ONLY THE BEAST TOO
This month I released my 15th full-length Grim Deeds album, which is a milestone of sorts. This particular release is also special and unique in many ways, so to commemorate the occasion I offer the following details and background stories on the album and its songs:
Background: Cederick Forsberg, aka Ced, is a Swedish metal musician with whom I've collaborated on various projects albums for nearly the last decade. He's incredibly talented and prolific, having self-recorded the majority of his vast discography, and more info about him can be found here:
Tommaso Eppesteingher is the talented Italian artist, painter, and cartoonist who generously lent his time to create the cover art for the album. Special thanks are owed to Matt Bennett who reached out to him on my behalf to make this possible. Tommaso's work is exceptional and more info about him can be found here:
Only the Beast Too is the follow up to 2017's Only the Beast, which was the first Grim Deeds album to feature Ced's playing and production. I consider this pair of releases to be "my" best work by virtue of Ced's involvement. His musicianship and skill set is on a much higher level than my own, so I feel very lucky for every chance I've gotten to collaborate with him. HAILS Ced!
Both Beast albums feature previously recorded songs redone "properly" with added arrangements and higher quality production than the rest of my discography. My hope is that I'll be able to continue working with Ced to produce more installments as more songs pile up in the future. In fact, I've already made a list of songs for a third volume.
Songs:
1) Musicians Are the Worst People in the World
While recording the album, Ced asked if he could contribute a song, and of course I eagerly accepted his offer. The results speak for themselves - here we have a metal master proving that he is capable of writing great pop punk songs! The intro was also his idea, and makes for a great album opener. Kody Templeman reached out to compliment this one, which is probably the best compliment a pop punk songwriter could hope for. Ced earned it on his first attempt!
2) Ego Death
This song originally appeared on the 2019 album R4RE, and was written at a time when I was still suffering from depression. The concept of the song stemmed from a lot of self-reflection and questioning my intentions - both as an artist and as a person. I was beginning to realize that my ego could be a source of my suffering, and one that I could address by refocusing and adjusting my mindset. "Can't keep living like an asshole/I've at least got to try" refers to this realization, but it would be months before I would finally begin researching tools and strategies that would later prove helpful in overcoming this very dark period.
3) Ode to Oderus
Originally released in 2015 on the album Psychologically Displaced, this song is a sincere tribute to the late, great Dave Brokie (aka Oderus Urungus) of GWAR. Being a fan, I took the opportunity to weave in many references to the lore of GWAR, features of his character, other members, album titles, etc. Most of it probably didn't register, but those who know will appreciate the effort. I knew that I'd someday want to re-record it with a full band sound, so I'm glad to have checked that one off the list.
4) I Can't Listen to NOFX
This song first came out on my self-released 2016 album Might As Well, and it's fitting since the song encompasses that ethos. I originally wrote the song as an exercise to see if I was capable of writing like NOFX, but also knew it would be written as a diss song based on a negative experience I had years prior after meeting Fat Mike at a show. There's a unique humiliation and shame earned from attempting but failing to hit it off with a person one clearly admires. My experience was no different, so I decided to channel that feeling into a lyrical critique of his career trajectory and what I saw then as his failings as a member of the punk community. I was also saddened to realize that my desire to connect with him did not match well with the reality of our very different backgrounds and lifestyles. At least I went for it.
5) Hoarder
I was fascinated and horrified by the concept of a hoarder, which I understood as being someone who lives in squalor surrounded on all sides by heaps of junk and garbage. I found it all to be very tragic, but the psychological element disturbed me. Compulsive human behavior interests me, and I've struggled with my own compulsions since childhood so it felt like a natural topic to write about. Central to the theme is the idea that the hoarders themselves are somehow undeserving of compassion, and are to be treated like the very garbage they compulsively collect. "Then they buried my corpse in a junkyard of deceased/It's a fitting conclusion at least!"
6) The Braindead Masses
First featured on the 2016 album HAILS! (also my debut on OUTLOUD! Records), this song was written by Kody Templeman specifically for Grim Deeds. Kody and I are close friends, and we'd collaborated previously on Deeds songs but never in this way. He wrote everything and I sang it. He wrote it with my style in mind and it shows, but it's also a classic Kody song. I'm extremely grateful that he did it, and I knew I should eventually re-record it because I did a terrible job mixing the original version. I always wear my Kody-influences loudly and proudly, and this song certainly represents a proud moment for me. He's still and always will be the best.
7) Until You Die
From yet another 2016 release (If the Shoe Fits), this is one of my favorites that I've written and I always wanted to re-recorded it with a full band sound. The original is fine, but there's no substitute for real drums in a punk rock song, and Ced handled business like a pro. The style of this song leans heavily towards my strong Enemy You influence and admiration of David Jones' style of songwriting. He was an expert at distilling everything I loved about Bad Religion and the more "snotty" style of Vindictives and Screeching Weasel. As I recall, this one was written quickly and with few revisions. The lyrical themes explore the questionable importance of our legacy as mortals, and the general impermanence of our lives. I also wanted to shed light on what I see as our shared tendency to honor those who've passed away in ways that are self-serving.
8) Child of the Millenium
Besides not realizing that millennium is misspelled in the title until just now, I'd say this song was a successful attempt to ape David Jones' style of songwriting for Enemy You (David definitely would have spellchecked his title). The riffs and dynamics of this song are a direct homage to Enemy You, and the lyrical themes are also meant to evoke DJ's familiar tone of energy mixed with melancholy and angst. The lyrics outline what I consider to be the social woes of today's youth, including an disconnect between process and outcome - namely the idea that success is something owed and not earned. Being stuck somewhere in between Generations X and Y, I am dangerously close to what my students might call a "Boomer", and do find it increasingly difficult to relate to what "the kids" are into as time passes. Still, there's a glint of rebellious hope woven into the song that seeks to overcome these woes by any means necessary.
9) Dead Inside
This song first appeared on the 2017 double album DO NOT MOCK SATAN!, and is also my second-favorite Grim Deeds song after "Bachelor of Arts". I wrote it at a time when my depression was real and serious, but still wanted to inject a bit of humor into it and make it as catchy as possible. That formula of bubblegum mixed with morose topics has become my trademark. This tune captures it better than any other I can think of. The vocal harmonies feature throughout each verse but not in the pre-chorus, which is opposite of my typical writing style. The song length is also 1:20, which is what I consider to be ideal for a Grim Deeds song. Nothing extra but nothing lacking, or so I would claim.
10) Slave
This song is a rarity by virtue of its inclusion on the 2016 digita-only release B-Sides from Hades. I wrote it while my wife was still pregnant, and I was experiencing acute anxiety in anticipation of my impending fatherhood. My high stress levels combined with a general feeling of being trapped due to living with my in-laws, and the result is a song that my best friend claims is my darkest to date. I like the song, though. It definitely deserved the "Ced treatment" since skate punk with a drum machine sounds very lame. Unsurprisingly, he killed it! When I listen now, those feelings from back then seem very distant and far removed from my relative contentment in the present, and my deep gratitude for my family and life. Go figure!
11) Glenn the Heavy Metal Custodian
Another gem from the DO NOT MOCK SATAN! album, this song is based on an entirely real individual I had the pleasure of working with for 9 years at the Bay Area middle school where I began my teaching career. Glenn grew up in the Tenderloin in SF and has led a gnarly life, yet remains one of the nicest and most upbeat people I've ever met. The students at the school really did call him "Jesus", and he would crack me up with impressions of the principal doing lines of coke off a desk before starting a pit. "It's exhilarating!" One time he did it mere seconds before the boss man entered the teacher's lounge where we were cracking up at his performance. Things got pretty awkward at that moment! Glenn still works there, too, as he has since 1993. And he's still the coolest janitor of all!
12) Darkness Inside
One of the more recent songs on the album, this one came out on 2019's REVEAL and was written while riding my bike to work. I end up writing a lot of songs while riding my bike, such that I've taken to riding with my acoustic guitar strapped to my back with my iPhone voice memo ready to record anything that pops into my head. The song is a nod to my Fat Wreck/Epitaph roots, and attempts to capture the Grim Deeds spirit via the aesthetics of early Offspring and Bad Religion. While it's not my proudest moment, it's still solid enough to get Ced's blessing and he did so while remaining faithful to the original. I think it's a good fit for the album.
13) Underground
One of the most special memories I have of my friendship with David Jones are the times he shared song demos with me, something I knew was an extremely rare privilege. He was the opposite of me in the sense that he was very reluctant to share incomplete songs and unofficial recordings. Still, I was gifted the chance to witness his process firsthand, and ended up with a few of his demos in my inbox that I'd forgotten about until after his death. I recall finding a version of this song that had only his guitar tracks and a programmed guide beat, which I realized I could add vocals to and release. Kody played bass and we made it happen, which felt right and we were both pretty stoked on the results. That version of the song is on HAILS!, but I always wanted to do it justice by re-recording it with the full band sound. Again, Ced allowed me to realize this goal and now I finally have a version that I think would meet DJ's expectations. I'm sure he'd still give me shit for not letting him revise and finish it, but he knew how impulsive I am.
14) When I Die
Another from HAILS!, this song always felt special to me though few ever bring it up. Unlike a lot of my death-oriented songs, this one is more reflective and isn't rooted in negativity. The great unknown awaits us all, and we have an unknown yet definitely limited amount of time to do something meaningful. I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about creativity and the desire to write songs. I read interviews with songwriters and constantly maintain a working list of goals for whatever's next. It keeps me going and I'm grateful to have this drive, despite the lack of measurable value my work generates. I'm lucky to have gained some recognition, but in the end I only care if my friends like it. Like sharing a good story or a stupid joke, this is the thing I can offer and feel proud of in the presence of those who I care about the most. Thanks for being part of it! HAILS!
8) Child of the Millenium
Besides not realizing that millennium is misspelled in the title until just now, I'd say this song was a successful attempt to ape David Jones' style of songwriting for Enemy You (David definitely would have spellchecked his title). The riffs and dynamics of this song are a direct homage to Enemy You, and the lyrical themes are also meant to evoke DJ's familiar tone of energy mixed with melancholy and angst. The lyrics outline what I consider to be the social woes of today's youth, including an disconnect between process and outcome - namely the idea that success is something owed and not earned. Being stuck somewhere in between Generations X and Y, I am dangerously close to what my students might call a "Boomer", and do find it increasingly difficult to relate to what "the kids" are into as time passes. Still, there's a glint of rebellious hope woven into the song that seeks to overcome these woes by any means necessary.
9) Dead Inside
This song first appeared on the 2017 double album DO NOT MOCK SATAN!, and is also my second-favorite Grim Deeds song after "Bachelor of Arts". I wrote it at a time when my depression was real and serious, but still wanted to inject a bit of humor into it and make it as catchy as possible. That formula of bubblegum mixed with morose topics has become my trademark. This tune captures it better than any other I can think of. The vocal harmonies feature throughout each verse but not in the pre-chorus, which is opposite of my typical writing style. The song length is also 1:20, which is what I consider to be ideal for a Grim Deeds song. Nothing extra but nothing lacking, or so I would claim.
10) Slave
This song is a rarity by virtue of its inclusion on the 2016 digita-only release B-Sides from Hades. I wrote it while my wife was still pregnant, and I was experiencing acute anxiety in anticipation of my impending fatherhood. My high stress levels combined with a general feeling of being trapped due to living with my in-laws, and the result is a song that my best friend claims is my darkest to date. I like the song, though. It definitely deserved the "Ced treatment" since skate punk with a drum machine sounds very lame. Unsurprisingly, he killed it! When I listen now, those feelings from back then seem very distant and far removed from my relative contentment in the present, and my deep gratitude for my family and life. Go figure!
11) Glenn the Heavy Metal Custodian
Another gem from the DO NOT MOCK SATAN! album, this song is based on an entirely real individual I had the pleasure of working with for 9 years at the Bay Area middle school where I began my teaching career. Glenn grew up in the Tenderloin in SF and has led a gnarly life, yet remains one of the nicest and most upbeat people I've ever met. The students at the school really did call him "Jesus", and he would crack me up with impressions of the principal doing lines of coke off a desk before starting a pit. "It's exhilarating!" One time he did it mere seconds before the boss man entered the teacher's lounge where we were cracking up at his performance. Things got pretty awkward at that moment! Glenn still works there, too, as he has since 1993. And he's still the coolest janitor of all!
12) Darkness Inside
One of the more recent songs on the album, this one came out on 2019's REVEAL and was written while riding my bike to work. I end up writing a lot of songs while riding my bike, such that I've taken to riding with my acoustic guitar strapped to my back with my iPhone voice memo ready to record anything that pops into my head. The song is a nod to my Fat Wreck/Epitaph roots, and attempts to capture the Grim Deeds spirit via the aesthetics of early Offspring and Bad Religion. While it's not my proudest moment, it's still solid enough to get Ced's blessing and he did so while remaining faithful to the original. I think it's a good fit for the album.
13) Underground
One of the most special memories I have of my friendship with David Jones are the times he shared song demos with me, something I knew was an extremely rare privilege. He was the opposite of me in the sense that he was very reluctant to share incomplete songs and unofficial recordings. Still, I was gifted the chance to witness his process firsthand, and ended up with a few of his demos in my inbox that I'd forgotten about until after his death. I recall finding a version of this song that had only his guitar tracks and a programmed guide beat, which I realized I could add vocals to and release. Kody played bass and we made it happen, which felt right and we were both pretty stoked on the results. That version of the song is on HAILS!, but I always wanted to do it justice by re-recording it with the full band sound. Again, Ced allowed me to realize this goal and now I finally have a version that I think would meet DJ's expectations. I'm sure he'd still give me shit for not letting him revise and finish it, but he knew how impulsive I am.
14) When I Die
Another from HAILS!, this song always felt special to me though few ever bring it up. Unlike a lot of my death-oriented songs, this one is more reflective and isn't rooted in negativity. The great unknown awaits us all, and we have an unknown yet definitely limited amount of time to do something meaningful. I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about creativity and the desire to write songs. I read interviews with songwriters and constantly maintain a working list of goals for whatever's next. It keeps me going and I'm grateful to have this drive, despite the lack of measurable value my work generates. I'm lucky to have gained some recognition, but in the end I only care if my friends like it. Like sharing a good story or a stupid joke, this is the thing I can offer and feel proud of in the presence of those who I care about the most. Thanks for being part of it! HAILS!
