FROM THE ARCHIVE - "Nuclear Density Gauge" Home Recording (2009)

While we were writing for our second album Rabbit (2010), we were contacted by a friend of ours named DJ MOJO from Brooklyn NY. He asked us if we would be willing to write a song for him based on a poem that he wrote. He sent us these lyrics:

"Be clear like the face of a mirror
That contains no images
Behold yourself and see the truth
That the mirror reflects
Between the mirror and the heart
One difference keeps them apart
The heart contains secrets
While the mirror does not"

Pat had already been working on a new chord progression, so we decided to start with that and the lyrics that DJ MOJO had sent us and get right into it. The result was this recording of "Nuclear Density Gauge". There's a lot of things I like about this version: my Robert Fripp-y guitar starting at 1:37, Pat's double tracked vocals starting at 3:45 and his epic scream, and Kyle's drums, which are on FIRE in this recording.

When we eventually recorded "Nuclear Density Gauge" for our album Rabbit, we omitted the lyrics that DJ MOJO sent us entirely and decided to write new ones for a whole new approach. We also added an entirely new vocal section at the end of the song that does not appear on this recording. However, I LOVE the energy in this recording. I had just discovered Peter Gabriel-Genesis, and was listening to a LOT of "Nursery Cryme" at the time, and some of the vocal and guitar techniques that we were trying out were really cool. It's fun to listen to this version of the song and then the version that made it on to Rabbit! What do you think, Patrons? :)

Here are the lyrics for this recording:

From now on this place will have no power
It disappears from the room, like it was just a dream
And all that was will be as still as sleep
It disappears as the doors close without a whisper 

Keep away from that room with The Carnation Laurel Leaf Mirror Image
Keep away from that room with The Carnation Laurel Leaf Mirror Image

Be clear like the face of a mirror
That contains no images
Behold yourself and see the truth
That the mirror reflects

Keep away from that room with The Carnation Laurel Leaf Mirror Image
Keep away from that room with The Carnation Laurel Leaf Mirror Image

Between the mirror and the heart
One difference keeps them apart
The heart contains secrets
While the mirror does not

From now on this place will have no power
It disappears from the room, like it was just a dream
And all that was will be as still as sleep
It disappears as the doors close without a whisper 

And on that day, you were saved You were shown another way
And I was there to see the devil let you go with a whisper
From now on this place has lost all it's power
Have no care, He said it would be so 

All the words had meaning All The people screaming
And I looked up to the sky and saw you were gone

This recording of “Nuclear Density Gauge” was performed by:

Patrick McGowan - Vocals, Guitar

Dan McGowan - Vocals, Guitar

Kyle Minnick - Drums

Becky Osenenko - Bass