Mission accomplished!
So, ” Abominations of the Ageless” is mixed! You definitely didn’t see that coming, huh?
Me neither, to be honest.
But hell, that’s what happens when you’re on vacation and spend some 12-14 hours a fucken day for a few weeks, determined to finalize my most important work to date.
There’s a reason I said “my most important work to date”.
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First off, I don’t do this. But now I do.
I believe in letting people know how much I appreciate them while they are alive instead of making social media posts about them when they are gone. I go out of my way to make sure they know how grateful I am for their presence and impact in my life. Everyone has their own way of working things. You can do both. Or neither. There’s no wrong or right in this matter. This is simply how I choose to do it.
I have thought about this for quite some time during the mixing of this album; “Should I bring this up? Is it necessary?”
For you to understand where “Abominations of the Ageless” is coming from, I need to share the following with you. To me, it’s absolutely necessary.
In 2022, one of the most important human beings in my life passed away.
I had the privilege of meeting this man for the first time roughly 30 years ago, and he immediately took me under his wings; “big brother’ing” me, if you will.
Even though I thought I did, I knew exactly nothing about nothing up until this point. Bottom line: he, together with my beautiful wife Kathrin, has made me into the man I am today.
He taught me so much over the decades I had the privilege to know him, and he wasn’t hesitant about letting me know how proud he was of my evolution. Both personally and musically.
One of the things he always told me was that he saw I needed some guidance early on, but he never intended for it to come to the point where he was in “second place”, and then he laughed his trademark laugh. He “never meant for me to become this cocky and unbearable”, he often said, always following up with that laughter.
I know he was proud. And he knew how incredibly thankful I am for what he did for me.
I am extremely fortunate to have had him in my life. And he will continue to be in my life for as long as I breathe.
He was never in second place.
The way that I dealt with the news of his passing was to go into The Dungeon and… compose.
And compose… and compose…
Out of this came the most important musical piece I have ever written; the last part of the last song on “Abominations of the Ageless”, entitled “And this too shall pass”.
From time to time, the way this album ends still breaks me when I listen to it as it is written in his honor and to his memory. I placed the guitar pick that I used for this part on top of his casket at his funeral.
I’m not telling you this because I am looking for sympathy. I’m not telling you this because I think my grief is mounting anyone else’s. I am doing great, you need not worry about me.
I am telling you this because I want you to understand where “Abominations of the Ageless” is coming from, and why it ends the way it does.
Most of us have this one profound loss in our lives.
This is mine.
“Abominations of the Ageless”, and everything composed here after, is dedicated to Tomas Morefors.
You left us as King. I will carry your crown from this day forward.
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In a not too distant future you will finally get to hear what has been created, once again made possible through your monetary support. I have told you this many times, but TPH is not happening without you.
You all have my deepest gratitude.
I can’t give you an exact date when the album is coming, but if nothing fucks up I’d say sometime in September.
You will be well aware when it happens.
Until then.
