Malign Hex, Walter

Meat Wave! What an interesting band name.

I like how "Disney" starts with laser sound. And then a persistent beat and a guitar something over and over again. It's meditative for sure. This song then starts sounding like a very factual story, but with a strong narrative that just feels very authentic. I love it. It's angry, but realistic. And deep little quips along the way:

"Inundate myself with baseless Disney information

Through every shred of patience

Into a pool of pure frustration"

Patience for what? Pool of frustration... is this addiction to media and a specific call out to Disney's programming? Did you know they used to call radio and television "programs"? Human programs... now they just call them streaming services... streaming subliminal messages through streams of information... through your eyes and ears. =^O

"Mirage of a memory"

^ This reminds me of when someone you love dies and you start viscerally FEELING what it's like to no longer remember their voice. And you start to miss them.

"Turns out you never went to Florida

Your parents lied to you

They just locked you in a room

While they got drunk and spooned

And then they moved you to the basement

Said you went to Vegas

…and complacent

And impatience for entertainment"

^ Is this him coming out of a delusional narrative somehow programmed in him?

"If anyone ever asks you

To choke your own neck

Put your hands on theirs instead

Until the veins bulge from their head"

^ Sounds like an abusive child care situation... And resentments. I hope he can forgive, but that'd be tough for me to do in this case. I can imagine not feeling like this guy can ever have a "normal" relationship with what seem like his parents.

"Honest Living" really picks up. I love hearing the bass in the background too.

"The system is not cruel

The system is not evil

There's another word for it

I just can't think of it"

^ Brilliant

"I make an honest living

It's effortless

Feeding the clone

Pay me the least you could

And I knew you would

We had an agreement"

^ Hard to find meaning in work. I'm trying so hard to find it myself. I can't imagine what it's like without an honest exposure to all the kool-aid that practical curriculums feed you. Although, I know some engineers who love what they do. I mostly like what I do for the mission. This guy sounds like he's working at a 7-Eleven or something.

"Workforce

Join now

Toll free

Call now"

^ Toll free... TV reference again?

"Clocked in for the rest of time

Retire when I die"

^ This guy a millennial? I feel like I'll never retire. Or I'll be old like Biden and Co.

"Ridiculous Car" was okay. I think he's feeling suicidal with: "It all ends here in my ridiculous car." Maybe he's getting over something though. Gotta work through your shit until you scare yourself to death or get tired of thinking about it so much, right?

FUCK! Then "What Would You Like Me to Do" references the ridiculous car with:

"Full-throttled backseat driver

Of a ridiculous car"

^ He's definitely working through something in his car... and his ego is his mind! Or another person. Maybe the ridiculous car is his brain. The driver is one side of his brain, and the backseat driver is there to judge. Executive brain versus... what's the other function?!

"Complaint" is great... God gave us all this shit and we just complain... even the beautiful stuff like the ocean. OH, how self-centered humans are. Me included.

"Merchandise Mart." I don't remember feeling any sort of way about this song.

I got a little tired of the album at this point. "Waveless" sort of picks things up again. It sounds less dark, which I like. It's still cynical, just not as angry for some reason. MEAT WAVELESS!

"10k" sounds repetitive from other rhythms and whatever, he's angry again.

"Jim's Teeth" is back to a chill vibe. I'm into the guitar riff in the beginning. It almost sounds like this song could be on a '90s alternative or rock Top 40.

"Malign" takes me out with a euphoric vibe. I'm into it. If this album was a hamburger and I was asked which bite I enjoyed the most, I'd say: the last bite for sure was the best; and perhaps the first bite, probably due to novelty. I think there was more MEAT in the final WAVE of my chews for this album, which is what I was craving this time around.

If I were to come up with a food-positive band name, it'd be "Nature's Candy" and I would have at least one song about Strawberries.