We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Authentic Tensegrity

by The Mood Manual

supported by
/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9.99 USD  or more

     

1.
FEELING SYMBOL | LYRICS Sleep? Sleeping is dead Time? Time will do nothing for you Dreams? Dreaming is null Life? Life is distraction Just let it drift away Pain? Pain is alive Fear? Fear is the truth within you Cold? Cold is so pure Death? Death is your freedom Just let it drift away The numbness will pour over me In time I will cease to be And when I can no more see Then—then will I feel like a symbol of peace? We? We are but one Now? Now is the time Let your mind drift away The numbness will pour over me In time I will cease to be And when I can no more see Then—then I will feel like a symbol of peace! You are not your own You are but a part of something greater You are just a symbol The numbness has poured over me In time I have ceased to be And now I can no more see Now—now I can feel like a symbol You are not your own You are but a piece
2.
CONCRETE STILETTO | LYRICS I’ve had enough of your lies This dissonance is killing me Slow down, breathe out I’ve given all of myself The light inside of my heart has burned out Fall out of love Take your chains away Fade, fade, fade, getting over again For the millionth time, fade away Sleep for ever more Now she’s drowning in you The same way you smothered the flame Slow down, let go We’ve given all of ourselves Why can’t you see that the fire has burned out
3.
Architect 04:28
ARCHITECT | LYRICS A child and a snake, innocently they play The one, the other unafraid Unafraid The mother sees the two, she cries out in fear The serpent panics, the serpent bites The mother cries, and the child The child learns the mother’s fear And so it goes Such is the way we live and learn Hey there friend, keep your head And don’t you build your walls The masses of people and their humble king High up on the hill, proud of all they have made Gilded towers gleam beneath the light of the sun Built by wisdom, work of many hands Now there’s no light of day and the thieves have all come to play Will the king put all of his people away? Build up your walls, put us away Because of the few who’ve chosen to stray We’ll rise above, we always do History shows people like you Those who lead by fear will lose Hey there friend, go ahead And you just build your walls We don’t need fear We live our lives You build your walls We break them down Those who lead by fear will lose Hey there friend, go ahead And you just build your walls Build your walls, build them tall
4.
5.
Heresy 06:41
HERESY | LYRICS Is it noise, or are you just waking up? Are we free? Oh, say, can you hear this, our plea So proud we steal your twilight dreams Our melody your only song If you are brave, feel free to sing along. There is nothing better than taking chances Take a glance and see that this is better than Staring at screens, staring at dreams While they’re walking away Take a chance and see that this is better than Walking away. And now you stand upon the shore From out the waves our armies rise We bring you havoc, war, and sound And leave our torch to mark the ground Our melody your only song And if you’re brave, feel free to sing along.
6.
BLACK MASSASAUGA | LYRICS Feeling the venomous fangs Now flooding, pumping through your veins Like flame Burning alive Screaming sirens come so near Fear the hissing sound in your ear Screaming sirens come so near Fear the hissing sound in your ear Black as death Cannot move your lips to speak Just silent, strangled, try to scream “I’M WIDE AWAKE! Somebody please hear me now…” Screaming sirens come so near Fear the hissing sound in your ear Screaming sirens come so near Fear the hissing sound in your ear Scream in silence, scream in fear The man in blue will never hear Scream in silence, scream in fear The man in blue will never hear Death is blue Wake up sleepy if you please He will kill you while you dream Screaming sirens come so near Fear the drilling sound in your ear Scream in silence, scream in fear The man in blue will never hear Death is blue
7.
Gold Mine 10:22
GOLD MINE | LYRICS We’re fresh out of wonder We see all the indecision over That voice is a whisper We travel with honor, men, and funds You pay, we saddle You shout it, boy you’ve got it wrong We score, you settle We live, try and stay but you’re clueless We are the ones who decide if your lovers come home You’re going to nowhere We’ll take you as animals or fur You’re leaving tomorrow This caravan will be taking a plunge You pay, we saddle You shout it, boy you’re still so wrong You arrive, we count it Free ourselves, no guilt We own you suckers We will decide the place you will be calling your home Fleeting moment underneath the story line Take from the suggestions in the least forgiving two minds All’s the same here anyway Broken like our enemies will say We won’t sell you our bodies You don’t choose our battles We are few, we have power to choose We won’t settle You suckers, you’re clueless You’re in a gold mine.
8.
Kelvin 1337 01:21
9.
Ï 03:58
Ï | LYRICS I can see you beaming like a little boy And I can see you’re hardened by your precious toy I’d love to take it away from you To see if you’d be braggin’ all up in my face And watch if you’d still shag everything in my space Oh, how I’d love to get through to you So I’ll Punch it, scratch it, kick it, bite it Does it make you feel better? Does it make your dick bigger? Place your eyeballs in my hands so I can squeeze You’ll never amount to nothing you mother- So small, so little Feel better?
10.
Tech Tonics 04:41
TECH TONICS | LYRICS In this world of plastic, steel, and stone Where concrete is considered home The only thing that’s soft enough to touch is skin (we’ll all just buckle beneath the weight of our own) But men, Men cannot be soft, they must be stone And women only skin and bone So skin is hardened by the greed within our soul (we’ll all just buckle beneath the weight of our own greed) Unless we just break the chains of our own greed My world is crumbling for you Just show me what I have to do to break these chains that can’t be seen Light a flame beneath the seam Naive, Naive is not the word for this It’s not a thought you just dismiss No more can people live beneath the shroud of greed (we’ll all just buckle beneath the weight of our own) In this world of plastic, steel, and stone Where we will soon take back our home Where kindness, mercy, joy, and love will fill our soul (we’ll all just buckle beneath the weight of our own greed) Unless we just break the chains of our own greed My world is crumbling for you Just show me what I have to do to break these chains that can’t be seen Light a flame beneath the seam Let out the fire from the core Rejoice with us for evermore Your choice.
11.
Alchemy 13:20
ALCHEMY | LYRICS Hey, they’re not coming, they’re not coming over Oh, hail the other, hail the other notion (running away, running away…) Whoa, killed by loco-, killed by locomotion Never only innocent Only meant to find a friend Had enough of time or space Now I long to see your face Only meant to find… Only in my mind... Dreams of golden scenes will hold me here, Lost in my head Tears and bold pretenses push me there, Lost among friends Feed my inner need to fill the void Lost and unfed Searing boiling brew must hold the truth Lost without friends I am the world’s most powerful alchemist. Just by thinking I can turn anything into you! Here a flower, there a mood, the color of a pen, and my favorite food is yours See how all of the things are the same, and up till now I’ve been relatively tame! (memory is cold) I’ve come to realize Midas’ touch feels nothing without an embrace

about

Review of Authentic Tensegrity by Kent Heberling on Those Who Dig (thosewhodig.net):

The long-awaited debut album from Madison-based progressive hard-rock outfit, The Mood Manual, finally lands on May 3rd. Authentic Tensegrity, the result of months of recording, mixing, and mastering, brilliantly displays the band’s talents and well-represents the best efforts of the local scene.

True to the album's title, each element of the band shines at moments and supports in others. This is especially evident in "Gold Mine," which features a talk box bass solo over driving guitar and drum ostinato, a viola chorus, haunting vocal harmonies, and an ending section of trading instrumental virtuosity. This band exemplifies four talented individuals coming together and creating a greater whole.

Throughout, Andrew "Gio" Giordano's plentiful but not constant use of double-bass gives most songs a sense of urgency without resorting to straight-forward pummeling found all too often in the genre. His excellent control of syncopations and mixed meters similarly whip the music along artistically. The excellent mix gives nearly equal prominence to James Fabry’s thick bass tones as it does to Matt McHugh’s sometimes crunchy, sometimes smooth guitar. The album also features powerful lead vocal delivery from Tyler Kundinger and artistic, often falsetto backups from Fabry in songs like "Architect."

With some funky elements like the breakdown of "Black Massasauga," some punk elements like the drums in "Heresy," some soundscape interludes, and plenty of prog rock throughout, Authentic Tensegrity blends and balances the bands influences and original ideas into a heartfelt and artistic debut well worth a dedicated listen.

credits

released May 3, 2015

All music written, performed, and produced by The Mood Manual. Recorded by Paul Vnuk at Moss Garden, except tracks 1 and 6 recorded by Mike Scheibinger at VertuArts. Mixed by Paul Vnuk at Moss Garden. Mastered by Stephen Marsh at Marsh Mastering. Artwork and visual design by Carolyn Horst.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

The Mood Manual Madison, Wisconsin

The Mood Manual autonomously creates authentic and unique art with the elegance to amplify awareness for those who absorb it.

contact / help

Contact The Mood Manual

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like The Mood Manual, you may also like: