Musical Notes: Divide and Be Conquered

“Divide and Be Conquered” may be the closest thing to a pure metal song on this album. It uses running double-kick beats, harmonized guitar leads, chugging palm mutes, and guttural screaming. However, my original conception of the song was far from the final product.

Cubicle Rock

The introductory lead guitar part was the first to enter in my mind. I remember working out its melody while sitting in my cubicle at work. (How’s that for rock and roll?) After that, I conceived the ascending rhythm guitar part that sits underneath the lead. However, in my mind, the whole passage actually bore a close resemblance to “Too Bad” by Nickelback. The main rhythm riff in "Divide" sounds a lot like that chorus riff.

While still sitting in my cubicle, I started working out the verse riff. Originally, I envisioned it sounding like “Thunder Underground” by Ozzy Osbourne. The opening riff to that song is one of my all-time favorites in term of tone and impact. (I’m actually listening to it as I write this. How did Zakk Wylde get such a crunchy tone? That blows me away.)

The last piece to be added was the bridge.

The Backbeat

In every case, Jason’s drum parts completely exceeded my expectations for the song and greatly improved it. The best asset in songwriting is a co-writer with more imagination than you! He introduced the extended double-kick parts, the staggered beats of the verse, and the dance/techno beats of the bridge. In every case, my drum ideas paled in comparison to his.

And that’s how “Divide” became a metal song. 

Gang Vocals

To achieve the “gang vocal” effect on the chorus, I enlisted the help of Rodney Calfee, a good friend and an amazing musician. We sang the “Divide and Be Conquered” line together about six times for each chorus, and that did it.

Synths

I've always been a drums-bass-guitar kinda guy, but certain bands use synthesizers in incredible ways. One of my favorite songs for synthesizers is "How Can I Hold On" by Stabbing Westward. The outro (starting at about 4:00) is pretty awesome. They were a big influence on my decision to use some techno sounds during the bridge of "Divide." Incidentally, Stabbing Westward's singer was pretty influential on me, too. 

--Aaron