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.
They Aren't All Beautiful
maudlin of the Well Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are perfect as open'd veins
In my eyes I see no other
You inspire the ugliest things
Lift me with your lifeless form
Drag me through Love's excrement
Caress me with cruel claws
Let me hold you in my sleep
Let me wake and damn this art
Every word bleeds from me
Just like a thousand wars
They aren't all beautiful
See through my eyes, poetry
Gouge my eyes with thorns
Breathe through my lungs, softly
I will breathe sea-water soon
Creation isn't beautiful
You inspire the ugliest things
The lyrics of "They Aren't All Beautiful" convey a sense of dark romanticism and obsession with the subject of inspiration. The singer addresses their muse, stating that in their eyes, there is no other that matches their perfection and beauty - even as open veins. The muse inspires the singer to create their art, but it is not always beautiful. The singer begs for their muse to lift and drag them, to caress them with cruel claws, and bless their pen with dreams and lies. They even ask to hold their muse in their sleep but then wake and damn their art.
In the second verse, the singer implores the listener to see through their eyes into the poetry that they create, even as it gouges their eyes with thorns. The singer desires their muse to breathe through their lungs softly, even as they themselves will soon breathe seawater. The final line, "creation isn't beautiful, you inspire the ugliest things," drives home the idea that art is born not only from beauty but from the darkest parts of the soul, inspired by their muse.
The lyrics suggest that the singer's inspiration comes from their obsession. The subject of their creation is not limited to beauty. But rather it is born from both beauty and dark thoughts that their muse inspires. The lines lift me with your lifeless form, caress me with cruel claws, and bless my pen with dreams and lies suggest that the singer is addicted to the rapture that their muse provides; they crave the pain as well as the pleasure that comes from the raw material their inspiration provides.
Line by Line Meaning
In my eyes there is no other
You are the only one I see
You are perfect as open'd veins
You are perfect in your vulnerability
In my eyes I see no other
I can't see anyone else but you
You inspire the ugliest things
You inspire my darkest thoughts
Lift me with your lifeless form
I want to be close to you even in death
Drag me through Love's excrement
Love can be a painful experience
Caress me with cruel claws
Your touch hurts me but I want it anyway
Bless my pen with dreams and lies
My writing is fueled by my imagination which may not be true
Let me hold you in my sleep
I want to be with you even in dreams
Let me wake and damn this art
I feel cursed to express myself through art
Every word bleeds from me
My words are a reflection of my pain
Just like a thousand wars
My emotional turmoil is like a battlefield
They aren't all beautiful
Not every thought is pleasant or positive
See through my eyes, poetry
My poetry reflects my point of view
Gouge my eyes with thorns
I want to feel pain to inspire my writing
Breathe through my lungs, softly
I want to experience life, both good and bad
I will breathe sea-water soon
I feel like I'm drowning in life
Creation isn't beautiful
The process of creating art can be painful and ugly
You inspire the ugliest things
You inspire me to express my darkest emotions
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.