Turnpike, the metallic hardcore firestorm from Cebu, Philippines, isn’t here to mess around—they’re back with a brutal vengeance. On November 7, they unloaded “Peeling My Scars,” a preview of the ruthless power in their upcoming full-length Straight to the Domes of Your Heads, set to rip through speakers today! We’re stoked to give you a solid portion of the new songs, along with the band’s special track by track commentary below!
The new album is a dark embrace of heavier, harsher tones, a sonic fistfight where each track hits harder than the last. And Turnpike’s vocalist, Bryle Tomilap, pulls no punches as he takes us through every track with a raw, unapologetic commentary that gets straight to the point.
Bryle Tomilap’s track-by-track commentary lays out every brutal detail of Straight to the Domes of Your Heads.
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Track by Track Commentary by Bryle Tomilap
Intro
The prologue to our album, setting the listener up for the kind of sound the entire album embodies. This is also the opening song we play during live sets, where I usually sing and call out for people to mosh the f*ck up.
Heavy Bones
An exploration of the ideology of maximizing one’s potential in life; it’s an ode to Socrates’ philosophy that an unexamined life is not worth living. “Strive for an exit, forge all your thoughts into reality, stray from apathy, or bring heavy bones to the grave.” The heaviest burden man can carry is to die with an unexamined life. Life is meant to be explored, and there is no greater pursuit than realizing one’s full potential.
Fatal Cleansing
The third track tells an apocryphal story of the end days, a purging of the evil rooted in this world since its beginning. We see the world pestered by corruption, greed, and exploitation, and we wanted to write a song about the death of all the evil that feeds on the weak and marginalized. It felt satisfying as f*ck. Death to all putos! This riff is heavily influenced by Cebu local act “Gardo” (check them out; they have an album called Release).
Peeling My Scars
Turnpike reflects on the pleasures of pain. Sometimes, without noticing, we choose the burdens we carry. Even as our scars heal, the choice to give in to hate, revenge, or vengeance prevents our mental healing. This creates a vicious cycle, where the longer one lingers in it, the more satisfying the pain becomes.
Breaking Your Peace
An unconventional meditation on spirituality, karma, and the end times. The lyrics explore apocalyptic scenarios from a biblical perspective, as the title itself suggests. “Man’s sloth, conformity, and convenience could be disguised as peace,” describes vocalist and songwriter Bryle Tomilap. “Peace has thousands of interpretations, but it can sometimes be fatal.” We wanted to show how peace could sometimes mean conforming to an unfavorable situation just to avoid conflict. We hate that. We abhor that.
Total F*cking Chaos
We wanted this track to be the crowd’s anthem. Everyone has that person they hate for being a total sucker, and everyone can relate, even the local Buddhist monk. It could be a bully, an abuser, or any kind of enemy. They deserve karma and all the chaos in the world. “And the next time we meet down the unlit alley, I’ll make sure it’s not my blood on the street.” This song is also perfect for people to let off some heat in the pit. What a beautiful picture.
Blood 4 Blood
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” A raw and unapologetic outcry against racial discrimination and genocide, inspired by the struggles of the Palestinian people. May this song serve as a persuasive voice to those who choose not to take a stand against racist abuses.
Angels Weep
“Angels Weep” starts with an apocalyptic cue, foretelling a world riddled with sin, unraveling the violent descent of angels prophesized to purge the wicked and those who take advantage of the weak. Side note: I believe this song was previously featured on your website.
Banished from Paradise
The closing track of this metallic hardcore offering opens with an audio clip from the John Carpenter movie They Live (1988): “The golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules.” Man’s technological race and each nation’s unending pursuit of a comfortable life have taken a toll on the innocent and on nature as a whole. Our greedy attempt to create a man-made paradise has ignored the natural paradise already available, creating a paradox where convenience has led to global warming, climate change, and the destruction of earth’s resources. In effect, we’ve banished ourselves from Eden, creating a toxic cycle. The song ends with the band’s vision of a “new society” that mankind will create, where humans act as stewards of all beings on Earth, restoring moral order and correcting past mistakes.
