“Barricade” is the first track on the new Terra Incognita CD, A Line in the Sand, a hard-driving symphonic rock epic with lyrics by Rebecca and myself, music by Henning Pauly, and vocals by Steve Walsh of Kansas fame.  The CD will be officially released next month to accompany the publication of the second novel in the trilogy, The Key to Creation.  Book 1, The Edge of the World, was just reissued in a mass-market paperback.

I have also just learned that The Edge of the World has been nominated for the Colorado Book Award for best novel of 2009 written by a Colorado author.

Here’s the story of “Barricade.”  You can listen to the sample track (and preorder a copy) at the ProgRock Records website.  The initial preorders will receive an autographed page from the novel manuscript.

BARRICADE

Lead Vocals—Steve Walsh

Backing Vocals—Alex Froese

Ishalem, an ancient city sacred to the world’s two great religions, has become a battleground.  The followers of Urec and the followers of Aiden fought over the city, accidentally burned it down, and then fought over the ashes.  The spreading war has lasted for decades, but the underlying hatred has endured for generations.

In a bold military move, Soldan-Shah Omra, leader of Uraba, captured the remnants of Ishalem, killed or evicted all of the Aidenists, and rebuilt the city entirely for the faithful—his faithful.  He constructs a towering wall, God’s Barricade, to keep the infidels out…and to keep his own people inside.

A line in the sand,

A wall to the sky . . .

**********

We don’t need your kind with us,

So just stay on your side.

Every time you get too close,

Our principles collide.

We don’t need you to agree,

Our faith is true and tried.

We will never think like you,

The gap is just too wide.

**********

Brick by brick

Stone by stone

We build the wall

To protect us all.

The faith that I had is all gone

**********

Maybe you can’t see the truth—

It makes no difference now,

We made a choice to still your voice,

Can’t live with it somehow.

We don’t need a better view,

We’ve got the one we chose,

It may take ten thousand years,

To dam where the river flows.

**********

Brick by brick

Stone by stone

We build the wall

To protect us all.

The hope that I had is long gone

**********

One more brick, one more row

We see less the higher we go.

One more brick, one more row

We don’t need to look when we already know.

**********

Don’t try to reconcile with us—

Let’s end this masquerade,

Can’t hear you shout when you’re locked out

Behind this barricade.

**********

Brick by brick

Stone by stone

We build the wall

To protect us all.

The love that I had is long gone