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Siege Of Megiddo

from Rising Above [EP] by Plaid On Flannel

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about

*Song Description By Noles*

In the summer of 2012, I was on a songwriting spree. Coming up with tunes that I knew could stand on their own. I wanted to write a warm-up song that a boxer or a UFC fighter could use as introduction music as they walk down the aisle towards the ring. I was greatly inspired by the song "Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei from the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack. It's a huge tune! Lots of fighters have used it as intro music before their fights. But when I planned on writing a warm-up song of my own, I wanted to give it a war-like kind of edge.

I wrote the music for "Siege Of Megiddo" on July 11, 2012. Initially the song was in a more upbeat tempo. Having a guitar riff that blends into a simple chord progression. The power chords are all played with down-strums on the guitar pick. Which is a heavy metal trick that Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath pioneered on songs like "Paranoid". The punching down-strums on the rhythm guitar for "Siege Of Megiddo" are meant to have a marching effect, as if soldiers are marching before engaging in battle.

The lyrics for "Siege Of Megiddo" were written on July 25, 2012. I imagined an historical war and described the details of battle-bound soldiers. For the chorus, I needed some kind of hook that could work as the song's title and subject. So I went online and searched for the names of old-time wars in history. After some research, I found the Battle Of Megiddo from 15th century BC. Not only did this battle take place 3,469 years before I wrote the song, but it was the first ever recorded battle in human history. It took place in Tel Megiddo, Canaan, which is now part of northern Israel. This historical location of battle is the cover art for Plaid On Flannel's Rising Above EP. The Battle Of Megiddo was between the Egyptians and the Canaanite forces. The Egyptians were victorious. While "Battle Of Megiddo" was not quite the song title I was looking for, I changed it to "Siege Of Megiddo". Some historians even refer it to that name anyways. But Megiddo is actually pronounced "Meh-Gid-Oh". So to correlate with the vowel pronunciation of the word Siege, I pronounced it "Mah-Gee-Doh". At that point, the song came into it's own.

I started recording the Mission Of Mercy version of "Siege Of Megiddo" on October 15, 2012 and finished the song on October 24, 2012. The entire Mission Of Mercy album was released the next year on May 20, 2013. After moving to Toronto in September of 2013, the Plaid On Flannel band started as a 3-piece on February 15, 2014. "Siege Of Megiddo" was part of the first batch of my original songs that I brought to the band. We played it in a faster tempo in those days. Here's a version of us playing it at Rancho Relaxo in Toronto on August 9, 2014... youtu.be/EInZ6Big7mg

Keyboardist Jen Doyon joined Plaid On Flannel the next year on February 22, 2015, and her backup vocals provided the harmony "Siege Of Megiddo" needed. Her organ also filled up the space within the punchy down-strummed rhythm of the song. Drummer Minas Hatzigiannatzoglou found an article in an historical magazine regarding Tel Megiddo. And that's when we decided to use a photo of Tel Megiddo as our album artwork for our Rising Above EP that we started recording on November 28, 2015, and released on May 14, 2016. "Siege Of Megiddo" has always been a crowd favourite, and it will live on in POF's live repertoire for a long time.

lyrics

Words and music by Nolan Randall

Battle going on out in the field
Weaknesses are shown, they are revealed
Several men are going to engage
What they don’t see, they are on a stage

Justice is gone, prepare for the Siege of Megiddo
It won’t take long, beware of the Siege of Megiddo

Dangerously armed, what is the deal?
Bow before your god if you don’t kneel
Grimacing the likes of golden age
What is this that causes so much rage?

Justice is gone, prepare for the Siege of Megiddo
It won’t be long, beware of the Siege of Megiddo

The blood that’s lost is the cost
An enemy across sea
To be alive is the drive
We’re on the Siege of Megiddo

So much love is given to a weapon
Something happened on the way to heaven
War is over with all this destruction
Don’t forget, it’s all an introduction

Justice is gone, prepare for the Siege of Megiddo
It won’t take long, beware of the Siege of Megiddo
Justice is gone, prepare for the Siege of Megiddo
It won’t be long, beware of the Siege of Megiddo

credits

from Rising Above [EP], released May 14, 2016

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Plaid On Flannel Toronto, Ontario

Plaid On Flannel is an alternative indie blues rock act from Toronto, Canada. With 80+ original songs recorded since 2011, singer-songwriter Nolan Randall has remained the sole constant member of the band. POF's music is known for guitar riffs/solos, memorable hooks, catchy melodies/harmonies, evocative lyrics, & superb musicianship. While keeping a focus on originality and songwriting quality. ... more

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