Small Talk Revival Thread

[Guest]

Think it's going to be an Owen night for me. The ex and I have finally stopped talking again. We're "breaking up" for the 2nd time in less than a year. My head is in circles today. But I feel a lot less stressed out and ready to push forward.

 

Shitty, but at least you seem to have finally gotten your closure on it all. Owen is perfect break-up music.

 

Edit: Delete your long ass post Matt? I didn't know the forums would even let you post something that long.

[Sad Heart]

Shitty, but at least you seem to have finally gotten your closure on it all. Owen is perfect break-up music.

 

Edit: Delete your long ass post Matt? I didn't know the forums would even let you post something that long.

 

Yeah, cause I'm adding spoiler tags to make it not such a wall. Haha.

[Guest]

Yeah, cause I'm adding spoiler tags to make it not such a wall. Haha.

 

Ah, makes sense. It took up a ton. I figured there'd be a character limit, and you'd have to split it up. Impressive you typed all that up.

[Sad Heart]

Ah, makes sense. It took up a ton. I figured there'd be a character limit, and you'd have to split it up. Impressive you typed all that up.

 

SO, it uh, is 37 pages....

And it didn't paste it all. Apparently some cut out.

[Sad Heart]

// THE PARALLAX STORY //

The Parallax is an amazing, epic story spanning multiple albums. A lot of people don't really dive deep enough into the albums to truly take out all the story has to offer. Between The Buried And Me is just so fucking epic that you are going crazy listening to it all. But have you really ever sat down to break down the Parallax story before? Cause it's pretty fucking vast. The following is breakdown of the characters that are in the story, a short breakdown of each song (which are in chronological order), and a lyrical breakdown of who is speaking.

|| Google Doc. can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J-I6QkcfS0U6u8baoQLe183BplI504mxw3gKuCIlot8/edit?usp=sharing

/ Pg. count: 37+

/ Word count: 10,530

/ Character count: 57,174

i. Listening Order (w. playlist)

ii. Characters

iii. Chronological Order Story

iv. Listening Order Explained (w. lyrics) *

v. Parallax II: Greater Detail

vi. Bonus Songs *

 

( * iv & iv can be found in the linked Google Doc.)

/ i: Listening order:

Prequel to the Sequel

Fossil Genera

Lost Perfection

Swim to the Moon

Bloom

Specular Reflection

Augument of Rebirth

Lunar Wilderness

Astral Body

Lay Your Ghosts to Rest

Extremophile Elite

Parallax

The Black Box

Telos

Melting City

Silent Flight Parliament

Goodbye to Everything (Reprise)

Goodbye to Everything

|| Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/matt_photographs/playlist/7fCBejc1sQUFYW7wreawRa

|| Playtime: 2hrs 24m.

/ ii: Characters (in the order of their introductions):

|| The Night Owls - Introduced in Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain. A race of alien creatures who decide to control the minds of Prospect 2’s people in order to prevent them from becoming more powerful than The Night Owls and killing The Night Owls. They continually manipulate the actions of Prospect 2’s people and Prospect 2 himself from behind-the-scenes, monitoring and preventing their own death by causing the humans to kill each other.

|| The Baby Born with the End of the World - Introduced in Lost Perfection, my personal idea is that the baby could be Prospect 2’s son, and is a mirror character to Prospect 1, who was also “born” with the end of the world, in the sense that he was reborn in Augment of Rebirth and by extension Telos. Both characters are innocent but are faced with the end of the world.

 

|| Prospect 2 - Introduced in Lost Perfection but much more prominently introduced in Specular Reflection, Prospect 2 is tasked with planting life on Prospect 1’s planet. He feels a metaphysical connection to Prospect 1 at first which changes during Telos.

 

|| Prospect 1 - Introduced in Swim to the Moon, Prospect 1 starts to feel a metaphysical connection to Prospect 2 after being stranded on an island.

 

|| Prospect 2’s wife - Introduced in Telos, Prospect 2’s wife is in a deep depression after Prospect 2 leaves without telling her why he left.

 

|| The Black Mask - Introduced in Melting City, The Black Mask is hired by The Night Owls to prevent Prospect 2’s letter from reaching his wife. My personal feelings is that The Black Mask could be a grown up “baby born with the end of the world” but I have no basis for that really, except that, like Prospect 1, he grew to regret his decision and sets things right by returning, only to be faced with his own destruction (and both Black Mask and Prospect 1 speak of propulsion in a similar manner at the end of Melting City and Silent Flight Parliament). It’s ambiguous whether or not Black Mask dies.

|| Narrator(s)

/ iii: Chronological order of the plot to The Parallax:

 

1.) Prequel to the Sequel - Colors

Life is created on Prospect 2’s planet and it gradually leads to humankind and their abuse of the planet.

2.) Fossil Genera - The Great Misdirect

The Night Owls take over Prospect 2’s planet to prevent its population from becoming Gods, and suppress their thoughts and actions.
 

3.) Specular Reflection - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 2 has a flashback to the time before he left for his mission.

 

4.) Lost Perfection - The Silent Circus

A baby is born, possibly Prospect 2’s child, and I’d say most likely. The Night Owls bring about Prospect 2’s apocalypse by influencing them to commit violence against each other. (Clowns = Night Owls, Baby = Narrator, Three adults = Three Lovers, Third Adult = Prospect 2.)

 

5.) Lunar Wilderness - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

A flashback reveals that Prospect 2 is sent on a mission to a pre-life version of Prospect 1’s planet.

 

6.) Specular Reflection - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 2 leaves for pre-life earth to plant life there, and starts to see visions of a future Prospect 1 that has yet to come into being.

7.) Melting City - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2 had left a letter for his wife but his wife had never received it because The Black Mask stole it before she could ever find it, at The Night Owls’ request.

 

8.) Telos - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2’s wife tries to adapt to life without her husband while secretly feeling horrible remorse over her husband leaving without explaining his reasonings.

 

9.) Melting City - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

The Black Mask regrets taking the letter after he opens it and reads it. He goes back to return the letter only to be trapped inside the burning house of Prospect 2’s wife and either dies or manages to escape somehow.

10.) Telos - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2’s wife sets her house on fire to kill herself being unable to cope without Prospect 2.

11.) Augment of Rebirth - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 2 starts to become god-like as he creates life on Prospect 1’s planet, and continues to have some metaphysical connection to Prospect 1 who hasn’t been born yet.

 

12.) Lunar Wilderness - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 2 returns to his home planet to find that the world has come to an end and everything he knows is gone.

 

13.) Astral Body - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2, in an act of regret for having been unable to save his home planet from destruction, as he was sent to Prospect 1’s planet (possibly by the night owls in an attempt to prevent him from being able to save his own planet), decides to cut pieces of flesh off of his body in order to become new.

 

14.) Lay Your Ghosts to Rest - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2 remembers his letter and decides to go to Prospect 1’s planet to learn what happened to his wife by seeing what happened to Prospect 1, who Prospect 2 believes to be a mirror of himself, and makes the decision to kill Prospect 1’s planet as a mercy killing, deeming them “weak life”. He launches into space using instructions given to him by The Night Owl, headed for Prospect 1’s planet.

 

15.) Swim to the Moon - The Great Misdirect

Prospect 1 becomes fed up with his life and swims out to sea to drown.

 

16.) Bloom - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Bloom bridges the gap between Swin To The Moon and The Parallax. It tells the story of a mysterious character named "Queen Sea". Prospect 1 almost dies and has a dream in which undersea creatures (Queen Sea) experiment with him. (A 'bloom' is a group of jellyfish. Hence the song title.)

 

17.) Specular Reflection - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 1 seems to land on an island of some sort and reflects on his past actions and life.

 

18.) Augment of Rebirth - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 1 survives for years on the island against nature and various enemies such as animals and so on.

 

19.) Parallax - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 1 and 2 have visions of each other, an allusion to The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues.

 

20.) Extremophile Elite - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 1 hears the sounds of machines in the distance and can’t take the sound and buries his head underground.

Prospect 2 lands on the island of Prospect 1 and finds him, only to see that Prospect 1 has a note which was never delivered to his own wife, and that causes Prospect 2 to realize that his own letter never reached his wife.

 

21.) Telos - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2 forces Prospect 1 into the decision to end mankind. Prospect 1 lies and goes with him out of fear of Prospect 2’s power and dominant presence.

 

22.) Augment of Rebirth - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 1 is found on the island and sets off to return home.

 

23.) Lunar Wilderness - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Prospect 1 makes it back home and changes his mind about the decision he had previously made to kill himself in Swim to the Moon.

 

24.) Silent Flight Parliament - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Prospect 2 opens The Black Box (which was never made clear when he obtained it, but I’m guessing it was during Astral Body) and learns of what had happened to his wife and what The Black Mask had done, and decides that this is what was supposed to happen, that he was meant to end mankind. He then ends mankind but Prospect 1 manages to survive.

 

25.) Goodbye to Everything - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

Together, but without anyone else, Prospect 1 and 2 fly off into space, leaving everything behind, as their planet approaches the sun and burns.

 

/ v. THE GUIDE TO PARALLAX II: A greater look...

DIALOGUES SUMMARY

The EP introduces the two main characters in the Parallax: Prospect 1 and Prospect 2. Prospect 1 has just woken up on an island in the middle of nowhere and doesn't know how he has gotten there. The last thing he remembered was leaving his life behind and drifting off to sea. He was prepared to die. He keeps having dreams about meeting himself, but he can never interact with the person he meets. His life on this island doesn't seem real most of the time and he can't decide if he is dead or that maybe this is all a dream. He finally realizes he is not alone and sees a boat. He then gets rescued and journeys back to his old life. The thought of how he is going to explain this all to his family weighs heavily on his mind. When he arrives home, nothing is the same. The house is gone and nothing is familiar. There is no sign of his old life.

Prospect 1 drifted off to sea on the old planet and crashed on the new planet. He never understands this.

Prospect 2 works for a secret government on the old planet. The government was organized by the night owls but we don't find out about this until later. They have decided that the planet is failing and soon will be extinct if humans don't change their collective lifestyle. The government hires Prospect 2 to go to a new planet they have been researching for decades. It is fit for life and they have developed a way to plant souls in the soil. They have been collecting samples of important humans' souls (for a price of course) for years and they are trying to recreate these humans on the new planet. Prospect 2's job is to see through that all of this happens. He has some conditions before he can go on his journey. He has to leave his wife with no explanation, and never see her again. This is tough on him, but he decides to go through with it, his new job and goal gives him a god complex, and that feeling supersedes any feeling he has for his old life. He goes on the mission. For the duration of the trip he has hallucinations and constant dreams about meeting himself. He finally gets to the new planet and does his job. He then leaves to go finish what small life he has left on his old planet. When he arrives to his old planet, it has disappeared.

The EP is mainly dialogue the Prospects are having with themselves. Isolation is a big theme on this record. It causes regret, fear, and doubt. The decisions they both have made are never made with confidence, but rather an overwhelming feeling of self-doubt.

GOODBYE TO EVERYTHING

This song is the very end of the story. The two Prospects are in their ship and they are watching their planet approach the sun and burn. They shut their ship off and wait for the inevitable end. This is mainly the doing of Prospect 2, but we will discuss this later...

ASTRAL BODY

This song picks up where the EP ended. Prospect 2 has just realized that his old planet (home) is completely gone. He is in limbo in the middle of space losing his mind. The first paragraph is him analyzing himself from above (astral projection). He doesn't feel part of himself. He doesn't understand who he is or what his purpose is so he starts to dissect himself. Analyzing every inch of his self. Obviously he is out of his mind at this point. The lyrics of the chorus convey that his hands are speaking to him (last two lines). It is not stated, but this is a dream.

 

LAY YOUR GHOSTS TO REST

This song is a continuation of Prospect 2's thought process. He is trying to take what he has learned from his dreams and apply this knowledge to his next decision, he can either stay in this ship and end his own life or go to the new planet where he planted human souls and figure out what to do next when he lands. He chooses the latter. In the first few sections Prospect 2 imagines the new planet. He is not sure that his decisions have been the ones he really wanted to make and he wishes he could fully understand everything going through his mind. He is trying to redeem himself from his past doings, but he slowly realises that redemption is very likely impossible. Soon, he begins to think about his past life and how he didn't give his wife any warning about him leaving her, wishing he would have done more than just leaving her a written note. It soon becomes apparent to him how selfish this act was. While in and out of a dream state he slowly starts to realize that he must go to his new planet, although he is still undecided at this point what to do when he gets there. What he does know is that he felt better about playing the role of "creator" before he genuinely started analyzing himself. Confusion and isolation are the themes of this story, which are feelings we seem to face and fear most days of our lives. Folder 502 are documents in his ship containing the instructions to help him get back to his new planet. He was trained to deal with anything that may occur while he is doing his missions. He now embarks on his journey to his new home. The number 502 represents my son's birth date. He is my home, so I felt it fit very nicely and I like adding personal touches even when it’s a fictional story. This is the first song on the record that speaks of the "night owls", which will be explained later in the story. Also, it should be noted that lyrics in parentheses are typically not sung, but rather just thoughts in the characters' head.

AUTUMN

This song is just soundscapes, but to me it represents what is going on in Prospect 2's mind. Complete confusion and distress. It's a very eerie and uncomfortable sounding track that prepares you for the story to unfold on this new planet.

EXTREMOPHILE ELITE

This song starts off where the EP left off for Prospect 1. He has just returned to where he lived before he drifted off to sea. (Swim to the moon, TGM) Everything is different and his old life has vanished. Prospect 1 starts to dream about meeting himself, this mirror image is identical in looks, but the person has different agendas. One day he wakes up in a field of dirt with machines building something all around him. Some sort of city seems to be forming. The sounds are too loud. He can’t take the sounds anymore, so he buries his head in the dirt. The world seems to stop. After some time of staying in this position he is pulled out of the ground by another person. This is the person who has been in his dreams... an identical copy of him. Prospect 2. They finally meet. The second half of the song takes place when Prospect 2 lands on the new planet. He keeps day dreaming about talking to his hands (speak to me freely... etc...) stumbles out of his ship and makes his way around the area he landed. As expected, the area seems very secluded, except for machines building something in the distance. He makes his way closer to the machines and he walks up on a man with his head under the dirt. He pulls the man out of the dirt and it’s a corpse. He can’t tell who it is, but he sees a note buried under the man’s skull, it’s the note he wrote to his wife on the old planet. This turns out to be a dream. The title refers to both Prospects being powerful people (controlling life as we know it) and being two people that seem to always thrive and survive in situations most would not.

PARALLAX

The song is the mixture of both Prospects minds. They have realized they are one and they have an obvious mission. They have both suffered loss and a great deal of pain, and now they must figure out what to do with the powers they possess but seem not to be able to control. They will decide the outcome of this planet.

THE BLACK BOX

This song is written from the “night owls” perspective. The creator of all... simply put, this song is the very beginning of the entire story. Prequel to the sequel (colors) was about the beginning of life, so chronologically this song would precede that one. The title refers to the black boxes in airplanes that record all cockpit activity, so that in case of a crash, survivors can hear what happens.

TELOS

This song explains the decision that the Prospects make for the future of life. It is clear at this point that Prospect 2 has the more dominant personality. In this song, Prospect 2 is trying to persuade Prospect 1 to join him in his quest to destroy the earth. Prospect 2 believes that humanity is a flawed species. We are built to destroy everything we come in to contact with and we must be eradicated in order to save the universe. Nature will decide what is next without our influence. Prospect 1 agrees only because he fears Prospect 2. He also has decided on his own that he wants to be normal and not go through any of this. His wish is to start a new life and live and die like a normal human being. He decides he will run away with his new love interest (that is never introduced) Prospect 1 seems to have it figured out and he thinks Prospect 2 doesn’t suspect a thing. The “She writes/speaks” in the middle section of the song is from the point of view of Prospect 2’s wife whom he left on the old planet. The “writes” section is a letter she is writing about how he has hurt her. He didn’t leave a note or any sign of why he has left (that she knows about) she feels alone and can’t take life anymore. She then decides to end her life by burning down the house they built together with her inside. This note is what she will bury outside in case he ever comes back. The “speaks” section is her last thoughts while the house is burning down. Telos is defined as: an ultimate object or aim.

 

BLOOM

This song takes place between swim to the moon (TGM and The Parallax EP. Prospect 1 supposedly drowns in Swim to the Moon, but in reality Bloom takes place). He sinks to the bottom of the ocean and is revived by an underwater village of sea creatures. The majority of the creatures are jellyfish, hence the title, Bloom (a group of jellyfish). They hypnotize him through song and dance and during all of this they are testing him in order to understand his species. Once they are done, they send him back up to the surface and that’s where the parallax EP starts. The end of this song hints that this might not have ever happened, but there is no way to find out.

MELTING CITY

This song revolves around a character named “the black mask”. He was hired by the government to steal the note Prospect 2 left for his wife on the old planet. They did not want her to know why he was leaving and that he was on a mission that involved their agency. The first part of the song is a simple explanation of how the black mask thinks and works. He never puts personal feelings into his work. He’s all business and does as he’s told and gets paid. He kept the note for years and even though he shouldn’t, he starts reading it. He has never shown interest in any of his jobs like this one. It eats him day after day and he finally decides to go and give the note to the woman for whom it is intended. This is the first time he has given himself his own mission. When he arrives to where the lady lives there is only ash and the house has burned down with the woman inside. The entire song explains how he is second guessing his work and his life. This moment confirms his regret. She will never know.

SILENT FLIGHT PARLIAMENT

This song starts with Prospect 2 stating that he knows what the next step is... to destroy humanity’s existence. He refers to a “home” which is defined as the end of his life. The next section is from the creator of all... “The Night Owls” or “strigiformes”. They are stating that these men can do nothing to change what has already happened. They are supreme and nothing can be manipulated unless they want it to be. Prospect 2 then discovers that the night owls and Prospect 1 have turned on him. He has to take action himself to finalize humanity’s existence. He knows of a box in his ship that is never to be opened, however, out of curiosity he has opened the box before. He knows there are instructions contained inside the box that explain how to use the ship to tow asteroids through space for various purposes. This will be his method of destruction. He will tow a large asteroid between the earth and the sun, creating enough gravity to pull the earth out of orbit and closer to the sun, which will ultimately incinerate all life. The plan is put into action. First he wants to gather Prospect 1 and bring him on his journey. 2 finds where 1 vanished to and climbs in his house to gas 1 and his supposed new love. He then steals 1 and puts him in the ship. The story then quickly cuts to the owls leaving his life. Their journey is unknown. Prospect 1 then finally wakes in the ship while they are on Prospect 2’s mission. He realizes this is the end of everything, and accepts what is happening.

GOODBYE TO EVERYTHING

Goodbye to everything...

[The Butcha]

Holy shit. Alright this is going to take me some time. But something good to occupy my mind. Thanks Matt. I do wish you were still here right now. I'm feeling like a box of buttholes and last time this happened we made a good time out of it. <3

[Bladewillisisdead]

Think it's going to be an Owen night for me. The ex and I have finally stopped talking again. We're "breaking up" for the 2nd time in less than a year. My head is in circles today. But I feel a lot less stressed out and ready to push forward.

Sorry to hear that, dude. Shit sucks. Take some time to be bummed, but get stoked on moving on. A lotta dope women out there....especially where you live I'd assume.

[Bladewillisisdead]

Holy shit. Alright this is going to take me some time. But something good to occupy my mind. Thanks Matt. I do wish you were still here right now. I'm feeling like a box of buttholes and last time this happened we made a good time out of it. <3

Adorable

[Sad Heart]

Holy shit. Alright this is going to take me some time. But something good to occupy my mind. Thanks Matt. I do wish you were still here right now. I'm feeling like a box of buttholes and last time this happened we made a good time out of it. <3

 

Page count: 37.

Word count: 10,000+

Character count: 50,000+

Typing time: 4 hours.

Listening time: 2 hours 24 minutes.

The amount I love and miss you: immeasurable.

 

I highly, HIGHLY suggest reading the lyrics as you listen. It helps digest the story and gain perspective of who is talking.

[The Butcha]

Page count: 37.

Typing time: 4 hours.

Listening time: 2 hours 24 minutes.

The amount I love and miss you: immeasurable.

 

Good god 4 hours haha. I'm going to drink some beer. I'll start reading this later tonight.

[Sad Heart]

Good god 4 hours haha. I'm going to drink some beer. I'll start reading this later tonight.

 

I color coordinated it just for you.

I'm drinking a Sleigh'r beer right now, and listening to BTBAM, dedicated to you.

[Guest]

I like how the sun went down the city was like "we're done plowing for the night". The roads are super slick. Our first real snow is turning into a pain in the ass.

 

4 hours?! Holy shit Matt.

 

Do I really need a UPS... or should I buy a digital tracking force gauge instead? I think my cat might be tracking slightly high, since the Shure scale is hard to read sometimes. If it is high, it's only like .2-.3 grams, which is not really enough to harm anything.

[thebilljim]

OK, Matt, you win the thread for the night. That BTBAM mythology is fucking brilliant. Now I want to listen to them again.

[Sad Heart]

I like how the sun went down the city was like "we're done plowing for the night". The roads are super slick. Our first real snow is turning into a pain in the ass.

 

4 hours?! Holy shit Matt.

 

Do I really need a UPS... or should I buy a digital tracking force gauge instead? I think my cat might be tracking slightly high, since the Shure scale is hard to read sometimes. If it is high, it's only like .2-.3 grams, which is not really enough to harm anything.

 

Haha yeah. I really, REALLY like BTBAM. I've been listening to them for like 12+ years after all. Plus the story is epic. It deserves a good breakdown.

 

OK, Matt, you win the thread for the night. That BTBAM mythology is fucking brilliant. Now I want to listen to them again.

 

Haha, sweet! And listen to the playlist and read along. It'll make you appreciate BTBAM so much more.

[Guest]

I've never listened to them, but I'll give it a read tomorrow at work. Maybe it'll make me check them out too. Seems interesting enough.

[Sad Heart]

I've never listened to them, but I'll give it a read tomorrow at work. Maybe it'll make me check them out too. Seems interesting enough.

 

Basically, take a bunch of dudes from NC who don't listen to metal, have them train at Berkeley, then put out the most epic progressive metal albums, which later turn into concept albums that make you feel like you are listening to them in outer space.

[Guest]

Basically, take a bunch of dudes from NC who don't listen to metal, have them train at Berkeley, then put out the most epic progressive metal albums, which later turn into concept albums that make you feel like you are listening to them in outer space.

 

Haha, sounds like an odd story... I like it.

[thebilljim]

My girlfriend is really into BTBAM. I'll have to link her to the Google doc. She'll probably love it.

[Sad Heart]

Haha, sounds like an odd story... I like it.

 

It's so crazy to me that none of them listen to metal, none. They all listen to bluegrass and old country music. Haha.

[The Butcha]

Matt, I'm headed to C Bar..you know what happens at C Bar.

[Sad Heart]

Matt, I'm headed to C Bar..you know what happens at C Bar.

 

You get Forrest Gump drunk with a girl you are meeting off Tinder for the first time, then bring her back to your place for an obligatory mess around. Or if you're me have one beer and go home to my records.

[The Butcha]

Forrest Gump drunk

 

[Sad Heart]

T, if you have never listened to BTBAM before, listen to this to:

[KingTacoMunster]

A personal fav...

[Dominic_]

Does anyone want my Chon swirl at cost? I am going to snag one of the RPs because I don't care about variants but this is really pretty.