Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyrrho
Thank you! The themes of over-consumption or oversaturation distancing us from reality come up in Stinkfist too. But whereas Stinkfist and Vicarious identify the problem, Fear Inoculum seems to provide a solution. In Stinkfist the protagonist is searching for more and more stimulation. "I'll keep digging until I feel something" can be interpreted as a commitment to seeking more extreme thrills. So the problem is identified, but the guy is stuck in this cycle. In Vicarious, our protagonist is getting off on human misery and asserting that we all do this too. This is true to some extent, it's evident in the popularity of the true-crime genre and 24-hour news, which many of us devour as entertainment. However, not everyone succumbs to this need to devour terrible stories about other people in a negative way. Most people scratch that itch by consuming fiction that deals with tragic stories. Most of us don't need the story to be real. We can explore scary and depressing things through art and ultimately be safe in the knowledge it didn't really happen. Again the guy in Vicarious has identified this problem but lets himself succumb to it, insisting that we're all the same and we all thrive on chaos. Fear Inoculum, especially the 'exorcise' part, can be read as an answer and a way out.
I think the overstimulation of people is way more of a problem than it was in 1996 when Aenima came out, and even way more than in 2006 with Vicarious. Along with the overstimulation of social media and constant online interaction, we've seen tremendous polarisation, fear and manipulation. On Fear Inoculum, the protaganist talks about exhaling this stuff away, a physical action that grounds him in the present moment and in his body. Away from the combative, frightening and fake world that exists on the TV and on your smartphone.
I might be reading this as a guy whos spent way too much time arguing online though.
What do you think?
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Well said. I think we can all agree those are the themes from Stinkfist & Vicarious (over-consumption/saturation & thrill-seeking from witnessing contrast/extremes instead of feeling empathy. What I really like is that you framed the older songs as identifying a problem vs. the newest track Fear Inoculum as presenting a solution. Looking back, I recall hoping for answers instead of, in some cases, depictions of dark truths we may have already been aware of. Maybe the common denominator for these problems are rooted in fear, and eliminating or combating this ailment is part of the solution.
To contribute to the analysis, I would present a slightly different perspective on the potential meaning and who/what the subjects are in FI. First of all, to me, the lyrics seems to be pointing inwards instead of outwards, and that the song deals with something more on a personal level (i.e. the self). If you compare this to other songs, it's easy to identify 'you' and 'the deceiver' as some evil in the form of propaganda, through whatever medium it may be distributed. Alternatively, it could be referring to 'YOU', or in truth, your false sense of self; your ego/alter ego, or any sort of psychotic, delusional beliefs or points of view.
The deceiver says, he says
You belong to me
You don't wanna breathe the light of the others
Fear the light
Fear the breath
Fear the others for eternity
The deceiver could represent something emanating from the mind leading to the dark.
The only mention of 'them', which would often represent the perpetrators (i.e. media, government, etc.), is actually linked to 'good' (the light of the others).
But I hear them now inhale the clarity
Hear the venom...
...the venom in what you say - inoculated
The verse concludes with a resolution - witnessing others 'inhale the clarity' (potentially meanings: finding peace, stability, mental health, ego death, end of suffering) and 'hearing the venom' (awareness of some malignant dialogue, ceasing to identify with a false sense of self). Inoculated.
Maybe looking at it this way, it can help make more sense of the chorus:
Recast my tale / Weave my allegorical elegy