Atropos

This song based on it’s title & it’s video is likely inspired by ‘Atropos’ which is a hostile alien planet that serves as the main setting of 'Returnal'. Returnal is an action science fiction horror video released in 2021 for Playstation 5. In Returnal, the players take on the role of Selene, a deep space scout working for ASTRA. While on a mission, she defies orders so she can track down a mysterious signal codenamed "White Shadow." Following this signal causes her to crash-land on a planet called Atropos. On Atropos, Selene must face the horrors of a time loop that re-awakens her in the same place every time she dies. Every time this happens, the world changes around her and new obstacles and challenges appear.

Now for the Greek mythology spin on this. There are 3 fates of mythology. The Third Fate: Atropos. The greek deity 'Atropos' was the one to cut the thread of fate, and at the point of the cut, the mortal life would end. Thus, Atropos resembles the death of a human. Atropos's name also means “unalterable” or “inflexible”.

I have to say that this is truly an amazing song. It is one of the best metal songs to which I have listened. It is progressive death metal/Djent at its very best! The video is mesmerizing and a total AI psychedelic trip. One cannot only listen to this song, it seems the band really meant for it to be experienced alongside the video. In my opinion, this song is much darker than many realize, but it is truly genius. In a rather obvious way, what we get from this song is how as human beings we are immersed in social media and in technology, such as our cellphones, in an attempt to cope with the hardships of our everyday life and fill the emptiness, loneliness, and depression inside of our soul. This is why we see the people in the Atropos video all looking down at their cellphones and immersed in social media and other activities. However, given this band’s previous albums or songs, and given the history of metal since the dawn of time, a different less obvious interpretation is also possible. When the song says “don’t look down below” it might mean “do not notice hell” or “don’t notice your downfall”. This is not an advice to avoid looking at our cellphones too much because that is actually a lost cause for all of us anyway; we simply will not stop. Rather, if you listen carefully, we do not look down below because we would rather stay “pacified” by technology than to actually be “stressed” about the truth of who or what actually controls our lives and this world. We seek immediate gratification, we are addicted to technology, and we look for pleasure everywhere. We feel confused and sick as a result of all the “pieces” of our brain which keep (metaphorically) being taken out; by all of our dead brain cells and our incessant search for a serotonin high, i.e. our “constant needing”. We are left “mindless” in many ways, and what we do is simply follow, obey, and delve deep into all kinds of distractions. The song also tells us that we naively ask ourselves “where have we gone wrong” and says that there are “broken bodies” in the (not-so) distant future though right now we have “broken brains”. Finally, we cannot ignore the name of the song. “Atropos” is the name of the Greek goddess of fate who cuts the thread of life. Now, we have to ask ourselves, who or what cuts our life short according to the song? Is it ourselves? Is it our over reliance on technology? Or is it something or someone else? Maybe “Stan”? (yes, it’s a joke). This goes back to the “don’t look down below” phrase since it could be said, given the name of the song, that there is a mass control, fabricated depression, or addiction to technology which turns us rather mindless by simply obeying, following money, and following other pleasures. Also, the song asks “what's the point of taking bits and pieces away […] from my high?” implying that there is something apparently strange and rather “unbelievable” to many about a fabricated emptiness and depression in our soul since, if in fact it is fabricated, who or what is responsible for this fabrication and control? Overall, this song is a masterpiece!