The Mark of the Beast
A Demo a Day: Day 17.
Could you imagine meeting the devil himself? Thomas is brought in for interrogation. Brother John, who is now a minion of THE ONE, works Thomas over for a bit, before bringing him to his boss for an interview. THE ONE is no longer the charming, beatific pitchman of Act I; he’s agitated, shrill and impatient. THE ONE offers Thomas a Faustian bargain, and in short order reveals his true demon nature as the scene onstage explodes into an orgiastic spectacle of torture and agony. Thomas refuses THE ONE’s offer in an ironic reversal (I serve no one!), so the demon has his thugs beat on Thomas for a bit. Eventually he gives up, annoyed that he’s lost another potential thrall, and goes back to his business of enslaving humanity and destroying the world.
As for the music, the verses consist of a menacing cello bass line-- the devil’s interval-- a nauseating chromatic vocal melody doubled with piano, a dorky 808 drum machine for rhythm, and a melange of oddball instruments. The performance evokes a demonic cocktail combo, with the players intentionally out of step as they often just play whatever they want. The chorus is industrial hard rock in the style of Marilyn Manson’s Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World, and has a bizarre chord progression (Cmaj, Bbmaj, Amaj, F#maj) that keeps the song wickedly off balance. There is an interlude that reprises Poor Little Planet, though instead of the orchestral arrangement of Act I, it’s done in klezmer style and performed by an onstage cabaret band-- adding a chilling Berlin 1929 vibe to the piece.