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The Chains

from The Vault: Year One by HeKz

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about

The original demo for "The Chains" was created in December 2012. The
lyric is inspired by the scene in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" where
Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by the spirit of his late business partner, Jacob Marley.

When creating the original demo, I wasn't sure if this could ever be a fully-
fledged HeKz song but it seemed like a fun story to tell and I really enjoyed creating the music and melodies to accompany this spooky tale.

For this version, I decided to record a new drum and bass part, as the
existing performances lacked the energy that this song needed. I added a
couple of guitar layers for some extra texture, but the remaining guitar,
vocal and keyboard parts are from that original demo. I was tempted to
record a more adventurous guitar solo, but ultimately decided to stick
with the original as it seemed to fit in well, in spite of it's simplicity.

You could be forgiven for thinking that you've heard parts of "The Chains"
before. The riffs in the introduction, verse and chorus sections bear more
than a passing resemblance to "To The Lions" from the 3rd HeKz album
"INVICTA." And indeed, the chord structure underneath the solo section is
very similar to the one used for the keyboard / guitar solo trade-off in "Quetzlcoatl" from the same album.

This isn't the only instance where this has happened. Often I find that one
song will provide the blueprint for another, and invariably the latter
captures the spirit of the original idea a bit more successfully. On this
occasion, I'll let you be the judge of whether "The Chains" or it's cousin "To The Lions" did it best.

lyrics

My friend, you don't look well
As if you've seen a ghost!
But then, I feel like hell,
So who am I to boast?

The chains we forge in life we wear in death

My friend, you're lost for words
But I've something you must hear
A chilling cryptic verse
Untimely for the time of year

Those who see have recognised
You have lived a spiteful life
If you can but change your ways
You may yet escape your chains

The chains I forged in life I wear in death

My friend, you are not sick
At least not physically
This is no parlour trick
I'm but the first to visit thee

The chains you forge in life you'll wear in death

credits

from The Vault: Year One, released February 2, 2024

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HeKz London, UK

Drawing influence in equal parts from heavy metal legends and prog rock luminaries, HeKz seek to take the original Prog Metal blue print and rewrite it for themselves.

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