Hi! When I joined this campaign and learned of the song and its intended role as the ending of Dystopia, I finally decided to read the Ray Bradbury book “Fahrenheit 451” that the concept is based on. I have read dystopian literature before, most notably “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, many years ago – and it’s still wrenching my soul in all its hopelessness and intellectual darkness. Still, I recommend it as highly as I can.

Years later, thanks to Christopher Hitchens and his “Why Orwell Matters”, I read “Animal Farm” and of course “1984”. These also sit firm inside my being like a shaking real-life experience. I thought I might be well prepared for “Fahrenheit 451”, but it surprised me with its originality. The horrible mood is recognizable, but the story is different.

I won’t elaborate further, but to state that it is now together with “1984” and “We” as part of an important triangle of warnings against what a society will evolve into if any of the totalitarian extremes come into power – and yes, I am looking at far left and far right wingers equally. It’s not really a line with these two as far away from each other as possible, but a circle where those ends blend together, both as far away from the middle ground as possible.

Understanding Dystopia: My Track-by-Track Take

I realized I needed to understand “Dystopia” better, and I decided to sit down with both albums and my fresh memory of the book.

Here is my take on it all, track by track. I limit myself to avoid serving up spoilers, as I really want anyone reading this far to read the book. How much you ever might enjoy the Dystopia albums now, you’ll appreciate them more.

Inception °F451

“Paper will self-ignite between 424 and 475 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on conditions.”

Ray Bradbury chose a good number in the middle somewhere, with just the right kind of specificity to add mystery. Read the quote at the start of the booklet and heed his words. This intro describes key scenes in the book, and the grandeur of the firemen, in their own admission, as well as the majestic nature of an undertaking like these albums.

Burn

Takes me back to the beginning of the book, though it certainly fits the general state of things – what happens all the time. Lyrically, I was struck by the lines

“…got eaten by flames, but nobody will know their names”

and the brilliantly brutal

“Legends and tales that we are all set to unlearn”.

The song is as harsh as its topic, both in vocals and music. Fire, with a false sense of cleansing, is used to suppress knowledge and maintain social conformity. A perfect start.

The Art of Dying

The guitars and keyboards in the verses are gorgeous, and the chorus is fantastic. And somehow, through this beauty, the dystopian mood is painted with masterful strokes. Keeping with the metaphor, the music towards the end is painting the chaos of desperation in the inferno. Many things are dying here, and not only literally. Montag has been dying for a long time, thought by thought. But then…

I Used to Walk Alone

My favourite duet for decades. Love to hear Mark Boals sing Royal Hunt songs, and Alexandra sets up the stage for his dramatic side. (André always got something more out of him.) Her effort here is pure brilliance. Together, they are perfectly describing the emerging soulful, intellectual though non-romantic relationship between Montag and Clarisse. His life before meeting her is over. The emotional isolation is ripped apart. And the rain, is there hope in how it’s fighting fire? Or is it easier to hide in the rain? I don’t think my mind will ever stop wandering through the dimly lit corridors of this story.

The Eye of Oblivion

The surveillance state erasing identity and history. While manipulating people and keeping them in a constant state of distraction, so no actual thinking will be done. Vocally, D.C.Cooper manages to portray a desperation in the line

“The day will come – you’ll see, my son”.

I don’t know why, but the way he sings “my son” is like cold fingers tearing at my soul. This is musical magic. The chorus is great. This line got me:

“Nobody’s safe enough to stray away a little from the pack”.

Terrible.

Hound of the Damned

The mechanical music and sounds portray the relentlessness of the metallic ‘servants’ of the state police. Another great song. Lyrically, I have to mention this:

“Now you’re ceasing to be – a teardrop in the sand.”

Absolute genius picture. Can it get grimmer and more futile? But then also:

“Empire’s weaker than it claims”.

Some are still brave enough to fight, if nothing else, for their life.

The Missing Page (Intermission I)

Heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Clarisse is gone. I think I will leave it at that.

Black Butterflies

The remnants of forbidden knowledge fluttering skyward. A tragic inversion of beauty. Delicate shapes that once held meaning, reduced to soot. A poetic irony, where butterflies, forever the symbol of rebirth, transformation and hope, are now ghosts of lost ideas. Superb, distinct verses that I am so happy that DC sings, move into a bridge that elegantly takes us to perhaps the strongest chorus since “A Life to Die For”. The lyrics are especially elegant; rolling off the tongue, in a way. This is a stunning track.

Snake Eyes

Is it two ones on a pair of dice? Bad gamble. Or is Montag deceived by a snake? I can’t get over what a brilliant album this is. Another superb SONG. That the lyrics and the music have a deeper meaning than most people would even consider is the icing on an already wonderful cake. The verse melody and the chorus are both absolutely remarkable. Love the intensity added by Boals.

Midway (Intermission II)

Beautiful. A little hint at one of Royal Hunt’s most special moments. For me, the first I ever heard from them. I believe this is a moment where Montag is between two worlds. A pause after all the chaos and before the unknown battle ahead.

Midway (Resumption)

I wondered if this was vinyl or crackle from a bonfire. Book people? The music somewhat silently picks up where the last album left off.

Thorn in My Heart

Great opener. Energetic, melodic, deep. I have to quote the first few lines of the lyrics:

“A day like this you can’t erase, you can’t dismiss a Judas kiss
Got caught off-guard, betrayed and permanently scarred, it hit so hard
May the bridge you burned behind you kindly light your way
May your sin remain and let you live another day
while you’re fading away”

Whhooaahh.. you know? I think Montag gets energy from the pain. Clarisse, Mildred… He wants what’s real. However much it might hurt. Listening to the solo trade-offs, I realize something, but I’ll get back to that.

The Key of Insanity

The chaotic recital of the Ray Bradbury quote at the start of the booklet. The syrupy slow groove that appears intermittently pictures the agonizingly slow struggle against the inertia of ignorance and madness. I think you will have to be insane to go up against the state. But in a different way than the idiocy they have tried to impregnate into every citizen. I believe he implies that he will use their own weapons against them; the same instruments for limiting people’s knowledge, he will use to spread knowledge, so everyone will know.

“A scary sound in the key of your insanity.”

This will resonate, right? A very good song with great vocals all around. I think it’s a fine quality in a song that it is distinct, and this one is, both in arrangement and melody.

Live Another Day

Love the arpeggiated keyboard with the drums. And then some essential RH arrangements. Wonderful verses and bridges, and a chorus worthy of the “ABBA albums of RH” – “A Life to Die For” and “Show Me How to Live”. Praise does not come higher with regards to song writing than elevation to ABBA comparison. Something magical was going on in mr.Andersen’s mind around that time. And here. For a song about escape, its message is a sense of strong support from the universe. One of DC’s finest moments. And the song won’t let go. It’s playing on my mind every day.

The Purge

A violent cleansing of both Montag’s inner world, and… There is an irony in how the Black Butterflies theme reprises. The music had me thinking of “Martial Arts”, without it being similar. I love this passage. It really does the job depicting something important in the book, which I won’t mention to avoid ruining the experience of reading it for the first time.

One More Shot

Among the most haunting lyrics of the concept. And set to another of those uniquely Andre Andersen choruses that in a sane world would secure the band a smash hit around the globe. It’s not happy. Music shouldn’t be. Art shouldn’t be. But it’s hopeful, which adds to the yearning. Mark Boals must be mentioned, again. I feel this is a celebration of the resilience of ideas; of the human spirit’s refusal to be extinguished.

Scream of Anger

(a; Hit and Run)
Love the instrumentation in the beginning. Then, later, ferocious keyboard solos the like we first heard from Andre Andersen on “Paper Blood” – another Bradbury inspired moment. Hm.

(b; The Thrill of the Chase)
Perhaps my favourite song off the album. DC’s finest moments.

“…undone”

is so empty yet heartfelt. Very strange and strong effect. Storywise, I think everything has come to a head. Voices must be raised. The furious energy of pent-up anger against the state and everything that has been stolen, ruined and smothered, not to mention, burned. I think revenge is only a small part of it. But the numbness is gone. Intellect and emotion unite in defiance. This whole track is so rewarding to listen to that it could have gone one for another fourteen minutes and I wouldn’t complain. Raw emotional energy goes a long way.

Left in the Wind

Majestic. I feel the weariness mixed with relief. The hope tempered by doubt. It’s a fragile moment, for all the firepower that led there. I really can’t say more about the lyrical meaning as I interpret it without spoiling. But black butterflies, torn pages, voices, and lives alike may all be in the wind; carried or scattered; held aloft or lost.

Resurrection F451

Fire is now not only destruction but is a symbol of transformation. The way has been cleared. Something will rise from the ashes. The music ends on a mysterious note.

All in All

What an amazing pair of albums; a concept; a body of work! The amount of brilliant music at such depth of detail; the amount of care that has gone into every frequency emanating from the speakers?! I can only thank you, André, and all your Hunters, for what you bring to my life.

I am now very ready to receive the EP in the mail. It just got harder to wait.

End Notes

My interpretations are my own. I could be wrong on some or all points. I have tried to keep this short, if you can believe that. There are singers I have not mentioned, and that is not because I don’t think they contribute to the whole, but because I am not entirely sure which one of them I am listening to at any given moment. DC and Mark I will always recognize.

Though I think too much is made of comparisons in music, I guess I should touch on the subject of Part I vs. Part II, if only because it’s out there, being discussed. It seems there’s a sentiment of “Part II didn’t quite live up to Part I”. To me, “Dystopia, Part II” does have only one “problem”, and that is called “Dystopia, Part I”. This “problem”, however, is solved by “Live Another Day”, “One More Shot” and “Scream of Anger” – among others.

In the end, the converse is as true: “Dystopia, Part I” has one problem, called “Dystopia, Part II”. And the absurdity of comparisons like this should be apparent. Is the music world a better place for the existence of both? Yes! Well, then… There is no problem.