Brief summary concerning the concept of "Ex Anima":
In contrast to In Anima, Ex Anima is mostly dealing with external matters and a battle between an individual against a collective, the tribe that he was raised in. Who the person is doesn't matter, but the events happening all around him are the focus, coupled with effects that take a toll on him internally.
Brief Track by Track Analysis:
1. Rites of Initiation---The listener is transported to the setting of Ex Anima, a lone village on an island whose location is irrelevant and unknown. The time period is also irrelevant. As the listener is drawn closer and closer into the scenery, he encounters the ocean around the island and then comes to the island itself, where the villagers are holdng a ritual.
2. Lethargy---The focus shifts to our main character, who is sleeping during the ritual. This is the musical representation of his slumber, until he is rudely caught sleeping through a ritual (which is mandatory).
3. A Spirit Flees---He immediately manages to escape the village out of fear and frustration, venturing into the surrounding forest beyond him.
4. The Inward Struggle---His journeying catches up with him physically and his mind drifts beyond his control to contemplation at his life and his current situation. A conflict arises. Does he continue to choose ultimately what he wants and let his spirit run free or give into the authority constantly around him that makes him think he wants otherwise? He is caught up in the battle: to choose to be a rebel or give in to conformity.
5. Demon---His demon is released. He struggles against his rebellion but his spirit breaks loose, his individuality and egoism overwhelm him. As his religion would say, he has given into temptation.
6. Boris Plays the Glockenspiel---An intriguing interlude wherein the main character wakes up with a regained sense of sanity and clear visions that he has never known before.
7. Hopeful Lament---He realistically cognizes that he cannot escape the island and would rather not fully survive on his own. He also does not, however, want to be enslaved to the totalitarian existence of his tribe that he has known his whole life. He sits down in the forest after seeking shelter and laments with conflicted thoughts.
8. A Spirit Returns---In haste, he decides to go back to his village and confront the people that he has been avoiding. He knows he shouldn't desert his past and decides that he would rather not fend for himself.
9. For the Benefit of Society---He returns home, whereupon his fellow villagers are outraged and chase after him. They eventually grab him and tie him up; thereafter they decide to drown him for the good of the collective and sacrifice him to their god.
10. Aquatic Immersion---The main character is thrown into the ocean and sinks to his watery grave. His spirit is finally free in death.
You, as the listener, can decide whether both separate stories are connected and what connection they have.
All concepts for "Ex Anima" created by Alex Browne.
Brief summary concerning the concept of "In Anima":
Roughly, "In Anima" is all internal and takes a look primarily within the mind as an abstract yet completely concrete concept. Everything takes place within a "mind" of a person. Who the person is doesn't matter and what outside events are occurring to spur all of these events doesn't matter. All that is being covered in this album is trying to be as concrete as possible--what is happening inside a mind.
Brief Track by Track Analysis:
1. Capable of Life and Death---opens with an outsider's view of the concept of the human mind----Danny's saying 'Insane? I'm not insane, what do you think you're talking about?'...
It's describing the human mind. The mind is "Capable of life and death".
There are also backwards words in that song further elucidating this.
2. Cosmic Entrance---We now are being taken actually INTO that concept of the mind---everything is now visualized and tangible, as opposed to track 1, which is from an outside point of view (for the listener). This is pretty much the journey through the entrance, until finally reaching at the mind---as if the mind and all of its contents were to be represented tangibly through all of the senses to the listener.
3. The Rain---arriving at the mind, everything is in a state of serene happiness and order---everywhere around where you look it is raining peacefully, but soon the atmosphere changes as the mind takes in many conflicts.
4. Lost Wanderings--the mind is beginning to think about its human life, everything that has been happening of late, contemplating the meaning of life, the thoughts start out somewhat realistic but soon the mind fortrays way too far into contemplation.... other emotions begin to enter the mind---paranoia, intensive thought, fear, anticipation, over-contemplation, loneliness....
5. Creeping Conflicts---the mind struggles to maintain sanity as the person delves further and further into thoughts which should not be so deeply tread and embraced... eventually, pure insanity takes over. Emotions are about to fly wild all over the mind without care.
6. Madness--the mind/human goes absolutely mad with overwhelming fear, rage, anxiety over everything wrong in life.
7. Perplexing Paramount--the absolute peak of insanity, the mind cannot take another single crazy, isolated thought any longer.... the mind tells the human it's either time to absolutely die or begin to regain some sort of consciousness/realistic outlook.
8. Descent into Space--suddenly, all of the madness and crazy thoughts raging all over the mind cease to fly---the mind turns into a hollow and mostly empty place, trying to regain some sort of sense or sanity---our traveller (the listener) is now descending through empty space, as there is now temporarily nothing tangible (except occasional sounds). Time is a foreign concept; the listener is given no understanding of how long the duration of these events is.
9. Boris Plays the Cello---still descending through the empty space, some sort of very small and quick emotion suddenly confronts the listener---the memories of fun and happiness that the mind has stored... they are only able to penetrate not for long.
10. A Tranquil Interlude--the mind finally is able to start sorting through all of its thoughts and emotions now---trying to sort out what really is wrong and right in life... yet tangible matter (for the listener) begins to reform in a silently peaceful and tranquil regaining of consciousness.
11. Internal Tribute--with all of the joyful memories also re-come all of the bad things that the mind has had to deal with throughout its entire life. A complete onslaught of different voices come flooding back to the mind, and the mind doesn't know what to do.
12. Concluding Conflicts---finally able to shut out all of the voices and madness, the conflict has come to an end. The mind has found clarity and the conflicts of the mind all disappear.
All concepts for "In Anima" created by Alex Browne.