If you listen closely, you can still hear the Roman’s rumble in anticipation. A new shipment of prisoners, from wars waged across the sea, have been bestowed upon the Coliseums lustful crowd. Death is in the air. Street vendors sell fresh bread to the poor and unlucky as they linger behind the arched entrance gates. Everyone is eager to hear the lions roar and the trumpets sound.
The Praetorian Guard clears the way and ushers in the Holy Roman Emperor, Cyrus. The masses cry in delight as the time for bloodshed will soon be upon them. Cyrus makes his way into the center of the arena. He faces the prisoners, removes his imperial crown... and sets it at their feet. A silence has fallen upon the stadium. He motions to a guard and is handed a large steel key. Cyrus moves behind the confused captives and one by one unshackles them. He raises his arms to the uneasy crowd and yells, “Go home! There will be no show here today!”
My wife and I went to Italy for our honeymoon. I’ve always loved history and she has always loved pizza haha. Naturally, a perfect spot for us. Walking through the streets of Rome I often found myself transported in time. Often daydreaming of what life might have been like 2000 years ago. It was no doubt brutal unless you were of nobility... but that isn’t very fun subject matter for daydreaming. I kept picturing an emperor who “went into the family business” so to speak. He just wanted to play the lute and study philosophy with his friends. Sick and tired of the class disparity around him, he decided to have the old statues torn down. He was of course killed and replaced with someone who would rule with an iron fist and was subsequently erased from history. This is where “Rotten Mausoleum” was born.
from
Slightly Off Kilter,
track released January 18, 2023
Recorded by Adam Spry at home in San Francisco, CA
Additional Recording by Trevor Brooks at Coyote Hearing Studio in Oakland, CA
Produced by Adam Spry & Trevor Brooks
Mixed by Trevor Brooks at Coyote Hearing Studio in Oakland, CA
Adam Spry - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, bass, synths, organ, piano, glockenspiel
Trevor Brooks - electric guitar, organ, synths,
Scott Wright - drums, percussion
Mastered by Kevin Embleton