The Summoning

XV - Granite

"So, usually, this is where we would be on stage." III gestured to himself and the other three. "Espera is usually on a platform above me."

"Sorry, who?" I lowered the camera, studying III as he swayed back and forth, letting his bass sway with him. 

"They do backing vocals during shows." III shrugged offhandedly.

"Who does them normally?" I sat back in the chair IV had pulled to the center of the room. 

Smirking, III lifted his arms in presentation to Vessel, who was sitting at the piano, seemingly ignoring the entire conversation. When I glanced up, I noticed IV and II were also gesturing vaguely in Vessel's direction. 

"So..." I set the camera in my lap, "How does he do it? I mean, he's only allowed to use his voice to sing?"

Vessel tilted his head in my direction, but continued glaring at the floor, clenching his jaw. 

"Yeah, from what I understand, Sleep is connected to his intentions and knows when to grant him use of his voice. So, when Sleep knows he intends to worship, he allows it." III walked around restlessly as IV tuned his guitar and II tuned his set. "For this tour, we start with a song from our recent full length album. Vess is usually the last one on stage. It's called Granite."

"Good to go!" II called and IV stood, nodding along with him before Vessel stood and pulled an electronic keyboard from the other side of the grand piano. Changing the settings before starting, he began a small scale in a bell-like synth tone. 

"Sulfur on your breath. Granite in my chest. You will never have to talk about it. Will never wanna talk about it."

IV strolled over to Vessel as Vessel nodded his head with the beat and III looked like some kind of ragdoll tossing himself back and forth as his swaying became more erratic.

"Fury too damn late. Reason, dislocate. Soon you'll never have to talk about it. Will never wanna talk about it."

With no use of a microphone, Vessel's voice was nearly inaudible over the music, but it made it that much more endearing. It had been a long time since I had heard a band practicing together. I was rolling the camera and trying to get footage of each one of them respectively as I tested out the distance they would be apart. I would have to learn their tells, what they enjoyed doing during each song and how they interacted with each other.

I found myself watching II more and more, seeing his passion and skill going into each of his movements and wanted to cry. Maybe this tour thing wasn't such a good idea. 

By the time I came out of autopilot, Vessel was beginning a slower song on the piano while II and III took water breaks. I zoomed in on him just as IV placed one foot on each side of Vessel on the piano bench and lifted himself up onto the grand piano. Vessel didn't miss a note as IV slid over the table of the piano and laid down on his side, propping his arm up under his head to gaze at Vessel. 

"Call me when they bury bodies underwater, it's blue light over murder for me."

Listening to the gut wrenching sorrow in the song, I hadn't realized I had lowered the camera as tears filled my eyes. Times forgotten came back to the surface unwillingly once more and I couldn't pull air into my lungs as Vessel continued singing.

Vessel began to cry in between words as my tears fell, hurrying to wipe them away before the others saw, bringing the camera back up before the rest of the band started in. The song was hauntingly beautiful and dug the knife deeper into my heart that I thought had healed.

The rest of the set was an emotional rollercoaster for me as I tried to get myself under control. I made mental notes of what to focus on and was in awe when II had a drum solo through one of the songs. I had to remember that when the actual tour started.