View allAll Photos Tagged enslaved,..for
Location:BBBB Studio
Sitting Paragon: Zara
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Woman In Red
~Allan James Saywell~
If only you could have seen
My Woman in red
He caught his first sight of her
Behind a brick kiln shed
Though she appeared a shadow in the haze
Enslaved for ever he would be
Should anything stop a man from his work
Duties he would never shirk
His gaze transfixed on the way she walked
She floated past
Left him with only a stare
He could see her better
Only for the glare
If only he could have said
To the woman in red
The thoughts that were running
Through his head
Long of stride, strong of thigh
She continued to pass him by
The kind of woman that make strong men cry
Was the woman in red
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Here is an article from BBC News titled:
“The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand”
www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730
What could go wrong here?
A Picture of the Future!
The book of Revelation
666 take the Smartchip
Right hand or forehead
Sell your souls sheeple
Enslaved for a pittance
Owned body and mind
Judgment and torment
Eternity of punishment
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGTvZz0W-CU
Saja / Right On
Santana
Hey baby
Thats all right people
I know thats all right
Oh when we love, oh each other
I know thats all right
Oh feel it, feel it, oh everybody
Feel it
God knows thats all right, yeah
Some of us were born with
Money to spend
Some of us were born with
Races to win, oh yeah
Some of us are aware that its
Good to fuss and care, oh yeah
Some of us feel the icy wind of
Poverty blowing in the air
But those of us who simply
Like to socialize
For those of us who tend the
Sick and heed the peoples cry
Let me say to you: right on
Right on, feel it, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, people and I say right on
Right on honey, right on
For those of us who live yeah,
Well peace is craved
For those of us who live with hatred is enslaved
For those of us who live a life
Surrounded by good fortune and
Wealth, talk about it
For those of us who live a life
(hey, hey, hey) enjoying ourselves
For those of us who got drowned
In the sea of happiness
For the soul who takes pride in his
God and himself and everything else
That's all it is.
We need love
Love, love, sweet love
Wonderful love
Oh, true love, love
Love for your brother and love,
Love for god
Love pure love
Oh, true love can cover hate every time
Give out some love and you'll find peace sublime
My darling, one more thing
If you let me, I will take you to live where love is king
Songwriters: JOE ROCCISANO
© LEN FREEDMAN MUSIC INC.
“Blacks from the place” (approximate translation) was like the Portuguese conquerors referred to the Brazilian indians. Also they were enslaved for centuries in Brazil.
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum was opened by Charles Pendleton, a lifelong Vicksburg resident and collector of Civil War artifacts. According to AP News, Pendleton’s desire to build a weapon collection slowly transformed after he discovered a bill of sale from 1848 listing a seven-year-old girl named Ella, enslaved for life. That shocking document helped shape his mission to tell a fuller story
Old Courthouse Museum
AP News
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
. His guiding motto—framed prominently in the museum—reads:
“Our goal is not to educate you; our aim is to inspire you to become more educated.”
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
Pendleton does not shy away from asserting that slavery was the primary cause of secession and conflict—a stark contrast to more sanitized narratives. He offers no finger‑pointing or partisan rhetoric, but insists that slavery be addressed squarely
"I am She - Lilith
Mistress of the dark, Of Sheba.
First offender
And succour to demons
Whose sweet seductions and wicked rites
Lead all those too enslaved by the flesh
To trespass against God's holy law.
And tonight I come for you.
I am darkness, I am sin
The Queen of lust invited in
Reborn at last to cast my
Fecund shadow on this world,
You shall worship me, enslaved
For many lovers shall I crave
And in return, I'll gladly pave
Your psycho path with pearls
Fall for the love of me
Crawl for the love of me
Drool for the love of my virulent sway
I grow more master the faster the days"
(I am) Lilith Immaculate"
Dani Filth - Cult Of Venus Adversa/Lilith Immaculate
I know I should more but, I normally do not write explanations for many of the pieces I present. So this will be a little bit unusual for me to share. So here is a little background, information and some of my thought process for interpretation of the piece.
I have a great aversion to using stock images of others for a wide variety of reasons. I don't care if other employ them but it is not for me. Thus, every image used in construction was shot by myself with the exception of the horns and stitches (from shutterfly.com).
For the piece I took a combination of the lyrics above for inspiration.
For those who do not know, in Abrahamic traditions, Lilith was the first wife of Adam and was not made from his flesh. Many myths about her tell of a woman who was strong willed and sexually liberated; akin to a more modern view of feminism. For these reasons, God caste her out of the garden in to the barren world. Because of her crimes she is considered to be the first offender of God and from her evil was born into the world through her blood line.
There is a tradition in religious art that dates back at least to the middle ages through the Renaissance in western European culture to personify her in paintings as half snake/half woman. In some suppressed christian teachings it is said that after she was caste from Eden, Lilith returned to the Garden in the form of a snake to tempt Eve to eat from the Tree as her revenge against God for her banishment.
Over the recent months I have been steadily working on building stronger characters as well as liminal places in which the characters can dwell. For this piece, I really wanted to push myself as far as I felt my skills could take me; and maybe further.
This is varient1.
I constructed the background from about five images to give the appearance of a royal tomb of sorts. The background columns are from a mourning chapel dedicated to St. Mary (the immaculate and virtuous.) The mausoleum doors are from a crypt of a family who had a spouse kill another over an affair.
The center piece is constructed from about 12 images. he feminine form was an image I shot of a tribute headstone of an angel for a group of nuns of a local convent.
Here I broke from symbolic tradition. Instead of serpentine qualities, I chose to alter the metaphor to ram horns because the Ram has more of a masculine association with it as well as also being link to virility and war. Thus, making the image bolder and linking slender feminine figure to masculine qualities visual. Plus I like the contradiction of a feminine form and masculine symbols without loosing feminine quality. (I employ visual contradiction quite often in my pieces so I can create a disquiet image.)
The atmosphere is actually made of three images of wispy cloud images and I constructed the light burn texture by hand.
All together, the piece took about 10-15 hours to construct and perfect.
Sent Antuan Kilisesi, Istanbul
watch a video with the 30 TOP free camping and Nudist beaches in Greece:
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden - Rapenburg 28.
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Domitian (Latin: Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was the Roman emperor from 81 to 96. He was the son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, and the last member of the Flavian dynasty. During his reign, the authoritarian nature of his rule put him at sharp odds with the Senate, whose powers he drastically curtailed.
Domitian had a minor and largely ceremonial role during the reigns of his father and brother. After the death of his brother, Domitian was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard. His 15-year reign was the longest since that of Tiberius. As emperor, Domitian strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage, expanded the border defenses of the empire, and initiated a massive building program to restore the damaged city of Rome. Significant wars were fought in Britain, where his general Agricola attempted to conquer Caledonia (Scotland), and in Dacia, where Domitian was unable to procure a decisive victory against King Decebalus. Domitian's government exhibited strong authoritarian characteristics. Religious, military, and cultural propaganda fostered a cult of personality, and by nominating himself perpetual censor, he sought to control public and private morals. As a consequence, Domitian was popular with the people and army, but considered a tyrant by members of the Roman Senate.
Domitian's reign came to an end in 96 when he was assassinated by court officials. He was succeeded the same day by his advisor Nerva. After his death, Domitian's memory was condemned to oblivion by the Senate, while senatorial and equestrian authors such as Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius propagated the view of Domitian as a cruel and paranoid tyrant. Modern revisionists instead have characterized Domitian as a ruthless but efficient autocrat whose cultural, economic, and political programs provided the foundation of the peaceful second century.
Domitian was born in Rome on 24 October 51, the youngest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus—commonly known as Vespasian—and Flavia Domitilla Major. He had an older sister, Domitilla the Younger, and brother, also named Titus Flavius Vespasianus.
Decades of civil war during the 1st century BC had contributed greatly to the demise of the old aristocracy of Rome, which a new Italian nobility gradually replaced in prominence during the early part of the 1st century. One such family, the Flavians, or gens Flavia, rose from relative obscurity to prominence in just four generations, acquiring wealth and status under the emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Domitian's great-grandfather, Titus Flavius Petro, had served as a centurion under Pompey during Caesar's civil war. His military career ended in disgrace when he fled the battlefield at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC.
Nevertheless, Petro managed to improve his status by marrying the extremely wealthy Tertulla, whose fortune guaranteed the upward mobility of Petro's son Titus Flavius Sabinus I, Domitian's grandfather. Sabinus himself amassed further wealth and possible equestrian status through his services as tax collector in Asia and banker in Helvetia (modern Switzerland). By marrying Vespasia Polla he allied the Flavian family to the more prestigious gens Vespasia, ensuring the elevation of his sons Titus Flavius Sabinus II and Vespasian to senatorial rank.
The political career of Vespasian included the offices of quaestor, aedile, and praetor, and culminated in a consulship in 51, the year of Domitian's birth. As a military commander, Vespasian gained early renown by participating in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43. Nevertheless, ancient sources allege poverty for the Flavian family at the time of Domitian's upbringing, even claiming Vespasian had fallen into disrepute under the emperors Caligula (37–41) and Nero (54–68). Modern history has refuted these claims, suggesting these stories later circulated under Flavian rule as part of a propaganda campaign to diminish success under the less reputable Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and to maximize achievements under Emperor Claudius (41–54) and his son Britannicus.
By all appearances, the Flavians enjoyed high imperial favour throughout the 40s and 60s. While Titus received a court education in the company of Britannicus, Vespasian pursued a successful political and military career. Following a prolonged period of retirement during the 50s, he returned to public office under Nero, serving as proconsul of the Africa Province in 63, and accompanying the emperor Nero during an official tour of Greece in 66.
That same year Jews from the Province of Judaea revolted against the Roman Empire, sparking what is now known as the First Jewish–Roman War. Vespasian was assigned to lead the Roman army against the insurgents, with Titus—who had completed his military education by this time—in charge of a legion.
Of the three Flavian emperors, Domitian would rule the longest, despite the fact that his youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his older brother. Titus had gained military renown during the First Jewish–Roman War. After their father, Vespasian, became emperor in 69 following the civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors, Titus held a great many offices, while Domitian received honours, but no responsibilities.
By the time he was 16 years old, Domitian's mother and sister had long since died, while his father and brother were continuously active in the Roman military, commanding armies in Germania and Judaea. For Domitian, this meant that a significant part of his adolescence was spent in the absence of his near relatives. During the Jewish–Roman wars, he was likely taken under the care of his uncle Titus Flavius Sabinus II, at the time serving as city prefect of Rome; or possibly even Marcus Cocceius Nerva, a loyal friend of the Flavians and the future successor to Domitian.
He received the education of a young man of the privileged senatorial class, studying rhetoric and literature. In his biography in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Suetonius attests to Domitian's ability to quote the important poets and writers such as Homer or Virgil on appropriate occasions, and describes him as a learned and educated adolescent, with elegant conversation. Among his first published works were poetry, as well as writings on law and administration.
Unlike his brother Titus, Domitian was not educated at court. Whether he received formal military training is not recorded, but according to Suetonius, he displayed considerable marksmanship with the bow and arrow. A detailed description of Domitian's appearance and character is provided by Suetonius, who devotes a substantial part of his biography to his personality:
He was tall of stature, with a modest expression and a high colour. His eyes were large, but his sight was somewhat dim. He was handsome and graceful too, especially when a young man, and indeed in his whole body with the exception of his feet, the toes of which were somewhat cramped. In later life he had the further disfigurement of baldness, a protruding belly, and spindling legs, though the latter had become thin from a long illness.
Domitian was allegedly extremely sensitive regarding his baldness, which he disguised in later life by wearing wigs. According to Suetonius, he even wrote a book on the subject of hair care. With regard to Domitian's personality, however, the account of Suetonius alternates sharply between portraying Domitian as the emperor-tyrant, a man both physically and intellectually lazy, and the intelligent, refined personality drawn elsewhere.
Historian Brian Jones concludes in The Emperor Domitian that assessing the true nature of Domitian's personality is inherently complicated by the bias of the surviving sources. Common threads nonetheless emerge from the available evidence. He appears to have lacked the natural charisma of his brother and father. He was prone to suspicion, displayed an odd, sometimes self-deprecating sense of humour, and often communicated in cryptic ways.
This ambiguity of character was further exacerbated by his remoteness, and as he grew older, he increasingly displayed a preference for solitude, which may have stemmed from his isolated upbringing. Indeed, by the age of eighteen nearly all of his closest relatives had died by war or disease. Having spent the greater part of his early life in the twilight of Nero's reign, his formative years would have been strongly influenced by the political turmoil of the 60s, culminating with the civil war of 69, which brought his family to power.
On 9 June 68, amid growing opposition of the Senate and the army, Nero committed suicide and with him the Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an end. Chaos ensued, leading to a year of brutal civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors, during which the four most influential generals in the Roman Empire—Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian—successively vied for imperial power.
News of Nero's death reached Vespasian as he was preparing to besiege the city of Jerusalem. Almost simultaneously the Senate had declared Galba, then governor of Hispania Tarraconensis (modern northern Spain), as Emperor of Rome. Rather than continue his campaign, Vespasian decided to await further orders and send Titus to greet the new Emperor.
Before reaching Italy, Titus learnt that Galba had been murdered and replaced by Otho, the governor of Lusitania (modern Portugal). At the same time Vitellius and his armies in Germania had risen in revolt and prepared to march on Rome, intent on overthrowing Otho. Not wanting to risk being taken hostage by one side or the other, Titus abandoned the journey to Rome and rejoined his father in Judaea.
Otho and Vitellius realized the potential threat posed by the Flavian faction. With four legions at his disposal, Vespasian commanded a strength of nearly 80,000 soldiers. His position in Judaea further granted him the advantage of being nearest to the vital province of Egypt, which controlled the grain supply to Rome. His brother Titus Flavius Sabinus II, as city prefect, commanded the entire city garrison of Rome. Tensions among the Flavian troops ran high but so long as either Galba or Otho remained in power, Vespasian refused to take action.
When Otho was defeated by Vitellius at the First Battle of Bedriacum, the armies in Judaea and Egypt took matters into their own hands and declared Vespasian emperor on 1 July 69. Vespasian accepted and entered an alliance with Gaius Licinius Mucianus, the governor of Syria, against Vitellius. A strong force drawn from the Judaean and Syrian legions marched on Rome under the command of Mucianus, while Vespasian travelled to Alexandria, leaving Titus in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion.
In Rome, Domitian was placed under house arrest by Vitellius, as a safeguard against Flavian aggression. Support for the old emperor waned as more legions around the empire pledged their allegiance to Vespasian. On 24 October 69, the forces of Vitellius and Vespasian (under Marcus Antonius Primus) met at the Second Battle of Bedriacum, which ended in a crushing defeat for the armies of Vitellius.
In despair, Vitellius attempted to negotiate a surrender. Terms of peace, including a voluntary abdication, were agreed upon with Titus Flavius Sabinus II but the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard—the imperial bodyguard—considered such a resignation disgraceful and prevented Vitellius from carrying out the treaty. On the morning of 18 December, the emperor appeared to deposit the imperial insignia at the Temple of Concord but at the last minute retraced his steps to the Imperial palace. In the confusion, the leading men of the state gathered at Sabinus' house, proclaiming Vespasian as Emperor, but the multitude dispersed when Vitellian cohorts clashed with the armed escort of Sabinus, who was forced to retreat to the Capitoline Hill.
During the night, he was joined by his relatives, including Domitian. The armies of Mucianus were nearing Rome but the besieged Flavian party did not hold out for longer than a day. On 19 December, Vitellianists burst onto the Capitol and in a skirmish, Sabinus was captured and executed. Domitian managed to escape by disguising himself as a worshipper of Isis and spent the night in safety with one of his father's supporters, Cornelius Primus.
By the afternoon of 20 December, Vitellius was dead, his armies having been defeated by the Flavian legions. With nothing more to be feared, Domitian came forward to meet the invading forces; he was universally saluted by the title of Caesar and the mass of troops conducted him to his father's house. The following day, 21 December, the Senate proclaimed Vespasian emperor of the Roman Empire.
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis (detail), by Rembrandt (1661). During the Batavian rebellion, Domitian eagerly sought the opportunity to attain military glory, but was denied command of a legion by superior officers.
Although the war had officially ended, a state of anarchy and lawlessness pervaded in the first days following the demise of Vitellius. Order was properly restored by Mucianus in early 70 but Vespasian did not enter Rome until September of that year. In the meantime, Domitian acted as the representative of the Flavian family in the Roman Senate. He received the title of Caesar and was appointed praetor with consular power.
The ancient historian Tacitus describes Domitian's first speech in the Senate as brief and measured, at the same time noting his ability to elude awkward questions. Domitian's authority was merely nominal, foreshadowing what was to be his role for at least ten more years. By all accounts, Mucianus held the real power in Vespasian's absence and he was careful to ensure that Domitian, still only eighteen years old, did not overstep the boundaries of his function. Strict control was also maintained over the young Caesar's entourage, promoting away Flavian generals such as Arrius Varus and Antonius Primus and replacing them with more reliable men such as Arrecinus Clemens.
Equally curtailed by Mucianus were Domitian's military ambitions. The civil war of 69 had severely destabilized the provinces, leading to several local uprisings such as the Batavian revolt in Gaul. Batavian auxiliaries of the Rhine legions, led by Gaius Julius Civilis, had rebelled with the aid of a faction of Treveri under the command of Julius Classicus. Seven legions were sent from Rome, led by Vespasian's brother-in-law Quintus Petillius Cerialis.
Although the revolt was quickly suppressed, exaggerated reports of disaster prompted Mucianus to depart the capital with reinforcements of his own. Domitian eagerly sought the opportunity to attain military glory and joined the other officers with the intention of commanding a legion of his own. According to Tacitus, Mucianus was not keen on this prospect but since he considered Domitian a liability in any capacity that was entrusted to him, he preferred to keep him close at hand rather than in Rome.
When news arrived of Cerialis' victory over Civilis, Mucianus tactfully dissuaded Domitian from pursuing further military endeavours. Domitian then wrote to Cerialis personally, suggesting he hand over command of his army but, once again, he was snubbed. With the return of Vespasian in late September, his political role was rendered all but obsolete and Domitian withdrew from government devoting his time to arts and literature.
Where his political and military career had ended in disappointment, Domitian's private affairs were more successful. In 70 Vespasian attempted to arrange a dynastic marriage between his youngest son and the daughter of Titus, Julia Flavia, but Domitian was adamant in his love for Domitia Longina, going so far as to persuade her husband, Lucius Aelius Lamia Plautius Aelianus, to divorce her so that Domitian could marry her himself. Despite its initial recklessness, the alliance was very prestigious for both families. Domitia Longina was the younger daughter of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, a respected general and honoured politician who had distinguished himself for his leadership in Armenia. Following the failed Pisonian conspiracy against Nero in 65, he had been forced to commit suicide. She was also a granddaughter of Junia Lepida, a descendant of Emperor Augustus. The new marriage not only re-established ties to senatorial opposition, but also served the broader Flavian propaganda of the time, which sought to diminish Vespasian's political success under Nero. Instead, connections to Claudius and Britannicus were emphasised, and Nero's victims, or those otherwise disadvantaged by him, rehabilitated.
In 80, Domitia and Domitian's only attested son was born. It is not known what the boy's name was, but he died in childhood in 83. Shortly following his accession as Emperor, Domitian bestowed the honorific title of Augusta upon Domitia, while their son was deified, appearing as such on the reverse of coin types from this period. Nevertheless, the marriage appears to have faced a significant crisis in 83. For reasons unknown, Domitian briefly exiled Domitia, and then soon recalled her, either out of love or due to rumours that he was carrying on a relationship with his niece Julia Flavia. Jones argues that most likely he did so for her failure to produce an heir. By 84, Domitia had returned to the palace, where she lived for the remainder of Domitian's reign without incident. Little is known of Domitia's activities as Empress, or how much influence she wielded in Domitian's government, but it seems her role was limited. From Suetonius, we know that she at least accompanied the Emperor to the amphitheatre, while the Jewish writer Josephus speaks of benefits he received from her. It is not known whether Domitian had other children, but he did not marry again. Despite allegations by Roman sources of adultery and divorce, the marriage appears to have been happy.
The Triumph of Titus, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1885), depicting the Flavian family during the triumphal procession of 71. Vespasian proceeds at the head of the family, dressed as pontifex maximus, followed by Domitian with Domitia Longina, and finally Titus, also dressed in religious regalia. An exchange of glances between Titus and Domitia suggests an affair upon which historians have speculated. Alma-Tadema was known for his meticulous historical research on the ancient world.
Before becoming Emperor, Domitian's role in the Flavian government was largely ceremonial. In June 71, Titus returned triumphant from the war in Judaea. Ultimately, the rebellion had claimed the lives of tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, a majority of whom were Jewish. The city and temple of Jerusalem were completely destroyed, its most valuable treasures carried off by the Roman army, and nearly 100,000 people were captured and enslaved.
For his victory, the Senate awarded Titus a Roman triumph. On the day of the festivities, the Flavian family rode into the capital, preceded by a lavish parade that displayed the spoils of the war. The family procession was headed by Vespasian and Titus, while Domitian, riding a magnificent white horse, followed with the remaining Flavian relatives.
Leaders of the Jewish resistance were executed in the Forum Romanum, after which the procession closed with religious sacrifices at the Temple of Jupiter. A triumphal arch, the Arch of Titus, was erected at the south-east entrance to the Forum to commemorate the successful end of the war.
Yet the return of Titus further highlighted the comparative insignificance of Domitian, both militarily and politically. As the eldest and most experienced of Vespasian's sons, Titus shared tribunician power with his father, received seven consulships, the censorship, and was given command of the Praetorian Guard; powers that left no doubt he was the designated heir to the Empire. As a second son, Domitian held honorary titles, such as Caesar or Princeps Iuventutis, and several priesthoods, including those of augur, pontifex, frater arvalis, magister frater arvalium, and sacerdos collegiorum omnium, but no office with imperium.
He held six consulships during Vespasian's reign but only one of these, in 73, was an ordinary consulship. The other five were less prestigious suffect consulships, which he held in 71, 75, 76, 77 and 79 respectively, usually replacing his father or brother in mid-January. While ceremonial, these offices no doubt gained Domitian valuable experience in the Roman Senate, and may have contributed to his later reservations about its relevance.
Under Vespasian and Titus, non-Flavians were virtually excluded from the important public offices. Mucianus himself all but disappeared from historical records during this time, and it is believed he died sometime between 75 and 77. Real power was unmistakably concentrated in the hands of the Flavian faction; the weakened Senate only maintained the facade of democracy.
Because Titus effectively acted as co-emperor with his father, no abrupt change in Flavian policy occurred when Vespasian died on 24 June 79. Titus assured Domitian that full partnership in the government would soon be his, but neither tribunician power nor imperium of any kind was conferred upon him during Titus' brief reign.
Two major disasters struck during 79 and 80. In October/November 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the surrounding cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under metres of ash and lava; the following year, a fire broke out in Rome that lasted three days and destroyed a number of important public buildings. Consequently, Titus spent much of his reign coordinating relief efforts and restoring damaged property. On 13 September 81, after barely two years in office, he unexpectedly died of fever during a trip to the Sabine territories.
Ancient authors have implicated Domitian in the death of his brother, either by directly accusing him of murder, or implying he left the ailing Titus for dead, even alleging that during his lifetime, Domitian was openly plotting against his brother. It is difficult to assess the factual veracity of these statements given the known bias of the surviving sources. Brotherly affection was likely at a minimum, but this was hardly surprising, considering that Domitian had barely seen Titus after the age of seven.
Whatever the nature of their relationship, Domitian seems to have displayed little sympathy when his brother lay dying, instead making for the Praetorian camp where he was proclaimed emperor. The following day, 14 September, the Senate confirmed Domitian's powers, granting tribunician power, the office of Pontifex maximus, and the titles of Augustus ("venerable"), and Pater Patriae ("father of the country").
As Emperor, Domitian quickly dispensed with the republican facade his father and brother had maintained during their reign. By moving the centre of government (more or less formally) to the imperial court, Domitian openly rendered the Senate's powers obsolete. In his view, the Roman Empire was to be governed as a divine monarchy with himself as the benevolent despot at its head.
In addition to exercising absolute political power, Domitian believed the emperor's role encompassed every aspect of daily life, guiding the Roman people as a cultural and moral authority. To usher in the new era, he embarked on ambitious economic, military, and cultural programs with the intention of restoring the Empire to the splendour it had seen under the Emperor Augustus.
Despite these grand designs, Domitian was determined to govern the Empire conscientiously and scrupulously. He became personally involved in all branches of the administration: edicts were issued governing the smallest details of everyday life and law, while taxation and public morals were rigidly enforced. According to Suetonius, the imperial bureaucracy never ran more efficiently than under Domitian, whose exacting standards and suspicious nature maintained historically low corruption among provincial governors and elected officials.
Although he made no pretence regarding the significance of the Senate under his absolute rule, those senators he deemed unworthy were expelled from the Senate, and in the distribution of public offices he rarely favored family members, a policy that stood in contrast to the nepotism practiced by Vespasian and Titus. Above all, however, Domitian valued loyalty and malleability in those he assigned to strategic posts, qualities he found more often in men of the equestrian order than in members of the Senate or his own family, whom he regarded with suspicion, and promptly removed from office if they disagreed with imperial policy.
The reality of Domitian's autocracy was further highlighted by the fact that, more than any emperor since Tiberius, he spent significant periods of time away from the capital. Although the Senate's power had been in decline since the fall of the Republic, under Domitian the seat of power was no longer even in Rome, but rather wherever the Emperor was. Until the completion of the Flavian Palace on the Palatine Hill, the imperial court was situated at Alba or Circeii, and sometimes even farther afield. Domitian toured the European provinces extensively, and spent at least three years of his reign in Germania and Illyricum, conducting military campaigns on the frontiers of the Empire.
For his personal use, he was active in constructing many monumental buildings, including the Villa of Domitian, a vast and sumptuous palace situated 20 km outside Rome in the Alban Hills.[citation needed]
In Rome itself, he built the Palace of Domitian on the Palatine Hill. Six other villas are linked with Domitian at Tusculum, Antium, Caieta, Circei, Anxur and Baiae. Only the one at Circei has been identified today, where its remains can be visited by the Lago di Paola.
The Stadium of Domitian was dedicated in 86 AD as a gift to the people of Rome as part of an Imperial building program, following the damage or destruction of most of the buildings on the Field of Mars by fire in 79 AD. It was Rome's first permanent venue for competitive athletics, and today occupied by the Piazza Navona.
In Egypt too, Domitian was quite active in constructing buildings and decorating them. He appears, together with Trajan, in offering scenes on the propylon of the Temple of Hathor at Dendera. His cartouche also appears in the column shafts of the Temple of Khnum at Esna.
Upon his accession, Domitian revalued the Roman currency by increasing the silver content of the denarius by 12%. Domitian's tendency towards micromanagement was nowhere more evident than in his financial policy. The question of whether Domitian left the Roman Empire in debt or with a surplus at the time of his death has been fiercely debated. The evidence points to a balanced economy for the greater part of Domitian's reign. Upon his accession he revalued the Roman currency dramatically. He increased the silver purity of the denarius from 90% to 98% – the actual silver weight increasing from 2.87 grams to 3.26 grams. A financial crisis in 85 forced a devaluation of the silver purity and weight to 93.5% and 3.04 grams respectively.
Nevertheless, the new values were still higher than the levels that Vespasian and Titus had maintained during their reigns. Domitian's rigorous taxation policy ensured that this standard was sustained for the following eleven years. Coinage from this era displays a highly consistent degree of quality including meticulous attention to Domitian's titulature and refined artwork on the reverse portraits.
Jones estimates Domitian's annual income at more than 1.2 billion sestertii, of which over one-third would presumably have been spent maintaining the Roman army. The other major expense was the extensive reconstruction of Rome. At the time of Domitian's accession the city was still suffering from the damage caused by the Great Fire of 64, the civil war of 69 and the fire in 80.
Much more than a renovation project, Domitian's building program was intended to be the crowning achievement of an Empire-wide cultural renaissance. Around fifty structures were erected, restored or completed, achievements second only to those of Augustus. Among the most important new structures were an odeon, a stadium, and an expansive palace on the Palatine Hill known as the Flavian Palace, which was designed by Domitian's master architect Rabirius.
The most important building Domitian restored was the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, said to have been covered with a gilded roof. Among those completed were the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, the Arch of Titus and the Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum), to which he added a fourth level and finished the interior seating area.
In order to appease the people of Rome an estimated 135 million sestertii was spent on donatives, or congiaria, throughout Domitian's reign. The Emperor also revived the practice of public banquets, which had been reduced to a simple distribution of food under Nero, while he invested large sums on entertainment and games. In 86 he founded the Capitoline Games, a quadrennial contest comprising athletic displays, chariot racing, and competitions for oratory, music and acting.
Domitian himself supported the travel of competitors from all corners of the Empire to Rome and distributed the prizes. Innovations were also introduced into the regular gladiatorial games such as naval contests, nighttime battles, and female and dwarf gladiator fights. Lastly, he added two new factions to the chariot races, Gold and Purple, to race against the existing White, Red, Green and Blue factions.
The military campaigns undertaken during Domitian's reign were generally defensive in nature, as the Emperor rejected the idea of expansionist warfare. His most significant military contribution was the development of the Limes Germanicus, which encompassed a vast network of roads, forts and watchtowers constructed along the Rhine river to defend the Empire. Nevertheless, several important wars were fought in Gaul, against the Chatti, and across the Danube frontier against the Suebi, the Sarmatians, and the Dacians.
The conquest of Britain continued under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who expanded the Roman Empire as far as Caledonia, or modern day Scotland. Domitian also founded a new legion in 82, the Legio I Minervia, to fight against the Chatti. Domitian is also credited on the easternmost evidence of Roman military presence, the rock inscription near Boyukdash mountain, in present-day Azerbaijan. As judged by the carved titles of Caesar, Augustus and Germanicus, the related march took place between 84 and 96 AD.
Domitian's administration of the Roman army was characterized by the same fastidious involvement he exhibited in other branches of the government. His competence as a military strategist was criticized by his contemporaries however. Although he claimed several triumphs, these were largely propaganda manoeuvres. Tacitus derided Domitian's victory against the Chatti as a "mock triumph", and criticized his decision to retreat in Britain following the conquests of Agricola.
Nevertheless, Domitian appears to have been very popular among the soldiers, spending an estimated three years of his reign among the army on campaigns—more than any emperor since Augustus—and raising their pay by one-third. While the army command may have disapproved of his tactical and strategic decisions, the loyalty of the common soldier was unquestioned.
Once Emperor, Domitian immediately sought to attain his long delayed military glory. As early as 82, or possibly 83, he went to Gaul, ostensibly to conduct a census, and suddenly ordered an attack on the Chatti. For this purpose, a new legion was founded, Legio I Minervia, which constructed some 75 kilometres (46 mi) of roads through Chattan territory to uncover the enemy's hiding places.
Although little information survives of the battles fought, enough early victories were apparently achieved for Domitian to be back in Rome by the end of 83, where he celebrated an elaborate triumph and conferred upon himself the title of Germanicus. Domitian's supposed victory was much scorned by ancient authors, who described the campaign as "uncalled for", and a "mock triumph". The evidence lends some credence to these claims, as the Chatti would later play a significant role during the revolt of Saturninus in 89.
One of the most detailed reports of military activity under the Flavian dynasty was written by Tacitus, whose biography of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola largely concerns the conquest of Britain between 77 and 84. Agricola arrived c. 77 as governor of Roman Britain, immediately launching campaigns into Caledonia (modern Scotland).
In 82 Agricola crossed an unidentified body of water and defeated peoples unknown to the Romans until then. He fortified the coast facing Ireland, and Tacitus recalls that his father-in-law often claimed the island could be conquered with a single legion and a few auxiliaries. He had given refuge to an exiled Irish king whom he hoped he might use as the excuse for conquest. This conquest never happened, but some historians believe that the crossing referred to was in fact a small-scale exploratory or punitive expedition to Ireland.
Turning his attention from Ireland, the following year Agricola raised a fleet and pushed beyond the Forth into Caledonia. To aid the advance, a large legionary fortress was constructed at Inchtuthil. In the summer of 84, Agricola faced the armies of the Caledonians, led by Calgacus, at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Although the Romans inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, two-thirds of the Caledonian army escaped and hid in the Scottish marshes and Highlands, ultimately preventing Agricola from bringing the entire British island under his control.
In 85, Agricola was recalled to Rome by Domitian, having served for more than six years as governor, longer than normal for consular legates during the Flavian era. Tacitus claims that Domitian ordered his recall because Agricola's successes outshone the Emperor's own modest victories in Germania. The relationship between Agricola and the Emperor is unclear: on the one hand, Agricola was awarded triumphal decorations and a statue, on the other, Agricola never again held a civil or military post in spite of his experience and renown. He was offered the governorship of the province of Africa but declined it, either due to ill health or, as Tacitus claims, the machinations of Domitian.
Not long after Agricola's recall from Britain, the Roman Empire entered into war with the Kingdom of Dacia in the East. Reinforcements were needed, and in 87 or 88, Domitian ordered a large-scale strategic withdrawal of troops in the British province. The fortress at Inchtuthil was dismantled and the Caledonian forts and watchtowers abandoned, moving the Roman frontier some 120 kilometres (75 mi) further south. The army command may have resented Domitian's decision to retreat, but to him the Caledonian territories never represented anything more than a loss to the Roman treasury.
The most significant threat the Roman Empire faced during the reign of Domitian arose from the northern provinces of Illyricum, where the Suebi, the Sarmatians and the Dacians continuously harassed Roman settlements along the Danube river. Of these, the Sarmatians and the Dacians posed the most formidable threat. In approximately 84 or 85 the Dacians, led by King Decebalus, crossed the Danube into the province of Moesia, wreaking havoc and killing the Moesian governor Oppius Sabinus.
Domitian quickly launched a counteroffensive, personally travelling to the region accompanied by a large force commanded by his praetorian prefect Cornelius Fuscus. Fuscus successfully drove the Dacians back across the border in mid-85, prompting Domitian to return to Rome and celebrate his second triumph.
The victory proved short-lived, however: as early in 86 Fuscus embarked on an ill-fated expedition into Dacia. Fuscus was killed, and the battle standard of the Praetorian Guard was lost. The loss of the battle standard, or aquila, was indicative of a crushing defeat and a serious affront to Roman national pride.
Domitian returned to Moesia in August 86. He divided the province into Lower Moesia and Upper Moesia, and transferred three additional legions to the Danube. In 87, the Romans invaded Dacia once more, this time under the command of Tettius Julianus, and finally defeated Decebalus in late 88 at the same site where Fuscus had previously perished. An attack on the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa was forestalled when new troubles arose on the German frontier in 89.
In order to avert having to conduct a war on two fronts, Domitian agreed to terms of peace with Decebalus, negotiating free access of Roman troops through the Dacian region while granting Decebalus an annual subsidy of 8 million sesterces. Contemporary authors severely criticized this treaty, which was considered shameful to the Romans and left the deaths of Sabinus and Fuscus unavenged. For the remainder of Domitian's reign Dacia remained a relatively peaceful client kingdom, but Decebalus used the Roman money to fortify his defenses.
Domitian probably wanted a new war against the Dacians, and reinforced Upper Moesia with two more cavalry units brought from Syria and with at least five cohorts brought from Pannonia. Trajan continued Domitian's policy and added two more units to the auxiliary forces of Upper Moesia, and then he used the build up of troops for his Dacian wars. Eventually the Romans achieved a decisive victory against Decebalus in 106. Again, the Roman army sustained heavy losses, but Trajan succeeded in capturing Sarmizegetusa and, importantly, annexed the Dacian gold and silver mines.
Domitian firmly believed in the traditional Roman religion, and personally saw to it that ancient customs and morals were observed throughout his reign. In order to justify the divine nature of the Flavian rule, Domitian emphasized connections with the chief deity Jupiter, perhaps most significantly through the impressive restoration of the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. A small chapel dedicated to Jupiter Conservator was also constructed near the house where Domitian had fled to safety on 20 December 69. Later in his reign, he replaced it with a more expansive building, dedicated to Jupiter Custos.
The goddess he worshipped the most zealously, however, was Minerva. Not only did he keep a personal shrine dedicated to her in his bedroom, she regularly appeared on his coinage—in four different attested reverse types—and he founded a legion, Legio I Minervia, in her name.
Domitian also revived the practice of the imperial cult, which had fallen somewhat out of use under Vespasian. Significantly, his first act as an Emperor was the deification of his brother Titus. Upon their deaths, his infant son, and niece, Julia Flavia, were likewise enrolled among the gods. With regards to the emperor himself as a religious figure, both Suetonius and Cassius Dio allege that Domitian officially gave himself the title of Dominus et Deus ("Lord and God"). However, not only did he reject the title of Dominus during his reign, but since he issued no official documentation or coinage to this effect, historians such as Brian Jones contend that such phrases were addressed to Domitian by flatterers who wished to earn favors from the emperor.
To foster the worship of the imperial family, he erected a dynastic mausoleum on the site of Vespasian's former house on the Quirinal, and completed the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, a shrine dedicated to the worship of his deified father and brother. To memorialize the military triumphs of the Flavian family, he ordered the construction of the Templum Divorum and the Templum Fortuna Redux, and completed the Arch of Titus.
Construction projects such as these constituted only the most visible part of Domitian's religious policy, which also concerned itself with the fulfilment of religious law and public morals. In 85, he nominated himself perpetual censor, the office that held the task of supervising Roman morals and conduct. Once again, Domitian acquitted himself of this task dutifully, and with care. He renewed the Lex Iulia de Adulteriis Coercendis, under which adultery was punishable by exile. From the list of jurors he struck an equestrian who had divorced his wife and taken her back, while an ex-quaestor was expelled from the Senate for acting and dancing.
As eunuchs were popularly used as servants, Domitian punished people who castrated others and wanted to ban the eunuchs themselves. Subsequent emperors made similar prohibitions, but Domitian may have been the first to do so. Despite his moralizing, Domitian had his own favorite eunuch boy, Earinus, who was commemorated by the contemporary court poets Martial and Statius.
Domitian also heavily prosecuted corruption among public officials, removing jurors if they accepted bribes and rescinding legislation when a conflict of interest was suspected. He ensured that libellous writings, especially those directed against himself, were punishable by exile or death. Actors were likewise regarded with suspicion. Consequently, he forbade mimes from appearing on stage in public. Philosophers did not fare much better. Epictetus, who had set himself up in Rome as a professor of philosophy, remarked that philosophers were able to "look tyrants steadily in the face", and it was Domitian's decree of 94, expelling all philosophers from Rome, that caused Epictetus to shift his base to the recently founded Roman city of Nicopolis, in Epirus, Greece, where he lived simply, worked safely and died of old age.
Coin of Domitian, found in the Buddhist stupa of Ahin Posh, dedicated under the Kushan Empire in 150–160, in modern Afghanistan.
In 87, Vestal Virgins were found to have broken their sacred vows of lifelong public chastity. As the Vestals were regarded as daughters of the community, this offense essentially constituted incest. Accordingly, those found guilty of any such transgression were condemned to death, either by a manner of their choosing, or according to the ancient fashion, which dictated that Vestals should be buried alive.
Foreign religions were tolerated insofar as they did not interfere with public order, or could be assimilated with the traditional Roman religion. The worship of Egyptian deities in particular flourished under the Flavian dynasty, to an extent not seen again until the reign of Commodus. Veneration of Serapis and Isis, who were identified with Jupiter and Minerva respectively, was especially prominent.
4th century writings by Eusebius maintain that Jews and Christians were heavily persecuted toward the end of Domitian's reign. The Book of Revelation and First Epistle of Clement are thought by some to have been written during this period, the latter making mention of "sudden and repeated misfortunes", which are assumed to refer to persecutions under Domitian. Although Jews were heavily taxed, no contemporary authors give specific details of trials or executions based on religious offenses other than those within the Roman religion. Suetonius mentions having seen in his youth a nonagenarian being stripped by a procurator to see if he was circumcised.
On 1 January 89, the governor of Germania Superior, Lucius Antonius Saturninus, and his two legions at Mainz, Legio XIV Gemina and Legio XXI Rapax, revolted against the Roman Empire with the aid of the Germanic Chatti people. The precise cause for the rebellion is uncertain, although it appears to have been planned well in advance. The Senatorial officers may have disapproved of Domitian's military strategies, such as his decision to fortify the German frontier rather than attack, as well as his recent retreat from Britain, and finally the disgraceful policy of appeasement towards Decebalus.
At any rate, the uprising was strictly confined to Saturninus' province, and quickly detected once the rumour spread across the neighbouring provinces. The governor of Germania Inferior, Aulus Bucius Lappius Maximus, moved to the region at once, assisted by the procurator of Rhaetia, Titus Flavius Norbanus. From Spain, Trajan was summoned, while Domitian himself came from Rome with the Praetorian Guard.
By a stroke of luck, a thaw prevented the Chatti from crossing the Rhine and coming to Saturninus' aid. Within twenty-four days the rebellion was crushed, and its leaders at Mainz savagely punished. The mutinous legions were sent to the front in Illyricum, while those who had assisted in their defeat were duly rewarded.
Lappius Maximus received the governorship of the province of Syria, a second consulship in May 95, and finally a priesthood, which he still held in 102. Titus Flavius Norbanus may have been appointed to the prefecture of Egypt, but almost certainly became prefect of the Praetorian Guard by 94, with Titus Petronius Secundus as his colleague. Domitian opened the year following the revolt by sharing the consulship with Marcus Cocceius Nerva, suggesting the latter had played a part in uncovering the conspiracy, perhaps in a fashion similar to the one he played during the Pisonian conspiracy under Nero.
Although little is known about the life and career of Nerva before his accession as Emperor in 96, he appears to have been a highly adaptable diplomat, surviving multiple regime changes and emerging as one of the Flavians' most trusted advisors. His consulship may therefore have been intended to emphasize the stability and status quo of the regime. The revolt had been suppressed and the Empire returned to order.
Since the fall of the Republic, the authority of the Roman Senate had largely eroded under the quasi-monarchical system of government established by Augustus, known as the Principate. The Principate allowed the existence of a de facto dictatorial regime, while maintaining the formal framework of the Roman Republic. Most Emperors upheld the public facade of democracy, and in return the Senate implicitly acknowledged the Emperor's status as a de facto monarch.
Some rulers handled this arrangement with less subtlety than others. Domitian was not so subtle. From the outset of his reign, he stressed the reality of his autocracy. He disliked aristocrats and had no fear of showing it, withdrawing every decision-making power from the Senate, and instead relying on a small set of friends and equestrians to control the important offices of state.
The dislike was mutual. After Domitian's assassination, the senators of Rome rushed to the Senate house, where they immediately passed a motion condemning his memory to oblivion. Under the rulers of the Nervan-Antonian dynasty, senatorial authors published histories that elaborated on the view of Domitian as a tyrant.
Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that Domitian did make concessions toward senatorial opinion. Whereas his father and brother had concentrated consular power largely in the hands of the Flavian family, Domitian admitted a surprisingly large number of provincials and potential opponents to the consulship, allowing them to head the official calendar by opening the year as an ordinary consul. Whether this was a genuine attempt to reconcile with hostile factions in the Senate cannot be ascertained. By offering the consulship to potential opponents, Domitian may have wanted to compromise these senators in the eyes of their supporters. When their conduct proved unsatisfactory, they were almost invariably brought to trial and exiled or executed, and their property was confiscated.
Both Tacitus and Suetonius speak of escalating persecutions toward the end of Domitian's reign, identifying a point of sharp increase around 93, or sometime after the failed revolt of Saturninus. At least twenty senatorial opponents were executed, including Domitia Longina's former husband Lucius Aelius Lamia Plautius Aelianus and three of Domitian's own family members, Titus Flavius Sabinus, Titus Flavius Clemens and Marcus Arrecinus Clemens. Flavius Clemens was a cousin of Domitian, and the emperor had even designated Clemens' two young sons as his successors, calling them as "Vespasian" and "Domitian". Some of these men were executed as early as 83 or 85, however, lending little credit to Tacitus' notion of a "reign of terror" late in Domitian's reign. According to Suetonius, some were convicted for corruption or treason, others on trivial charges, which Domitian justified through his suspicion:
He used to say that the lot of Emperors was most unfortunate, since when they discovered a conspiracy, no one believed them unless they had been murdered.
Jones compares the executions of Domitian to those under Emperor Claudius (41–54), noting that Claudius executed around 35 senators and 300 equestrians, and yet was still deified by the Senate and regarded as one of the good Emperors of history. Domitian was apparently unable to gain support among the aristocracy, despite attempts to appease hostile factions with consular appointments. His autocratic style of government accentuated the Senate's loss of power, while his policy of treating patricians and even family members as equals to all Romans earned him their contempt.
According to Suetonius, Domitian worshipped Minerva as his protector goddess with superstitious veneration. In a dream, she is said to have abandoned the emperor prior to the assassination.
Domitian was assassinated on 18 September 96 in a conspiracy by court officials. A highly detailed account of the plot and the assassination is provided by Suetonius. He alleges that Domitian's chamberlain Parthenius played the main role in the plot, and historian John Grainger cites Parthenius' likely fear over Domitian's recent execution of Nero's former secretary Epaphroditus as a possible motive. The act itself was carried out by a freedman of Parthenius named Maximus, and a steward of Domitian's niece Flavia Domitilla, named Stephanus.
According to Suetonius, a number of omens had foretold Domitian's death. The Germanic soothsayer Larginus Proclus predicted the date of Domitian's death and was consequently sentenced to death by him. Several days prior to the assassination, Minerva had appeared to the emperor in a dream. She announced that she had been disarmed by Jupiter and could no longer give Domitian her protection. According to an auspice he had received, the Emperor believed that his death would be at midday. As a result, he was always restless around that time. On the day of the assassination, Domitian was distressed and repeatedly asked a servant to tell him what time it was. The servant, who was himself one of the plotters, lied to the emperor, telling him that it was already late in the afternoon. Apparently put at ease, the Emperor went to his desk to sign some decrees. Stephanus, who had been feigning an injury to his arm for several days and wearing a bandage to allow him to carry a concealed dagger, suddenly appeared:
...he pretended that he had discovered a plot, and was for that reason granted an audience: whereupon, as the amazed Domitian perused a document he had handed him, Stephanus stabbed him in the groin. The wounded Emperor put up a fight, but succumbed to seven further stabs, his assailants being a subaltern named Clodianus, Parthenius's freedman Maximus, Satur, a head-chamberlain and one of the imperial gladiators.
During the attack, Stephanus and Domitian had struggled on the floor, during which time Stephanus was stabbed by the emperor and died shortly afterward. Domitian's body was carried away on a common bier and unceremoniously cremated by his nurse Phyllis. Later, she took the emperor's ashes to the Flavian Temple and mingled them with those of his niece, Julia. He was 44 years old. As had been foretold, his death came at midday.
Cassius Dio, writing nearly a hundred years after the assassination, suggests that the assassination was improvised, while Suetonius implies it was a well-organized conspiracy, citing Stephanus' feigned injury and claiming that the doors to the servants' quarters had been locked prior to the attack and that a sword Domitian kept concealed beneath his pillow as a last line of personal protection against a would-be assassin, had also been removed beforehand.
Dio included Domitia Longina among the conspirators, but in light of her attested devotion to Domitian—even years after her husband had died—her involvement in the plot seems highly unlikely. The precise involvement of the Praetorian Guard is unclear. One of the guard's commanders, Titus Petronius Secundus, was almost certainly aware of the plot. The other, Titus Flavius Norbanus, the former governor of Raetia, was a member of Domitian's family.
Upon the death of Domitian, Nerva was proclaimed Emperor by the Senate.
The Fasti Ostienses, the Ostian Calendar, records that on the same day as Domitian's assassination, the Senate proclaimed Marcus Cocceius Nerva emperor. Despite his political experience, this was a remarkable choice. Nerva was old and childless, and had spent much of his career out of the public light, prompting both ancient and modern authors to speculate on his involvement in Domitian's assassination.
According to Cassius Dio, the conspirators approached Nerva as a potential successor prior to the assassination, suggesting that he was at least aware of the plot. He does not appear in Suetonius' version of the events, but this may be understandable, since his works were published under Nerva's direct descendants Trajan and Hadrian. To suggest the dynasty owed its accession to murder would have been less than sensitive.
On the other hand, Nerva lacked widespread support in the Empire, and as a known Flavian loyalist, his track record would not have recommended him to the conspirators. The precise facts have been obscured by history, but modern historians believe Nerva was proclaimed Emperor solely on the initiative of the Senate, within hours after the news of the assassination broke. The decision may have been hasty so as to avoid civil war, but neither appears to have been involved in the conspiracy.
The Senate nonetheless rejoiced at the death of Domitian, and immediately following Nerva's accession as Emperor, passed damnatio memoriae on Domitian's memory; his coins and statues were melted, his arches were torn down and his name was erased from all public records. Domitian and, over a century later, Publius Septimius Geta were the only emperors known to have officially received a damnatio memoriae, though others may have received de facto ones. In many instances, existing portraits of Domitian, such as those found on the Cancelleria Reliefs, were simply recarved to fit the likeness of Nerva, which allowed quick production of new images and recycling of previous material.[181] Yet the order of the Senate was only partially executed in Rome, and wholly disregarded in most of the provinces outside Italy.
According to Suetonius, the people of Rome met the news of Domitian's death with indifference, but the army was much grieved, calling for his deification immediately after the assassination, and in several provinces rioting. As a compensation measure, the Praetorian Guard demanded the execution of Domitian's assassins, which Nerva refused. Instead he merely dismissed Titus Petronius Secundus, and replaced him with a former commander, Casperius Aelianus.
Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs continued to loom over Nerva's reign, and ultimately erupted into a crisis in October 97, when members of the Praetorian Guard, led by Casperius Aelianus, laid siege to the Imperial Palace and took Nerva hostage. He was forced to submit to their demands, agreeing to hand over those responsible for Domitian's death and even giving a speech thanking the rebellious Praetorians. Titus Petronius Secundus and Parthenius were sought out and killed. Nerva was unharmed in this assault, but his authority was damaged beyond repair. Shortly thereafter he announced the adoption of Trajan as his successor, and with this decision nearly abdicated (Wikipedia).
This is our world,
Here boys grow up into adult so that they can fight to death.
Here girls are trafficked abroad so that they can be enslaved for oppression.
Here women and children are starved to death for poverty.
Here animals are preserved so that they can be shot to extinction.
Here petals are plucked off the flowers just to be stepped on.
This is our show,
Here we despise hypocrites, even though everybody is one.
Here faults are thick, hatred is thick, but love is thin…
This is our game,
Here we play our whole life despite knowing the fact that eventually we have to lose to death.
This is our life,
Here humans chase after happiness, but love to cry.
Here devils do prevail, but angels deserve to die...
Abir Shaqran photography
25 March, 2014.
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum was opened by Charles Pendleton, a lifelong Vicksburg resident and collector of Civil War artifacts. According to AP News, Pendleton’s desire to build a weapon collection slowly transformed after he discovered a bill of sale from 1848 listing a seven-year-old girl named Ella, enslaved for life. That shocking document helped shape his mission to tell a fuller story
Old Courthouse Museum
AP News
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
. His guiding motto—framed prominently in the museum—reads:
“Our goal is not to educate you; our aim is to inspire you to become more educated.”
townhall.com
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
AP News
Pendleton does not shy away from asserting that slavery was the primary cause of secession and conflict—a stark contrast to more sanitized narratives. He offers no finger‑pointing or partisan rhetoric, but insists that slavery be addressed squarely
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum was opened by Charles Pendleton, a lifelong Vicksburg resident and collector of Civil War artifacts. According to AP News, Pendleton’s desire to build a weapon collection slowly transformed after he discovered a bill of sale from 1848 listing a seven-year-old girl named Ella, enslaved for life. That shocking document helped shape his mission to tell a fuller story
Old Courthouse Museum
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
His guiding motto—framed prominently in the museum—reads:
“Our goal is not to educate you; our aim is to inspire you to become more educated.”
Pendleton does not shy away from asserting that slavery was the primary cause of secession and conflict—a stark contrast to more sanitized narratives. He offers no finger‑pointing or partisan rhetoric, but insists that slavery be addressed squarely
Bokehbokehbokeh
Sooc.
This is from inside the Dome, the arena in Atlanta where Passion was. One night before the bands started playing everyone in the arena turned on the lights on their phones, the whole place was lit up with them. It was a beautiful thing.
During Passion this year, one of the things the speakers were focusing on was educating people about the existence of slavery, as well as to raise money to help stop it. There are 27 million people today who are enslaved for the purpose of labor and sex, more than any other time in history. A goal of the Passion conference was to raise $1 million to help free slaves all over the world and to restore them to normal lives. A lot of people were very doubtful that we'd meet that goal-$1 million from a bunch of poor college students? Never going to happen.
Did we raise $1 million?
No, we didn't.
We raised $2,566,670.
And that's not all.
The poor college students so inspired an old couple that were at Passion that they donated an extra $500,000.
That's a total of $3,066,670.
I never believed I could change the world before.
But we can.
We are.
God does incredible things.
Einar Selvik (Wardruna) and Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) together with Simon Fullemann (AISA) launch record label By Norse Music and release Wardruna "Runaljod - Ragnarok" in October 2016!
It is with great pride and excitement that we present to you our very own record label. Starting as an event project last year, launching our own beer ALU, we are finally ready to go official with part 3 - our own record label. With our network, experience and dedication in the music world, it made sense to just do it all ourselves and put our knowledge in the same pot. So we created By Norse Music!
"Whether or not it is booking a concert or releasing an album, my experience with Wardruna is that since it does not really fit into any defined genre or «fixed machinery», but branch out into a multifold of them, it demands special attention and effort to meet its potential and needs. So for many years now my wish and vision has been to, at some point, create a label for my own as well as other carefully selected music and art that would be flexible and also resourceful enough be able to handle each unique project on it´s own premises and adapt to its needs rather than squeeze everything into the same machinery. The time has come for realization and I feel very exited about venturing into this together with dedicated people I hold in high esteem both personally and professionally"
Einar, Wardruna
Wardruna "Runaljod - Ragnarok" out in October 2016!
This upcoming fall Wardruna will complete the circle and release the final part of the Runaljod trilogy. Runaljod - Ragnarok is the very much anticipated third part of the release, following Runaljold - Gap Var Ginnunga in 2009 and Runaljod - Yggdrasil in 2013. One of the songs from the upcoming album was recently released on our official sites and was met with great enthusiasm. The final album in the Runaljod Trilogy will be released this October on several different formats.
The first release concert in Norway will be held in Oslo, January 2017. Tickets are up for sale since 13th of May! Get your ticket here:
www.ticketmaster.no/event/wardruna-tickets
Einar Selvik is currently nominated for the Norwegian Music Export by Spellemann, Norway's renowned award for musicians, for his work making Norway's heritage acclaimed internationally. Musicnorway.no and Vikings- creator Michael Hirst had this to say about his nomination: no.musicnorway.no/2016/05/10/eksportprisen-enorme-bidrag-...
Runaljod Ragnarok, Autumn 2016
Enslaved is currently celebrating 25 years in 2016 with selected catalog re-issues!
Enslaved are an institution in the worldwide Metal scene and they are stronger than ever. Their 13th album In Times received great critical claim from several holds, amongst Metal Hammer Magazine who awarded them with Album of the month in March last year.
The album was also nominated for best metal album by the acclaimed Spellemann, Norway's most prestigious music Award, alongside 7 of their previous releases which they have won 4 of. To celebrate 25 years of existence, Enslaved have launched a series of 6 limited edition collectors shirts whereof 2 have already been released. The shirts can be purchased here:
enslaved.aisamerch.com
Metal hammer have recently nominated Enslaved for the Golden Gods Awards 2016. Vote for them in the best underground category here:
" I am thrilled and proud to be part of the brand new tribe that is By Norse Music. Firstly, I still believe in “the record label” as a highly relevant entity. If a label is flexible, innovative and adapted to the new reality – it can more than ever act as a powerful catalyst for great art. I know we do just that. Secondly, working together with the partners most akin to my own business philosophy - integrity, not being an asshole and working very hard - is inspiring and brings out the best in me! Thirdly, going on this trip (psych reference!) with the best of friends is not only a good idea; it is also lot of fun!"
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By Norse Music is located in Bergen/Norway and currently have Wardruna and selected back catalog items of Enslaved in their stall. It is a platform supporting and building up Norwegian art, music, literature, film and culture to reinforce Norwegian heritage and traditions. By Norse was founded in 2015 by the three of us, Einar Selvik (Fimbuljod Productions, Wardruna), Ivar Bjørnson (Peersen Production AS, Enslaved, BardSpec) and Simon Füllemann (AISA - All Independent Service Alliance LLC, All Access Agency).
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The first five creatures in this set come from the planet Sodtoogak in the Sigma Octant:
• Watminfly: A large flying insectoid that is Sodtoogak's most abundant and recognizable non–sapient creature. The Watminfly is a round–bodied creature with four wings, which have large, razor–sharp spikes on their bottoms that amazingly do not cut the creature, for they never touch the rest of its body even while the wings are flapping at 15 beats per second. This is thanks to miraculous, subconscious coordination. It has three stubby legs/feet, eyes protruding from the sides of its upper body, and two pairs of small tentacles on the sides of its midsection which act as feelers. The main antenna on its top constantly vibrates and gives off faint sonar noises, which can be better heard by the Iscismeors than by most other races, due to their multi–wavelength hearing. These noises seem to be amplified when the Watminfly is particularly happy, frightened, or otherwise excited, which tends to be often because the creature has a particularly high emotional capacity for a non–sapient animal, and reacts quite acutely to its surroundings, being able to take in every last detail of what is happening around it with its surprisingly superior senses. The most notable trait of the Watminfly, however, is its upper body, which is transparently blue and leaves some internal parts visible through it, but can light up brightly when it is willed to, usually at night. Because there are so many Watminflies inhabiting Sodtoogak, being found virtually everywhere all around the planet, this trait of theirs results in the planet's sky regularly being lit up at night with many beautiful lights, especially when the creatures are undergoing their annual migration, during which they flock together by the hundreds. The Watminfly's durability value is somewhere between 300 and 400, and it is about three feet tall on average.
• Iscismeor: Sodtoogak's humanoid race. The Iscismeor is a fully sentient, sapient and intelligent insectoid; it does not merely have insectoid traits, like the Rabbyphune, but is actually a full–fledged insectoid, as its biology satisfies all of the criteria for being classified as such. Iscismeors stand anywhere between three and five feet, and are lightweight and fragile, having an average durability value of just 450; their skin is easily puncturable and (usually; see below) heals very slowly, though they have a lot of blood, which is very thick and bleeds out very slowly. They have three long fingers on each hand, three long toes at the bottom of each leg upon which they stand, multiple pairs of eyes which see different wavelengths of light and can be "switched" on and off at will, and antennae which can transmit messages to other Iscismeors at wavelengths that cannot be detected by most other creatures. Such messages are also coded in a special language that only the Iscismeors understand and refuse to let other races learn. Every few years, they gradually shed their outer skin over the course of two to three cycles, and replace it with a new layer of skin that is usually of a completely different color. Their normally lethargic healing rates seem to be significantly sped up during this period of molting. The Iscismeors are a fairly primitive people, and they like it that way. Their society is divided up into numerous villages of about two hundred people each, which are normally located just outside of large forests and jungles and whose buildings consist of stone huts with amber roofs. When they hunt or fight, they do so with spears, stones and slingshots; weaponry that is even more basic than the rest of their civilization. Another defensive mechanism of theirs is their ability to give off a repugnant odor from their bodies at will, which is unbearable to all beings with senses of smell except the Iscismeors themselves, who, if anything, actually enjoy the smell.
• Recpontar: By far the most bizarre of Sodtoogak's creatures. The Recpontar is a beast whose body is literally made mostly out of stone, similar to the creatures of the late planet Etigna. In fact, a common misconception is that it was originally from Etigna and was relocated to Sodtoogak at the time of that planet's destruction (which was carried out via concentrated orbital bombardment through the most fragile point on its surface and into its delicate core), but it is in fact native to the planet on which it currently resides and always has resided. The Recpontar resembles a large, colorful and hotly–glowing boulder with four tentacles and another, even brighter and hotter, boulder atop a thick, long mass of ligament, which has a small, basic face and functions as the head of the creature. Recpontars are fairly rare, and are always found inside of caves or underground caverns. Their tentacles are extremely strong and flexible given their only moderate thickness, and can support their owners as they cling to walls or even from ceilings. The Recpontar's main defensive mechanism is the immense heat given off by its body, which is glowing for a reason: this creature is not just made of rock; it's made of molten, or at least semi–molten, rock. The temperature of its body, at several hundred degrees, keeps away almost all potential predators. Were it not for its heat, the Recpontar would be quite incapable of defending itself, for it is actually a very shy creature. If and when threatened by something that can somehow withstand the heat it gives off, it will simply retract its tentacles into its main body and its face into the interior of its head. The durability value of the Recpontar is 1,200. Obviously, its non–stone parts have to be extremely tough in order for the beast to withstand its own heat.
• Susmegade: Another mammal–sized insectoid native to Sodtoogak, a planet known for being dominated by insects both great and small. It is a creature of about one meter in length with six identical limbs and a very long neck. The Susmegade is an eater of other, smaller insects, and it consumes them using a long and very sticky tongue which juts out instantaneously from its round, constantly open hole of a mouth. The impact of this tongue, striking out suddenly and at high speeds, is enough to kill most of the creature's preferred prey in and of itself. Their reproduction and growth cycle is positively brutal: Susmegades lay singular eggs which are fertilized in water but contain three embryos, which fight each other during the gestation period until only one is alive when the egg hatches. The victorious embryo eats the remains of its siblings for nutrition while it continues to grow inside its egg, leaving no trace of them at the time of hatching. Another unique trait of the Susmegade is that, while it normally walks on six legs, it can also stand upright and walk on two legs at will, using the other four limbs as "arms". When it does this, it can position its head, which can rotate 360 degrees, at either its top or its bottom. Strangely, it seems to actually prefer sticking its head downwards, even though positioning it at the top of its body while standing upright would seem more convenient and natural. The Susmegade's durability value range is 400 to 500. Iscismeors hunt them for their legs and eyes, the only parts that are edible to them. Susmegade eyes in particular are considered a local delicacy.
• Clorneashnore: An animal that is like a land–dwelling version of Hulptos' Thynourge. Like the Thynourge, the Clorneashnore is a creature whose main body is made up of two sagittally separate halves, which are held together by a membrane, and which walks on several tentacles that can traverse terrains that would be obstructive to most other beings. The most likely explanation for this similarity is that the two creatures were created using many of the same resources, perhaps as a result of some slight laziness on the part of the Heavens… the Custodian does not mean to blaspheme or to question God's judgment; he is merely pointing out facts objectively. In any case, the Clorneashnore is significantly larger than the Thynourge, being about four feet tall and six feet long, and has a more defined body, with a discernible head and midsection. Its durability value is 700. It is mostly carnivorous, but can fall back on plants for sustenance when hungry, though these give it significantly less nutrition than meat. The Clorneashnore itself is hunted and eaten by the Iscismeor; almost every part of its body is edible to them, and a single full–grown one can feed several Iscismeors for several days. The humanoids have even deviously resorted to breeding the creatures and orchestrating the birth of new ones specifically so that they can eat them. Clorneashnores are largely dumb and are incapable of feeling even rudimentary emotion, so they are considered to have no rights other than that for their species to exist. And they are not even remotely endangered, for in nature and not accounting for humanoid activity, they are among Sodtoogak's most successful creatures, and can indeed be found throughout most of the planet's regions, which include forests, jungles, plains, swamps and mountains. Rounding out their physical features are the broad, leaflike bristles growing on their backs, which appear to be vestigial.
These next three, on the right, are from Lazberon in the Gamma Octant:
• Latpazat: The humanoids of planet Lazberon. The Latpazats are the Nava–Verse's only unisexual mortal humanoid race, being an entirely female species. This also technically makes them the only naturally, and indeed, universally, homosexual humanoid race. Lazberon is the closest planet to the Gamma Octant's sun of Bulbos, and as a result has a very hot, humid environment. To help them survive and thrive in the harsh environment in which they live, the Latpazats have been endowed with tough skin that contains a great quantity of melanin (which only occurs in the flesh of certain humanoids, usually those with more basic, or humanlike, skin), giving them a tan, almost orangish pigment. Their eyes are heterochromic, but aren't particularly resistant to sunlight, making the bright light of day on Lazberon quite unpleasant. To accommodate this, the Latpazats, fairly early in their history, developed visors that they wear over their faces and which absorb the harsher properties of sunlight, allowing them to look towards the sun and into general brightness without hinderance. Another unique trait of theirs is the fact that their two hands are completely different from one another, with one hand having no less than eight standard fingers and the digits of the other consisting of three spiked claws. Which is which between the right and left hands is random between individuals. Latpazats generally are not very feminine, and could be described as tomboys, and very tough ones at that. Their society, which initially consisted of simple, isolated tribes but has since evolved into large, interconnected cities, is aggressive and warrior–like, and the strongest, toughest ones among their kind are considered the most desirable. Romantic and/or sexual relationships between them are… peculiar, to say the least, and are often abusive, though usually not to an outright sadistic extent. Latpazats possess durability values between 700 and 1,000.
• Juggaortrus: A macabre creature that resembles a giant heart organ with many tentacles and limbs which appear akin to pumps and veins. Its name is derived from both "aorta" and "jugular", both of which refer to common elements of the basic circulatory system. The Juggaortrus has four "leg" tentacles with ball–shaped "feet" which it walks around on, two stubby frontal arms with clawed hands, and three support tentacles on either side of its body, as well as various miscellaneous structures on top of it. It has a very small head and face with a proportionally enormous chin, and is usually around three or four feet tall with an average durability value of about 500. The actual, internal heart of the Juggaortrus is itself quite large, thick and powerful, being the largest and strongest organ in its body, and is larger than the creature's head. The "heart" that is its outer body is actually made of very solid and tough, almost leathery, organic matter rather than the squishy tissue that makes up actual hearts, yet it visibly pulsates in a manner similar to that of the organ it so closely resembles, which is caused by violent inner convulsions produced by the creature's rapid metabolism. Juggaortri never sleep; their whole lives are continuously waking. Their metabolisms must be extremely and constantly active in order to facilitate this, and as a result, their bodies use up fuel and wear themselves out very rapidly, and their average lifespan is a mere ten years. Juggaortri are seen as pests by the Latpazats, mainly because they have a habit of eating the humanoids' food stocks at night, and are often killed by them for sport.
• Sqorgiyam: An unsightly and slimy creature that seems rather out of place on Lazberon. It lives inside of caves and in other secluded places that are sheltered from the harsh sun by day, and comes out only at night. Sqorgiyams are moderately tall pseudo–cephalopods with many tentacles, four of which are "arms" with adhesive end parts functioning as "hands", and the rest of which are "legs". They have three eyes, the middle one of which has greater sight and focus than the other two combined, and green mouths that are half–full of obtuse teeth, and also have three ears, including one directly on top of the head. They are herbivores of very limited intelligence, and live lonely, solitary lives. If one is caught out in the open when the sun comes up, it must find shade, which actively nourishes and regenerates its body, quickly, or else it will dry up and die. Because of this constant danger, the Sqorgiyam exists in only limited numbers. Sqorgiyams leave a trail of nasty fluid which accumulates at their feet wherever they go. The exact nature of this fluid is unknown; it is, however, most certainly separate from urine and other "normal" bodily fluids. Fortunately, the fluid evaporates fairly quickly in the sun when daybreak arrives. The Sqorgiyam's durability value is 600. It is roughly five feet tall.
Rounding out this set are several miscellaneous, and rather large, creatures from various places:
• Arptirror: The only thing that every Anyugari fears, the Arptirror is a large avian beast–hominid native to Kugrun that is notable for being one of the only creatures in nature that naturally craves the flesh of humanoids. Standing more than ten feet tall and weighing five hundred pounds, it is the most powerful and vicious beast on Kugrun, and one of the most vicious natural beasts in the Prime Galaxy overall, being nearly as violent as the Krinchu of Terramos. Arptirrors are predominantly green in color, and usually stand upright. They cannot truly fly, due to their mass, but can glide through the air with their wings, which are attached to fully–developed arms with complex, clawed hands. Large portions of their skeletal muscle systems are either visible in shape through their flesh or outright exposed, but through prolonged exposure to open air, these muscles become almost as tough as said flesh, and also grow physically stronger in regards to their movement power from absorbing the extra oxygen. However, at birth, young Arptirrors' muscle–laced outer bodies are tender, and they must be heavily cared for by their parents for several cycles before becoming tough enough to even start learning to fend for themselves. As a result, infant mortality rates are high among this creature's population, which is thusly kept in check on its own, but once it is fully developed, an Arptirror is virtually unstoppable within its natural habitat. They eat almost all other living things on Kugrun, including Anyugari, as mentioned above.
In the early years of their existence, the tribal Anyugari feared these beasts immensely (rightfully so) and thought of them as demons. Entire villages could and would be wiped out from Arptirror attacks, and this threat to their kind contributed to the Anyugari growing into a strong warrior race. Over time, they developed weapons and tactics for fighting their avian adversaries, though this was still not enough to turn the tables on the Arptirrors completely, and the Anyugari were only able to overpower the creatures when they (the Anyugari) outnumbered them. When Pipi'Loan appeared, it was first able to gain the trust of the Anyugari by demonstrating its ability to kill their dreaded natural enemies, and promising to help wipe them from the face of the planet if the humanoids pledged their allegiance to it. The Anyugari accepted the Primal Deity's offer, and later, when Pipi'Loan was more powerful from all of its worshippers, who had also become more powerful through unnatural means, it changed its and the "Anyugari Empire"'s goal regarding the Arptirrors from genocide to enslavement, for Pipi'Loan had by this point developed the power to control the minds of the beasts. It is because of this change of plans that the Arptirror still exists; if the Anyugari had remained devoted to wiping them out, they would have succeeded under their new leadership. Though the process of their enslavement was interrupted by the initial downfall of the Anyugari Empire, he Arptirrors were all eventually brought under Pipi'Loan's control during the second incarnation of the Primal Deity, and many of them were used as war beasts during the Anyugari Empire's attempt to take over the galaxy. When Pipi'Loan was defeated and vanquished for a second time, the behavior of the creatures returned to normal.
The Arptirror's durability value ranges from 2,500–4,000.
• Beshonaut: The Beshonaut is a large but friendly beast whose outer body is made mostly of extremely tough brick–like matter that is the creature's equivalent to bone. Thus, it has an almost complete exoskeleton. The Beshonaut's flesh, which is exposed on its face and most parts of its arms, is bluish in color and is only moderately tough. It is a round creature with no head, somewhat similar in shape to a Mulshian, but wider, and it stands more than three meters tall. It is truly one of the hardiest creatures in the entire Prime Galaxy, with a staggering and downright extra–mortal durability value of 6,000, however its physical strength is not on par with its durability, and its arms are rather weak compared to the rest of its body, not to mention stubby. Beshonauts are simple creatures at heart, being peaceful herbivores whose only true defense mechanism is their sheer size, which deter potentially hostile creatures from attacking them; they will only ever even attempt to fight when threatened. There is nothing else on Crucbicile anywhere near the size of a Beshonaut, and the only local being that can truly pose a threat to one is Geoth'Einsin. Other physical features of Beshonauts include three tongues and constantly, brightly blushing cheeks.
The Beshonauts have historically been of great importance to the Adbamnants, the humanoids of Crucbicile. Early in the planet's history, many of the creatures, who dwell primarily in the same equatorial regions where Adbamnant society is centered, were domesticated by the humanoids and came to be used as beasts of burden that would carry around the belongings of their Adbamnant masters, who were originally nomads. Later, after the humanoids had developed past this wandering way of living and stopped using the creatures in this manner, the Beshonauts proved to be of use to them once again and in a completely different way when their brick–like bodily structures influenced the Adbamnants' castle–based architectural style that remains in use to this day.
• Lenahuchix: Another animal native to Meilbatsy, being that planet's largest common creature and also its most majestic. The Lenahuchix is a beautiful, technicolor mammal, whose most prominent colors are various shades of purple and pink. It stands on four legs, two in front and two in back, and has two very long, hairy arms. As is the case with only a few other creatures such as the Latpazat, the Lenahuchix has two hands that are completely different. One has long, blue, tentacle–like fingers covered with many suction cups, and the other consists of six sharp, concise claws of varying colors. As with the Latpazat, which hand is which is random and inconsistent. Other features of the Lenahuchix include a tail that spastically and randomly bounces and bobs around on its own, long and tall ears, three eyes in a triangle formation, the top one of which is of a different color than the others but whose pigment mirrors that of the creature's cheek–plates, and a pyramid–like structure on top of the head. Lenahuchi have tall, upright trunks, and stand about nine feet high on average. Their durability values range from 2,000 to 3,000, and they weigh several hundred pounds when full–grown, sometimes over one thousand.
Lenahuchi are very smart for animals, and are considered to be among the few sapient non–humanoids in nature. In particular, they have several distinct growls, roars and moans that appear to hold different general meanings and are used as signals. This behavior is dangerously close to qualifying as intelligent speech, which by definition is only supposed to be available to humanoids in nature (supernatural beings that speak, including certain angels and demons and most Primal Deities, are not counted by this rule, which comes from the Next Testament). They are also known to make very good use of their surroundings by using objects such as sticks and rocks as simple tools or even weapons, and have the capacity for emotion and attachment, caring fiercely for their young for the first five years of offsprings' lives, and remaining with their mates for the same amount of time. It has been observed that a Lenahuchix will only mate and create offspring with three other Lenahuchi in its lifetime, even though its lifespan (seventy years) would otherwise allow for more different matings than that based on how long they stay together. Speaking of the Lenahuchix's lifespan, when one is nearing a natural death, it will make a final migration to one of several barren spots on Meilbatsy, where it will die peacefully. These places are known as "Lenahuchix Graveyards", and they are recognizable by being full of the bones and decaying bodies of those that have gone to die there. It is unknown what drives Lenahuchi to accept death in such a ceremonious manner, for this behavior serves no apparent practical purpose.
• Tredewraif: A powerful and intelligent, yet monstrous in form, demon that is capable of suppressing its own energy signatures and thus passing through the Lower Dimensional Rift and into the Prime Galaxy with relative ease. Tredewraifs are darkly–colored arachnids with large wings allowing them to fly and hideous faces with empty, dead–looking eyes. They are not related in any way to the Nirtrid family, despite their similar form and name. They are "born" in midair of the thick soot and dust that floats about in the dark skies above the Cycian Deadlands, and from there they fly upwards directly toward the Lower Dimensional Rift. This behavior of naturally journeying to the Prime Galaxy rather than even trying to live in the Underworld is similar to that of the Goryshu, but even more accelerated, for Tredewraifs do this immediately upon their coming into existence, and do not need to develop at all, for they are born full–grown. A Tredewraif has one purpose in its existence, and one purpose only: to obstruct important routes in the mortal realm (such as roads, and entrances to settlements or treasure–filled caves) by occupying them and refusing passage to any and all travelers unless they can defeat them in some sort of game of the demon's choosing, either a common game or a cryptic riddle. After finding a place to occupy, the Tredewraif will stay there indefinitely, standing there as motionless as a statue until and unless approached by someone wishing to pass through. The creature will then announce, in its distinctive, strangely sophisticated–sounding and decidedly non–monstrous voice, that none may pass without solving its game, and if anyone tries to use force to get through, the Tredewraif will attempt to kill them, and usually be successful in doing so, with a large, parasite–like and necrotic tentacle with a sharp–toothed mouth that bursts from its head and tries to bite off the head of the defiant one in one fell swoop. It will also do the same to anyone who attempts to best it at its game and fails. This tentacle originates from a pocket dimension within the head of the Tredewraif, and rapidly extends to lengths of several hundred feet, making it very difficult if not impossible to save oneself if it is "sicced" on one. Even discounting its deadly tentacle, the Tredewraif is very powerful. It is more than eight feet tall with a wingspan of over sixteen feet, has a durability value of 4,000, and can attack by biting with its own mouth and with its many sharp legs. However, it will never attack unprovoked. When a Tredewraif's game is beaten, the demon will fall into utter despair and proceed to horribly self–cannibalize itself to death. But if no one is able to solve its game, it may be necessary to kill it the old fashioned way, which always requires several well–armed men to do and is never accomplished without casualties. No more than 144, or one "gross", Tredewraifs may exist at any one time.
Location: Parkhurst Road, Holloway, London N7, England
Date of Photograph: pm 17 September 2007
OS Grid Reference: TQ301855
Co-ordinates: 51:33:13N: 0:07:27W
Elevation: 40 meters
Until the end of the middle of the Nineteenth-Century the usual British punishment for serious offenders was transportation, a process that for much of history was considered more condign than death. Transportation involved shipping the miscreant to a remote colony, where they would be enslaved for between seven years and life. In wilderness destinations prisoners were usually simply abandoned to try conclusions with savages, wild animals or the weather: Some became millionaires, the vast majority promptly died.
By the 1870’s, the Australian Colonies had already been largely successful in stopping British forced migrations. Furthermore, British suffragists, mostly female, started a campaign of arson and public disorder in their quest for votes for women. Thirdly, in 1903, the ancient gaol of The City of London, Newgate, was demolished to make way for The Central Criminal Court, the almost equally notorious “Old Bailey”.
A need was established for a new gaol for the City, and by 1849 work had commenced on a mixed City of London House of Correction at Holloway, a mock-medieval castellated structure to the design of James Bunstone Bunning. This edifice inevitably became known as “Camden Castle”.
This first phase, completed in 1852, had three male wings and one for females and juveniles. It provided 436 cells at a cost of £91,547:10s:8d. During the 1880’s 340 new cells were added including a hospital wing.
Oscar Wilde was a celebrated Victorian inmate, but by 1903 Holloway was a female-only prison, the only secure penal institution for females in the UK. The British custom is to accommodate criminal women and girls in mental hospitals, but for the few hundred who pose a violent escape risk, or whose personal safety from outsiders is problematic, Holloway is the preferred receptacle.
Local suffragettes often found themselves in Holloway, rubbing shoulders with prostitutes who could often walk back to their beats within minutes of release.
But Holloway, which hanged five of the fifteen British women executed in the Twentieth-Century, soon developed a lurid reputation for some truly dangerous females, many of them minor European aristocrats.
It accommodated World War One IRA women Constance Markeivicz and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington; Pro-German spies Eva de Bournonville and Dorothy O’Grady ( both narrowly avoided the gallows ); prominent fascists Diana Mitford and her husband Sir Oswald Mosley, personal friends of Adolf Hitler; and the Nazi synagogue arsonist Francoise Dior, niece of couturier Christian Dior and sometime wife of British Nazi leader Colin Jordan. ( Even after the passage of forty-five years I remember clearly how this Dior woman scandalised London by attending her wedding naked except for a diaphanous gauze shift and indulging in a barbaric blood-mingling ritual with the groom ).
Until her death in 2002, Holloway was home to Manchester child-torturer and murderess Myra Hindley.
Forty-seven women waited in Holloway’s condemned cell. Forty, including 27 infanticides, were reprieved, one freed on appeal, and one sent to Broadmoor, a secure hospital for the criminally insane. The five others were hanged.
Curiously, the last two to hang, within two years of each other, committed their murders in Hampstead, a wealthy suburb an easy hour’s stroll from the prison.
The last British woman to hang was 28-year-old nightclub hostess Ruth Ellis who died on the gallows at Holloway on Wednesday 13 July 1955. She shot her boyfriend dead outside The Magdala tavern in nearly Gospel Oak. He had refused to keep her company over the Bank Holiday. Albert Pierrepoint, the last hangman, officiated. Sometime in 1967 the long drop apparatus was dismantled and its housing converted into a sewing room.
When the prison was rebuilt in 1970 the five bodies were exhumed and sent to unmarked graves at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, except for Ellis who was re-interred at St Mary’s, Amersham. It each case surviving relatives refused the remains.
This is my son Jeremy’s proposed cover for his book “A Self-Evident Lie: Southern Slavery and the Threat to American Freedom”. It is now listed on Amazon at a pre-publication price. It is one of a series of books being published by Kent State University. It is scheduled to be released November 30. www.amazon.com/Self-Evident-Lie-Southern-Slavery-American...
A Self-Evident Lie: Southern Slavery and the Threat to American Freedom
Jeremy J. Tewell PhD
A welcome addition to our understanding of northern antislavery and the rise of the Republican Party
If slavery was the beneficent and paternalistic institution that southerners claimed, could it not be applied with equal morality to whites as well as blacks? Republicans repeatedly expressed concern that proslavery arguments were not inherently racial. Anyone, irrespective of race, could fall victim to the argument that they were “inferior,” that they would be better off enslaved, that their enslavement served the interests of society, or that their subjugation was justified by history and religion.
In trenchant and graceful prose, Jeremy Tewell argues that some Republicans, most notably Abraham Lincoln, held that the only effective safeguard of individual liberty was universal liberty, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. As long as Americans believed that “all men” were endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, everyone’s liberty would be self-evident, regardless of circumstance. Conversely, the justifications invoked to exclude a segment of society from the rights of man destroyed the self-evidence of those rights. Having rejected the Declaration’s principle that all men are naturally free, Americans eliminated simple humanity as an unquestionable defense against oppression. And unless all men were assumed to be free because they were men, anyone, under the right circumstances, could be classified as weak or dangerous or inferior, and enslaved for those reasons.
This was a major theme in Lincoln’s campaign against Stephen A. Douglas and the introduction of popular sovereignty as the method for determining slavery’s status in the territories. According to Tewell, Lincoln’s greatest challenge was to convince northern audiences that simple indifference to slavery was itself inimical to the liberty of whites. The question, as Lincoln saw it, was whether liberty would be universal (at least in theory) or whether the justifications for black slavery would survive to threaten the liberty of all—a danger he pointed to repeatedly, as when he criticized Douglas for convincing the public not to care about slavery and for qualifying the Declaration of Independence, which he viewed as the only sure defense against circumstance and the self-interest of the powerful.
Jeremy J. Tewell is a Kansas USA native, his works have appeared in The Historian and Civil War History.
“For anyone interested in issues related to Lincoln, slavery, and the Civil War, Jeremy Tewell has provided an often elegant, always thoughtful intellectual feast.”
—Michael S. Green, College of Southern Nevada
The Amazon review says that Jeremy is assistant professor of history at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. That is not so. The job was eliminated due to state funding cuts. Our wonderful public servants politicians get up in front of crowds saying how important education is in keeping the USA on top then turn around and cut funding where only the wealthy can send their children to college. The governor of Kansas has completely cut funding for liberal arts education. The governor of Oklahoma has introduced legislation to lower income tax. How is she going to pay for it? Well of course by cutting funding to education.
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum was opened by Charles Pendleton, a lifelong Vicksburg resident and collector of Civil War artifacts. According to AP News, Pendleton’s desire to build a weapon collection slowly transformed after he discovered a bill of sale from 1848 listing a seven-year-old girl named Ella, enslaved for life. That shocking document helped shape his mission to tell a fuller story
Old Courthouse Museum
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
. His guiding motto—framed prominently in the museum—reads:
“Our goal is not to educate you; our aim is to inspire you to become more educated.”
vicksburgcivilwarmuseum.org
Pendleton does not shy away from asserting that slavery was the primary cause of secession and conflict—a stark contrast to more sanitized narratives. He offers no finger‑pointing or partisan rhetoric, but insists that slavery be addressed squarely
The Western Han dynasty Yangling mausoleum at Xianyang contains extensive statuary, mainly warriors from the Western Han Dynasty. These reflect the blend between the fluidity of human figures prevalent in the South, and the more rigid depictions in the North.
China has traditionally been known for the poor quality of its horses, a fact reflected in the equally poor performance of Chinese armies against the highly maneuverable nomadic barbarians of the Northern steppe, known in the traditional texts as "Xiongnu". Not until the height of Western Han power under Emperor Wu of Han (Han Wudi) were Chinese cavalry able to confront the Xiongnu in anywhere near equal terms. And therein lies a story.
In 138 BCE Han Wudi sent Zhang Qian, a diplomat, with 99 guards and advisers, as well as a Xiongnu prisoner guide, Ganfu to try to forge a military alliance with the Yuezhi, a large tribe defeated and driven West by the Xiongnu Confederation. Unfortunately, the perilous path West along the Northern Tarim Basin crossed through Xiongnu territory. Zhang Qiang's entourage was captured, and the diplomat was enslaved for ten years, gaining the trust of the Xiongnu leaders, before escaping West with Ganfu, a Xiongnu wife and a son.
There Zhang Qian managed to contact the Yuezhi, but was dismayed to find that they had no interest in restarting a war with the Xiongnu. Zhang Qian spent a year analyzing the peoples of Central Asia, including the Ferghana (Dayuan), the Yuezhi, the Daxia (Bactria), Shedu (India), Anxi (Parthia), Tiaozhi (Selecuid Empire), Kangju (Sogdiana) and the Yancai. Returning through the Southern Tarim Basin, Zhang Qian was again captured by the Xiongnu, who impressed by his loyalty to his duty, spared his life. Two years later, the Xiongnu leader died, and Zhang Qian escaped again, returning to China in 125 BCE with only Ganfu, and his wife and child. The mission he had been entrusted with 13 years earlier had failed.
However, disappointment in the court over the original mission was quickly replaced by amazement at Zhang Qian's report; great, advanced civilizations were located in the West, with beautiful objects, strange foods, and most importantly to Han Wudi, powerful horses. Further diplomatic missions soon led to contacts with India, the Parthian Empire and possibly even the Roman Empire. Zhang Qian is thus generally accepted as the creator of the legendary trade route known as the Silk Road. Ferghana horses were especially prized for their speed and power and Emperor Han Wudi specifically received 3000 horses and an agreement (after a brief but costly desert war) that Ferghana would to send to China two horses every year. In 89 BCE, led by cavalry equipped with such "Heavenly Horses", the Han armies finally broke the back of the Xiongnu Confederation, driving them westwards after the Battle of the Altai Mountains .
The Xiongnu Confederation has sometimes been called the "Huns", based on a early 20th century theory linking the retreating Xiongnu around 90 BCE with the Huns appearing in Europe in the 4th century. Despite some possible linguistic similarities, there is no consensus regarding those claims.
Asian Art Museum, Civic Center, San Francisco, California
Johnny is Don Juan!
Ten days before retirement, psychiatrist Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando) meets his next patient who challenges him to a duel. Dressed in full regalia of fabled Spanish seducer Don Juan DeMarco (Johnny Depp), the broken-hearted 21-year-old threatens suicide over his lost love Dona Ana. Dr. Mickler thinks fast, poses as Don Octavio De Flores, and talks him out of it. They strike a deal: Don Juan had 10 days to tell his story (in a great Spanish accent that Johnny modeled after Ricardo Mantalban by watching "Fantasy Island" reruns--I love that!). Then, Dr. Mickler must decide whether Don Juan's telling the truth or if he should be committed to a mental institution.
Along with Dr. Mickler, the hospital staff is soon transfixed by Don Juan, his story, and his views on love and life. Who can blame them? As Dr. Mickler says, "It's a wonderful world that he's in."
Johnny meets Marlon Brando!
Not only is the thought of Johnny portraying The World's Greatest Lover quite appealing, but this film also reunites Johnny with Faye Dunaway for the first time since Arizona Dream. The most exciting thing about this movie, though, is that Johnny costars with Marlon Brando! Recognizing the importance of this pairing, I was even more thrilled to learn that it was Johnny's idea to cast Marlon as the psychiatrist. (Imagine me nodding here, "Of course he did!") "Everybody looked at me like I was insane," Johnny says, "But he's the one I kept seeing in the role when I read the script." Although writer/director Jeremy Leven assumed there was no chance to cast Marlon Brando, he agreed to try anyway. "The next thing I know, I'm sitting in Marlon's living room, and we're making a movie," Leven remembers. "I think he really liked Johnny." (Imagine me nodding here, "Of course he did!")
The rest of the crew describes the experience as the passing of the torch from the greatest actor of one generation to the greatest actor of another. "I think Johnny is far and away the most talented of today's young actors," Jeremy Leven notes. "He is very much like Marlon on many fronts. They both have a 100% bull detector in that they know what is false and not working in a scene. They both have incredible instinct for knowing what writing is all about. And then, of course, they both have a lot of turmoil inside." Johnny takes a different view: "All the feelings are there--teacher and student, father and son. He's a hero."
Johnny and Marlon loved working together on this film. "The most important thing I learned from Marlon was to keep a straight face," Johnny says. "That became the objective in a lot of the scenes, to just be able to get through it without exploding. Marlon is hilarious." They enjoyed a similar sense of humor and remained close friends until Marlon's death 10 years later. Can you imagine? Once the film was released, Johnny had to respond to constant questions about his relationship with the screen legend. Early on, he mentioned that his sister heard a phone message from Marlon on his answering machine once. Her comment: "Your life is so surreal...."
Don Juan is contagious.
Don Juan DeMarco will make you happy. This film has a special spirit and sweetness with really funny moments that the whole family can enjoy. (Mine did.) Whether you believe Don Juan's story or not, you can't help but want become part of his world or--at least--appreciate love a little more than you did before.
(Be warned, like Benny and Joon, Don Juan DeMarco includes another infectious song, Bryan Adams's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman." It will get--Great, it's stuck in my head.)
The Kitties feel the love....
My favorite scene in this movie is the one in which Johnny isn't being Don Juan. But I lost the vote to draw that. When your subject is The World's Greatest Lover, you have to acknowledge all of his conquests--despite the daunting task of portraying 1,501 cats.
So, here, Don Juan is in session with Dr. Mickler (Norman). They are discussing his escape from the harem in which he was enslaved for 2 years. While Don Juan describes bidding adios to his many lovers, I imagine this tale may have sparked other romantic notions in Dr. Mickler. He may not realize it yet, but inspiration is brewing. Soon, he'll learn of Don Juan's true love Dona Ana, and Dr. Mickler will book a flight with his wife (The Mother Kitty) and ex-patient to the Island of Eros, where Dona Ana has vowed to wait through all eternity for Don Juan's return.
Do you think she's still there? Do you see yourselves waltzing on the beach with The Micklers now too? Why not?
Next month, Johnny's late for an appointment.
Johnny loses the accent and plays an accountant. Set your watch for action/thriller Nick of Time.
For more images from Don Juan De Marco and Johnny Kitties, visit Melissa's Kitties' blog: melissaconnolly.blogspot.com.
nrhp # 66000357- Henry Clay Home- Henry Clay came to Lexington, Kentucky from Virginia in 1797. He began buying land for his plantation in 1804. The Ashland farm—which during Clay's lifetime was outside of the city limits—at its largest consisted of over 600 acres (240 ha). It is unclear whether Clay named the plantation or retained a prior name, but he was referring to his estate as "Ashland" by 1809. The name derives from the ash forest that stood at the site. Clay and his family resided at Ashland from c. 1806 until his death in 1852 (his widow Lucretia Clay moved out in 1854). Given his political career, Clay spent most of the years between 1810-1829 in Washington, DC. He was a major planter, owning up to 60 slaves to operate his plantation.
Among the slaves were Aaron and Charlotte Dupuy, and their children Charles and Mary Ann. Clay took them with him to Washington, DC. Their lives have recently gained new recognition in an exhibit at the Decatur House,[3] where they served Henry Clay for nearly two decades. In 1829, 17 years before the more famous Dred Scott challenge, Charlotte Dupuy sued Henry Clay for her freedom[3] and that of her two children in Washington circuit court. She was ordered to stay in Washington while the court case proceeded, and lived there for 18 months, working for Martin Van Buren, the next Secretary of State. Clay took Aaron, Charles and Mary Ann Dupuy with him when he returned to Ashland. When the court ruled against Dupuy and she would not return voluntarily to Kentucky, Clay's agent had her arrested. Clay had Dupuy transported to New Orleans and placed with his daughter and son-in-law, where she was enslaved for another decade. Finally in 1840 Clay freed Charlotte and Mary Ann Dupuy, and in 1844 freed her son Charles Dupuy.[4]
Clay had divided the Ashland estate among three sons. After Clay's death, son James Brown Clay owned and occupied Ashland proper and a surrounding approximately 325-acre (132 ha) tract. James Clay rebuilt the house and his family resided there until his death in 1864.[2] His widow Susan Jacob Clay put the estate up for sale in 1866.
Kentucky University purchased Ashland and used it as part of its campus.[2] University founder and regent John Bryan Bowman occupied the mansion.[2] The Agricultural and Mechanical College (Kentucky A & M) was situated on Clay's former farm. Kentucky University split into what became Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky, and sold Ashland in 1882.[2]
Henry Clay's granddaughter Anne Clay McDowell and her husband Henry Clay McDowell purchased the estate (consisting of approximately 325 acres (132 ha) and outbuildings). They moved in with their children in 1883. Their eldest daughter Nannette McDowell Bullock continued to occupy Ashland until her death in 1948. She founded the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, which purchased and preserved Ashland. The historic house museum opened to the public in 1950.[2]
from Wikipedia
A Greek Fisherman brings an Atlantean Princess back to her homeland which is the mythical city of Atlantis. He is enslaved for his trouble. The King is being manipulated by an evil sorcerer who is bent on using a natural resource of Atlantis to take over the world. The Atlanteans, or rather the slaves of Atlantis, are forced to mine a crystalline material which absorbs the suns rays. These crystals can then be used for warmth. The misuse of science has created weapons out of the crystals that can fire a heat ray to destroy whatever it touches.
Because of no landing gear, The Beskar Lady is forced to dock on space ports, the use this for transportation.
Made by the finest Mandalorian
ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Probably one of my favorite parts, took a little bit of time to do, but was definitely worth it.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Life before the #Pandemic has gone away for ever now we are facing wave after wave ..rich poor coward and brave ..some invoke #YaAliMadad others #Harharmahadev... be it the #crematorium or the #grave to a #deathlyvirus we are all #enslaved,..for #healinghands we crave t.co/H0pdC5X4hM
Horses, merely due to their species, have a much better chance of a decent life and freedom from early slaughter. Most people around here are very much appalled by the idea of horse slaughter or the consumption of horses, and yet have no problem with the slaughter and consumption of cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, fish, and many other animals. Why? Moral compartmentalization. Horses are individuals. Cows are things. Horses are "pets". Pigs are "food". Horses have moral value. Turkeys are just products you buy at the store. Horses are companions and friends. Chickens are mere commodities.
Yes, horses are often exploited for human use too, as vehicles, load pullers, cow domination, entertainment in racing and jumping, but humans have far more moral consideration for horses than they do towards animals who are more commonly enslaved for consumption (either of their flesh or their by-products). Horses are seen as "superior". This is speciesism - discrimination based on species. Other animals value their lives just as much as horses do. It doesn't matter how visually appealing someone is or how useful they are as a "pet", what matters is that that someone is a sentient being. And the animals we enslave, torture, torment, confine, mutilate, and kill for food, clothing, and experimentation are every bit as sentient as the horses many of us love so much. They are just as sentient as we humans. And we ALL deserve respect and the right to not be treated as property. We ALL have the right not to be subjected to unnecessary harm for the pleasures and conveniences of humans.
If you're not vegan, please go vegan! It can be very beneficial for your health and the planet, but the most important thing is that it is the morally right thing to do. Being vegan is the LEAST we can do if we respect all sentient beings.
The Beskar Lady specializes in the smuggling of drugs and outlawed droid parts.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
The control tower, contains a chair, and controls.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Group of Recently Freed 24 hrs before TRNS arrived - brought out to field by local cattlemen under a local agreement - local peace agreement signed in 1991 and 92 between Arabs and Dinka on Darfur / South Sudan border - boys did not know they would be freed - many were enslaved for up to 15 years - each in mid to late teens - each slave traded for cow vaccine
From left to right, John, Lobentz, Ron, Lewena, and L€WIS.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Containing only one engine in the beginning, this ship's engines have gradually multiplied.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
The control tower, contains a chair, and controls.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Made by the finest Mandalorian ship-makers out of the metal beskar, The Beskar Lady has a crew of five fearless smugglers. The captain, Ron Barsinki, comes from a long line of smugglers, and inherited the ship from his father. Ron’s left eye was shot out by a blaster in a scuffle with an unhappy customer, and since has not been replaced. Ron met his wife Lewena on his third smuggling trip, (these tough customers didn’t stop at goods, they also smuggled people for a time) and immediately fell in love with his bounty, which was never delivered. After this incident, The Beskar Lady no longer carried humanoid bounty. Ron’s right hand man and pilot, L€WIS, is a feisty man reminiscent of a bear, L€WIS is a hot-shot with his pistol, but prefers hand-to-hand combat. The other two crewmen, John Harsinki and Lobentz Trionlo III, were not initially part of the crew, but were saved from a nasty customer who had enslaved them. Ron wouldn’t have gotten involved, but the customer refused to pay for the smuggled goods. Ron left, and came back at night, the slaves were gone the next morning, and the customer was found dead in his sleeping chambers. John and Lobentz are loyal crewmen, but aren’t the best with weapons, expected for men who have been enslaved for their whole life. Overall, The Beskar Lady, though not the fastest ship, was one of the most trusted smuggling ships in the galaxy.
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!