Psykerion

PsykerionThe story takes place well into the future. The man-made planet of Earthoid (which we still call “Earth”) and all surviving inhabitants, who after having fled from a nuclear age, asteroidal threats, and interplanetary destruction, find that our allies on the planet of Xyrethius are being threatened by a mutual enemy. Our mission is to traverse through the far reaches of the galaxy of Psykerion to aid the Xyrethians. Our main character, the captain’s son and boy genius named Avakus, witnesses this perilous and life changing journey first hand on the massive city-like ship, Kerakryps-One. This is the story as seen from Avakus’ eyes, and how it shapes his future…

01) Inceptus 2:40

02) Exodus 1:47

03) Psykerion: The Question 3:02

04) In the Words of Avakus 1:52

05) Light Year Time 5:33

06) Kerakryps 5:27

07) The Black Hole Lounge 1:08

08) Circuits of O.D.D. 1:54

09) Behind the Eyes of Ikk 8:36

10) Isle of Bizen 4:34

11) Xyrethius II 4:30

12) Recoil 3:17

13) Breath of Life 3:04

14) Transcend 9:38

15) Planet Qwinkle 4:41

16) Inner Peace 2:07

event duration

IncePtus...

exodus...

PsykerIon: the QuestIonBiorhythms Racing as We Ride the Violent StormScaling Through Forever, But Fearing Fate Nor FormThe Place We Seek of Which We Speak Will Justify Our CauseBut the Question Remains…

With All Circuits Active We Enter Spiral RealmNow Encapsulated; Protected by Our ShellA Human Seed Should We Succeed Will Save Our Entity

Eyes Unyielding Through a Cosmic SeaWorld of Conquest; Furthest DegreeFate Upon Us; Spirit RebornTo Reach Psykerion

Rapid is Our Descent; Burning Through the AtmosphereBlinded by Prismatic Light Approaching Us So NearQuadrant Three Trajectory a Treacherous Travail

Eyes Unyielding Through a Cosmic SeaWorld of Conquest; Furthest DegreeFate Upon Us; Spirit RebornTo Reach Psykerion; This Land Beyond the Sun

In the Words of AvAkusSpinning Through TimeOn a DeclineTrapped in the World Around MeAll That I See Is ObscurityYet My Purpose Seems So ClearA Varying ScopeA Glimmer of Hope Radiating Through Me Still the Darkness Will Transcend

Lost in a HazeSpending My Daze In a Dark ConfusionAll That I HearMessage of Fear Feel the Struggle of It AllBut As I StandTomorrow’s Hand Reaches Over to MeLending Courage to My Cause

Spinning Through Time; On a Decline As Slumber’s Touch Invades Me…

LIght-yeAr tImeLight-Year Time / Light-Year / Light-Year Time

Dancing Inside the Minds of Those Who WonderImages; Ebb and Flowing Streams of Light BeyondSwimming Into a Sandstorm; Breathing Under (Dancing Inside the Minds of)Vertigo Visions Abstracted; Land of Nod(Dancing Inside the Minds of Wonder)

I’ll Endure / What I’m Absolving / Thoughts Obscure / I Am RevolvingLight-Year Time / In My World / Thoughts Unfurled / Light-Year Time

Traveling Circus On Venus; There’s No CoverDissonant Sounds Around You Blend As OneMasquerading Madmen Entertain Us (Dancing Inside the Minds of)Clouds Turn Into Faces; Suddenly They’re Gone (Dancing Inside the Minds of Wonder)

I’ll Endure / I Am Creating / Thoughts Obscure / IlluminatingLight-Year Time / In My World / Thoughts Unfurled

Dancing Inside the Minds of Those Who WonderImages; Ebb and Flowing Streams of Light BeyondSwimming Into a Sandstorm; Breathing Under (Dancing Inside the Minds of)Vertigo Visions Abstracted; Land of Nod (Dancing Inside the Minds of Wonder)

kerAkryPsAs I Arise With Widened Eyes to My RealityI Stand Behind the Grand Design of Section 53With Streets and Bars and Moving Cars; It Leaves Me Mesmerized As I Ascend to Level Ten, What I Find Before Me… It Beckons My Eyes

Upon Our Ships (the Kerakryps) We Call Upon Our QuestA Cosmic Storm Beyond the Norm Has Put Them to the TestAs We Project and We Deflect, We Cannot Be DestroyedThis Sacred Dome We Call Our Home Will Lead Us Through Through the Void

My Mother and My Father, I’m Sorry We’re ApartAnd to my Dearest Leva, I Give You All My HeartI Promise You We Will Return; Our Mission Will Not FailTo All Upon Our Planet “Earth” It is to You We Hail

the BLAck hoLe Lounge...

cIrcuIts of o.d.d.Circuits of O.D.D. / Our DemigodGive Us Vital Facts to Carry OnLight Years Away or Just One Day?Tell Us Oh Machine of Mortal Decay

Circuits of O.D.D. / Will You Respond?Show Us to Forever; Lead Us BeyondStars We Traverse / Turn For the WorseAre We Chosen Now or Are We Cursed?

Circuits of O.D.D. / Lighted FaçadeJustify This Test of Fate We’re UponBut Wait! Up Ahead / He Dares toTreadWhat Do I See?

BehInd the eyes of IkkTo All A Delight Our Host for the Night Was One Who Hailed From Lands of NetherOnstage So Shrewd This Gentle Giant Would Exude A Gift of Wit & Ugliness Together

“From Lab 13 Thus I AppearTo Entertain and Interfere My Etiquette Might Be SevereBut Get Used to Ikk; He Kinda Likes It Here”

Welcome to the Palace of the SikkWho’s the Man Behind the Eyes of Ikk?

This Test Tube Recluse Not Akin to Mother Goose Yet Turned Out to Be Such a TreasureA Frankenstein Way Behind His Time With A Dab of Kong Thrown In For Good Measure

“From Your Experiment Gone Awry You Have Produced A Troubled GuyI Know I’m Hard to ClassifyBut I Can Light Up a Room With My One Good Eye

Welcome to the Palace of the SikkWho’s This Beast Who Has a Wit So Quick?A Dragon’s Breath; Stare of a LunaticThat’s the Man Behind the Eyes of Ikk

Artificial Intelligence Quite Describes This Goon But At the End of the Day Well I Must SayThis Ikk Is Kinda Cool

Over 9 Feet At Peak His Posture’s Kind of Weak But That’s What Makes Him Such a Gas And Lacking the Extremes of Intelligence It Seems ‘Tho Quite the Wiz He Is at This New Math

Welcome to the Palace of the SikkWho’s This Beast That Has a Wit So Quick?A Dragon’s Breath; Stare of a LunaticThat’s the Man Behind the Eyes of Ikk / Eyes of Ikk

IsLe of BIzenIt’s Just An Hour to Willhaven TowerThe Landmark of All Days Gone ByMemories Wash Over The Birdsong and CloverAs We Bow to Sun and Blue Sky

Sometimes I Swear That I Feel Like I’m There AgainTimeless; Unending; The Years We Were SpendingReflections On Isle of Bizen

Ebbing and Flowing; The Tide of Our KnowingIt Comes Back So Clear Now and ThenCurrents of Sorrow Flowed Into TomorrowToday’s River Flows Back Again

Youthful In Spirit With No Will to Steer It AwayTimeless Endeavor; Might We Live Forever?Reflections On Isle of Bizen

Days of Distraction and Nights of ReactionThe Mirror of Time Takes Me ThereEchoes Are Drifting And Sands They Are ShiftingTo Bring Back the How Why or Where

Sometimes I Swear Well I Feel Like I’m There Again Timeless; Unending; The Years We Were SpendingReflections On Isle of Bizen

xyrethIus II...

BreAth of LIfeWhile We’re Here If We Face the Fear And We We Live One More Day

While We’re Here If We Face the Fear And We We Live One More Day oh

While We’re Here If We Face the Fear And We We Live One More Day

While We’re Here In This Place So Near OhIf We Live If We Live If We Live One More Day

recoILIn Recoil I Reflect Upon The Madness I Saw ThereAnd Yet Our Reasons Justified; Of That I Am AwareI’m Drained But I Must Carry On and Live With DignityAnd Put This Memory Far Behind As Homeward We Retreat

In Recoil I Reflect Upon The InhumanityTheir Poisoned Minds; Their Tortured Pride; Their Cold HostilityI Sense the Smell of Victory; But Now It’s Not So SweetI Am Living; I Am One; But Now My Heart Won’t Beat

In Recoil I Reflect Upon The Way Things Used To BeA Time of Endless Innocence; A Time of PurityI Sense the Smell of Victory; But Now It’s Not So SweetI Am Living; I Am One; But I Can Barely Breathe…

Violin on “Recoil” by Jim Hurley

trAnscendIn This Endless Coil of SpaceIs the Protoype We Tend to ChaseAct on Every ConsequenceAlways Standing Tall; Responding In Defense

Beyond the Psychic Veil I Find the Drive to SeeEclipsing All That Fate’s Device Will Let Me SeeWithin the Cosmic EndIs All I Need To ComprehendI’ll Transcend (We Transcend)

In a Constant State of ChangeIt’s the Model That We RearrangeAll Before We Must OutlastSo We Push the Envelope Until We Surpass

The Door Into Tomorrow Is Opening TodayThe Visionary’s Reason Lights the WayAnd Underneath the Clamor In DisguiseThe Truth Lies; The Truth Lies

Beyond the Psychic Veil I Find the Drive to BeEclipsing All That Fate’s Device Will Let Me SeeWithin the Cosmic EndIs Every Answer I Defend / I Transcend

Even As We’re Finding New Creations to ExceedThen We Will Shatter All the Things We Have AchievedEven As We’re Hiding New Horizons We ConcedeKnowledge is an Everlasting Seed

In a Constant State of ChangeIt’s the Model That I’ll RearrangeAll Before I Must OutlastSo I’ll Push the Envelope Until I Surpass

The Door Into Tomorrow Is Opening TodayThe Visionary’s Reason Lights the WayAnd Underneath the Clamor In DisguiseThe Truth Lies; The Truth Lies

Behind the Psychic Veil I Tear the Mask AwayExposing What the Real Me Should Be TodayWithin the Cosmic EndIs Every Answer I Defend / I Transcend

Behind the Psychic Veil in My DiscoveryI’ll Rise Above and Go Beyond the Last DegreeWithin the Cosmic EndIs Every Answer I Defend

Beyond the Psychic Veil; Within the Cosmic EndBeyond the Psychic Veil; Within the Cosmic EndBehind the Psychic Veil; We Within the Cosmic End; We Behind the Psychic Veil; We Find the Reason to PrevailWithin the Cosmic End; We Find the Power to TranscendBehind the Psychic Veil; We Find the Reason to PrevailWithin the Cosmic End; We Find the Power to Transcend

PLAnet QWInkLe...

Inner PeAceMission to Submission / A Universal CourseThis Odyssey of Virtue / Our Sovereignty EnforcedMacrocosmic Fusion / A Symbiotic State

Eyes Unyielding Through Cosmic SeaWorld of Conquest; Furthest DegreeFate Upon Us; Spirit RebornTo Reach Psykerion; This Land Beyond the SunBeyond the Sun

Jeff Plant bass

Bill Jenkins keyboards

ted Leonard Lead vocaLs

michael harris guitars; keyboards; vocaLs

mike haid drums

Michael would like to thank:MY FAMILY for still believing in me!!! Ted, Jeff, Bill, and Mike for their incredible performances and for being all around great guys who are easy to work with! John Holland for the incredible art & visuals, John Purdom, Thomas Waber, Leif Jensen, Tom Size, Naoharu Yasuoka, Dan Pluta, Phil Derenbecher, Paul Moore, John Chandler, Chris & Brett Rodler, Wayne McMurry, Mike Risko, Luther Huffman, Pat Rohrer, Michael Varhelyi, Eric Sandquist, Bob Shroyer, Steve Kracus, Brian & Sharon Brock, Chris Baker, Eric Boehm, Darin Moore, Dave Jacoby, Bradley Noud, Ben Kuzay, Curt & Vanessa Burkhead, Gene & Frances Simpson, Matt Eaton, Erik Martinez, George Lamie, David Williams, Peter Clark, Mike Downes, Vitalij Kuprij, Bridgette, Jana, Arletta, T Bear, Tracy, Kim, Connie, Miko Thatcher, Mark Potts, Chris Barnes, Scott Aisenbrey, Morris Mounts, Jan Jeffrey, Greg Pearlman, Jerry Birchler, Alfie Luckey, Gary Long, Randy Allar, Lance King, my band mates: Brian Harris, Jeff Davis, Steve Snyder, Mike Neal, Kelly Carpenter, Bill Rankin, Bill Bachman, Matt Thompson, James Martin, Steele Lane, Greg Martin, Gary Rigmaiden, all the stellar TC fans worldwide!!!

Ted would like to thank:Denise, Elyse, and Kyle Leonard for putting up with this crazy and unprofitable obsession.

Jeff would like to thank:Michael Harris for writing crazy difficult music that’s fun to play! I’d also like to thank all the other incredible musicians on this recording for being amazing.

Bill would like to thank:Korg for not only providing the best day job for a musician to be keeping, but also for allowing me to use pre-release Kronos features. A special thanks to Jack Hotop for being there to help out with voicing. Also thanks to Will Jenkins for being such an inspiration and showing me how a real musician spends the requisite time in the pursuit of continuous growth and perfection on their chosen instrument. (still trying to catch up to you, dude…) To Jessica Jenkins: you’ve shown me how belief in one’s own creative ideas and a tenacity to see them through can produce awesome results. (Thanks for lending a critical ear to some of my ideas as well!) Thanks to Ted for having me along on this stellar and, um, “excellent” adventure. Thanks to Michael for being such an overall great

guy and fantastic musician to work with. Many thanks to Jim Hurley for providing us with some awesome violin tracks. Joey Gomez, thanks for giving your time and photographic expertise. Thanks to Luke Smith at Waves; Spunky Brunone from Audio DAWg; and Mark Gummer, Tim Brecht, and Ashley Buss at Radial Engineering: you all provided great products to record with. Tom Size, thanks for letting me watch you do some of your mixing magic and for all the tips on how it’s done. Thanks to my family for all of their support and to Theresa White for suffering through what must have seemed like an endless hibernation in the studio.

Mike would like to thank:Michael Harris and Ted Leonard for inviting me into the Thought Chamber family. The advanced level of musicianship in TC is inspiring and challenging. I have been blessed to work with Michael Harris for many years. His outstanding, innovative songwriting skills have pushed me further than I ever imagined I could go. I will always be grateful for his belief in my talent, his open-mindedness and his relentless attempts to constantly challenge my rhythmic abilities. It has made me a better player. It’s an honor to work with Michael, Ted, Jeff and Bill as Thought Chamber. I feel that there is a wonderful, magical and dangerous chemistry created on this recording. I also feel that we’re just scratching the surface of possibilities, and I can only hope that TC will live long and prosper! I would also like to thank Marco Minnemann, Mike Mangini and Todd Sucherman for their friendship and never-ending inspiration. Thanks to Vinnie Colaiuta for always making me realize that the rhythmic possibilities on the drum kit are endless, and that playing music is a gift that should be filled with passion and dedication to your craft. Thanks to my family @ Modern Drummer Magazine for their many years of love and friendship. I thank God everyday for the gifts that I have been given. I’ve been blessed with an amazing family and I take nothing for granted in this life. I wish you all a blessed life and I hope you enjoy listening to this recording as much as we enjoyed creating it for you! Let’s change the world with Peace, Love, Forgiveness, Respect, Acceptance, Joy and Thought Chamber music!! Cheers!

Recorded at various locations across the Known Universe 2012—2013

Produced by Thought Chamber

All music and lyrics by Michael Harris

Mixed & Mastered by Tom Size at Tomland Studios, Pacheco, CA

Illustration, layout & design by John E. HollandMistyMountainGraphics.com

C 2013 InsideOut Music · P 2013 Century Media Records Ltd., under exclusive license from InsideOut Music · IOMLTDCD 386 · All rights reserved · Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws · Licensed from Thought Chamber · Made in Germany