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The Body Is An Illusion

by Everson Poe

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1.
you speak in verse your wisdom is your curse you speak in tongues your faith has come undone you speak of truth remaining resolute you speak of doubt you are not whole without your gods they take their time they die i speak reversed my wisdom is my curse i do no harm i am the withered arm i laugh in time reflected on the inside it’s in our house it’s up to us to get it out we take our time we die she owes no debt to any man she has the strength to force your hand she is the answer to our call she is the bringer of the fall you lack the conviction you live in self-delusion your fortress of hatred will fall beneath her gaze we all become our sins to be human is to suffer
2.
i strive to reject the masculine in all its forms i strive to reflect the feminine, only i mourn no one will believe me there is no promise of absolution no comfort in the void my extremities turn to sand i drown without touching a drop violence at your hands it heals but the bleeding never stops wounded prey in dark seclusion no comfort in the void there is no promise of absolution no comfort in the void no agency to grant yourself forgiveness a forfeit of the soul for tainted flesh a bond of blood leaves stains beneath the surface a burden to be carried to your death you planted the seeds of hate in me bereft of my femininity a chasm of animosity revulsion at what i came to be no one will believe me i fear all that i was so masculine but without form i fear all you’ve become so cruel and so i mourn i’ve suffered violence at your hands damaged, unable to pretend your voice still echoes its demands i drown in darkness without end consumed in my confusion no one will believe me a wound of cruel illusion no one will believe me
3.
there is no turning back a sky of muted black a path is laid before her feet an introspective mind a chasm formed inside the soul can’t be divided what are these vessels but prisons of flesh? could i absorb you into me? a twin in utero could i become a living host? a pandrogyne composed you always brought out the worst in me could i remove this wickedness? the ache within my gut? could i become a person, whole? without a surrogate? you always brought out the worst in me but i tied that noose myself a vast migration of souls in torment a population comprised of ghosts the great deception of our oppressors the longing hope of our troubled hearts a false identity a forced duality the face i recognize but never as my own i feel her breathing down my spine a spectral shadow a wickedness divine i writhe in darkness shy away from the light sequestered by fear paralyzed by my plight i sleep in circles while the fire grows cold i ask forgiveness prying open the fold the beast comes to call scorch the earth (let it burn) have i earned your scorn? openly i mourn marching to my death there’s truly nothing left
4.
count the sands of time draw the broken line grace before the fall flesh of men enthralled i’d sooner feast upon myself than take a hand from you i will transform some day this flesh means less than excrement unbound unclean unsavory i binge i purge i find no relief bring death my friend let it take me i never wanted to be saved this desert will become my grave transformed by death, i am unchained reborn a woman of the flame the moon will bring the tide and the blood that smears my thighs this womb will never bleed this wound will never heal this feeling won’t recede this woman isn’t real what do i deserve? why am i afraid? what have i become? broken and decayed carve out my sickness with obsidian knives

about

part three of a triptych cycle: "polite" versions of the four main album tracks (devoid of screaming for those who dislike it), dealing with themes of gender & depression

deluxe version also available that incorporates all three albums together

all proceeds go to the Trevor Project, an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.

For the last decade, Maxwell Shults has recorded a dynamic body of work under the name Everson Poe, exploring everything from doom metal to new wave and even the occasional '50s slow-dance song. No matter the genre, their music has always been characterized by heaviness—not just in sound (although they certainly embody that, too), but in emotion as well. And their latest project, The Body Is Not Sacred is, without question, their most emotionally heavy work to date.

Exploring Maxwell's gender identity and struggle with gender dysphoria, the music embraces duality to convey two distinct halves living in the same being. Maxwell's visceral howl—a sound that many would characterize as being typically "masculine"—contrasts with the softer, ethereal vocals of longtime collaborator DEROSNEC. Both of their faces grace the album cover, embracing gender fluidity and making it hard to tell where one person ends and the other begins.

The duality extends to the arrangements and lyrics as well. On opener "We All Become Our Sins," a crackling spoken-word intro and ghostly wail from DEROSNEC quickly give way to Maxwell's jackhammer drums, guitar, and voice. Likewise, on lead single "No Comfort In The Void," Maxwell screams the phrase "I strive to reject the masculine in all its forms," subverting what listeners and critics have come to expect from even the most emotionally in-tune metal music.

The Body Is Not Sacred has no shortage of ambition. As Everson Poe's first triptych, the self-titled first section contains the four songs that serve as the album's foundation. Part two, The Body Is A Prison, raises the emotional stakes with four hard-hitting instrumentals, and the third and final part, The Body Is An Illusion, consists of "polite" versions of the songs from part one. Softer and more reliant on acoustics, the compositions are what one might call "feminine."

But as The Body Is Not Sacred proves, these kinds of labels mean nothing in the world of Everson Poe. Through their latest and greatest three-part epic, they present a journey where gender is first a puzzle, then a cage, and, finally, nonexistent.

-Dan Caffrey

credits

released April 13, 2018

everson poe - guitar, baritone guitar, bass, drums, keys, piano, words
derosnec - vocals, effects, photography, design

written, performed, recorded, & mixed at hell's half acre studio
april 2017 to april 2018
additional recording & mixing by derosnec in los angeles
produced by everson poe & derosnec

thank you - sarah, alex & tiff, nina & terrence, justine, annelise, dan, mom & dad

words of wisdom by genesis breyer p-orridge

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Everson Poe Chicago, Illinois

Everson Poe is Mae Shults: a trans, queer, multi-instrumentalist from Chicago. Often in collaboration with various vocalists, she balances elements from many diverse genres while maintaining the goal of merging beauty with loudness. She has been releasing music as Everson Poe for over a decade.

Logo by Sludgework.
Avatar by Unknown Relic.
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