods are said to have "chthonic hands" - hands from the underworld - so there may be an association with some sea monster, and both MFPB/ASC and Bath/LYBM seem to be rather invested in the whole drowning thing.
It seems that BF/AVM may be how the demoness disposes of her helpless consort, dooming them to the poisonous pollens of their garden (from blooms and stalks that glowed with "a shattered lantern's light").
Does that sound about right?
So,
"What does it mean?"
doesn't matter, it's cool as hell
"Why do they want to keep retelling it?"
same answer, lol
@QueenCloveroftheice
The vocals are so haunting... I love it
@BlooodMusic
motW fans: We are FINALLY re-releasing "Bath" and "Leaving Your Body Map" on CD along with bonus tracks. As well, we are releasing "Part the Second" on CD for the first time. Pre-orders goes live on March 1st. Discs ship on April 13th! We will also have 100 copies of "Bath" and "LYBM" on 2xLP! Check our page for a video and information!
@RawkHawk9000
The event the lyrics are taking about fascinate me. This story is also sung about in basically every song on LYBM, apparently it is "Part the First," as is said on the back of a shirt they sold at gigs. But what does any of it mean? Did Driver or Byron experience it directly while "astral projecting?" Why do they want to keep retelling it? I thought it had to do with the secret message on Bath/LYBM but it doesn't seem to. Can't wrap my head around it still.
@Hextator
I'd never seen the shirt before. After reading your comment, I looked it up and came up with this quick interpretation:
A powerful sort of demoness enchants, poisons, and kills some old man (the one from this song, of course, but presumably also the one in RHtN, Pt2; I also want to believe this setting is what's being described in The Antique). The old man may have been a warlock who could have opposed her? Then, the demoness lures an onlooking apprentice into congregating with her. Later, she gives birth to...probably The Numberless.
The squids all over the shirt indicate a more marine terror is involved, but I always imagined The Numberless to be more of a terrestrial creature, both in origin, and appearance. That said, a lot of the songs in MFPB/ASC talk about marrying the sea by just sort of drowning in it, and in Catharsis, the gods are said to have "chthonic hands" - hands from the underworld - so there may be an association with some sea monster, and both MFPB/ASC and Bath/LYBM seem to be rather invested in the whole drowning thing.
It seems that BF/AVM may be how the demoness disposes of her helpless consort, dooming them to the poisonous pollens of their garden (from blooms and stalks that glowed with "a shattered lantern's light").
Does that sound about right?
So,
"What does it mean?"
doesn't matter, it's cool as hell
"Why do they want to keep retelling it?"
same answer, lol
@lainlifestyle5790
well, the lyrim of the band are based on drug out experiences, you should not think hard about it.
@Hextator
Silly stuff is absolutely worth thinking hard about. If you disagree, you're welcome to condemn yourself to that philosophy, but not others.
@lddevo88
Love the ending!!
@BorisBr1tva
Hehe this is damn heavy, and vice vocals on this track. Reminds agalloch vocals on mantle (?) for some reason
@Thrashaero
I was getting a Tool vibe from the rythm guitars for a bit...from 0:45 to 1:25
@RaffaellaQ
I wish the rest of the album were as good as this song