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Enough with misery. Here come the great news. I have now if not finished at least started working on all of the songs for my and Wicked Breath's first studio album, Reflections & Realizations. That being said, I'll also have to admit that plans for a second album have taken a great leap forwards as I've come up with several new song titles, ideas, and one fully structured song. This means that while I am hoping to get the recording and mixing done for the first album by the end of 2012, I might just finish writing the second album before then and thus get the sophomore effort out sooner than expected, perhaps already in 2013, which will be my sabbatical year from studies allowing me to spend more time on my music (although I'll also be attending my non-military service then). I have not lost my focus however, and acknowledge the order in which I need to take my steps. In fact, I am happy to announce that not only have I been writing a lot lately, but recording as well - so much that I am almost done with the song Precipitation, and strongly on the move with the song Skies. With a bit of luck I'd be even more ready, but a sickness running in the family has ruined a bit of my plans. (Everyone's okay right about now, don't worry.)

Before we move on to other type of updates and rant, here is the tentative track listing for the album (with song lengths) as well as some new lyrics I'd like to share since it's been a while that I've done so. Keep in mind that the song titles themselves are still unconfirmed and the lyrics may still change slightly. Nothing too drastic is expected to happen though.

01. The Black 6:36

02. Baptism of Fire 4:12

03. Drowning 4:55

04. Cyan Lie 5:06

05. Excruciated 2:12

06. Skies 3:26

07. Half-Heart 5:03

08. Allergy/Anemia 7:18

09. Syppress 4:34

10. Awaiting The Great Depression 4:52

11. (Unholy) Months for Affection 4:16

12. Sip of October 3:59

13. Precipitation 3:29

14. Polarity 4:36

15. Grain 4:30

16. Wallow In Life 3:36

17. CATS 3:03

18. The White 4:09

Lyrics for Drowning:

I pull I out, tune on in

Wipe the pale jacket off my head

Moving still, screaming with no sound

please amplify the stars I weigh

My acknowledgement disappears

My mistake is the greatest success

I know the way to make pain stop

to make time rush and not matter for us

I am ready to give in to the ocean all around my shot chest

candle light, be my zest

burn a hole in a blushed clown suit

Falling in love over and over

walking, I'm dying, over and over again

I owe you more than you will receive from me

all this gloom grows for you, the ice cracks blue just to bloom

genuine so I can no longer forcefeed lies

you've created a night that calls from my insides

OPEN UP THE WICKED

(Hello, beautiful.)

I will be posting more close details on the album in the near future, including more lyrics, most likely. I'd appreciate it if someone out there would also make a comment on the lyrics, or anything else I write about here... Or at least click the Like/Love/Dislike buttons before they go. I'm getting lonely and this place seems more and more dead with the gap in between my posts getting longer and longer these days. :p

I'm noticing that this post got long fast so I'll try to fit all the rest of what I have to say in a smaller space than usual. I'm on my autumn holiday now which naturally lasts only for a week, but is still very needed and helpful in my quest to a) make progress with my music and other projects b) relax. On Saturday night, I finally started the novel that I've been planning in my mind for over a month, and I'm positive that I'll continue writing it in the next few days. I've been doing some school works too including a portfolio that's obligatory for English in this course. It's a lot of work but I love it - or have loved, I should say, as it's near completion now. My three works include a review of the self-titled Deftones record, a biography on Mike Patton and the lyrics for The Black with a Finnish translation included. I'll make sure to post the review here later - I, for one, feel rather proud of it. It was really nice writing one for a change, too. Regardless of the fun I've had with the portfolio, a big reason as to why this holiday is so needed is the stress school's putting on me. I've never had as many things to juggle with in my entire life before than I have right now every day I enter the school building. The works are harder than ever before and so are the demands I make for myself. Not only that, there are distractions, particularly my love life which we will not be getting deeper into right now. Most of you know what I'm referring to, anyway. I've also reached a point in my life when I need to make some very serious decisions. I guess I don't need to tell anyone who's possibly reading, most of whom are older than me, that it's not an easy task to handle.

Luckily there have been Chuck and Kotiteollisuus. As the fifth and last season of the former is about to begin this week, I'm trying to finish my re-run mission in time and have watched about 15 episodes of season three during the past three days (the number would probably be a little less if it wasn't for that sickness though, heh). It all just makes me recall how fantastic of a series it is and how much I love it, ever since the first watch but somehow even more now, with a greater ability to relate to the people and the events in the plot. Kotiteollisuus, on the other hand, is an interesting case. I half-accidentally stumbled upon their darkest effort, the album Eevan Perintö last Sunday and my God, it's one of the best albums I've ever heard. I now have the band's entire discography with the exception of their latest, self-titled album. I haven't had a chance to listen to all of it yet, but I do know that their more recent stuff is more catchy and while not exactly poprock, filled with choruses I tend to dislike. Some of their stuff is just too good for me to judge the more commercialized releases without listening first. Their simplicity, lyrical content including allegories to the Bible and Finnish literature as well as their somehow perfect description of Finland and Finnish people with their sound just strikes me. And, those of you who are observant enough, should notice their influence on the music I'm currently writing. Then again, you probably won't hear that (properly) in at least two years. :P

But hey, that's all for now, folks. I'll try to fit making another post this week into my schedule if I can. Until then, take care - which reminds me, RIP, Davide Simoncelli and Dan Wheldon. :( May God Bless us all.