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Memento Mori

by Atlas Volt

supported by
Paul De Monte
Paul De Monte thumbnail
Paul De Monte I had gotten Atlast Volt's previous album 'Eventualities' in one of those computer games + album bundles, I think, and tossed it into my music library. Years later, I'm listening to it, and the music really touched me. The music alone is very emotional, but when you start paying attention to the lyrics, it really sinks into your head. This is poetic stuff!

I was further impressed when I discovered this second album, and its bold theme. It's a tragedy that it appears in so few collections! Favorite track: Memento Mori.
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  • Streaming + Download

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    ***Get your own copy of the CD for an extra €2 by pre-ordering a CD instead of a simple download. If you pre-order a digital copy of Atlas Volt's new 72 min - double LP, you will get a high-quality download in the format of your choice on May 1, 2015. The digital copy of the album comes with a printable .pdf with the lyrics.
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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Contemplate, Unite!, Memento Mori, and Eventualities. , and , .

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  • Compact Disc + Download (Free Shipping)
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    17 tracks audio CD (72 min - Double LP) in a 6 pages Digipack with artwork by Andrzej Kuziola. It includes an immediate high-quality download of the album (in the format of your choice, once the album is released on May 1, 2015).

    Includes unlimited streaming of Memento Mori via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Memento Mori T-shirt (Pre-order size, color and model, Free Shipping)
    T-Shirt/Apparel

    Pre-Order the Memento Mori T-shirt of your choice (Size, Color, Model) with a high quality digital print of Andrzej Kuziola's artwork. Will be shipped on May 1, 2015 if pre-ordered.
    Once you placed your order, we will send you an email to personalize your t-shirt. They are available in 16 different colors, size XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, for Men, Women and Kids.

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1.
(Instrumental introduction for the concept album)
2.
What’s Your Legacy to the World? Beware ‘cause the words have been misread By all mankind and we’re blind to see things from the heart Until we fall apart Aware of your choices but instead You just enshrined this divine illusion from the start ‘Cause you dread to depart But, once you will be at peace with all the things you cannot avoid Then, you will conquer the fear of being swallowed by the void Fulfil yourself although do keep in mind What’s your legacy to the world? You’ll live on through the echo you leave behind That’s your legacy to the world… In the collective mind, you’ll be defined, by what you leave behind…. Once you will be at peace with all the things you cannot avoid Then you will conquer the fear of being swallowed by the void Fulfil yourself although do keep in mind What’s your legacy to the world? You’ll live on through the echo you leave behind That’s your legacy to the world And before it’s too late you should ask yourself What’s your legacy to the world? Before it’s too late you should ask yourself What’s your legacy to the world? In the collective mind, you’ll be defined, by what you leave behind….
3.
Weapons of Mass Redemption Let’s stop worrying about the next life, We gotta learn to live this one All of us have been dying slowly Since the moment we were born That’s why we learn to run We feel the urge to run So few days are left till we part So few, so few Ways to leave your own mark Don’t wait for a new start Exalt your beating heart If we reach the other side We’ll shout… Wow! What a ride! Yeah, so few… Don’t settle for the explanation Provided by the clones of creation The superstitious coalition Bearing weapons of mass redemption No clue And such backward views We’re through with you We’ve got the right to choose Not to believe in your lies True love is deep inside For the way we live our lives Your book of rules… Does not apply! You got, no clue… Don’t settle for the explanation Provided by the clones of creation The superstitious coalition Bearing weapons of mass redemption So screwed Can’t escape getting old Stay true, stay true Don’t try to fit the mold Remember, there is no way To escape alive anyway There’s no need to think twice Embark on… The ride of your life! The time is now and the place is here (Never let the kid in you disappear) The time is now and the place is here (No, never let the kid in you disappear) You gotta stay young at heart and persevere (‘Cause every single second of life is dear) To free your mind is nothing evil (An afterlife sounds so medieval) We’ll let them praise their golden calf As we have a blast while we dance and laugh! Oh Yeah! (Keep the kid alive in you) (You gotta keep the kid alive) (Keep the kid alive and..) Have you Way too much on your plate? Have you, have you Forgotten what’s at stake? Hurry up it’s getting late You can’t miss the shots you don't take Stay put while you’re aiming at Your goals… How about that? Yeah, So few…. Take the time to breathe so you won’t feel drowned Anxiety and fear can only slow you down Don’t wait until you’re six feet underground ‘Cause there won’t be no second time around Don’t settle for the explanation Provided by the clones of creation The superstitious coalition Bearing weapons of mass redemption We do See beyond the skies (But) So few, so few Choose to recognize What we see with the naked eye How lucky we are to be alive? Know your place in the universe Is the only way… The only way… To break this curse! Yeah!
4.
In the Realm of the Living You take without forgetting And you give without remembering In the realm of the living In the realm of the living All the love that you bring Makes your life worth remembering But you gave up on searching For the proof that is missing ‘Cause you might think your life has no meaning Until you find a cause worth defending Life is too short to believe in Anything that’s keeping you from thinking You claim that your soul’s everlasting But please don’t mind if I think that you are lying … To yourself You keep on repeating That reason’s misleading And I blame you for trying To deceive and for lying When the reaper is calling As your life keeps on fading Will you keep on pretending? That you know where you’re going But you might think that afterlife is a blessing No, it’s a selfish dream that you’re dreaming Heaven and Hell is in your mind They both belong to the infancy of mankind You might say that I am mistaken But in the end who’s the one believing in … Fairy tales Sometimes I feel like we’re all regressing I hear you pray and I think it’s embarrassing Life is too short to be doing Anything that keeps you from achieving You claim that your soul’s everlasting But please don’t mind if I think that you are lying … To yourself
5.
The Greatest Hoax You read the book And gotta admit you’ve been fooled by the cover Take one more look And you’ll be amazed by what you will discover The eye in the sky You glorify, is blind to all the things you do Since you find in faith all the comfort you seek How come that hate is the language you speak? And ask yourself why You think the golden rule should not apply to you Learn to forgive, practice what you preach The life you live is the lesson you teach If the way you live by is not the way you live up to I’ll tell you what to do Don’t knock at my door will ignore I picked up on the joke and it’s the greatest hoax.
6.
We Created a Monster The countless mistakes that we make Ignoring the problems that we face Hoping they'll vanish in the end By praying to imaginary friends Fallen victim to wishful thinking Perhaps our universe is shrinking? But as far as we know we're all alone tonight What if we've been wrong all along? Will we find the courage to change our minds Before we're the last of our kind? As we're getting closer to the end What inspires us to transcend? Fallen victim to wishful thinking Perhaps our universe is shrinking? But as far as we know we're all alone tonight What if we've been wrong all along? The countless mistakes that we make Ignoring the facts we should embrace We've created a monster…. We created a monster… Created a monster
7.
Memento Mori 07:22
Memento Mori The gift of life comes with a fee Remember, your mortality Is the price to pay Just seize the day Face-to-face with certainty The only thing that’s guaranteed Ain’t no surprise It’s your own demise Mystic rites and superstitions Wishful thinking and delusions Of afterlife, Of afterlife Won’t bring you closer to an answer To all your questions they will refer To your faith in some kind of prophet As your money is used to turn a profit They’ll use the most repressive measures To ensure that you’ll suppress all pleasures In your life With their lies They claim that faith is death-defying Forgive them they don’t know they’re lying Too afraid to say they don’t know They’re putting on an absurd freak show This personal relationship With “him” is just an ego trip Distorting facts to suit opinions While spreading a hoax for generations Wake up from your dreams of Heaven ‘cause fear of Hell is the true reason For the trivial forms of supplication In every organized religion Eternal life is an illusion So please don’t tell us there’s no reason To cry When you’ll die They’ll make you pay for your salvation Scavenging all your donations To wage a war on evolution This completes the whole demonstration Of the incompatibility Of science and theology And their mix in some exotic blends Will serve someone’s own selfish ends Induced irrationality In childhood is a tragedy An easy answer for those who pledge To never eat from the tree of knowledge Exposing all your contradictions Of false and empty revelations You hold on tight to the traditions But you’ll never answer for your actions Until you die, Tell me why You deny It’s a lie To me it’s blasphemy To ignore reality Let’s make this history The truth will set you free And all these man-made fantasies To fill the gaps with mysteries will sublime Sublime I seek the truth in what I see But I hear you accusing me Of thought crime I don’t mind It’s my life On the line Science will open your eyes This fear of death can’t justify all your lies Your lies The wheel of time will keep on crushing Your life, so make it more fulfilling You’re alive Alive, alive, alive, alive, alive…
8.
(Interlude with authorized audio sample)
9.
Wrong 07:12
Wrong This illusion of design and purpose Shouldn’t quench your thirst for evidence When everything you stand for is based on Legends and tales of pitch-black ignorance Now we see the light and still you choose To follow misleading guides Sooner or later you’ll be the only one Remaining with this this vision of life And then you will be on your own Then, you will see you were wrong So wrong, how can someone be so wrong for so long? Long for so much wrong One day you’ll wake up feeling like you’ve Been the victim of an awful crime When you’ll realise that you’ve been lied to As a child unknowingly deprived Of the basic right to learn about science in school, so stop wasting your time Even though you speak of peace and love No matter what, this blinding faith divides And then you will be on your own Then, you will see you were wrong So wrong, how can someone be so wrong For so long? Long for so much wrong Your life…(lie) All your life… (lie) Your life…(lie) All your life… You’ve been wasting…. You’ve been wasting precious time Do you really believe in all the relics and Statues weeping bloody tears? Are you delusional to think the rapture Will come and that the end is near? As if the only righteous way for a true Believer was to live in fear? Despite a lack of proof for any of this and The fact that the world is a sphere Among billions of stars Billions of stars…. Billions and billions and billions and billions of stars…. In the universe (We’re not the centre of) The universe, Nor space and time…
10.
Living a Lie 05:14
Living a Lie I know it’s not easy Your entire reality Is falling apart I know what you go through You know they will hurt you You knew from the start But in this place you feel alright ‘Cause everybody thinks alike While following your guiding light You’re blinded by your own denial They won’t care how you feel Or if your wounds will heal They will leave a scar You say you follow your ideal To me it seems unreal You used to be smart But in this place you feel alright ‘Cause everybody thinks alike While following your guiding light You’re blinded by your own denial But they’ll get mad at you for seeking the truth ‘Cause they’re living a lie They’ll make you drink from the fountain of youth As you’re watching your life pass you by You’re hoping they will bring The comfort you’re seeking By joining their cult You’ve outsourced your thinking And decision making Upon the occult But I hope you will be alright Beware if you choose to defy They’ll fear you if you gain insight About the lies they sanctify And they’ll get mad at you for seeking the truth ‘Cause they’re living a lie They’ll make you drink from the fountain of youth As you’re watching your life pass you by Living a lie is nothing but the worst kind of tragedy A pinch of salt in everything provides the only remedy I’m telling you this as a friend Someone who will lend a hand Someone who will understand Not some kind of make-pretend Like the crooks who claim to hold the truth While they’re living a lie They made you drink from their fountain of youth As they were watching your life pass you by And you know exactly who they are You know exactly who they are…
11.
Dreamweaver of the Dreamscape How can you be sure you’ll be saved? Only by the creed in which you’ve been raised Allowing yourself to be enslaved By the thought that he cares how you behave Don’t you know that you’re the… Dreamweaver of a dreamscape Dreamweaver of the dreamscape (But your dream is a nightmare)…. Can’t you see that they’re all the same? Always looking for someone else to blame Allowing yourself to bear the shame Of the vile carried out in his name And they became the…. Dreamweaver of a dreamscape Dreamweaver of the dreamscape (But their dream is a nightmare)… Urging us to take your advice Since the unbelievers will pay the price Waiting for this day to arrive Hoping your immortal soul will survive Can’t you see that you’re the… Dreamweaver of a dreamscape Dreamweaver of the dreamscape (But your dream is a nightmare)
12.
(Instrumental)
13.
Purusartha 01:24
(Instrumental)
14.
Hitchslap 05:38
Hitchslap Defending your pre-conceived notions all along Without accepting that you might be wrong Assuming you’ve been right from the moment you were born But you’ve been weaving your own crown of thorns Believing, isn’t knowing that death is a new dawn We’re one with everything, there’s no wonderland The party will go on without you when you’re gone I know it’s hard to take but you’ll understand, you’ll understand… Your self-interested interpretation Of scriptures won’t change my mind When you are placing faith over reason And claim that we were designed For goodness’ sake all you deserve is a Hitchslap The object of your worship Is a scapegoat To cleanse you of your sins Is that why you cast them all unto him? Repentance is a guilt trip And you’re living in false hope As the end of his reign begins Why would you trust the nonsense filling the gap? When all you need is a Hitchslap. Believing, isn’t knowing that death is a new dawn We’re one with everything, there’s no wonderland The party will go on without you when you’re gone I know it’s hard to take but you’ll understand, you’ll understand… You know your kingdom come is collapsing, but still you reach for the sky You rest assured that the unbelievers will burn in Hell when they die. For goodness’ sake all you deserve is a Hitchslap The object of your worship Is a scapegoat To cleanse you of your sins Is that why you cast them all unto him? Repentance is a guilt trip And you’re living in false hope As the end of his reign begins Why would you trust the nonsense filling the gap? When all you need is a Hitchslap. For goodness’ sake all you deserve is a Hitchslap Instead of blind faith filling in the gap For goodness’ sake all you deserve is a Hitchslap
15.
(Instrumental)
16.
We Will Never Live Again I need to see with my own eyes The key you hold to paradise ‘Cause everything that lives must die But you’re suggesting otherwise This hijacking of morality Won’t guarantee A passport to eternity I won’t ruin my life to save my soul For the greatest lie ever been told Insulting human intellect They claim our souls will resurrect No god, No! Life is a countdown To a point of no return With different paths to the same old dead end But we’ve been thought that we will live again Enjoy the time we spend Together my dear friends In this life since no one can pretend They know for sure that we will meet again This is our only chance To reason in common sense Let’s hope one day we’ll break the chains of faith And see that this was all man-made We’ll never live again No, we’ll never live again So make your life worth living And embrace the chance that you’ve been given. There ain't no wonderland There’s no divine master plan No reason to believe in destiny Or place where billions of souls are roaming free No, we’ll never live again And we shouldn’t give a damn Don’t miss your chance to leave a trace Since time goes fast and forever never last I hope you understand Who’s really in command It’s no one else than each one of you, Who dares to worship the only thing that’s true: Love, love, love True love, love, love… True love, love, love…
17.
True Freedom 05:00
True Freedom Time is slipping away Along the dreams of yesterday When thoughts are put into a cage Truth becomes an easy prey And words sometimes betray The meaning they ought to convey They shouldn’t be left unsaid Say what you feel you need to say Freedom is wild and can't be tamed You’re enslaved and you should be ashamed Rise up and break free from your chains And you’ll feel how liberty is more Than a statue of steel No one can take away true Freedom Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Do things your own way Think for yourself don’t be afraid Your hopes will carry their own weight Don’t let your fears get in your way Wide awake you dream away As you’re in a state of slow decay Try but you’ll never wipe away The ideal that liberty is more Than a statue of steel No one can take away true Freedom Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom bandied about as a conception But used instead as deception For a life we are compelled to live Instead of a life where we give and forgive Freedom Doesn’t bear the stars and stripes Freedom Neither will proselytize No, no, no, no You can take away true… Freedom (Emancipation you will bring) Freedom, (And your bell won’t stop to ring) Freedom, (If you question everything) Freedom You might find someday How liberties can go astray If you swear you won’t wish them all away Then I got nothing more to say.

about

With “Memento Mori” Atlas Volt returns with a vision-defining album that thoroughly establishes their wide-ranging style and eclectic sound. This new release features 17 original tracks including some long progressive songs, short interludes, riff-oriented alternative rock songs and a few instrumental tunes. “Memento Mori” is a concept album reflecting upon the secular humanist worldview. It questions the fundamentalist dogmas of religions and New Age cults, while examining their promises of an afterlife and restrictions on personal freedom. Moreover, “Memento Mori” is a narrative based on a retrospective introspection into the band members’ own religious upbringing. The lyrics are often presented as an inner dialogue between an “old-self” preaching the value of faith and morality, and a “new-self” defending the ethical values that emerged from the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. After being profoundly affected by the waves of violence sweeping around the world in recent years, Adam Hansen-Chambers and Philippe Longchamps decided to dedicate this new album to all the innocent victims of faith-based fundamentalism throughout history.

credits

released May 1, 2015

Atlas Volt are
Adam Hansen-Chambers
& Philippe Longchamps

Music by Atlas Volt

Lyrics and vocals by Philippe Longchamps

Produced and Mixed by
Adam Hansen-Chambers & Philippe Longchamps
Executive Producer & Additional Engineering
by Adam Hansen-Chambers

Recorded in Malmö, Sweden
and London, UK in 2013-2015
Mastering: Adam Hansen-Chambers
Label: Atlas Volt (Independent)

Guest artists:
Yoed Nir, cello on song 6.
Johnny Åman, upright bass on song 6
and bass overdubs on songs: 4, 10 & 14
Jörgen Birch-Jensen, guitar overdubs on songs: 10 & 14
Chris Larsen, additional bass on song 2
and guitar overdubs on songs: 2, 14 & 17
Mark Base & Lina Longchamps:
additional back vocals on song 3

Audio quotes from Carl Sagan, Sam Harris,
Richard Dawkins & Christopher Hitchens
fulfill the intention of copyright laws to stimulate
creativity for the enrichment of the general public.
They are used under the Creative Commons
Fair Use License (CC BY 2.5), in accordance
to the International Copyright Directive
(2001/29/EC). copyright4creativity.eu

Cover Artwork: Andrzej Kuziola,
Edinburgh, UK www.kuziola.com
Logo: Ève Larichelière,
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Concept & design: Philippe Longchamps,
Malmö, Sweden

Thanks to our friends and families,
For more details visit our site:

www.atlasvolt.com

Copyright © 2014-2015
ATLAS VOLT™, All Rights Reserved

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Some rights reserved. Please refer to individual track pages for license info.

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Atlas Volt Malmö, Sweden

Atlas Volt is a "Do it yourself" (DIY) independent musical home studio project with a focus on recording and producing innovative songs.

The duo was founded in 2012 by Canadian singer-songwriter / multi-instumentalist Philippe Longchamps and British producer, composer and multi-instumentalist Adam Hansen-Chambers.
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