The rise and fall of the Cockroach King.
Introduction:
Welcome to my interpretation of Haken’s phenomenal double album Vector/Virus. I have used music videos, liner notes, lyrics, and my own imagination to help me piece together what each song means within the context of the story. Note that anything in italics has been provided to me lyrically, while my own interpretations are in bold. Although it’s not necessary, I would highly encourage you to listen to the songs as you read the lyrics, as the tone and themes that pop up may help you visualize/ understand the story.
The concept for this album stems from a song titled “The Cockroach King” on Haken’s 2013 release titled The Mountain. The song tells the tale of a man who, through populist politics, rises to power and then whose own hubris is his downfall. These two albums are intended to tell the whole story, his creation, rise to power, and eventual demise. Is he an actual cockroach? Is it all just a metaphor? I’ll let you decide.
On the previous album, a man named Patient #21 who suffers from delusions of grandeur is tortured with electricity and kept catatonic by the medication of the sadistic Dr. E.C. Tobius Rex. Within the recesses of his mind he discovers another half of his personality, a ruthless, violent entity known as the Cockroach.This entity guides Patient #21 to mental freedom by giving him the strength to reject his medication and resist the pain of the electroshock therapy, and as the years pass the Cockroach prepares for his escape from his physical prison. It is my belief that Patient #21 and the Cockroach share control over his body, but as the years pass and his deeds become more violent, Patient #21 yields more and more control to his demented counterpart.
It is also worth noting that another character is introduced in this album, someone named Marigold. Not much is given to us about this character in the notes and so I have attempted to make sense of who she might be. In the liner notes of the previous album there are two wings of Mountainview Institution: the Crystal Wing and the Midas Wing. If we are assuming the band is alluding to the King Midas mythology, Marigold is Midas’ daughter (who he turns to gold). Thus, it can be implied that this other character is Patient #21’s daughter, or perhaps his figurative daughter (a disciple of some kind).
In general, this album is also a little more vague in places, especially given the passage of time that occurs throughout. As a result, there are parts of it where I will be injecting my own interpretations/ what I think occurs between scenes to try and bridge the gap between the songs. Any time I am not pulling from any sort of context I have surrounded the sentences in asterisk.
The year is 1963. Patient #21/ The Cockroach has remained dormant for five and now, has revealed himself to the doctors of Mountainview Institution.
Characters:
Dr. E.C. Tobius Rex
Patient #21
The Cockroach
Marigold
- Chapter One: Prosthetic
- Chapter Two: Invasion
- Chapter Three: Carousel
- Chapter Four: The Strain
- Chapter Five: Canary Yellow
- Chapter Six: Messiah Complex
- Chapter Seven: Only Stars
Chapter One: Prosthetic
Note: The song begins with tremolo guitar, mimicking the buzz of an insect’s wings, signaling the birth of the Cockroach. There are now two personalities living within Patient #21, himself and his new, violent persona. This album is noticeably more heavy than the last, a musical representation of the more aggressive Cockroach.
Sleep-deprived, another chalk line marks the walls
Form restored, unbroken
Altered bloodwork awakening
The Cockroach marks the days he’s wasted gaining strength on the walls of their cell in the mental hospital. When he looks in the glass he sees his dim reflection, a cockroach where there should be a man. Drained of his human blood (as seen in “Host”) his “insect blood” fills his body.
Tame the storm, electric prosthetic parts, they can’t contain them
Why incite the trauma?
Magnetic north, on the borderline
He is able to subdue the pain brought on by the electroshock therapy. He sees this as due to his new insectile form, although this could also be due to some form of meditation or mindset he puts himself in. He has found his true north, the purpose that will guide him forward. He must escape, and begin to gain support for his pursuit of power.
“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore
So sick of these questions, I’ve heard them before
I don’t know what it is you want to hear
The more I stare, the less becomes clear“- Patient #21/The Cockroach
Dr.Rex is curious about the Cockroach persona the patient has adopted and continues to ask him questions about who or what the Cockroach is. When Patient #21 looks in the mirror he sees himself as an insect, and is baffled by how this could possibly be true given that he was once a man in form.
Eye for an eye, life for a life
The Cockroach views his treatment and containment as a waste of a life. A life must be taken as punishment for the life he was forced to waste.
Fight or flight, Nil by mouth
Morphine fuels my apathy
I’ve become the Rorschach
Could you forget the unremembered?
Patient #21 is torn between fleeing for his life and his new thirst for blood. He continues to reject any pills given to him by the staff and when they see their attempts to dampen him are futile resort to using morphine. This only increases his narcissistic mindset, and his lack of interest in those around him. He sees himself as a Rorschach ink blot, a man the staff stare at but do not understand or do not see in the correct way (perhaps he, himself, doesn’t even believe he sees himself correctly.) But he also doesn’t blame them, for his previous form was not one worthy of memory.
“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore
So sick of these questions, I’ve heard them before
I don’t know what it is you want to hear
The more I stare, the less becomes clear
I don’t wanna talk about it anymore
So sick of these questions, I’ve heard them all before
I don’t know what it is you want to hear
The more I stare, the less becomes clear“-Patient #21/The Cockroach
The Cockroach becomes more and more agitated with the doctor’s repeated questions.
Eye for an eye, life for a-
The chorus is cut short, signifying that the Cockroach has followed through with his dark intentions. Breaking from his morphine stupor, he kills Dr. Rex *and sets the rest of the patients of Mountainview free. Within the room is his daughter, a young nurse named Marigold who has been keeping tabs on him as the experiments have taken place. She watches this murder, but does nothing, as she isn’t sure her father is wrong for taking this vengeance.* Donning the doctor’s medical robe, while the rest of the inmates rebel, he takes on the role of the doctor in charge (as seen in the music video).
Note: Marigold isn’t given much fleshing out in the actual lyrics of the songs, but some inferences can be made about her. Marigold in mythology is King Midas’ daughter (the “Midas Wing” is referenced in the liner notes of Vector). The Cockroach can very much be attached to this myth, as both characters’ desire for power and fortunes leads to their downfall. There are other ways that the relationship between King Midas and his daughter mirrors that of the Cockroach and Marigold, but we’ll get to that later.
Chapter Two: Invasion
One, one less, one less life
One less life for us to live
The Cockroach sees himself as an invasive entity, a personality that can be unlocked in each person given the right circumstances. Standing over the doctor’s dead body, he laments that he has removed one less opportunity to exist (although feels no true remorse for the death of a man).
Holding, holding on
Holding on to something real
Within their shared experience, Patient #21 attempts to hold onto this revelation that his daughter is near and that, while the Cockroach’s lust for power seems like a fantasy, this relationship he could have is a real thing.
If these, if these walls
If these walls could talk to me
What if all these eyes only saw what they believed?
He knows that there are many within this institution that have undergone similar treatment to him. If these walls could talk to him they would share similar experiences amongst the patients, making them ripe candidates for the same “treatment” he received. These people can be manipulated to see him as their leader, but in order to do so would require them to see him as their salvation from pain (much like what the Cockroach did to Patient #21).
Two heavy, heavy hearts
Heavy hearts refuse to beat
When my, when my words
When my words fall on deaf ears
Patient #21 is shocked by the murder he’s just committed. He and Marigold are weighted by this action despite the Cockroach trying to convince them (Patient #21 internally and Marigold externally) that this was the right action. The Cockroach feels as if they are not hearing him.
If your, if your soul
If your soul could cry for me
What if all we give is all we ever get to keep?
The Cockroach very much plays the victim here, attempting to lure Marigold to his side. He tries to get her to sympathize with him, to help her understand that his murder of the doctor was justified. He begs her to open her heart to him, to love him, for what we give to others is all that we have left when our stories are over. What we put out into the world is what we get out of it. Although this relationship is Patient #21’s genuine hope, the Cockroach’s only goal is to manipulate her to his will. This is where we begin to see the Cockroach for who he is, a violent man, yes, but also one of incredible intelligence and tact. He is a master manipulator, and one that preys on the weaknesses of others.
When we left behind the friends we made along the way
Why is it we never learn from all the mistakes we ever made?
The Cockroach chides Patient #21 for attempting to rebuild any relationship with his daughter. He very much sees it as a reason for his previous failing, and sees Patient #21’s empathy as a mistake, a flaw that stops him from reaching his true potential.
One, one last, one last chance
One last chance to disappear
Patient #21 realizes that he is at the point of no return. If he chooses to progress forward with the Cockroach’s plan, there will be no turning back.
Calling, calling out
Calling out for someone real
Again, Patient #21’s goal is to rekindle this relationship with his daughter, something the Cockroach has no desire for.
If this, if this God
If this God could pray to me
What if where we’re lost is where we are meant to be?
The Cockroach is determined to gain total power, not just over Patient #21’s body but over governing bodies. His goal is to rival God, to get all mortal and immortal beings to bow before him. Patient #21 muses on whether their lack of direction is a sign, that not having a set idea of how to gain this power is precisely the position he needs to be to gain clarity.
Too, too much, much too young
Much too young and gone too soon
When Patient #21 was committed to Mountain View, he was a relatively young man, with so much promise and a future ahead of him (minus the psychopathic tendencies). The Cockroach sees this as a life of wasted potential. As other patients come upon the scene he performs a mock eulogy for the doctor.
Letting, letting go
Latching on to something new
Patient #21 can already feel the Cockroach’s attention begin to shift, from the focus of their body to the control of those around him.
If this, if this breath
If this breath’s the last I breathe
What if all of my sins are still addicted to me?
Patient #21 feels himself being drawn towards the darker influence of the Cockroach and away from that of his daughter. He is losing control of his body and his ability to “breathe”. He worries that, when he is removed from this situation, the Cockroach and his violent tendencies will be all that remains.
When?
When did we give up the ghost as a trade for a heart that begins to break?
Why is it we’re never learning from all the mistakes we ever made?
The Cockroach mocks Patient #21’s weakness. He reminds him that his family in the past was one of the reasons why he wasn’t able to fulfill his destiny, one of his many mistakes.
“How is there one unconditional love when you’ve taken my will to breathe?“-Marigold
Losing our sense of direction has led us to where we all need to be
The first line is from Marigold’s perspective. She questions how he can truly love her when he’s made her complicit in the doctor’s murder, and thus the ending of her career (and possibly) life. The Cockroach counters to her (and Patient #21) that being lost is the way to find purpose.
One, one less, one less life
One less life for us to live
One last, one last chance
One last chance to disappear
One less, one less life
One less life for us to live
One last, one last chance
One last chance to end this
An internal struggle begins between the two entities, Patient #21 longing for a connection between himself and his daughter. Again, he sees himself at the point of no return, knowing that the more power the Cockroach gains, the more control he will gain of their shared body.
When?
When did we give up believing in beautiful minds that begin to fail?
The Cockroach begins to draw her to this plan, guilting her into trusting in him and his intelligence. He tells her that he is simply broken but can be a good, civilized human again with her help.
How is there always a different path waiting for every road we stray?
When did we give up the ghost as a trade for a heart that begins to break?
Why is it we’re never learning from all the mistakes we ever made?
The Cockroach is frustrated that Patient #21 seems to be falling for his human side again. He warns him of the dangers of becoming too attached to those he cares about, as this led to their initial downfall and Patient #21’s admittance into Mountain View.
The Plan: This is alluded to through lyrics in other songs, but for the sake of keeping things simple I’m going to explain it here and hint at it later. The Cockroach’s plan is to take the inmates of Mountain View and, using the same electroshock therapy, heavy medication, and subliminal messaging he was subjected to, turn them into a cult to do his bidding. By making them face that which prohibits them from reaching their full potential (those in society that would put them down, their own fears and doubts) he can turn them into shallow versions of himself, dependent on him for guidance and a path. What starts off as a message of peace and positive change soon turns to violence as he has his soldiers commit murders and crimes as part of their healing against a cruel society. These inmates will seem rehabilitated and at peace on the outside, but that is because they are single-mindedly pursuing (or helping the Cockroach pursue) power and influence. He will then use this message of “healing” and “inner strength” to spread his influence out onto the populace and, eventually, the world.
Chapter Three: Carousel
“I’ve been holding on too tight to let you go
Now I’m sinking in the mire”– Marigold
“Wish we could go back to how it was
But we’re too close to the wire”– The Cockroach
This song follows a musical structure, where characters are calling and responding to each other. The first chorus, I interpret, belongs to Marigold. As she listens to more and more of the Cockroach’s plan she decides to leave him to his own devices. The Cockroach fakes sincerity and wishes that they could once again be father and daughter, but that his purpose draws nearer, and he cannot sacrifice any more time for her.
Cross the line on my horizon
Sapiens pervade like a virus
Finding solace in isolation
If the wolf cries “boy”, keep calm, carry on
Alone without the humanity that his daughter provided, Patient #21’s personality is completely cowed by that of the Cockroach. He sees the world, and all of humanity as a virus, a weaker species that has spread undisturbed throughout the world. This is our first glimpse of his disdain towards humankind. By calling it a “virus”, he implies that there is something that needs to be cured. Spending more and more time alone at Mountain View, he concludes that if the wolf (himself) is able to disguise itself as one of the populace there is no need for panic as people/ powers that be won’t see him as a threat.
Dead among the living, nothing to believe in
Making sinners of saints
All the fears unfaced
Swarming all around me like ants
When the Cockroach sees the other inmates he sees purposeless humans, lost to themselves because they have lost their purpose, the dead among the living. Through his “treatment” and subsequent release of the prisoners, they turn to crime and other heinous acts as they seek vengeance against those that imprisoned them. In the Cockroach’s eyes, they have not truly had to face that which holds them back from their full potential. The Cockroach sees this thing holding them back as fear. He must find a way to rid them of it. He has his army, but they’re purposeless and accomplishing nothing more than swarming around Mountain View.
As the flame is prised
Away from the moth
Stronger in their numbers, turning on each other
Is this out of our hands?
The Cockroach acknowledges that they need a joint purpose, something to bind them to his will and goals. As he “rehabilitates” the prisoners, he worries that he won’t be able to maintain control of their actions, which in turn will thwart his plans.
“Holding on too tight to let you go
I’m sinking in the mire
Wish we could go back to how it was
But we’re too close to the wire” -The Cockroach
The Cockroach realizes that he is giving too much voice to his human side (Patient #21), and this is causing him to lose focus of his vision. The music shifts at this point, getting heavier, suggesting that the Cockroach is becoming more violent with his treatment.
If I give them an inch, they take a mile
Does love have to be tough, cruel to be kind?
Wondering if he has been too lenient with the treatment, the Cockroach doubles down on his tactics, using electro-shock therapy, torture and subliminal messaging to bend his followers to his will.
Think of all the people you have turned your back on
Do you mourn the lost souls from your pale high horse?
Somewhere deep in his psyche, Patient #21 scorns the Cockroach, chastizing him for not thinking of all the death and ruin he has brought upon himself and the lives of others.
I’ve been holding on too tight to let you go
I’m sinking in the mire
Wish we could go back to how it was
But we’re too close to the wire
The Cockroach responds by suppressing him further down into the maze, mocking his human side with the same words he mocked Marigold.
“Fly without fear of landing
Welcome into the fold
Not all who wander shall be lost
The perspective shifts to the Cockroach welcoming another troubled, lost soul to his cult. He brings them in and uses his charm to make them comfortable.
Surrounded, yet somewhat lonely
The carousel claims its toll
Paying a price, not counting costs
His tactic has been to pick out the disenfranchised, the castouts of society. Those who the constant turn of society has ostracized and ruined. As he welcomes the young person into his cult, he chastises the outside world for being willing to grind people beneath its feet without taking into consideration the price it takes on their souls.
What if the weight is lifted
When we are all renewed?
When will the penny ever drop?
As he sways this new cult member he begins to make his promises, claiming that he can remove the pressures of society and the ills that weigh this person down, making them into a new person.
Who will our burdens carry?
Who will not shed a tear
If our pulse should ever stop?“-The Cockroach
He welcomes them into their “family”, asking questions as if to pose his solution as the answer. He wants them to see him as their adopted father, as someone who will care for them and take care of them when society wouldn’t. This is how he ensnares them. Then he turns them into his followers.
Nine years pass (as marked in the liner notes). *Through word of mouth and the gospel of his disciples, the Cockroach begins to amass a significant following, potentially even politically fueled. He promises power and a voice for the disenfranchised, the unheard, the broken, the mentally ill. He promises a change to societal structures that weigh the people down from reaching their full potential. He promises riches and prosperity. The music repeats itself in a frantic spiral, signaling that things are quickly falling out of control (or plans are coming to fruition if you’re the Cockroach). Marigold sees her father beginning to gain power and, fearing a repeat of what happened before he was interred at Mountain View, goes to confront him.*
“Hold on tight and never let me go
Take me back to how it was before”– Marigold
She begs him to leave his ambition behind, to join her, and become her father once more.
“Hell knows I was holier than thou
But heavy is the head that wears the crown”– The Cockroach
The Cockroach mocks her, claiming that she is the one who left him and thus, he is a better person than her. He is willing to accept this burden of holiness and, as the crowd amasses, dubs himself their king. The music is a reprise of the theme at the beginning of the song, demonstrating that the same ideas are there, but they are stronger, darker, more fortified. *Marigold watches in horror as her words fall on deaf ears, and prepares herself mentally for the steps she must take next.*
Chapter Four: The Strain
I bit my tongue for far too long
Salt hits the wound, I’m dormant but the night is young
No punishment deserves this crime
Patience can wait, the last thing on your side is time
Having amassed his great following (as seen in “Carousel”) the Cockroach grows restless. He feels that he has held back, avoiding drastic actions to avoid the attention of greater powers, but the time to act is rapidly approaching.
Temptation reminds me, my weakness defines me
His lust for power reminds him that his inaction in the past was what got him where he was. His attachment to family and earthly possessions held him back from achieving his goals.
You lend an ear, I chew it off
You disappear to see how quickly we move on
To cut you slack is to concede
I’d face the facts but I don’t believe a thing I read
As his cult of support grows, so does the interest of the media. With each interview the Cockroach uses his air time to berate the powers that be, spread his message of change (and violence), and be a generally crazy person. Each time the media leaves and seems to dismiss the fact that his cult of support is growing. When his story is shared, it is done so with scorn and dismissal, addressed as the ravings of a mad man. The Cockroach ignores these narratives as false, choosing to believe his own side of the story instead.
The monster inside me ascending the ivory
Temptation reminds me, my weakness is defining me
The Cockroach and Patient #21 begin their ascent to the Ivory Tower, a position within their mind that allows them to distance himself from the horrific actions he commits. Again, the Cockroach reflects on how he cannot allow his weakness (inaction, attachment, fear) to impede upon his actions.
Maybe I’ll never find my voice
Could I ever change a thing?
When will my signal turn to noise
From a whisper to a scream?
Doubt afflicts Patient #21. He wonders if he will ever achieve the goals he and the Cockroach set out after. He feels he has not affected enough people with his message, that he has not yet made a big enough impact on the world.
When did we make our peace, violence?
Grounds will bleed for those who heed silence
The Cockroach sees peace between him and the other powers as their removal, achieved by acts of violence by him and his cult. He threatens repercussions for those who refuse to speak and act within his cult.
How can truth set me free when we’re still pretending?
All I need is to be heard when you’re talking over me
A reference back to “Puzzle Box”. Somewhere deep inside himself, Patient #21 wonders if he still remains a prisoner, just one within his own mind and body this time instead of a physical cell.
Maybe I’ll never find my voice
Could I ever change a thing?
When will my signal turn to noise
From a whisper to a scream?
When did we ever have a choice?
Could we never change a thing?
Maybe I’ll only strain my voice
With a whisper to a scream
Note: “The Strain” is a reference to two separate interpretations of the definition. The first one is a virus strain. In this sense, the song is referring to the Cockroach preparing to spread his message and beliefs to the rest of the world. His actions will be strain-like, infecting the minds of everyone affected by what comes next. The second definition is to strain one’s voice. The Cockroach is preparing to disperse his message to the masses in an act so violent, so incomprehensible, that it will be impossible to ignore. He is preparing to begin his war.
Chapter Five: Canary Yellow
Looking through your window to an empty room
Hours passing by, the hands don’t move
A plastic life built just for you
Fears of wasted years fall into view
This mannequin aims to please
Traded ambitions for a nuclear family
Never fleeing from the nest
Eat, sleep, repeat to begin
To begin again
Leaving in the middle of the night, Marigold returns to Mountain View Institution to find it empty. She roams the dark hallways before eventually coming upon the Cockroach’s cell/ office. There she finds it marked with lines counting the days, demonstrating his urge to escape his prison and wasted years. She calls herself a mannequin (undoubtedly using his word for her), commenting on how she abandoned his plan in order to marry, buy a house, have kids, and enjoy a relatively stable life. The last part is how she believes her father saw her, as an afraid young woman unwilling to take a risk and join his cause, living a stagnant life instead.
Break your silence
With these eyes
Blindly follow
His perfect lie
By confronting and meeting her father eye to eye, she hopes to express her disapproval. Marigold has been largely gone from her father’s life, and chides herself for believing that she could change him, and that she allowed him to get so far with his lies.
Note: As seen in the last song, the Cockroach, fearing his message has become stagnant, decides that he must grab the attention of those who hold the power, before he misses out on his opportunity and wastes his life. Seeing himself (and his followers) as literal cockroaches, he decides that the only act appropriate enough is to decimate the world with a nuclear holocaust.
Canary yellow illuminates the grid
And the heat causes our skin to drip
“The end game is all the same for you and me”- The Cockroach
An equinox the eyes, the eyes will never meet
The song shifts perspectives. We find the Cockroach and his followers walking through a nuclear missile silo, past the bodies of dead guards. Under pressure, they reach the control room and use the keys to launch the missiles. The destruction will blot out the sun, an obliteration which the unfortunate will never experience.
“You try to save the world
When it’s you that needs help
Strive to win their hearts
When it’s mine that needs love”-Marigold
Again, in musical styling we have a call and response between The Cockroach and Marigold. Our heroine chastizes her father, berating him for choosing the love of his subjects and the world over her, choosing his ambition for power over his own mental health and safety.
“You renounce the throne
Bound to die alone”- The Cockroach
The Cockroach mocks her, claiming she will die alone instead of joining him at his side.
“You can mend your broken crown
Too proud to fix yourself”-Marigold
Marigold retaliates, saying that he could have still become a king in other ways. He is intelligent, resourceful, and charismatic after all. But he was too proud to choose that side of himself and instead chose his darker, more violent side.
“Try to save the world
When it’s you that needs help
Strive to win their hearts
When it’s mine that needs love”- Marigold
“With a call to arms
‘Til death do us part”-Marigold and the Cockroach
Marigold understands that her words and pleading isn’t going to stop her father, and that she very much will need to stop him the same way he has instructed his disciples to address their problems: with violence.
Break your silence
With these eyes
Blindly follow
His perfect lie
*It’s this point that a lot of this song comes down to my interpretation of it. Marigold has spent the past nine years building a family and a career away from her father. As the music video suggests, this nuclear bomb decimates a set up town with a family sitting together at dinner. As the missile flies through the calm night skies, Marigold comes upon plans or blueprints that show her what his intention and target is: he plans to start his war with the government by bombing the town where his daughter lives. Marigold tries in vain to reach her husband, to tell him to grab the kids and leave, but the nuke hits its mark, and all are decimated. With nothing left to live for, Marigold sets out to destroy her father or die trying.
“You try to save the world
When it’s you that needs help
Strive to win their hearts
When it’s mine that needs love”-Marigold
“You renounce the throne
Bound to die alone”-The Cockroach
“You can mend your broken crown
Too proud to fix yourself
You try to save the world
When it’s you that needs help
Strive to win their hearts
When it’s mine that needs love”-Marigold
“With a call to arms
‘Til death do us part”- Marigold and the Cockroach
The call to arms is the Cockroach’s declaration of war. Marigold, alone and heartbroken, decides that with her dying breath, she will seek vengeance on her father.
Note: Although it is not articulated in the lyrics, I believe there are a few reasons why the Cockroach would decide to drop nukes on a few cities. 1) He literally believes he’s a Cockroach and can’t be harmed by the radiation. 2) By doing so he can spin a false narrative that the government, fearing the will of the people, is attempting to wipe the undesirables off the map. The Cockroach can turn the mass populace against the government, aiding him in his war.
Chapter Six: Messiah Complex
Part I: Ivory Tower
*The nation is in mourning following the Cockroach’s horrific nuclear attacks. He takes this time to rally the people, pushing a narrative that the government has launched these attacks as a means of controlling the populace, stopping the rising power of the Cockroach and his party.
Shameless, skying above
Preying on the nameless, jury and judge
Everything they had was never enough
Using his army, the Cockroach launches one nuclear strike after the other, seemingly indiscriminately choosing his targets, cold and callous to the death and misery he’s causing. His message to his followers is that these people are unworthy of the peaceful lives they’ve lived, and that his attacks are a means of punishing those that are undeserving of their lives.
Spirit me away
Crawling under my skin, spiraling through my head
Taste my own medicine, drunk on the power
Rid this pestilence from within, a prayer for the innocent
Talk me down from the ledge of my ivory tower
Trapped within his own mind, unable (or unwilling) to combat the strength of the Cockroach personality, Patient #21 watches as thousands perish. He struggles between ambivalence and horror, and as he loses more and more control of his being longs for someone or something to draw him from this uncaring person that he’s become.
Struggle to be in the now
When life’s too much to swallow, it spits me right out
But I cling on, reaping seeds I dare to sow
For all the lives I ever stole and now I must repel the host
Forever I’ll be spirited away
He struggles to gain control of his body, as the Cockroach personality was largely created as a defense mechanism against the pain he’s endured and the ability to take responsibility for his violent tendencies. He continues to fight within his mind, watching the effects of his (and the Cockroach’s) actions. He knows that if he cannot destroy this personality that has taken control, he never will.
Where I end, you begin
When I fall, you will stand
A call back to the lyrics of “Host” when the Cockroach took control, Patient #21 acknowledges, much like his daughter, that after this war within himself only one can remain.
Part II: A Glutton for the Punishment
* Amassing an army of his disciples (Roaches) and the populace, the Cockroach begins his war against the government. The music grows more violent and chaotic, symbolizing the beginning of this war. He and his army descend upon the first city and its capital and begin their assault.
Greed and guile color my life with aurus rose
Temper my yearning
Aurus being a reference to the Roman coin, the Cockroach amasses riches soaked in the blood of his adversaries (the rich, politicians)
“Abdicate the throne, majesty”- The Roaches
Gold topples the crown
Blood festers the ground
One by one the Cockroach brings his army to each city, forcing those in power to concede it to him. Those that aren’t willing to become subjects to him are met with extreme acts of violence. Hundreds die in battles that saturate the streets with blood.
Hell on Earth, my blessing and my curse
How did I fail my holy grail? Taper my hunger
The Cockroach sees this violence as both a blessing to liberate the people (especially those who are disenfranchised) and a curse for those who oppose him. From within, Patient #21 believes this violence would have been unnecessary to achieving his goals (power and purpose, his “Holy Grail”) and cries out for someone to quell this newfound bloodlust.
(With your compound eyes)
Parasites leeched upon the guilt
As referenced earlier, “compound eyes” are a reference to the Cockroach being able to see and interpret all outcomes ahead of time, allowing him to make the correct decisions. A reference to the lyrics from “Puzzle Box”, Patient #21 blames the Cockroach for the destruction in front of him. The Cockroach (the parasite) fed upon Patient #21’s feelings of guilt and inadequacy, using it to grow more powerful.
(And a call to arms)
Paradise led me down a path to the core
Another reference to “Puzzle Box”, the pursuit of inner peace and paradise led him to seek out this violent entity.
“Fail – try – fall – rise“- The Roaches
As bullets pepper the crowd the Cockroach’s horde fights on, fueled by cult-like fervor, brainwashed to the will of the Cockroach and the promise of power. Bleeding, beaten, they continue to rise like the cockroaches they see themselves as. Those that die are replaced by the hundreds behind them. His army and its will is unstoppable. Men and women fight for their lives as the violence is indiscriminate and unrelenting. *From the battling masses a cry rises and Marigold steps forward to engage her father.*
Scars run deep, tormenting me with her reptilian glare
“How is she forsaking me, when my devil may care?”- The Cockroach
The Cockroach sees her as a deeply scarred being, understanding but uncaring to the pain she has gone through. Her gaze is reptilian, filled with cold hatred. She renounces him as king and as father, claiming he is neither. The Cockroach mocks her, responding that she has no power to deny him either role as he doesn’t care to be either for her.
(With your compound eyes)
Parasites echo through the walls
(And a call to arms)
Paradise, breathe me in, I’m dead to the world
They engage each other in hand to hand combat. Marigold is strong and her will to destroy her father aids her strength, but The Cockroach overpowers her. Beating his daughter, he places his hands around her throat and begins to strangle her (this is surmised by the fact that Marigold is named after King Midas’ daughter. In the myth his touch is what kills her, turning her to gold. If we look at this story in a figurative way, the connections are figurative and symbolic).
Part III: Marigold
*All around them, the violence slows, the focus drawing in on the two of them. The music changes to calm and almost tranquil, cuing the listener to follow Marigold into death as she begins to fade.
Ashes in the sky, garden of delights
Screams have turned to sighs, deserting their eyes
As the battle is waged and fires smolder, the Cockroach’s adversaries die.
(Ashes in the sky, garden of delights)
A shiver shoots through the spine
(Screams have turned to sighs, deserting their eyes)
She whispers goodnight
His hands around her throat, The Cockroach feels Marigold’s body shudder, and with one last exhale, she dies.
(Wisdom in the crowd, signals turn to sound)
Fallen sons and daughters
(Abdicate the crown, muzzle to the mouth)
How does one forgive himself?
Watching in horror from within, Patient #21 witnesses the cheering of the crowd and, as he attempts to reach out for someone to stop him, he is “muzzled” by the power of the crowd and the will of the populace to see the Cockroach rise. As his daughter’s body goes limp, we see Patient #21 filled with remorse. This is the first time his human side is truly able to push his emotions (if briefly) to the surface before he is completely cowed by the will of the Cockroach.
“Careful what you wish for, Marigold
Relentless grief that haunts my days will never be gone
Tell me what you died for
Did you ever imagine we’d reawaken the monster
At the end of days that cease to begin?”- The Cockroach
*The Cockroach tosses his daughter’s body to the mob.* He condemns her for confronting him, believing it was her will to take his power from him. Playing the role of the remorseful conqueror, he tells the crowd that he won’t be able to forgive himself for doing what was necessary for him and his army, but that ultimately it was her and Dr. Rex’s fault for making him into this “monster” that would ultimately usher the nation into a new era.
Note: At this point, the music switches, growing heavier, insectile, and more chaotic. This symbolizes the complete shift in Patient #21, as he loses control of his form and succumbs to the madness of having watched “himself” strangle his daughter to death. What little of him was human is no longer. All that remains is the Beast… hungry for power and completely unstoppable in his resolve.
Messiah Complex IV: The Sect
Riches back to rags, clutching to the past
Straying from the path, gutter from the stars
As the Cockroach’s unstoppable mob tears through cities and estates, more and more people are cast out into the streets. The rich lose their possessions. The powerful lose their power. Those that are unwilling to bend to the Cockroach’s will are cast from the heavens to the gutters.
If humility comes to humble me
In my time of need, will I be free?
Patient #21 wonders if there will ever come a time when he will be bested, as he is now trapped in this fully formed Cockroach.
(Ostracized by the power of the masses
Hypnotized by the hunter, Midas touch with a sleight of hand
I was compromised when the treasure made a fool of me
I’m criticized for the slander, repentance heal my broken wing)
While the previous verse is sung, these lyrics are chanted underneath, a reference in style and lyricism to the original song, “The Cockroach King” (from their 2013 release “The Mountain”). It basically lays out the duplicity of the Cockroach, outlining how one is seduced by the entity of the Cockroach, and its promise for power and wealth that eventually leads to it being taken from them by this entity one once the person has achieved their goals.
Riches back to rags, clutching to the past
Straying from the path, gutter from the stars
If humility comes to humble me
In my time of need, will I be redeemed?
A repetition of the previous verse, with the only difference being the change of the last word of the verse. As the words are sung, they become more and more insectile, demonstrating that, as the Roaches march towards their final destination they lose their humanity and, despite their desires to be freed from the Cockroach’s will, become further ensnared by his promises and their dark deeds.
Note: From this point the song shifts to seemingly goofy noises including 8-bit video game-esq riffs. There are video game death sounds and explosions, meant to symbolize the continued dropping of bombs and violence, portrayed as such to demonstrate that the Cockroach sees them as a game, the deaths of thousands something he is completely detached from or uncaring towards.
Part V: Ectobius Rex
Note: The music swells, reaching a triumphant climax. The government’s army has been defeated or other thrown, the masses have been quelled or have joined him. The Cockroach’s war is won. He is no Ectobius Rex… The Cockroach King *As his army floods the steps of the capitol, the Cockroach takes his place before them, and ascends to his blood-soaked throne.
“Putrefied by the masses
We fall to rise through the suffering
Reign of fire, spread the ashes
Your victor cries, ‘Hail to the King’”- The Cockroach
The Cockroach stands above his Roaches at the top of a building. His limbs outstretched, the Cockroach addresses the masses. All governing bodies have been “putrefied”, decayed by the will of the people. He applauds them for listening to his message of suffering to gain inner strength. Nuclear blasts have devastated the nation, creating a reign of fire that has turned all major cities to ash. The last remaining power, the Cockroach leads his army in chants praising him for achieving this goal.
Crawl out of my skin, a cell keeps dividing
Memories of electricity
Rid this plague within, the veil finally lifts
Jumping from my tower of ivory
Above, lightning cracks across the sky, and almost like a pavlovian bell, brings the Cockroach back to a memory. Back within the Puzzle Box, electricity in the sky signaled to him that he was about to undergo pain, and also served as a harbinger of change, causing his personality to shift from Patient #21 to the Cockroach. Here, at his moment of triumph, it does the same, but instead of bringing forward the personality of the Cockroach it shatters his defenses. Taking the opportunity, Patient #21’s personality smashes through that of the Cockroach and, in a moment of sheer will, to atone for the murder of his daughter and thousands of innocent civilians, takes control of his body and throws himself from the top of the building. The music reprises the same riff that appeared at the end of “Prosthetic”, which I initially dubbed the “change” theme. Patient #21 tumbles through the air, wrestling with himself and his alternate personality, before being cast into the vast mob, and smashing against the pavement below.
Chapter Seven: Only Stars
Here I lay, far from grace
I’ll remember the pretenders
Save your tears
As I’m summoned hither
One last breath, I wither
No remorse, no redemption
Only stars form the heavens
No more gods yield before us
All is clear, as I end
His body broken (remember, he is not actually a cockroach but a man who has fallen from a very tall height), the Cockroach succumbs to his wounds. Although Patient #21 was able to gain control of their body at the very end, the Cockroach feels no pity for the thousands of lives he has impacted and taken, seeing no redemption for his actions despite Patient #21’s “heroic” act at the end. Ultimately, he does still see himself as the true power on Earth, having been stopped by no God or governing body. What is clear to him is that man is truly capable of all that he sets himself out to be. If his will is strong, and his mind is set, he can overcome all boundaries set before him. The theme from the first song of the double album “Clear” is reprised here, signaling to the reader that, just as The Cockroach was made by Dr. Rex in the first song, he is unmade here by himself, and his own greed/lust for power. Perhaps this is his revelation as he slips into the sleep of death, and his reign of terror comes to an end.
Final Note: There are some that may interpret the background noises at the end of this song not as the molting and shrivelling of the Cockroach’s shell, but the footsteps of someone walking in heels down a hallway, thus implying that this entire story has been a fantasy of Patient#21’s delusional mind. I don’t believe this is so, as it sort of ruins the power of the entire story, but I figured I would share it as it is an interesting theory. What do you think? Am I close? Straight up wrong? Leave your comments below!
The Word and The Song 
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