We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Dark Monarchy

by The Dark Monarchy

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $5 CAD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Get the debut album from The Dark Monarchy on CD (DigiPak). Comes with a 4 page booklet. Designed by Ste Holland

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Dark Monarchy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days

      $8 CAD or more 

     

1.
Joy Ride 06:58
Another day begins, another tragedy upon our streets.
 A man is left for dead, nobody has a thing to say.
 We've heard this all before, it's just another settled score.
 When will this madness end? We have to find a way. But lunacy controls the minds of the blind,
 That lunacy will preach a reason and rhyme.
 Where's this redemption? 
There's no teaching old dogs.
 A eulogy designed from horror and fright,
 A eulogy that should have never seen light,
 There's no direction,
There's no teaching old dogs. Another school day ends, time to be with family and friends.
 But on this Wednesday night, we hear the sound of bullets fly.
 It's time to make a stand, take these issues in our hands.
 Before it is too late, and we dig another grave. But lunacy controls the minds of the blind,
 That lunacy will preach a reason and rhyme.
 Where's this redemption? 
There's no teaching old dogs.
 A eulogy designed from horror and fright,
 A eulogy that should have never seen light,
 There's no direction,
There's no teaching old dogs. They're digging graves for precious freedom,
 We cannot save what won't be saved.
 We cannot save what won't be saved. They are slaves to so-called freedom,
 The doltish brain is easily swayed.
 The doltish brain is easily swayed. Broken yet flawless, open yet closed.
 Risen yet fallen, naked yet clothed.
 Heavy yet weightless, steady yet weak.
 Able yet brainless, stubborn yet meek. Open your eyes and open your hearts.
 Your weapon of choice is tearing us apart.
 Swallow your egos, swallow your pride.
 Heal the future, quit this joyride. Will the story change? Will we have the strength to find a way,
 To leave this all behind, and have some hope in futurekind? 
The power's in our hands, to raise our voice and make a stand. 
What does the future hold? Will our young ever grow old?

 Open your eyes and open your hearts.
 Your weapon of choice is tearing us apart.
 Swallow your egos, swallow your pride. 
Heal the future, quit this joyride.
2.
Fool's Gold 07:55
I can seize, I can freeze more than I require,
 I'll bury you under these shelves.
 We convene every day in a quenchless fire,
 It's every man for himself.
 I can't fight this irrational desire,
I need and therefore I shall have.
 We'll complain that the world has gone haywire,
 Then burn everyone in our path. We won't do as we're told,
 What a sight to behold. And we follow the cluster because we have to,
 They panic and we follow suit. 
And we swim through the hot water together, 
Bathing in bitter dispute. 
Now that I cannot leave I can feel the twitching, 
I won't do what I have been told. 
I can feel the revulsion, hear the bitching, 
No fucks for the young nor the old. We won't do as we're told, What a sight to behold. Open a hole in the ground, make a pit for all the
 Fools who don't know how to turn around,
 In a broken era.
 Digital faces and sounds, they are here but not here,
 Before we can breathe, we must drown, 
Let's not wash ourselves away. Waiting and praying for headaches of old.
 Yearning and craving our fool's gold. I can't fight this irrational desire,
 I need and therefore I shall have.
 We'll complain that the world has gone haywire,
 Then burn everyone on our path. We won't do as we're told, 
What a sight to behold. Open a hole in the ground, make a pit for all the
 Fools who don't know how to turn around,
 In a broken era.
 Digital faces and sounds, they are here but not here,
 Before we can breathe, we must drown, 
Let's not wash ourselves away. Waiting and praying for headaches of old.
 Yearning and craving our fool's gold.
3.
Mother Earth 08:36
Wait for me, play with me. 
Stay with me, pray for me. I spin you 'round and give you life,
 I've watched you grow and helped you fly.
 We spin around with common eyes,
 Uncommon minds, and now I'm wasting away.
 I've given you this wonderland,
 I wish that you could understand.
 My heart is breaking everyday,
 You build decay and I am fading away. And I don't know if it's too late.
 I must hope and I must wait. Fill my lungs with poison,
 Ravage the horizon,
 Voice your blind annoyance,
 Change the world in silence.
 Burn me 'til I'm blistered,
 Broken and bewildered,
 No more than a whisper,
 Roll me up in glitter. I am missing legs and you're polishing my toes. Fill my lungs with poison,
 Ravage the horizon, 
Voice your blind annoyance,
 Change the world in silence.
 Burn me 'til I'm blistered,
 Broken and bewildered,
 No more than a whisper,
 Roll me up in glitter. Wait for me, play with me.
 Stay with me, pray for me. And I don't know if it's too late.
 I must hope and I must wait. You melt me down and it goes on and on and on and on and on.
 You play around and it goes on and on and on and on and on.
 You're making a fool out of me, 
 You're making a fool, out of me. I am missing roots and your watering the leaves. I spin you 'round and give you life,
 I've watched you grow and helped you fly.
 We spin around with common eyes,
 Uncommon minds, and now I'm wasting away.
 I've given you this wonderland,
 I wish that you could understand.
 My heart is breaking everyday,
 You build decay and I am fading away. Wait for me, pray for me. I am missing legs and you're polishing my toes, 
I am missing roots and your watering the leaves.


4.
We're leaving you for good, now we're left behind.
 Like a soul for sale with a new design. Take this precious island in your hands,
 And bury it deep into the sand. Misinformed, misaligned, paralyzed. 
Victimized, or maligned and despised. Plant your dearest tongue where the jingoes play.
 Watch the growing young learn the jingo's way. Disrespect, disappoint, disregard.
Disembark, disappear and discard. We say our last goodbyes and depart for good.
 No one knows the way, no one understood. But I'm sure that your pride will lead the way.
 Down a jilted road on a desperate day. Ill-advised, undiscerned and deceived.
 Well disguised, well conceived, well believed. Break us down 'til there's nothing left.
 Watch us drown at our own request. Brains filled with senseless germs,
 Breeding like mealworms.
 Replacing clowns with further clowns,
 The wheels on the bus go down, down, down, down, down... You can't fall when you reach the end,
 You can't fall from the ground. Wait for me, I'm not ready.
 I'm feeling so unsteady.
 Wait for me, I'm not ready, 
Don't leave me, please don't leave me here... Take this precious island in your hands,
 And bury it deep into the sand. Misinformed, misaligned, paralyzed.
 Victimized, or maligned and despised. But I'm sure that your pride will lead the way.
 Down a jilted road on a desperate day. Ill-advised, undiscerned and deceived.
 Well disguised, well conceived, well believed.
5.
You're lying in the doorway,
 You're trying to crack a smile.
 You're dying on a good day,
 Like a pet thrown to the wild. You see the parade of painful splendour,
 These heartless, thankless bitter-enders. We can't see, we can't see you.
 We can't feel, we can't feel you.
 We can't hear, we can't hear you.
 We won't see, we won't see you. You're causing an obstruction,
 A reminder we don't need.
 We don't want a discussion,
 Roll over and concede. You feel your body crash and wither,
 You shower in the rains of winter. We can't see, we can't see you.
 We can't feel, we can't feel you.
 We can't hear, we can't hear you.
 We won't see, we won't see you. There's a beam above your head,
 That's a perfect space to make a bed. 
They'll paint your faces on the walls,
 And that is progress afterall. We can't see, we can't see you.
 We can't feel, we can't feel you.
 We can't hear, we can't hear you.
 We won't see, we won't see you. You've found your burrow,
 You've found a hole you can call your own.
 Sleep through tomorrow,
 On your new throne by the road.
 You've found your burrow,
 You've found a hole you can call your own.
 Sleep through tomorrow,
 You've found a tomb you can call your home.


6.
When we lock ourselves away,
 For the good of every day.
 When we hide ourselves away,
 It's hard to fight the disarray.
 When we're handed binding chains,
 To lock tight around our veins.
 When they take away our choice,
 They don't take away our voice. We're left to linger, hang by a finger,
 And made to feel like someone else.
 Searching for ardour, it just gets harder,
 When your eyes see something else. When they beg us to remain,
 They can't help us kill the pain.
 When they need us to restrain, 
They can't cultivate the brain.
 We could dig the perfect grave, 
Or we could make the perfect save,
 We could die inside this cage,
 Or embrace the future days. We're left to linger, hang by a finger,
 And made to feel like someone else.
 Searching for ardour, it just gets harder,
 When your eyes see something else. We are, stronger, than we will ever know.
 We are, braver, that we could ever know. Open your eyes. Open your minds. We can endure this solitude.
 One day within the multitude. We're left to linger, hang by a finger,
 And made to feel like someone else.
 Searching for ardour, it just gets harder,
 When your eyes see something else.

about

This is the debut album from The Dark Monarchy. A joining of two musicial people, Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey. While they live thousands of miles apart (Mark in Canada and Joe in England), their approach in songwriting is almost of one mind. A combination of progressive metal..with elements of power metal, symphonic metal and a pinch of pop. Both Mark and Joe have said that this album was incredibly easy and fun to write...so much so that there will be more releases from this duo.
The reaction to this album from the advance copies that were sent out is excellent..here are a few comments :

"Melodically powerful and musically uncompromising, the Dark Monarchy gives you 45 minutes of compelling music. The subject matter is timely, but lyrically the song is never preachy."
- Preston Frazier - SOMETHINGELSEREVIEWS.COM

"Great album! Refreshing to hear heavy prog based around good songwriting. The sound is very unique with great vocals and great drum grooves. Also lots of variety between the songs"
- Fernando Perdomo - guitarist for Dave Kerzner Band and world famous record producer and songwriter.

"Mark's prog-metal trajectory collides with Joe Baily's voyage into melody and orchestration. Themes of survival, homelessness, and greed give this debut album social relevance, while the inherent flexibility in the two artists allow all boats to rise."
-Ken Gregory from the Progressive Palaver Podcast

"Mark and Joe bring their progressive rock sensibilities together to build an album that exceeds the sum of their parts. Rich guitar textures, melodic orchestrations, and relevant lyrics move this album into the "Must listen to" category in 2020."
-Paul Zotter from the Progressive Palaver Podcast

credits

released June 12, 2020

**All Songs are in High Res 24bit/48kHz**

Produced by: Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey
Engineered by: Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey
Recorded at : The Almighty Blue Room Studio, Brampton, Ontario, Canada and at Cotswold Studios, UK
Mixed and Mastered by: Mark Anthony K at The Almighty Blue Room Studio, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Cover Art by: Ste Holland
Song Registered with SOCAN

Mark Anthony K: All Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Drums, Mini Moog Solo, and Vocals
Joe Bailey: All Bass Guitars, Keyboards, Lead and Backing Vocals and Drums and Orchestrations.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

The Dark Monarchy Brampton, Ontario

The Dark Monarchy consists of Mark Anthony K (Projekt Gemineye) and Joe Bailey (Joe Bailey). After contributing some vocals to the latest Projekt Gemineye album, Mark and Joe decided to work on some songs together. The results were so good they decided that it would be a shame not to form a band and release them. With that said...so begins The Dark Monarchy. ... more

contact / help

Contact The Dark Monarchy

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like The Dark Monarchy, you may also like: