LEVIATHAN - WORDS WAGING WAR
Hello. Leviafans; John here from Leviathan.
The new album is finally ready for release. I am excited to write to you and provide some behind the scenes details regarding this new studio record. The album is called, “Words Waging War.” This title has some important significance in this highly volatile time we are living through. I originally wrote the song called, “Words Waging War” or WWW for short back in 1997. This song was intended to be part of a collection of material that would bring Leviathan into a new era of sound and collaboration. My hope was that this album would keep momentum moving forward and be a commanding follow-up to our “Scoring the Chapters” release. Unfortunately, life happened the opposite of plans, and Leviathan disbanded temporarily halting progress. My collaboration however would continue with an old friend, John Sellers. We co-wrote the song, WWW and a few others from that period. A few of these other songs are also on the newest release. Technology is something very important in my life, but I was late to arrive in the world of personal computing or the internet. The World Wide Web, or WWW was very new. When I first experienced this dial-up sensation I had no idea humans would become so reliant on this all involving digital realm. This forum for exchanging information and knowledge had the best intentions to enrich lives. Over the years it has turned into a platform for hate and hostility. This dichotomy lends itself perfectly to the double meaning of WWW.
Lyrics have always been the most important part of my musical involvement. This album exhibits that vital form of expression and openness conveying all the emotion I could articulate over the last 30 years. Some of the topics and inspiration I sought to understand through “Words Waging War” are elements of my own mortality. I have a young son named Levi. I am blessed and frightened every day to get another chance to live life vicariously through his experiences. Two songs on this new album address that fearful yet protective instinct most parents feel about preparing a child for the long road ahead in the event you are no longer around. The songs, “Cast a Long Shadow” and A Legacy Not Yet Defined” were written as musical letters to Levi. I attempted through my art to compose with as much detail the knowledge and life experience gathered during my half century on this planet. I wrote about meaningful choices and clues that I have picked up along the way. I try to make sense of this world during a time when very little does. I hope these messages will be helpful to his finding happiness and the peace in life I was never able to find.
Another eternal topic of contention to me is the question of who and why I am here. In the song, “Compromised by Need,” I address the struggle of humans fighting for dignity in an often unfair and greed driven world. Equality and balance are something my brain depends on, but most often fails to find. The song, “Who I’m Supposed to Be?” expresses that longing for knowledge of self and profound purpose beyond your predefined station.
Song Listing: Leviathan- Words Waging War
1. Compromised by Need
2. Ambitious Stones Overturned
3. Who I’m Supposed to Be?
4. Someone Else’s Art
5. Picture Perfect
6. Strength and Limitations
7. This Order of Things
8. Ten to the Twelfth
9. WWW
10. Blood and Imagination
11. Projecting Feelings
12. Cast a Long Shadow
13. A Legacy Not Yet Defined
Here are some details about the band line up and recording process; This album marks another milestone for me in finally finding a working team of collaborators that I can rely on to help me deliver a quality production. I have been struggling to get back to the sonic benchmark Leviathan achieved with all our earlier works. With this new release, I think I have finally found that lost sound and chemistry. The lineup on this record is the same as our 2018 release minus the drummer. This album and future releases will feature Kyle Brian Abbott on drums. Raphael Gazal from Brazil recorded the vocal tracks. Derek Blake and I round out the lineup on bass, keys, guitar, and vocals. The album was mixed by Kevin Clock the owner of Colorado Sound Recording. He did such an amazing job with the tracks really bringing back the Leviathan sound from the late nineties. The artwork was a collaboration of styles and skillsets. Longtime partner extraordinaire, Martin Schroder, teamed up with graphic novel artist, Natalie OSTERMAIER to revive the Leviathan beast from our Deepest Secrets Beneath album. What they have achieved is a perfect melting of styles and textures. Their teamwork created something that perfectly represents Leviathan‘s long history. This new cover demands being put on Tshirts, or other huge things.. So, stay tuned for that.