The songs Rise and Stories were puzzled together over a period of 18 months, and in the end it all fell together as one coherent piece of music. There was really no upfront idea of where the first musical ideas should lead to.
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It all started with the drum parts that ended up at beginning and the end of "Stories". They resulted from playing around with patterns and the mathematics of it.
Months later I focussed on keyboards for a while, and had a few great classical instrumental parts recorded, just for fun. I thought a double bass under the first one would make a great song; this became the title track "Rise". And it sounded as if "Rise" would make a great intro to the song that ended up as "Stories".
So I guessed that "Stories" should have a keyboard part too, and so I took the other keyboard piece and made that the keys-solo in "Stories".
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Stéphan Forté and Joey Concepcion did amazing jobs coloring the song with their furious yet melodic guitar solo's.
And then the big question was: what to do with vocals? The best idea I had about the vocals was to find a rap-metal kind of style and singer: Mike Patton, Clawfinger or Urban Dance Squad type.
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I was in contact with Chris Clancy and he wanted to work on the project, as long as it did not have to be Mike Patton style, so I gave him all freedom, and within a week he came up with this incredible piece of art. Chris sounds amazing! Clean, grunt or anything in between, he is genius and a a pure professional to work with.
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From a songwriting perspective "Rise / Stories" is one of the songs I am most proud of !
Rise (Instrumental)
Music: Ron Coolen
Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards: Ron Coolen
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Stories
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Intro Guitar Solo: Stéphan Forté
Scenes unfold like designs,
Echoed conceptions refined,
All along we've looked outwards for the signs,
Wash away preconceptions,
Follow the path walk the line,
Faith is shattered perceptions are not what we know.
With new insights,
A new world appears from the old,
Limits fade with denial,
Far from the story we're told,
Weathered storms once benign,
Complex decisions in mind,
Every step we take leaves more questions unsolved,
Some bury heads in the sand,
Some have only empty hands,
Years of knowledge all quashed in the blink of an eye
With new insights,
A new world appears from the old,
Limits fade with denial,
Far from the story we're told,
Keyboard solo: Ron Coolen
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Guitar solo: Joey Concepcion
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With new insights,
A new world appears from the old,
Limits fade with denial,
Far from the story we're told,
How can we evolve,
When we're lost in the flaws of design,
Speaking words we call wisdom but laced with our lies,
Are we the subjects
A rat in a cage we think's free,
All alone we never consider what's real
It's not the way,
Codes in the seeds of life,
Where are all the answers we’ve been trying to find
Hide no longer,
Break from these chains,
Smash down the walls,
Force through it all,
Denial no longer will reign.
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Music: Ron Coolen
Lyrics: Chris Clancy
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Vocals: Chris Clancy
Guitar Solo's: Stéphan Forté, Joey Concepcion
Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards: Ron Coolen