Cetacean

This one really goes places. I tried splitting the different sections out into their own songs but none of them worked out. I think there’s a reasonable flow from one section to another, so it doesn’t seem too odd unless you directly compare the final section with the introduction. As you can imagine from the title and the atmosphere of the introduction this started out inspired by “Leviathan” but then it diverges pretty wildly and the QOTSA-with-double-kick drums aren’t like anything Mastodon would ever do.

Gear-wise, I’m continuing to explore using the Solar 8-string and my RG7620 for rhythm parts. In guitar-based instrumental music, there’s an awful lot of competition for the mid-range and perhaps even more at the low end. Using lower-tuned instruments for the rhythm parts frees up space for the lead, but it does tend to clash with the bass. However, extended-range instruments make it easier to write two different rhythm parts which complement each other rather than just double-tracking everything again.

The lead parts make heavy use of the Sustainiac system, both for “feedback” effects and also just as a slight extra boost. I think the tonality of the Evolution bridge pickup, which is voiced to bring out harmonics, goes very well with the Sustainiac and it’s still quite odd to me that there isn’t a production JEM equipped with the system, especially given that the JS has had one for years.