This was one of the first Reinvision songs, with it’s origins dating back to March of 2004. This is currently slated to be track 1 on the album “Hindsight”.
(The following was originally posted in a track by track breakdown on the Reinvision Substack page on Dec, 28 2022. Original post here: Under The Knife – Substack Track Breakdown Entry)
Background
Under The Knife was one of the earliest Reinvision songs. The seeds of this song were the Verse and Chorus riffs. I had come up with these riffs back when I was in Tucson, dating back to March of 2004. When Mikey joined up with James and I in 2005, this was one of the first songs we started working on together. We expanded on the riffs, turning it into an Intro/Verse/Pre-Chorus/Chorus type thing. A little while later we came up with the idea of having a middle break as an escape from the heavy feel of the rest of the song.
The break we came up with was a result of a number of improvised jams, and we sort of pieced the good bits together as we went. Mikey brought up the idea of the initial change sort of sounding like being put under anesthesia, and this developed into the idea of the whole track now sort of representing going in for surgery. Starting out with something wrong, tension building, going under, having a wild trip, and then coming out stronger than before. I also believe Mikey coined the phrase “Under The Knife”.
Since I was intimately familiar with all of that, having just battled testicular cancer a few years earlier, I took it upon myself to write the lyrics and the story.
Once we pinned down the arrangement, it was one of the more regularly played songs by us, even if it was never played with vocals.
Demos
Here is a band rehearsal run through of the song from May 4, 2005 with James, Mikey, and myself. I believe this was at the rehearsal room in Woodbridge that was primarily used by James’ other MetalCore band. Keep in mind this was recorded with a single mic off to the side of the room (i.e., not great quality), and there is no bass. You’ll hear a few differences from the “final” version that made it into the recorded demo, but overall the guts of the song are intact.
In 2007, we started a “good” recorded version as a demo. I initially programmed the drums, wrote the tempo track, we tracked Mikey’s keyboards, and I tracked bass and guitar.
The current demo is all of those 2007 tracks, but with drums I mildly refreshed around 2012, and slight tweaking of EQs and the mix to make it palatable for re-tracking, and to present to other musicians in a listenable fashion.
For the album, I will be re-recording all of the guitar and bass tracks. As of late 2022, I do have the re-recorded drums, performed by Paul Simmons. The keyboard tracks will be the only thing that carry over into the final version, as Mikey nailed them!
Also as of late 2022, this is slated to be track 1 on the upcoming album “Hindsight”.
Lyrics
Also, here are the lyrics for the song. The vocals aren’t in the recording at this time, but hopefully the lyrics and final version come together in early 2023. As a disclaimer, depending on how this comes together when tracking with the singer, some of these lyrics may change to a degree.
Under The Knife – Lyrics:
Woke up this morning and everything was wrong
Somehow I knew that I’d never be the same
Fearing that the end may not be so long
Can I even be saved?
Left unbelieving
With this terminal feeling
I fear, I sweat, I lie in pain
It’s like there’s no way out
This time, this once, this is the way
I must survive without
Never been so scared before
Don’t know if I’ll make it out alive
Each moment counting backwards
Until I’m Under The Knife
I stare at the ceiling
Can’t wait for the healing
I fear, I sweat, I lie in pain
There’s only one way out
This time, this once, this is the way
I can survive without
(Transcend consciousness
Transform reality
Please let me live again…)
Now I am saved, there is one more chance
I’m stronger than before
A life at ease now this all has passed
Escaped the end once more
There is no concealing
Solutions revealing
There’s no more fear, there’s no more pain
I guess I made it out
This time I live, I know the way
I will survive without
Links
Here are some links to hear the demo of “Under The Knife”: