April 25th, 10:47

Rock, rock she did. The old maid of the sea, the queen of the harbor, the bitch of frosty fucking days. ********ATTENTION************ I have noticed a very liberal use of foul language in these so-called journal entries over the last few days and would like to express my deepest concern. Perhaps the people reading these entries might be offended by such insolence, such flagrant misuse of powerful language. Perhaps there are elderly people who may find such adolescent buffoonery offensive. Perhaps there are parents reading this who had no idea what type of "devil music" their little baby was listening to. Or perhaps there are the children themselves, reading all of this filth and taking it to heart rather than spending their on-line time lying about being 18 and over. For all of those I say................. "SHUT YOUR FUCKIN' FACE UNCLE FUCKA!!!!!!!!!!!!"

April 24th, 8:30 pm

Ahhh, the sun was a shinin'. The baby was a whinin'. The winin' was a dinin'. The pie man was a Simon. And my writing was a SHIT.

April 24th, 12:47pm

Oh how you whizz past, like you're on conveyer belts or like I'm on one. It was like you were all cut out and rolling past on wheels and I was on my own private turntable. Spinning. My head was spinning. It was artificial light and anabolic sound that wrung my brain and twisted it inside my head. Nothing to be afraid of. Just another night in Times Square.

April 22nd, 1:07am

Exhausted, we are in the big apple doing record stuff. The rain pissed on most of our plans today and I hear she's planning on fuckin' it up tomorrow too. We will gather two of every creature and build a giant boat, but we'll save room for all of our finger fans, then we'll set sail as the earth is washed clean. Or maybe we'll just buy an umbrella.

April 19th, 3:49am

My eyes have been green and they have seen the cardboard cut outs of a set. The dressings of a ride, where a seductive face talks you into falling and stars massage your brain. It is a twisted kind of happy unlike anything before and this strangeness is what keeps you coming back for more. It is strong enough to let you lay it out, cut it open, and dissect it. It wants you to see it from both inside and out. It wants to change you. It will change you. It has changed me.

April 14th, 7:53pm

The artwork is almost all done. It looks amazing, pretty much exactly what I wanted. As soon as we change the site around, with the new artwork, I'll have them post up the original sketches to show just how close we got. Man, I'm getting restless for all of you to hear and see it.

April 11th, 11:25pm

Wow, what excitement, what a circus here. So much crazy stuff has been going on here I don't know were to begin. My mind is racing. I'm drowning in insanity and enormous events. I'm also full of shit. I'm fuckin' bored.

April 10th, 4:47pm

Me, Rick and Rich went to the SlipKnot show last night and got our asses kicked. I swear they were so heavy it felt like they were kicking the shit out of me. I couldn't believe how cool it was, it was totally entertaining and easily the heaviest show I have ever seen. It got our blood pumping and we came back and rehearsed. Good shows always inspire. A song called 'First Time' is done, out the door; so that's two down. It's very hard to peg this album. It seems like we're all over the map, which is great. I can't wait to play it live.

April 8th, 4:18pm

I got hit by a Mack truck joy ride last night, and I'm still feeling the effects.

April 7th, 10:38pm

One song, 'My Carousel', is done. It's fucking awesome. Thick and crisp and loud.

April 6th, 2:36pm

We got a look at the back cover and page 1 through 4 of the album booklet. Everything looks amazing, it's going to be a great, complete package.

April 6th, 3:06am

The official 'unofficial' list of songs is here: Sullen, Drag You Down, First Time, My Carousel, Bones and Joints, Stay and Drown, Walking in my Shoes, For the Ocean, Broken Words, Suffocate, Famous

April 5th, 4:27pm

We rehearsed last night for the first time. It's going to be good. the stuff is going to come across really heavy live. Playing all of the songs really put them in perspective. It may be the first time I've heard the songs as a 'whole song' rather than a bunch of parts. It's still not even close to perfect, and there's still a lot of the sounds that we're going to have to pull out of our ass, but I definitely feel way better about it all. I was honestly worried, but I think I was last time too. The mixing is going slow, but that's fine, we just sit around anyway.

March 30th, 2:56am

Well it's been three days since we left the studio and I can assure you I don't miss it at all. It's great to not think about music at all for a few days. Well, our own music at least. I've been listening to a lot of stuff, revisiting old favorites and hearing properly, for the first time, some of the albums I bought while we were in the studio. It's so hard to find the desire to listen to music when you're recording all day. I don't know if it's just your ears getting tired or what....but it's very hard to do. So I finally got around to hearing a bunch of stuff properly. I didn't realize the new STP was so cool. I had dismissed it quickly but I kind of like it now. The new TRAVIS record is amazing. I listened back to some Nick Drake albums which are timelessly brilliant. For some reason the EIFFEL 65 record is cool. I went back and listened to Fiona Apple's first record, I dig it. Then went back to some rap records I had forgotten about...The Goats and Jurassic 5. It's been really healthy, submerging myself in other people's music, it gives me the objectivity I've been missing and it excites me that you guys will be listening to our new album the same way I'm listening to these records. From the outside looking in. I envy you, even if you think it sucks, I envy that first listen.

March 24th, 1:21am

It was a very slow day today.

March 23rd, 3:27am

Well, our time off was cut short, but that's OK. We finished another few songs today, one called 'For the Ocean' and another called 'My Carousel'. Even more exciting than that.....we got a copy of the album cover. It looks amazing. Pretty much exactly how I envisioned it. And it's just the tip of the ice berg. A guy named Jeff Faerber is doing the whole thing for us. Check out his stuff at www.efgdesign.com/jfaerber/ it's amazing. He paints like we play.

March 20th, 2:42am

I'm at home. We have a week off before mixing to sort of clear our heads. We've still got a few songs to completely finish, but nothing too crazy. Last night, before we dashed home like lightning, we finished two more songs - 'Sullen' and 'Stay and Drown'. So whoever is reading this is privy to the new shit. We're slowly leaking out song titles....soon I'm going to have to hum a few bars......What's that?....No.....I shouldn't .......really.....I shouldn't......well.......OK, just a few......Hmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hahh, hmmm, hmm. I really love that part where it goes "hahh". You heard it here first folks. Have a goodnight....Take care of yourself.....and each other.

March 16th, 3:05pm

Yesterday we finished up a really heavy song called 'Drag You Down'. It's filled with backwards guitars and really cool poly-rythmical stuff. It's definitely the heaviest song we've ever done but still has a very strong melody. I haven't got a lot of feedback on the song, since I've only played it for two people, but it scared my Dad. Exactly what we want. He looked like he'd been beaten up by the time it was over.

March 15th, 11:53am

We just dodged a bullet. During the night the hard drive (what we record on) either crashed or shut down wrong, I don't know why. But there was a possibility that everything we recorded yesterday was gone. We finished up a song called 'Bones and Joints' and did a load of trimmings on 'Walking in My Shoes'. Today, as you can see by the time, we're up early and working away.

March 14th, 2:38 pm

If you people are still here reading these things I apologize...the past few entries have been soo less than stellar and so lacking originality that the only thing that separates them from one another is the fact that some completely bore me quicker than others. No more about the finishing touches. From here on in I'm going to report on relevant things, no matter how insignificant. Thanks for bearing through the tripe, but it's all behind us now.

March 14th, 2:35pm

Where has my head been? Has it been completely devoid of information? It must have been because I read through some of my past entries and noticed that I have been saying the exact same thing for the past little while. "The home stretch, finishing touches, light at the end of the bullshit, blah, blah, blah........" We're not even done recording and I already sound like a broken record. Forgiveness.

March 14th, 2:33pm

I must apologize....it seems, after some late night research, that I have been sending in the same bullshit information to this journal. I must learn that just changing a few words here and there and changing the date and time doesn't make it a new entry. I'm tired of repeating myself and assure you that it will never happen again.

March 14th, 2:30pm

I was surfing the net last night and I went to our site. When I was there, I read a few of my previous entries and was amazed at how insightfully shit they were. I can't believe I was just writing the same entry over and over again. I apologize.

March 14th, 2:27pm

I was on the f11 site last night, reading some of my past entries. I can't believe how shite they are. They're lamer than a race horse in a wheelchair. I apologize deeply. I think I said the same thing about four times. Same shit, just a different shade of brown. Anyway, it'll never happen again.

March 14th, 3:44am

Well it's late and I'm running out of things to say here. Every time I blow my load another three weeks of studio time appears. How can I possibly have something interesting to say about every day. They're just not that interesting. I'm sitting in the kitchen at our designated "computer work station" and everyone else is in bed. It's a little bit unnerving being down here alone, in all this silence. Not because it's lonely, but because you can hear the mice better. They are scurrying along the rafters and the tops of the cupboards and on a few of these nights I've seen tiny things moving in the corner of my eye. ;lkhljhfjfsgra Sorry about that, it was a mouse running across the keyboard.

March 12th, 3:50am

In the belly of the beast.

March 11th, 3:53am

I played the new stuff for some people and got some great reactions. I can't wait to share it with everyone. It definitely feels like we've made a better album than the last one and we've captured more of ourselves on this one. This is the home stretch...the finish line...the final frontier.

March 8th, 4:02am

It's getting very exciting in here. The stuff we're doing to the songs, polishing them up, is amazing. We're totally hyped about the whole thing. It's good to feel this way.

March 4th, 5:08am

Blah blah blah, rappa-ti-ta rappa-ti-ta!

March 3rd, 4:16am

We listened to rough mixes of the entire album and got really excited. As a collection of songs they work really well together. It also helped us in assessing which songs need a little more work. Of course we're creating more work for ourselves but to have come this far only to release them unfinished would be heart breaking. Seeing the short list of things that need to be addressed is actually exciting the fact that it is so focused is a change. Broad picture was getting a little confusing. Though it may take a little longer to get from here to there it will all be very much worth the wait. And creeping into the back of all of our minds is "How are we going to pull this off live?" We've worked so hard to create new sounds that it is going to be a real sweat job to pull it off. We're up for the challenge. I hope. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Onward and upward in this studio haze! To infinity and beyond! Olympia!

Star date 1742.8

We are circling what appears to be a perfect planet. Oxygen levels and air density are a perfect ratio to sustain human life. Vegetation grows in abundance and wild life roam in great herds prime for hunting, yet there are no signs of civilized life. We are set to beam down and investigate.....Oh, and we may slap our greedy, tainted, civilized thumbprint all over it, destroying euphoria and perfect balance. Kirk out.

February 24th, 3:28am

A very encouraging but frustrating day. It seems as though we're taking two steps forward and one step back. The songs are better for it but we just want to finish it. I'm on a crest of spirit this week, last week was a bit of a dip. The closer we get, the finer the microscope we use to look at each song and the better the music gets. But it seems like a never ending process. Patience little one.....Patience.

February 21st, 3:38am

Hope we all enjoyed the weekend, cause we won't be seeing one for a while. It's hard time form here on in. But pressure is good as long as we never let them see us sweat.

February 21st, 11:08pm

To quote the immortal Hannibal "I love it when a plan comes together!" To quote the immortal B.A. Barracus "I pity the fool!" If the Fool's plan came together would the A-Team break up?

February 17th, 2:43am

The crunch is upon us, but we're ready. The end of our stay here is about a month away which is exciting from many angles. We'll be able to see day light again, and we'll have a shiny new album to wave around for anyone who cares. We all get really giddy when the finishing touches come up so I feel a rush of gid coming on. Hold on to your socks!

February 16th, 2:54pm

We were like a kid with new runners. You know, when you think you can run faster and jump higher and you wear them all around the house, you even sleep in them. Well we were jumping higher and running faster, oh so fast. But we ran into a big ass puddle of mud and got stuck. We're struggling out but one of the shoes came off. We're slowly making sense of the situation and combing the depths for the shoe.......Oh........I think we found it.

February 15th, 4:16am

Ah the end is near! The finishing touches are beginning and our enthusiasm and morale have sky rocketed. Fresh perspective I suppose. Further definition in the "Finger Eleven" sound is cropping up and things are really starting to fall in to place. We're not out of the woods yet so this is no time to be cocky, but I feel really excited about the whole thing and the excitement is growing. Can't wait to share it.

February 12th, 3:38 pm

Focus is restored. We were busy breaking our balls polishing the brass door knob and we forgot how beautiful the house is. Thank God for the wide angle lens.

February 9th, 12:58pm

This morning Sean found a mouse. He put it in a box. Then Ange found another one. He put it in the box. I heard them talking, I think the box is getting a little small for them. They are thinking of moving to the hills. Big Brother approves and shows it with his face.

February 4th, 4:09am

Belittled by Antonio Gaudi's work.

February 3rd, 4:15am

I'm not sure what's going on, but I've never felt more creatively volatile. It's as though my brain is just churning out ideas. Music, stories, pictures. I'm like a moth ball disappearing into the musty closet air changing everything it can grasp with its vapors. Hope it lasts.

February 2nd, 4:56am

Like a new born my eyes were weak but have adjusted to the sweet glow of the television screen and the movies it shows. They have truly opened my eyes and my heart.

January 27th, 12:31am

We are dripping wet from swimming in the pool of creative method and ludicrous invention. Clay pots, toy microphones, duct works, aluminum garbage cans and on and on. Needless to say, things have become very interesting for me and Rick; like Boba Fett and Dengar we are hunting down a bounty more interesting than the last. Though the results are coming rather slowly the experimentation is paying off and our feigning interest in guitar has been replace with exclamations of EURIKA! Invention is the mother of all things.

January 25th, 4:17am

Well I guess the big Scream3 soundtrack comes out tomorrow, which is exciting. 'Suffocate', so we are told, is going to appear in the movie for all of 23 seconds. That's more than enough time to justify a red carpet and limousine to the local theater. It'll be a star studded evening, minus the stars........and the studs. I guess we'll just stick to making records this movie biz is too much, but look for the F11 private scream party coverage on 'E!' I can't wait to meet Joan Rivers.........and her tit useless daughter (sorry to her fans but having a huge wedding and a loud mouth mother does not justify "Celebrity")!

January 21st, 12:32am

The big apple is shiny and red and sits on the corner of the teacher's desk like a vulture waiting for your passing. Whatever............I'm in NYC to talk about the art concept for the album as well as a video idea for the first single. It is not time to pull back the drop cloth and reveal, but know that the ball is rolling. A day away from the studio is like a breath of fresh air, but I think all of this pure oxygen is going to my head. I must be light headed because I can't wait to get back.

January 20th, 12:20am

We found the ark, it was kind of tarnished and dull. I guess the hype killed its luster. No matter, things move on. Bits of dust and crumbs are slowly being gathered and shaped into something resembling a song. The broom is still out though, we've only swept one corner.

January 19th, 3:09am

We found the golden statue. We weighed the bag of sand just right. An oh so quick grab and we were home free. But we hesitated, only for a second and the whole building shook. We dodged the rolling boulder and came out with our hats, but we didn't get the treasure.

January 18th, 2:34 am

Well here we go, on a slippery slope of speeding clocks, closed doors, creative tension and uncomfortable silence.

January 14th, 2:55am

Uprooted and free floating I hit the highways. The wind in my sails was stopped. Cars and bumpers ran into the blades and stopped the fan. At least I got the part we needed.

January 13th, 3:28am

I have found a way to my knees and have been crawling for days. Following the howl of the wind, whistling at the mouth of some unseen exit. But what is this now? An enormous white monster, like a cloud, has smothered me and plucked my eyes. I am dizzy and blinded but I feel the soft hand outside on my cheeks. It is warm and friendly but not ready for a kiss.

January 12th, 12:19pm

Well, I broke the guitar. So now we have five strings until we find the part. Five is enough to get us through the heavy stuff though so all is not lost. To tell you truth it's a bit of a relief, it's one less string to go out of tune.

January 10th, 12:50am

I don't know if I'm just tired or what. It seems that everything is in slow motion yet it still manages to pass me by. I feel like I'm stuck in the mud, or like a spoke on a wheel that's.......stuck in the mud. "It's all part of the process." I keep telling myself. I must look at it this way......... I got very up and excited........ I spilled forth everything I had........... These tiny "everythings" swam up stream and one of them found a home....... She glowed for a while - we all did......... Then the beauty turned to a fat bitch........ Now we're waiting for the head to come out.

January 6th, 2:35am

Today we brushed the dust off the Big Brother cam, sorry about the lag. It was in amongst the rubble.

January 5, 4:27am

Attention!!!!!! It has been brought to my attention that some of the past journal entries have contained falsified information. We hear at F11 industries do not and will not stand for this. The inaccuracy of news is a most powerful game that should not be played. Though some of the entries of the past 6 days have contained some truth, they have also been riddled with half truths and lies. We here at F11 industries apologize for any panic, inconvenience or indifference that this disgraceful oversight may have caused. We do not look upon this lightly and we assure you that all necessary measures are being taken to get to the bottom of this. Thankyou for your time.

Attention!!!!!!!! It has just been brought to my attention that some of what was said in the preceding letter is false, but some of it may be true.

January 3rd, 2000, 4:19am

New age, millennium dwelling, future living life is................exactly the fucking same. Father Time was here sweeping up the confetti and streamers - remnants of the huge bash we didn't have. There was a crazy baby passed out in the lounge, his big ears were stuck to the leather couch and his little blonde head was throbbing from a three day hang over. We shooed them out and brought in the copper and coal. But I guess the scare is over....nothing bad happened, except that Dick Clarke sprouted some gray hair. Don't worry, he doesn't look a day older than 2000.

December 23rd, 2:19 pm

As the big birthday in the sky approaches we are gathering Christmas cheer like a T-Fal pan in a Teflon storm. I guess complete social seclusion is not the ideal recipe for Xmas cheer. Last night we heard reindeer on the roof and a loud CLUNK! It turns out the janitor from 'Santa's Village' got drunk and stole a pick-up truck full of them. The CLUNK! was the sound of his skull banging off the sky light as the alcohol poisoning took effect. The XXX moonshine bottle spilled all over the Plexiglas dome and in the nighttime freeze the whole thing shattered. We woke up to the sound of icicles shattering in our frozen sheets. The janitor was hanging by his belt loop like mistletoe. We all crowded underneath him and had a group kiss.

December 22nd, 12:38pm

Last night we skipped out on rehearsing to set up a 543 piece domino chain all around the studio. It was absolutely amazing. They were arranged in the shape of Mickey mouse's head and at midnight they all fell down.

December 21st, 2:54

We just finished rehearsing for the big Millenium show. Man, it's weird to actually play together as a band instead of bits and pieces here and there. It's a bit of a slap in the face to see that our tightness has atrophied a bit, but it's only the first night. The rest of this week's evenings are going to be spent in the din and we'll all be serenaded to sleep by the nightingale voice of ringing in our ears. We were joking about having our first annual company Christmas party on Wednesday evening. Just the five of us. What a party. Enough to get old Saint Nick down south a few days early. A drunken fat man and force feeding alcohol to reindeer, hopefully a few dwarves with pointy ears.

December 16th, 8:06pm

As average a day as any.

December 15th, 1:51pm

Well, you're probably all asking yourselves "why aren't you getting ready for your trip to sunny California?" and I'm gonna tell you. WE AREN'T GOING. Surprise, surprise. A change in plans has left us in the snowy northern ruins. Call me a spoiled brat, at this point I don't care. I just wanted to go to L.A. There are quite a few positives, probably more than there are negatives, but we'll leave that up to the rational minds and continue to wallow in hotheadedness. a) We have a lot more time to come up with a much better video, and perhaps even tackle it ourselves. b) We won't be missing valuable studio time. Time that is as precious as diamonds if we ever want to finish. c) We can do all of our Christmas shopping this weekend, instead of passing the burden on to girlfriends and family. d) We don't have to deal with being pampered and staying in nice hotels surrounded by beautiful people. Whew. Hope it keeps snowing cause I can't wait to throw my back out shoveling snow.

December 15th, 1:06 am

The fact that a puppet show was the highlight of the day should say enough.

December 12th, 3:13am

I know it's the weekend and obviously there's no album news but I was on the BB and found that people were curious about some of the technical/gear side of things, so I thought I'd address it. Plus I'm bored as hell. As I said in an earlier entry, we bought a new Anderson guitar which I'm sure both me and Rick will play at some point on the album. I used it for 'Suffocate' and plan to use it for all of my rhythm tracks. I am using my Bogner head as well, which is exciting since most of 'Tip' was recorded by the time I got it. The guitar tones will be fairly similar to the tones on the last album, hopefully better but nothing drastic. It's very important to find two distinct guitar tones (Mine and Rick's) that compliment each other. Rather than try to have one guitar track try to cover all the colors of the "tone spectrum" we split it between both guitars. Rick used a Paul Reed Smith swampash on 'Suffocate' through a Marshall head. I don't think he'll be using the 5150 much on this record. He's looking at getting a Mesa Boogie triplerectifier, that will be sweet. As far as effects go, we are using all kinds of pedals. There are too many to list so maybe I'll take a picture of all of them and post it up. Well I hope I've satisfied my fellow music geeks and totally bored the rest of you. goodnight.

December 11th, 4:07pm

Today was very lame. With the release of tension from 'Suffocate' being finished, everyone was in an undeserved euphoria. We need to start finishing the record. The sweetness of the feeling of finishing a song is strong enough to convince you that you've finished it all.......well, we haven't; and now it's time to crack the whip. "WHTHWAPT!!!!" Ass reddened and too sore to sit, I am prepared for the hill before us. Just give me a knapsack and we'll be there in no time.

December 10th, 1:11pm

The Scream song, 'Suffocate' was sent off for good today. We're all really hyped. It sounds really cool and fresh. Can't wait for people to hear it. Now it's back to the album. The "Big Brother-cam" has been fun so far and we're going to try to come some great ways to take advantage of it. Puppet shows, stop motion tableau, the slowest animated film in history. We decided on a concept for the 'Suffocate" video and found out that we'll be filming it next week, in L.A. Probably THE most rock star thing we've ever done. Needless to say, we are all praying that next week will fly by.

December 8th, 4:39

This was our first day with the studio cam, I'm still not sure what I think of the whole thing, I'll just ask big brother. The new mix for 'Suffocate' is sounding really good, tomorrow we'll do all the fine tuning. Other than that not much went on today.

December 7th, 2:10am

Perspective restored, we moved forward. We did the drums and bass for the next song; untitled for now. The Scream deadline has been extended, so all of the things we didn't have time to do have been done. The song is going to have another day in court, but this time its legal representation has read the law books and bought a yellow pad. I'm hyped for this week, things are going to start taking shape quicker, I'm experimenting with different beard patterns and the weasels are going to take us out for dinner.

December 3rd, 4:21pm

We took the night off for sanity's sake, and went to the big Colossus MoviePlex. The one with a huge UFO on the top of it and alien's in the lobby waiting to take your money. We saw ToyStory 2, which was really, really good. Just as good as the first one which was brilliant. At the beginning there was a trailer for new Disney movie called 'Dinosaurs' which looks way too cool. It was probably the best trailer I've ever seen. Then we went to see 'Flawless' which was another great movie. The acting was perfect and very, very moving. DeNiro is always brilliant, and so is Philip Hoffman. Today we're back in the throes of it all with clearer heads. Distance = clarity.

December 2nd, 12:49am

'Suffocate' (Scream3 version) was shipped off last night. Finally a new piece of music from finger eleven. The song is there and it sounds really good, but it's going to sound even better on our album. I promise. We're going to try to keep this break neck pace as we move on to recording all of the other songs. Knowing ahead of time what kind of album we want to make, we're going to have to move quickly to do all the things we want.

November 31st, 12:41am

My knees are weak, get this damn monkey off my back. He's running around with a bloody knife and ghost mask on and he's got everyone so messed up they're dizzy. He tried to hold Scott down while he sang, but he threw the little prick off and gave an amazing performance. He grabbed the shaker and the tambourine and made a racket. But Rich put him in his place. He climbed all over the bass, muting notes and adding some that weren't there. But Sean made it all feel right. He ran off with a guitar part for the last chorus. We still haven't caught him.

November 29th, 6:27pm

Like the sword of Damocles the deadline hangs above our necks. In fact, I can kind of feel its point pricking the top of my head, luckily I'm hip deep in studio muck.

November 27th, 2:41pm

We have finally started the important stuff - guitar. The moral has taken a little pint of a punt to the belly since we are all either sick or just getting over it; perfect timing for a harsh deadline. We are hoping to start vocals today, which is always a nice way to know if we're on the right track or not. So far it is sounding really fat, with a nice bottom. Hubbahubba. We're cutting out early today and hopefully a night's rest at home will get us all well.

November 26th, 12:34am

Today was a living hell. I woke up, for some strange cosmic reason, in the middle of the night and was barely awake enough to know that I was sick as a dog; then I went back to bed. The door bell of the studio rang way too early so I darted downstairs to answer it and of course there was no one there. Luckily I was able to sleep in until 1:00 when I woke up my body had taken this sweet flu to the next level. Thankyou. I moped around all day feeling like a ripe sack of shit. Only now is my head coming clear. Clear enough to watch Home Alone 2 that is. It was business as usual for everyone else. The drums and bass are done for a song that we're trying to get finished for the Scream 3 soundtrack. It is tentatively titled "Grayest of Blue Skies" but it is expected to change. I can't wait until tomorrow; I get to start guitar.

November 25th, 12:11am

We have started recording! Though things are going slow, as the first day always is, we have finally crossed the line into record land. I'm feeling torn between being excited and feeling sick to my stomach under the pressure of getting everything perfect. I will walk this line for the rest of the recording process. Yes, it is fun and I love every minute but the pressure from within is very heavy. The one thing easing me into it is the fact that the music is already better than the last album, which is all we really set out to do. I am very anxious to let people hear it, but I also want to wait until it is ready to be heard. Listen to me, whining about making a record. I will shut up now.

November 23rd, 12:33am

Today we borrowed a bunch of pedals off of our guitar tech, and we bought a new guitar--a Tom Anderson-- probably some of the best guitars ever made. We spent most of the day driving around downtown getting all this stuff, and running through all of the songs. We'll probably start recording later this week. We just got back from seeing Being John Malkovich. It gets a very high rating from this camp. One of the most unique films I've ever seen. Tremendous writing, tremendous vision. The puppeteering is phenomenal This year has been one of the greatest for movies. The night is young who knows where we'll end up. Probably in front of the T.V. watching replays of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. God bless Regis and his suspenseful bullshit.

November 18th, 1:15am

"Yesterday and today were great days for creativity." "A lot of the detailing and fine tuning is coming together very nicely." "It was great to get away from the studio for a few days, to get perspective." "There is nothing worse than when something you love becomes WORK and you dread getting up to do it - I know it sounds like such a 'spoiled brat' thing to say but it's true." "By the end of last week pressure from within the band was so great that we were walking in circles (pardon the pun for you RBM fans)." "Fresh perspective showed up at the studio yesterday and he had a lot of good things to say." "It's hard to remember that this is still pre-production; there is a whole other can of worms that we can open once we start recording for real." "It's good to be in love again."

November 14th, 11:48pm

No bleeding dogs. No broken dishes; only words. No alien encounters. No angry blowouts. No More Tears. No means no. No smashed guitars. No random stabbing in a fit of creative rage. No rest for the wicked. No..................it was not an interesting day.

November 13th, 11:55pm

Imagine building a house.... A big blank space is quickly covered by a floor. Then big planks of wood are attached to make a frame. Then the frames are erected to make four wall. Then a roof is added and the structure is done, but the house is far from complete. You have to insulate the walls, shingle the roof, finish the exterior. All of these jobs are necessary but they are no longer changing the shape of the building. The closer you get to finishing the house the smaller the jobs get, and the feeling of forward progress gets less and less. Each of these tiny jobs are just as important as the initial excavation, they just don't feel as grandiose. We've got the sides up, the roof is on and now we're painting the walls.

November 10th, 3:48pm

Today has the hype meter on full. We demoed five of the new songs and have been on a natural high since we listened back on the big speakers. We got some e-mail from some fans and it hit me like a ton of bricks.....there is a world going on outside this studio.

November 9th, 5:20am

No bleeding dogs today, I guess they can't all be winners. We're starting to demo most of the ideas, which will put each song under an even greater microscope. This is where it gets REALLY good. With the songs coming along nicely it has left a sliver of time to think about artwork. Once the songs are set and ready to be recorded the artwork will be the next creative mountain to climb. I don't know why I'm telling you any of this. Scratch that. I know why. It's 5:30 in the morning AND our days are so uneventful that I have to fill the page with something. I'm off.

November 8th, 2:31am

We were up and ready to go by 12:00. I was just finishing my breakfast when Rich ran through to the front door with Arnold's dog, who had been sleeping in the back room. He opened the front closet and pulled out the leash hanging on the bar, then grabbed the dog's collar to attach the leash and take it out to relieve itself. He had just fastened it when he noticed the blood on his hands, jacket and shirt. "Oh my God, who's blood is this?" In the time it took for him to say this, the dog had painted the walls red with its blood soaked tail, but not before pissing all over the floor. She had apparently gnawed on her own tail through the night, the result of her need to eat anything and everything; from cigarette butts to seat belts. Needless to say, the rest of the day seemed uneventful.

November 5th, 3:15am

It just occurred to me that for all you know I could be drunk when I write these entries. It raises an interesting question/point; Is anything I say here true? I guess all you can do is hope so. I could be full of crap. But trust me, I'm not.

November 4th, 2:10am

10:00am -Sean wakes up. 10:30am -Arnold arrives at the studio. 10:40am -Sean wakes up the rest of the band and they take showers, each of them hoping the other will get up next for the shower, giving them an extra two minutes sleep.. 11:00am -Our supposed start time for the day. 11:30am -Actual start time. 1:00pm - Break for lunch, or what us late risers call "breakfast". 1:30pm - Resume work. 6:00pm - Break for dinner, or what we starving artists call "canned goods". 6:45pm - Resume work. 11:00pm -Finish work for the day. 12:00am -Watch "Bottle Rocket" (thumbs up). 1:45am - Movie finishes and we all cringe at the idea of starting even earlier tomorrow. It doesn't stop us from staying up way too late. We are creatures of the night. 2:10am - Go on-line and start writing today's journal. 2:21am - Check my watch to see what time it is while I reflect on the day's events. 2:22am - Think of how long this will go on for if I keep writing everything I think. 2:24am - Still thinking. 2:26am - Decide the day is done, you've all heard enough. Go to bed.

November 2nd, 9:54pm

Yesterday was a long day. Up early for a drive into Toronto. Worked all day on some ideas that really didn't pay off yet. Went downtown to see Mr. Bungle. (Mike Patton has the best voice in music.) Went to HMV for the midnight sale of Foo Fighters and Counting Crows. Came back to the studio and watched "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." (Amazing!) Then finally collapsed under the weight of exhaustion.

October 30th, 2:30pm

We've all gone home for the weekend, a break we have certainly earned. Yesterday felt like one of the hardest working days, but the payoff was tremendous. We've come really close to finishing another song, and everyone is just giddy with how good it is, or how good we think it is. This song was one that was always left unfinished, so as a formality we decided that yesterday was its day in court. "We the jury find the defendant Not Guilty of being crap!"

October 29th, 12:47am

Today was amazing. Ideas were flowing like water and we got really close to finishing a few ideas. Very heavy, very aggressive. We have finally found the entrance of the tunnel, though the light at the end of it is still very faint.

October 28th, 12:57am

Today we dug into the past, to resurrect an old favorite of the band's that didn't make it onto "Tip." It has been kicking around on an old tape for about three years. We always knew it was special and we're finally giving it a much deserved kick at the can. nippets of other old ideas were toyed with today as well. So far we're working with about sixteen ideas. Last night we all went to see "Fight Club" (my 3rd viewing) and we are thinking a little differently. There is nothing better than creating after having seen or heard something so awe-inspiring. Nothing really exciting has happened yet; it's too early for that.

October 21st, 12:56am

We have given birth to a bunch of little babies and finally sent them off to school. Here they will learn defining things about themselves while we, the parents, are also taught new and better ways to raise them. The teacher says they will all receive equal attention, which as parents we are very insistent on, but so far only a few have been given lessons. We are both excited and proud to see the first four of them develop hardened skulls and some of them have even shown the early development of teeth. The rest are not too far off; it is literally a matter of time. We've put them all to bed for the day and are appreciating the peace and quiet though all of us are secretly listening to the nursery door.