NIGHTMARE TOYS

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

DYSTERSOL

The whole album takes place during the Five Ages of Man described by Hesoid, Ovid and
other ancient Greek writers. The tracks focus on the Iron Age, the last age of humanity, where
people live in misery and kill each other for literally nothing.
The stories wander through time, leaving one constant element: beings falling from grace
while trying to achieve progress and knowledge for Mankind. From Prometheus (“the one
who stole the flame”, “the bringer of fire” in tracks) over the snake in paradise, to the
Morning Star (“the shining one”). In the end, as described in Ovid’s Ages of Man, humanity
is not able to handle these technical progresses, thus leading to the Fifth Age.
The Album introduces an allegoric figure which is referred to many times throughout the
tracks: The Winterking. A king for one winter, rising with a blaze, disappearing again soon,
waiting on frozen plains for his return. Referring to Prometheus and the Morning Star, it is
based on the historical figure of Frederik V, representing a quick rise and having enormous
impact on the whole world, even though everybody already knows that the time for this
person is restricted.
However, the album is not about retelling mythological stories, but on connoting their
meaning to modern times and personal concerns. As a consequence, the tracks leave a lot of
room for interpretation, and many lyrics can be transferred to refer to one’s personal situation.
In the end, the album leaves an oppressive and concerning connotation: The world in its Fifth

Age is fucked up. Egoistic motives have destroyed the whole planet for decades, and
exploited people at the end of the food chain hunt each other down for worthless things.
Trying to get mankind any step further by technical progress and knowledge makes no sense
directly in front of the cliff. So either let’s find a way out or simply decide to have a good
time amongst the ruins.

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