Empire of Lies

by Ariel Powell

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1.
No True North 05:59
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The world that I thought I knew Has become a yesterday And now I find I have no direction No true north I worked my life My best years I toiled and sweated and now It’s all blown apart No true north No comfort in security I worked my life My best years I toiled and sweated and now It’s all blown apart No true north Now only our knowledge and skill Will carry us forward as we Enter a brave new world Fight for your life And you will lose your life No true north Now enter a brave new world Where only survival Our true north I worked my life My best years I toiled and sweated and now It’s all blown apart No true north
2.
Be La Brave 07:42
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My dear loved one You’re always welcome home Even though our differences A chasm divides Know that I am here Arms open to welcome you And food is on the table Wake up my loved ones Wake up Hard times are coming for us Wake up my loved ones Wake up Today we must move swiftly Today we must be brave Wake up my loved ones Wake up Today you will see some horrors And God willing you will not bleed The darkness has arrived There is a bride Frightening as it seems That I for one will not burn And if the need arises Do not hesitate To run across it to me For I am here My house is warm And food is on the table Wake up my loved ones wake up Hard times are coming for us Wake up my loved ones wake up Today we must move swiftly Today we must be brave Wake up my loved ones wake up Today you will see some horrors And God willing you will not bleed There is a light And we are the light So shine with joy and shine So the evil will be blind Wake up my loved ones wake up Today we respond to violence Today we look hate in the eye To day we hold our heads high And put fear aside the race to equality is a race to the bottom a race to death a race to slavery there always will be a hierarchy And if the need arises Do not hesitate To run across the bridge to me For I am here My house is warm And food is on the table social engineering it never works it never works they always try and people always die they say they’ll feed you but the don’t they say they’ll give you water and forbid you to get your own the race to equality is a race to the bottom a race to death a race to slavery there always will be a hierarchy nature is the only order nature has her way
3.
Agents of Chaos 04:57
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Agents of chaos Worship at the altar of war Draw a line choose a side Chaos is a ladder Make them hate each other Mash them into clay Craft the perfect slave Divide and conquer Just please don’t buy into the lie That killing all those people Is for the greater good They tortured and killed our loved ones So only a human would understand The depths of our anger And desperation Draw a line choose a side Chaos is a ladder Make them hate each other Mash them into clay Craft the perfect slave Divide and conquer They took our lives away from us Explosions and lead They tortured and killed our loved ones Draw a line choose a side Chaos is a ladder Make them hate each other Mash them into clay Craft the perfect slave Divide and conquer Agents of chaos Worship at the altar of war We will go on with our lives
4.
Mountains of Bodies 10:38
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“Every time a soldier dies, people make money. Every missile every drone- money money money. Just another way to front the death machine. Sanctions on the innocent never hurt dictatorship. Mountains of bodies, dollars and change. Cold little babies stiff in the rain. It's all for the money. Sanctions on the innocent never hurt dictatorship. Just another way to front the death machine. Every time a soldier dies, someone makes money. Mountains of Bodies, it's all for the money. Every missile every drone, dollars and change. Cold little babies stiff in the rain. Just another way to front the death machine. Sanctions on the innocent never hurt dictatorship. The death machine. Mountains of bodies, dollars and change. Cold little babies stiff in the rain. The death machine."
5.
Alphabet Soup 05:30
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I go out today To gather me some food To help my fellow man We do what we can Persist and perpetuate Produce and consume Our lives are not infinite So we must defend them too And if I break a law By gathering my food Will they of many names Starve us within our cage They of the many names Will promise everything’s fine As long as we toe the line Keep lockstep in perfect time Fuck all of your old world gods All of whom killed for fun Fuck all of your sacraments holy All of them drip with blood We gave it all to you You used it all for war We trusted our sons to you You killed them and asked for more They of many names Will promise that everything’s fine As long as we toe the line Keep lockstep in perfect time
6.
Remember Those Shows 05:52
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There was once sunshine We’d bathe and sometimes play It’s brightness made us thrive And make the most of our day And when the nights got long We’d stumble off to bed We’d have some fun Or just pass out And clean up in the morning Remember those shows We’d light up and go Our dancing was magic We lived and died a half a million times And came out on the other side We’d wake up in a daze And wonder to the car Maybe there’s a diner Could lift us back up to embrace The new day Oh how I miss the sunshine We’d bathe and sometimes play It’s brightness made us grow And we’d love Come what may
7.
We the Remaining Humans 08:39
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I’m treading water through lies So thick that I might drown I come across one solid truth And hang on for my life The fog of lies grows thicker And yet I find another I’m building something true A grounded world view Everything’s wrong Everything’s upside down Trust was a song A dream from a long time ago And we with our feet in the dirt Are banned Too heavy for virtual bliss They’re all the same Mindless and on repeat Spirits all tame Passion for shallow useless lies We the remaining humans Turn the long poisoned soil We feed it our sweat and blood We somehow survive Meanwhile the drones Succubi of sustenance Sweeping overhead Extracting every last hope We plant our seeds in the dust Water with droplets and care Grounded with bare feet we strive For life on a separate plain Too heavy for virtual bliss And still a more meaningful life Greeting the sun with a smile Everything’s wrong Everything’s upside down Trust was a song A dream from a long time ago And we with our feet in the dirt Are banned Too heavy for virtual bliss We the remaining humans Turn the long poisoned soil We feed it our sweat and blood We somehow survive We plant our seeds in the dust Water with droplets and care Grounded with bare feet we strive For life on a separate plain Too heavy for virtual bliss And still a more meaningful life Greeting the sun with a smile
8.
Snow Jar 06:18
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It’s only together that we Can make this world better By treating all others With decent common dignity Kindness and respect It’s only together that we Can hope to make it through our lives In peace and harmony It’s only together that we Can make this world better By treating all others With decent common dignity Kindness and respect Peace and harmony

about

"Truth is treason in the empire of lies."
                                                              -Dr. Ron Paul
Dive into the intense soundtrack to this dystopian experience in which we all find ourselves. This album follows a man through his struggle to survive, thrive, and maintain his humanity in a world ruled by evil and fear.

My name is Ariel. I love my family, and I detest tyranny, and crimes against humanity.

My original inspiration for this album came by learning about my nation’s horrific foreign policies, which result in untold millions of innocent deaths.

By early 2020, I had completed only one song toward this end, “Mountains of Bodies”. This is undoubtedly the most directly anti-war song on the album.

As the world changed, it quickly became clear to me that these wars were coming home, and the evil of our worldwide destruction was turning inward, upon us, and every worthwhile principle by which we try to live.

This inevitably changed my writing for the rest of the album.
I felt the paradigm shift. I felt the darkness arrive, and it awoke something within me. It awoke an angry, righteous, ferocious bravery, wherein I know who I am, and who I yearn to be.

So yes, this music turned out somewhat differently from my original vision; it’s more personal. In here, I rage against tyranny, then sing of loving, hunting and gardening, then reminisce about times past. I search for light in the dark, and once in a while I find some, and bask in it.

credits

released February 22, 2022

All music, lyrics, and production by Ariel Powell.
Backing vocals on "Snow Jar" by Toby Powell.
FX Guitar on "Mountains of Bodies" by Chuck.
Bass on "Mountains of Bodies" by Andy.

Album artwork by Amy C Nichols www.anichollstattoos.com

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Ariel Powell Pennsylvania

Ariel has been making music from his home in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, since he was in high school. Dabbling in many different styles, instruments, and methods of writing and recording, he has created a plethora of songs and albums, both collaborative and solo, under a number of names.

I accept crypto! Contact me to trade music for sats. ... more

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