Alastor Listens To Reggae [Hazbin Hotel Fanfic]

Alastor Listens To Reggae Chapter 1: Exodus by Bob Marley

After a long day of scheming and plotting Alastor was beat. Pouring himself a glass of rye, he was about to put on an old favorite, Sarah Vaughan's self-titled album, when a thought occurred. Sure this album was a favorite, but it was an old one, and Alastor was in the mood for something new.

He went scurrying through his jazz collection when another thought came to him. Though jazz is a plentiful genre, one that's full of new experiments and fusions, it was still one that Alastor was very well acquainted with. Thus Alastor couldn't help but feel that maybe some time away might be for the better. Maybe an absence might revitalize his love for the genre to new heights.

But where should his interests lead him? What was new under the sun?

Well there was one person he could turn to for answers. So he summoned Husk with a flick of his wrist.

"Husk old boy!" Alastor called to a befuddled and then annoyed Husk.

"What do you want this time?" Husk grumbled.

"I'm thinking about expanding my musical repertoire. Do you have any recommendations?"

"I don't fucking know, how about some Bob fucking Marley for fuck's sake!"

Hmmmm now there was a thought. Alastor knew that Husk just threw out Bob Marley's name to end the conversation early, but still the thought was oddly enticing to Alastor.

And with that Alastor whisked Husk back to the bar where he could drown his sorrows.

Bob Marley huh, that was a musical legend Alastor actually didn't know that well. Alastor had briefly heard Bob Marley's songs from time to time, but never had he been immersed in his music.

Well maybe it was time to take the dive. Really try to experience the best known reggae music star of all time.

So without further ado, Alastor summoned Exodus, one of Bob Marley's most iconic albums, onto his record player.

The first song on the album was called Natural Mystic. The age of the record was showing, with Bob Marley's vocals not mixed as emphatically as a modern song would. Alastor had to focus to make out Marley's words. Still the music was good. It was a good introductory song to the album. It really helped the listener settle into the groove of the album. Not too powerful but still arresting in its own way. It was a good listen while promising even better things to come.

The lyrics spoke of something in the air, something that if we tried very hard to listen would in return give us great wisdom. And then the lyrics took a darker turn, discussing the inevitability of oppression and suffering. It was quite the turn, contrasting the promise of great of wisdom with the inevitability of brutality. And Bob Marley had no concrete answer yet for why this was, he left the question open to the listener to ponder; that maybe, just maybe, if the listener listened hard enough then he could be enlightened as to why reality was the way it is.

Then it was time for the next song, So Much Things To Say. In it Marley contrasted the overwhelming amount of words that could be used to discuss sensitive topics with the brutal realities of these topics. Contrasting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and other injustices that Alastor wasn't completely knowledgeable of with the overwhelming amount of words people in power could use to placate the masses. Moments of brutal unfairness with the excessive chatter that keeps people from being engaged in political injustices.

Though the song was not exactly stirring, Alastor felt it was moving in its own way. It really set the groundwork for what Marley felt was a problem in the society he was singing about, Inaction through the over expression of words that diluted the power of what should be calls to action.