“Behind the Lethal Deceit” 陳述著一個反思和平的戰爭故事，
藉由情緒相扣的九首創作曲，道出戰亂年代下的悲歡離合。
在“Intro: To the Freezing Hellgate”的沈重火車汽笛聲中，
來自樸實鄉村的故事主角 Joseph 離開了他的情人 Kate，
與他的弟弟 Alfred 前往遙遠的戰線趕赴國家的徵召。
這些青年們深信著國家獨裁者的虛幻保證，
滿心以為戰爭將在冬天來臨前結束。
但隨著戰事的激化，越發激昂的“Pathetic Scenario”、
“Victims of Discrepancy”、“Fearless Assault”
暗示出這個謊言背後的重重危險；
另一方面，身處後方平靜家園的 Kate，
則在“Orphaned Warriors”中，
道出了被烽火拆散後的無盡思念。
然而，在寒冬來臨之時，戰事失控了。
隨著“Expiation”幽幽的平安夜旋律迴盪在耳邊，
飢寒交迫的 Joseph 跪在染血的雪地上，
哀慟著 Alfred 的陣亡；
Joseph 悲傷地回憶一切美麗的過往，
然而如同“The Deepest Despair”的絕望情緒，
他了解到在這野蠻血腥的冰封戰地裡，
他將只能孤單地為自己的生存而戰。
終於到最後，圍繞於“Don’t Forget Me”、
“Compromised Wills”的悲憤氛圍下，
Joseph 渺小的生命被鋪天蓋地的戰爭洪流給吞噬了。
在身陷包圍的最後日子裡，Joseph 回首一切，
殘酷地體會到天真的他在國家的蓄意操控下，
竟不過只是一顆可遺棄的棋子；
他的存在與犧牲，對於既得利益者及掌權者，
竟是如此的舉無輕重。
原來在野心獨裁者編織的美麗謊言下，只有無盡殘酷的死亡磨難！
Ideas behind the album:
Crescent Lament’s first album Behind the Lethal Deceit recounts the story of a bloody war in a cold country. The album condemns the foolishness of violence while lauding the pricelessness of harmonious coexistence through the eyes of ordinary people trapped and suffering in the war. Though a made-up story, Behind the Lethal Deceit was inspired by the wars in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. What happened in the Balkans at the time—ethnic conflicts and military threats—were similar to the current situation in Taiwan. In the war-torn region during the period of time, greedy dictator of a strong military state attempted to silence the calls for self-determination. Tens of thousands of mal-informed young people were into the bloody battlefields to fulfill the desire of an intolerant dictator as a result. The cover image of the album tries to deliver the message that, when the statue praising the war has collapsed, and everything terminated in silence and death, the authority that relies on military might will eventually end in destruction, leaving behind those young people deceived by the dictator, struggling in a foreign land afar. Only at this moment would ordinary people realize the greed of an authoritarian regime, and understand how foolish violence is, and how precious peaceful coexistence is. For Taiwan today, military threats from China are still chains imposed upon the free nation. In the album Behind the Lethal Deceit, the band Crescent Lament tells a war story meant to make people think about peace. It portrays the issue that deeply relates to Taiwan through melancholic melody, screams with grief, and torrent of rhythm.
Storyline
Music in Behind the Lethal Deceit was composed by Crescent Lament drummer Komet, and recorded by keyboardist Warose. It recounts a sorrowful story in a war-torn era via nine emotionally connected songs. In track 1 Intro: to the Freezing Hellgate, the steam whistle of the train sends Joseph, a country boy, away from his lover Kate, into the frontline afar along with his brother Alfred as both were drafted into the military by the government. The pair of young men firmly believed in the empty promise made by the country’s dictator that the war would soon be over before winter.
However, the wars only got worse. The spirited melody of the following tracks Pathetic Scenario, Victims of Discrepancy, and Fearless Assault hint the danger behind lies of the dictator. On the other hand, Kate, who lives in her quiet hometown, expresses her worries about her beloved one separated from her by the war in the song Orphaned Warriors.
The war got out of control before the winter comes. The melody of Silent Night slowly echoes in the song Expiation as Joseph laments the death of Alfred on his kneels on the ground covered with bloodstained snow. He sadly recalls the beautiful past, however, as The Deepest Despair describes, he finally realizes that in the frozen battleground, he could only fight for his own survival, alone.
At the end, Joseph’s life was swallowed by the torrent of war, and the songs Don’t Forget Me and Compromised Wills recreate the saddened atmosphere. Under siege in his final days, Joseph looks back on his life, only realizes that he was merely an ignorant, disposable chess piece under the manipulation of the state. Whether he survives or sacrifices is not a question at all in the eyes of those in power. Under the carefully crafted beautiful lies of the ambitious dictator, there is only endless suffering and death.
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