Rise (Album), by John Serrano, Raúl Lupiáñez, Collette McLafferty, Ores, Mike Allen, Félix Morales & Dino DiMuro (2025)

1.

Orpheus, a strong warrior but extremely crippled by delusion, a messenger of universal truths, now blind to them. Warmongers and enslavers perish under their rightful response, but many of the good ones are lost to a never ending war, and good people are too tired and their souls are too numb to pay the price freedom demands from them. War goes on.Lyrics:The blind ones stumble across the truthYou keep your feet on the groundIt's not time yetRise in a silent screamRaise your fist to the dark night skyRiseThe deaf ones find the sacred songThey moan and sigh 'til there is no soundDon't keep your feet on the groundIt's timeRise in a thousand screamsRaise your fist to the dark night skyRiseRiseRiseRiseRise

2.

Orpheus' guard angel, who we will refer to as "The Angel" sends a message to his warrior on Earth.LYRICS:You remain unbrokenHolding you head highAnd the poet sees your beautyShining throughDon't believe in sirensDon't trust in revengeWhen you're crawling back homeLeft for deadThey tried tearing your soul apartYou remain silentHealing inside outThey won't see you comingI belive in youVictory shall be yoursYou remain unbrokenYou remain unbroken

3.

Orpheus is too hurt and blinded by his own interpretation of reality ignores The Angel, as he always sees one more battle to fight. He's unable to rest and heal, since where peace reigns he still sees suffering and injustice. This eventually destroys Orpheus' will to live, and he shelters in hurtful memories of love long gone, pushing him into madness and sending his body, soul and mind into the depths of Hell, digging his way deeper in the more he fights the gravity he's allowed the Darkness to impose on him.Lyrics:HauntedBy her holy spiritCarved my sin in stoneCravingBuilt my church on youSinnersUnworthy of her graceWhat kind of fool daresTo defile her name?It's too late now To fight for your lifePraying for the endI'm begging for mercyI'm praying for the endHaunted by her whisperAs the flames devourWhat's leftAs the flames devourWhat's leftI pray for the endI pray to her graceSinnersUnworthy of her graceWhat kind of fool daresTo defile her name?CowardsUnworthy of her graceWhat kind of fool daresTo defile her name?

4.

As he wakes up inside a never ending nightmare, Oprheus wants to surrender. Once a messenger of universal truthts, he can only mourn and cope with the memory of his lost abilities and capacities. Orpheus finds the darkest stage of the Tartarus as he victimizes himself, ignoring those who still need his help. He's alone now.LYRICS:Analyze what justifies the crimeThe mark regret has left on youRepent and hang your head downThe taste of the the dust wakes you upFever dreamsIt feels like worms eating your brain outEvery memory leading to a nearing graveGuilty or victimSurviving the circumstanceYou follow the rabbit down his holePlay that fiddle to keep the monsters awaySomeone will tell your taleOh ohOh oh

5.

The Angel risks his own nature and existence as he takes human form to save Orpheus from himself. Once more, he sends a message to his warrior, as the demigod of light who lies in darkness in order darkness can exist, is touched by Orpheus' lament and joins him in his escape from his own misery.Lyrics:These are only wordsEntities, electricity and thoughtsYou are not what you thinkYou are the space in betweenJust breatheAnd let the entropy inEmbrace your true selfYou are invictusRise from ashes and dustWith eyes wide openControl your own lifeYou are not what you thinkJust breathe and let the entropy inEmbrace your true selfBecome dangerousTo a sick worldYou feel the hatred,You feed from it.You are the differenceYou can break freeAnd rise invictusFrom ashes and dustWith eyes wide openYou control your lifeYou know you've reachedThe point of no returnNo it's up to you

6.

The Angel tells Orpheus' brother-in-arms about his fate and state. Orpheus' army follows the commands of The Angel and the now Captain, as they find the doors of Hell, they break into battle, successfully breaking the veil between both realms.Lyrics:Grace divineDescends upon herScarlett skyIn her misty eyesPetrifySacrificePetrifySacrifcePulled back underAt the speed of lightOrpheus looks backEmbrace the fireSacrificePetrifySacrificeDie, liveRepeat in timeGrace divine (petrify)Descens upon her (sacrifice yourself)Don't look backDie, liveRepeat in timeDie, liveRepeat in time

7.

Orpheus hears the call of his people, and the sound of battle above feeds him and reminds him of his mission. However, there's one last test he must pass before he can come back to life and fullfill his quest, and another demigod, one who belongs to darkness but dresses in light, tempts our hero.LYRICS:You'll fall in this hole againOld habits die hardYou'll fail to break the cycle againSo enjoy your spiral downTrust a crazy man nowFor the world has gone insaneBehond the majestyAnd give yourself awayAbandon all hopeTo break the chainsThey don't understand you like I doI can listenAnd I can scream if you want me toAh...Here I goI can die for youAnd I can kill for youIf you want me toNoDon't hideI'm the one you're looking forNoDon't hideI'm the one you're looking forJust give yourself awayJust give yourself awayTrust a crazy man hereThese are my landsYou'll fall in the same old mistakeTime and time againYou won't break the chainsUnless you give yourself awayUnless you give yourself awayTake my handBreak the chainsNow

8.

Back to life, but extremely beaten and vulnerable, Orpheus screams above the ongoing battle to remind his troops of their quest. He's on his own once again, disoriented and almost crushed by the weight of a material body, he starts walking away from the Darkness, never looking back again.Lyrics:Are you awake yet?Can you see through this fog?Who's pulling your strings?You were once pureYou weren't always this blindWake upIt's time to flyWake upA view from aboveIt all looks so tinyIt's in your mindCause you build realityA view from a aboveIt all looks so tinyAre you aware yet?This isn't the endIt's a cycle you can breakWho's pulling your strings?You were once pureYou were meant to be freeA view from aboveIf you choose to seeYou were meant to be freeWho's pulling your strings?You were born freeEveryone's meant to be free tooJust like youYeah just like youNot only youYouAre you awake yet?This isn't the endIt's a cycle you can breakWho's pulling your strings?We're all meant to chooseWe're all meant to be freeAll of us

9.

As Orpheus and his troops rise above the defeaten tyrants, something else threatens freedom and equality. The Evil and Vile know the Darkness can't feed on them alone, as true power lies on the ignorance and stupidity of the lesser ones, and viciously borrows from the passive good ones. However, Orpheus finds a new ally, a man of science and knowledge, and they join forces to fight this new battle. War goes on.Lyrics: Same old facesIn brand new suitsBurning red in the two-minutes hateRebranding themselvesThis New World OrderIs aging poorly and fastBuilding their rockets on dirtYou can only cheat on gravityFor so longElectric signals in your brainModified by the algorithmHow long until you disobey?Same old facesYelling and eating and spittingAre not your friendsSame old facesBurning red in their two minutes of hateSame old facesHiding behind your painYou try and follow their rulesPlay their game, you'll always fall shortAnd drive yourself insaneYou'll never be part of their worldIt's not meant for usTheir New World Order already feels oldCan you believe your own eyes?What a disappointing end of timesWhat a disappointing end of times

Rise is the fifth John Serrano LP. This concept album follows the journey of a character named "Orpheus", as he descens into the deepest of hells misled by his own delusion to save someone who doesn't need a saviour, as he embraces his worst fears and reedems his own trauma, to once more rise from his very ashes.

This longplay contains the many talents of grassroot music legends Collette McLafferty, voice of the sirens, author and singer extraordinaire, Raúl Lupiáñez, Orpheus' long time brother-in-arms and lead guitar/solos on "Rise", "Unbroken" and "Orpheus", Ores, Orpheus' childhood mentor, who plays and produces bass guitar on Rise and contributes guitar solos on Sinners, Mike Allen, Orpheu's Guard Angel when in human shape, lead "ebow" guitar and clean vocals on "Invictus", Félix Morales, a demigod immune to fire and Orpheus' ally once he reaches the Tartarus, author and multi-instrumentist who provides bass guitar on "Invictus", and Hollywood legend and one-man-orchrestra Dino DiMuro, who quickly becomes Orpheus' new ally and friend once he comes back to life, and provides a guitar solo on "New World Order".

John Serrano wants to thank Raúl Lupiáñez, Sebastián R. Miñán, Collette McLafferty, Mike Allen, Félix Morales, Dino DiMuro, his family and relatives, who make this possible, and special thanks to Angel Ferrer, Carlos Vargas, Abraham Linares, Marc Schuster, Heather Jaymeson, Jeff Archuleta, Andrew Hartshorn and Monochrome Motif Records, Andy and Nick Jackson (Spoiler alert: Cosmic Bos), My bandmates James Slattery "Slatts" & Josh Coker (Long Live The Castillion!), Damon Dorsey (Ultimate Rick Jones), Kelly Kintner, Neil March, Michelle Ward, Paul Baker (backstreetradio), Frank (Trueno Metálico), Manu (Guardianes del Metal), PhoenixFM, ExileFM, Reactor 105.7 (viva México!), Álvaro Ramos (Zaion), Dias De Discos, NaciónMetallica Podcast (special thanks to Santi "Larstiago"), Matte Martin, Berni Mármol, Mónica, Jesús Báez Alcaide, Smokin' Cola, Chris Cuddy, Elvi, Ed Givens, Vlad, Juanma from Tears of Clown, Álex "Irongirl", Rock The Best Music and all their staff, Quizboy and everyone on Tweetcore radio hour. David von Beahm, my brother Simon Powell (owe you a beer when I visit home), Matt Gauthier Prud'homme, Tracy Cloud, Matt and Jeff from Black Creek Rock, Annika Jayne, Chris Tweed, Mikey J, Mr. and Mrs. Scoopski, Teodoro Balmaseda, Carlos Tizón, Perem, Laurent Berger, Lydia Manuel, Remi Gelin, Z, Khalima, Captain Chemical, John from Voodo Planet, Beth from Won't Say Rabbit, Ozono3, Brian Lambert, Western Jaguar, Kanilros, Belisa Hunold, Darren Lee Richardson, Ángel Batisda, Jason Peck, Tristan O'Dwyer, Rainer (Groophz), Gareth (Feralman), Angus (Time Space Repeat), Jeff from Light and Shade, and everyone I've ever made music with and who've supported me on this journey. If you're not here but you know you belong in here and in all this emotion and thrill I've taken you for granted: sorry. I love you, thank you for being here right now. And also, I can edit this, y'know.

For Mariló Encinas Pozo, the strongest and most beautiful human being I've ever met. Te quiero, mamá.

December is a harsh month for many people. If that's not the case for you, I'm positive you'll enjoy this album, and I hope that never changes, good people deserve good things. But if you're like me and struggle to keep your sanity through holidays and the awful feelings late capitalism, social media, rising ignorance and division subhuman billionaires, so called journalists and politicians force-feed us, let's headbang this fucking holiday away together. I love you, you're important, please stay alive. Don't believe your thoughts, they're only electricity inside the beautiful, extremely powerful machine that is your brain. You're what you make.

Rise invictus.

JS