The Metal Chapters Vol. 2
Heavy metal is immortal, but we're not.
Rob Halford
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Literature and metal music cross roads once again resulting into something phantasmagorical. Stories hidden inside song lyrics are written on paper, while authors’ short stories are imprinted on the musical stave.
Marios Dimitriadis and George Damtsios contacted ten well-known metal bands and, after prior consultation with them, wrote short stories based on the lyrics of their favorite songs. Roger Rovento of Xelyruth respectively contacted five famous authors and composed music based on their short stories. The book includes fifteen short stories in total, as well as the lyrics that go with them, while the insert CD includes the five Xelyruth compositions. |
The chapters
(The bands' line-ups and bios were written at the time of the book's release date. Any future changes will not be included here).
(The bands' line-ups and bios were written at the time of the book's release date. Any future changes will not be included here).
Chapter Ι: Spectre
Judas Priest & George Damtsios
Judas Priest & George Damtsios
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Judas Priest
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Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in West Bromwich in 1969. The band has sold over 50 million copies of their albums to date. They are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time.
Line-up: Ian Hill – bass Rob Halford – vocals Glenn Tipton – guitars, keyboards Scott Travis – drums Richie Faulkner – guitars |
The song and the story
The song ‘Spectre’ is from the album ‘Firepower’ (2018). The lyrics speak of a ruthless and weird criminal who calls himself Spectre and causes terror in his wake. The short story follows a private investigator’s course of actions, as he desperately tries to stop him.
The song ‘Spectre’ is from the album ‘Firepower’ (2018). The lyrics speak of a ruthless and weird criminal who calls himself Spectre and causes terror in his wake. The short story follows a private investigator’s course of actions, as he desperately tries to stop him.
Chapter II: Forward Momentum
Dark Tranquillity & Marios Dimitriadis
Dark Tranquillity & Marios Dimitriadis
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Dark Tranquillity 
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Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Sweden and were formed in 1989. They have released eleven studio albums and are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Gothenburg metal scene, along with In Flames and At the Gates.
Line-up: Anders Jivarp – drums Niklas Sundin – lead guitar, rhythm guitar Mikael Stanne – vocals Martin Brändström – keyboards, programming Anders Iwers – bass |
The song and the story
The song ‘Forward Momentum’ is from the album ‘Atoma’ (2016). The following short story is based on the song lyrics, and the video clip is about two siblings trying to reach a space rocket which will take them away from the self-destructing Earth.
The song ‘Forward Momentum’ is from the album ‘Atoma’ (2016). The following short story is based on the song lyrics, and the video clip is about two siblings trying to reach a space rocket which will take them away from the self-destructing Earth.
Chapter III: Mofongo Knows
Xelyruth & Grady Hendrix
Xelyruth & Grady Hendrix
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Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter living in New York City. His books include Horrorstör, My Best Friend's Exorcism, We Sold Our Souls, Paperbacks From Hell, and many more. You can learn how handsome he is at www.gradyhendrix.com |
The song and the story
This short story is about a very special gorilla, Mofongo. His exceptional intellect had once led to his becoming a mad scientist, thirsty to conquer the world. He was also the proud bearer of a unique brain with the ability to emit lethal energy rays. But all this belongs to the past. Mofongo lives in the cell of a degraded circus now, and is the prisoner of the man who managed to captivate him; his dreams are fading away every day.
The lyrics refer to the fallen creature’s abilities and emphasize his dream. Will he be able to escape one day? Will he take vengeance on the human species?
Chapter IV: Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Nightwish & George Damtsios
Nightwish & George Damtsios
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Nightwish 
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Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Finland. They have released eight albums. They have sold more than 9 million records worldwide and received more than 60 gold and platinum awards.
Line-up: Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards, piano, synthesizers Emppu Vuorinen – guitars Kai Hahto – drums Marco Hietala – bass, male vocals, acoustic guitar Troy Donockley – uilleann pipes, tin whistle, low whistle, guitars, bouzouki, bodhrán, backing vocals Floor Jansen – lead vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ is from the album bearing the same title, which was released in 2015. Inspiration on the lyrics was drawn by Richard Dawkins’ book ‘The Ancestor’s Tale’, while the album as a whole is also conceptualized by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. The short story does not actually deal with the scientific theories of these two great personalities on science and biology, but examines the evolution of species in a fantastic setting; its purpose is to consider whether the results will be different or not.
Chapter V: Disengage
Suicide Silence & Marios Dimitriadis
Suicide Silence & Marios Dimitriadis
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Suicide Silence
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Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California. The band formed in 2002, and has released five full-length studio albums. They have been awarded the ‘Revolver Golden God award’ for "Best New Talent" in 2009.
Line-up: Chris Garza – rhythm guitar Mark Heylmun – lead guitar Alex Lopez – drums Dan Kenny – bass Hernan "Eddie" Hermida – vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Disengage’ is from the album ‘No Time to Bleed’ (2009). The short story is based on the lyrics and talks about someone who struggles to get away from a ‘human machine’, which is not actually what he thinks it is.
The song ‘Disengage’ is from the album ‘No Time to Bleed’ (2009). The short story is based on the lyrics and talks about someone who struggles to get away from a ‘human machine’, which is not actually what he thinks it is.
Chapter VI: Echoes Down An Endless Hall
Xelyruth & Yoon Ha Lee
Xelyruth & Yoon Ha Lee
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Yoon Ha Lee's debut novel, Ninefox Gambit, won the Locus Award for best first novel and was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Clarke awards.
His short fiction has appeared in Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and other venues. He lives in Louisiana with his family and an extremely lazy cat, and has not yet been eaten by gators. |
The song and the story
The short story is about a former Admiral, who has engaged into a new condition after an unfortunate incident. There are metallic pieces all over his body now, controlled by an implant. His past is a medley of blurred memories. However, despite the war orders he has to obey, he desperately tries to uncover it.
The lyrics focus on this man’s past, who is now called the Red Knight. He refers to his thoughts on war, the losses it brings about, and at the same time, his effort to recover his memory.
The short story is about a former Admiral, who has engaged into a new condition after an unfortunate incident. There are metallic pieces all over his body now, controlled by an implant. His past is a medley of blurred memories. However, despite the war orders he has to obey, he desperately tries to uncover it.
The lyrics focus on this man’s past, who is now called the Red Knight. He refers to his thoughts on war, the losses it brings about, and at the same time, his effort to recover his memory.
Chapter VII: Deadlands
Gamma Ray & George Damtsios
Gamma Ray & George Damtsios
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Gamma Ray 
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Gamma Ray is a heavy/power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal band Helloween. The band is known as one of the most prominent bands of the German heavy metal scene.
Line-up: Kai Hansen – guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals Dirk Schlächter – bass, backing vocals, Henjo Richter – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Ehré – drums Frank Beck – lead vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Deadlands’ is from the album ‘To the Metal!’ (2010). When Kai Hansen composed the lyrics he had a very particular story in his mind. A man has got a gun with seven bullets in its chamber and he must escape seven snipers who have one bullet each in the chambers of their own guns. The short story discusses this battle in the Deadlands and seeks the final winner.
The song ‘Deadlands’ is from the album ‘To the Metal!’ (2010). When Kai Hansen composed the lyrics he had a very particular story in his mind. A man has got a gun with seven bullets in its chamber and he must escape seven snipers who have one bullet each in the chambers of their own guns. The short story discusses this battle in the Deadlands and seeks the final winner.
Chapter VIII: Buildings
Katatonia & Marios Dimitriadis
Katatonia & Marios Dimitriadis
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Katatonia
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Katatonia are a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991. They have released ten studio albums and have developed a very personal style, something in between metal and progressive rock, which greatly appeals to metal fans.
Line-up: Jonas Renkse – vocals, guitar Anders Nyström – guitar, backing vocals Niklas Sandin – bass Daniel Moilanen – drums Roger Öjersson – guitar |
The song and the story
The song ‘Buildings’ is from the album ‘Dead End Kings’ (2012). The lyrics speak of buildings coming out from the sky. The story is about an invisible city, which appears in the sky only to those who wish to escape from their everyday lives and, in its way, invites them to go to it.
The song ‘Buildings’ is from the album ‘Dead End Kings’ (2012). The lyrics speak of buildings coming out from the sky. The story is about an invisible city, which appears in the sky only to those who wish to escape from their everyday lives and, in its way, invites them to go to it.
Chapter IX: The Dead Thing
Xelyruth & Paul Tremblay
Xelyruth & Paul Tremblay
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Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the author of The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, Growing Things and Other Stories, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the Shirley Jackson Awards, and his essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly online, and numerous year’s-best anthologies. He has a master’s degree in mathematics and lives outside Boston with his family.
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The song and the story
The song ‘Buildings’ is from the album ‘Dead End Kings’ (2012). The lyrics speak of buildings coming out from the sky. The story is about an invisible city, which appears in the sky only to those who wish to escape from their everyday lives and, in its way, invites them to go to it.
The song ‘Buildings’ is from the album ‘Dead End Kings’ (2012). The lyrics speak of buildings coming out from the sky. The story is about an invisible city, which appears in the sky only to those who wish to escape from their everyday lives and, in its way, invites them to go to it.
Chapter X: Sparta
Sabaton & George Damtsios
Sabaton & George Damtsios
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Sabaton
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Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band from Falun, Sweden. They formed in 1999 and have released nine studio albums. The band's main lyrical themes are based on war, historical battles, and acts of heroism.
Current line-up: Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals Hannes van Dahl – drums, backing vocals Tommy Johansson – guitars, backing vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Sparta’ is from the album ‘The Last Stand’ (2016). The lyrics refer to the battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.) and the brave resistance of the Spartans against the more populous army of the Persians. The short story does not plainly refer to the battle, which has already been registered in a number of respects, but it creates a myth concerning the way the Spartan king Leonidas managed to go to battle, despite the fact that his city-state could not participate in it, as the Carneia was taking place. Following the Sabaton standards, the short story is enriched with numerous historic elements.
The song ‘Sparta’ is from the album ‘The Last Stand’ (2016). The lyrics refer to the battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.) and the brave resistance of the Spartans against the more populous army of the Persians. The short story does not plainly refer to the battle, which has already been registered in a number of respects, but it creates a myth concerning the way the Spartan king Leonidas managed to go to battle, despite the fact that his city-state could not participate in it, as the Carneia was taking place. Following the Sabaton standards, the short story is enriched with numerous historic elements.
Chapter XI: Sacrifice Unto Sebek
Nile & Marios Dimitriadis
Nile & Marios Dimitriadis
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Nile
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Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, United States, formed in 1993. They have released eight studio albums. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and ancient art, as well as the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Line-up: Karl Sanders – guitars, vocals, keyboards George Kollias – drums Brad Parris – bass, vocals Brian Kingsland – guitars, vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Sacrifice Unto Sebek’ is from the album ‘Annihilation of the Wicked’ (2005). The lyrics speak of a sacrifice to god Sebek. The short story is about an archaeologist, who visits the place where the ancient Egyptian god Sebek was worshipped. When he reaches there, he soon finds out his calling to the place happened for a very special and important reason.
The song ‘Sacrifice Unto Sebek’ is from the album ‘Annihilation of the Wicked’ (2005). The lyrics speak of a sacrifice to god Sebek. The short story is about an archaeologist, who visits the place where the ancient Egyptian god Sebek was worshipped. When he reaches there, he soon finds out his calling to the place happened for a very special and important reason.
Chapter XII: Clockwork
Xelyruth & Darcy Coates
Xelyruth & Darcy Coates
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Darcy is the USA Today Bestselling author of Hunted, The Haunting of Ashburn House, Craven Manor, and more than a dozen horror and suspense titles.
She lives on the Central Coast of Australia with her family and three cats. Darcy loves forests, especially old-growth forests where the trees dwarf anyone who steps between them. Wherever she lives, she tries to have a mountain range close by. Join her newsletter at: www.darcycoates.com/subscribe/ |
The song and the story
In the short story a clockmaker visits a place full of clocks of every kind and era. She only has a week in which to repair them and synchronize them. Her guide is quite reassuring, as he says there will be no penalty if she doesn’t make it. But when time is your opponent, then the betting gets personal.
The lyrics briefly describe the story, as they mostly focus on the clockmaker’s effort to achieve the clocks’ perfect synchronization.
In the short story a clockmaker visits a place full of clocks of every kind and era. She only has a week in which to repair them and synchronize them. Her guide is quite reassuring, as he says there will be no penalty if she doesn’t make it. But when time is your opponent, then the betting gets personal.
The lyrics briefly describe the story, as they mostly focus on the clockmaker’s effort to achieve the clocks’ perfect synchronization.
Chapter XIII: To The End Of The World
Alestorm & George Damtsios
Alestorm & George Damtsios
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Alestorm
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Alestorm is a multi-national heavy metal band originally formed in 2004 in Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result they have been dubbed a “pirate metal” band by many critics and their fanbase. They have released five studio albums.
Line-up: Christopher Bowes – lead vocals, keytar Gareth Murdock – bass, backing vocals Peter Alcorn – drums Elliot Vernon – keyboards, unclean vocals Máté Bodor – guitar, backing vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘To The End Of The World’ is from the album ‘No Grave But the Sea’ (2018). The pirate journey hidden behind the lyrics is based on the theory of the Time Cube by the American Otis Eugene Ray (1927-2015). The short story decribes this journey, using the theory of the Time Cube in new ways, bringing about even more weird results.
The song ‘To The End Of The World’ is from the album ‘No Grave But the Sea’ (2018). The pirate journey hidden behind the lyrics is based on the theory of the Time Cube by the American Otis Eugene Ray (1927-2015). The short story decribes this journey, using the theory of the Time Cube in new ways, bringing about even more weird results.
Chapter XIV: Of Unworldly Origin
Revocation & Marios Dimitriadis
Revocation & Marios Dimitriadis
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Revocation
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Revocation is an American technical death metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2000. The band have released seven studio albums, and their increasingly strong growth has made them one of the best bands of the kind.
Line-up: David Davidson – guitar, lead vocals Dan Gargiulo – guitar, backing vocals Ash Pearson – drums, percussion Brett Bamberger – bass guitar, backing vocals |
The song and the story
The song ‘Of Unwordly Origin’ is from the album ‘The Outer Ones’ (2018). The lyrics speak of an elderly witch who lives in a hut in the forest and has caused great suffering to a nearby village. A group of people decide to kill her, but when they reach there, things are not quite what they have imagined. The short story speaks of this tale through the protagonist’s eyes, as he is in a psychiatric clinic at the same time.
The song ‘Of Unwordly Origin’ is from the album ‘The Outer Ones’ (2018). The lyrics speak of an elderly witch who lives in a hut in the forest and has caused great suffering to a nearby village. A group of people decide to kill her, but when they reach there, things are not quite what they have imagined. The short story speaks of this tale through the protagonist’s eyes, as he is in a psychiatric clinic at the same time.
Chapter XV: Hippocampus
Xelyruth & Adam Nevill
Xelyruth & Adam Nevill
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Adam L.G. Nevill was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is the author of the horror novels ''Banquet for the Damned'', ''Apartment 16'', ''The Ritual'', ''Last Days'', ''House of Small Shadows'', ''No One Gets Out Alive'', ''Lost Girl'', ''Under a Watchful Eye'' and ''The Reddening''. He has two collections of short stories: ''Some Will Not Sleep'' (winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017) and ''Hasty for the Dark''.
His novels, ''The Ritual'', ''Last Days'' and ''No One Gets Out Alive'' were the winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. ''The Ritual'' and ''Last Days'' were also awarded Best in Category: Horror, by R.U.S.A. Several of his novels are currently in development for film and television, and in 2016 Imaginarium adapted 'The Ritual' into a feature film. Adam also offers three free books to readers of horror: ''Cries from the Crypt'', downloadable from his website, and ''Before You Sleep'' and ''Before You Wake'', available from major online retailers. Adam lives in Devon, England. More information about the author and his books is available at: www.adamlgnevill.com |
The song and the story
The short story refers to a deserted freighter. Everything looks normal from a distance. Same goes for the ship’s deck, although the absence of the crew is definitely worrying. But what happens on the inside of the ship resembles the worst nightmare ever.
The lyrics follow the route the writer has chosen towards the depths of the ship. They also dare take the story one step ahead.
The short story refers to a deserted freighter. Everything looks normal from a distance. Same goes for the ship’s deck, although the absence of the crew is definitely worrying. But what happens on the inside of the ship resembles the worst nightmare ever.
The lyrics follow the route the writer has chosen towards the depths of the ship. They also dare take the story one step ahead.
