[This song is designed to blend the atmospheric, cold tremolo picking of Black Metal with the rhythmic, percussive weight of Death Metal. Since there are no solos, the focus remains on relentless, dissonant riffs and a suffocating wall of sound that mirrors the "state-sanctioned" oppression described in the lyrics.] [Tempo: 180 BPM / Dissonant & Oppressive] [Intro] [(Feedback fades into a slow, crushing death metal crawl. Sudden explosion into a "blast beat" drum section with high-pitched, minor-key tremolo picking. The bass is distorted and thick, cutting through the treble.)] Power! Profit! Power! Profit! Profit! Power! Profit! Power! [Verse 1] White collars stained in the blood of the tithe A tax on the spirit, a debt for the soul They build their cathedrals on the backs of the blind While the state gives the scepter, the ultimate control Legislation written in the ink of the myth The pulpit is a podium, the choir is a shield From the marble balcony, they watch the masses bend To a kingdom of paper, where the wretched must yield! [Shriek] The border between the throne and the altar... ...is blurred by the shadow of gold. [ Cathedral Chorus] Gilded noose around the neck of the state Sanctified greed, the architecture of hate They feast on the famine, they drink from the vein God is the brand, and the profit is pain! Pillars of gold! Hearts of lead! The crown and the cross are sharing their bread! [Verse 2] [(Rhythm shifts to a death metal groove)] Exempt from the law, they dictate the decree Managing the poverty they claim to set free Investments in iron, investments in bone The priest is the shadow behind every throne The treasury leaks into the baptismal bowl They don't want your worship—they want your control! [Bridge] [(The music slows down to a slamming drumming Dissonant chords ring out and decay. No melody, just a rhythmic, pounding hammer-strike.)] The shepherd... is a wolf.!!!! The flock... is the meal.!!!! The scripture... is a contract.!!!! The silence... is the seal.!!!! [(Screamed)] THE SILENCE IS THE SEAL! [Verse] Gilded noose around the neck of the state Sanctified greed, the architecture of hate They feast on the famine, they drink from the vein God is the brand, and the profit is pain! [Outro] [(Chaotic blast beats return. The riffs become increasingly dissonant and brutal at the end )] The state is the church! The church is the state! Profit! Power! Profit! Power! Power! Profit! Power! Profit! [Abrupt cut to silence mid-scream] [Musical Direction Notes] [ * Vocal Style: High-pitched, desperate shrieks (Black Metal style) for the verses, transitioning into guttural, cavernous growls (Death Metal style) for the chorus.] [* Rhythm Section: The drums should use "gravity blasts" during the verses to create a sense of overwhelming speed without needing a guitar solo to provide a climax.] [* Atmosphere: Focus on the "low-end" of the guitars to make the wealth/power theme feel heavy and inescapable.]

The Gilded Noose