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Used and Destroyed

by Omega Defender

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1.
Turn your head and cough, he said, Cuz heaven is heavy, and these Hajjis got more than rocks Not every kid's got the balls for this shit, so get ready for your own address in Hell, welcome to the Sandbox' Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the whore, it's like Mr. Nazi said, 'It's what the young men are there for,' Maybe war is just God's way of telling us he's bored, but I'm tired of getting fucked for free, I'm tired of getting fucked for free It's opposite day, been that way from the start, if my country loves me we'll see they'll replace my heart They can take a shattered man wave their hand and put him back in the ring, A hundred million humpty-dumpty's with no hope no yolk left to bleed, And I can't feel anything, just use what is left of me, is there anyone listening? Mama, I don't wanna be a candle in your window Papa, don't wanna panhandle light from the shadows I just wanna go home The smirk's jealousy kept our coffins off TV In soft focus they croak us, we never met the enemy In the ether we linger for our own parade Airbrush us away Glory Glory! What a helluva way to die! I don't wanna lie In the fields full of crosses and blank dominoes above some mother's son brother or good friend crossing their fingers for tomorrow..
2.
Siste Viator, Non timetis pedor (Stay traveller, Don't fear the dirt) Dreams two inches thick, Demons cut to the quick Bracing for the elephant, Breaking this front of shit Pauper sum ego, Nihil habeo (I am poor, I have nothing) Orders for a twilight raid, mortars and a live grenade Grinning at the sky they prayed, Sinning for the new Crusade There it is, man Eram quod es, Eris quod sum (I was once what you are, you will be what I am) So how do you like your glamour shots, Trevor? You oughta turn the guns around Don't you know it's Game Over forever? If I don't see you later I'll see you in the ground
3.
Sweep me up! Floating above my body, don't the doctors know I just want to go away? Though it might be policy, there is nothing you can do to make me want to stay There is nothing you can do now to heal my brain The shadows descend, my spirit lengthens and bends Is there a heaven for expired men who die young but grow old? Flatlined and clear, a voice says, 'You can't stay here, It's with fear you have to fight now if you are to transcend this mold of Do What You're Told Spiraling light, now pressing play on my life, I feel the diamonds of family and friends in the palm of my hand The voice reappears, says 'For 7,000 years these souls must come to this place to enlist in the rolls of the damned Up, on this hill, they're together Up, on this hill, we're together We're here because we're here Who will pull the arrow from my spine? Was it my imagination, or could it be the light I saw was the breath of the lord? One more generation, swallowed by the darkness lying on the shore Fastened to the deep by the silver cord
4.
Love//Fear 03:48
In the grip of my medicine I call to you the anthem of my tears My American spirit burns a hole in my face between a whiskey and a beer You say love is greater or equal to fear, and I'm insincere to lean too heavy on truth Well I'm standing pants down in the pay phone booth and they're coming to take me away I was halfway to being the hero you saw in me Now I'm just a half-empty glass of human economy One in a million leftover friends on the table after power-hour has its fill And left us heartbroken paraplegic and amputees to foot the bill And I can't say I'm afraid in the bed that I made
5.
Virtual Boi 04:01
Like birds of a feather we can put it together.. Back in the saddle balls big as elephants, and aw hell no they never forget How it's all about the man next to you who hasn't heard they don't make heroes like they used to, Pump'em full of metal down the pyramid, the new Berzerkers on a one-way mission Do the product placement door-to-door ding-dong, it's the Learn Our Way of Life or Lose Yours song Knock knock knock Some may call it an amazing invention, it's pretty simple when you read the directions: Don't put something where it don't belong, Don't leave your meat out in the hot sun too long, Blow it first so it don't freeze and lose lives, To save the queen you gotta sacrifice hives, Analyze it to death but it still dies, A plot of dirt for small truth in the Big Lie What Am I? Virtual Boi, Beautiful, Virtual Boi. Hell is not knowing you're there, clung to the Earth Mind-made matter and care, and what is it worth? And on and on the band played on after you're gone, to someplace maybe better or worse And what have you learned this time around my boy? How many medals did you earn from this curse? Tomorrow I'm a hero, but today I'm a zero
6.
Patient Zero 07:53
Despite what they might tell you, the human body is quite soft And when it comes down to brass tacks these men are just doing their jobs Sounds like fun at first, killing what’s different, as the masters look on, From the towers they charge us like plastic, til us or them are gone But they never pay, do they? Back at home, they can’t support you until the commercial break Hired guns against a force with its whole salvation at stake They call you a hero looking down at your weakness, pick you up when you fall But they haven’t seen the paintings in your head, know why you stare at the wall The past is a nightmare trying to wake up And history you know ain’t written by us The first thing they take is your language, they said the more you cooperate the more you know Patient Zero Love is a dream, you awake and its gone, but you still got your fist If anger’s a gift, then the way they treat you everyday is Xmas Its hard for a man to hold any water in this deserted life What have you done for anyone that matters asks the edge of the knife So take it away, you can't wait Tempus Fugit, Non Autem Memoria (Time flies, but not memory) There's no light, There's no right We are broken, and no one will say Fix Me out loud
7.
Welcome back to fantasy, let's make it real You've got the scars and phantom rage, it's mass appeal All the kids in basements now, study the skills Sign the check and show them how, to make the kills It's something to do They want to fight They'll live through you It's only right Used and destroyed, forgotten and alone, From Thermopylae, Fallujah and home Lords looked over their shoulder, and you're off to war Back into the fog my son, another tour Every hour on the hour, you slay yourself Be the last one to play on, and give 'em hell You can wash your hands It's just in your mind We'll take your stands And draw your lines That night at Cold Harbor, the chickadee froze When the hard drive crashed, new martyrs arose Life gives the soul a mountain to climb Death sends it down the other side Oh, Casualty of Time Soldiers wake at reveille, While the nation's at the mall, We'll disinter the gravity in a VR that we call Omega Defender

about

From the most recent wars of the 21st century to when early man first raised his hand on another, armed conflict has been the sphere for humans to exert their will upon each other in the most extreme way imaginable, through violence. In most cases, it has been undertaken by the many for the benefit of the few. Millions upon millions of real people that should have lived longer and healthier lives were taken from their families and loved ones, and however they were motivated to commit this sacrifice - out of duty, or patriotism, or compulsion, more often than not it was in service of a state or ideology that looked on them as vital - vaguely honored in their countless deaths, but ultimately disposable. This is a story about an individual who has fought and died through many centuries of war, as if it was their fate, who perpetually suffers through physical wounds and the mental agony of the unforgetting, who is then forced to donate his memories to a virtual reality game designed to use his experiences for the entertainment of those who are lucky to live in times where the sacrifices the soldier makes aren't expected of everyone. The game is called Omega Defender.

* * * a note concerning the art on the original pressing of physical tapes:
We chose the cover image to depict a provocative scene that could illustrate the subject matter of our music. The people depicted are African-American employed by the Union Army as gravediggers during the American Civil War in 1864. They're shown disinterring the bodies of soldiers from the previous year’s shallow graves for proper reburial. Many of the now formerly enslaved followed the Union Army as it made its way through the Confederacy and were given jobs, the most horrendous ones, of course given the racism of the times. The title phrase “Used and Destroyed” is intended to address not just the state of all soldiers throughout time, but of society’s treatment of many individuals of all backgrounds as inherently disposable. The image and concept were attempting to provoke a sense of reverence for the sacrifice of those who have been compelled to fight, suffer, and die for power structures they had little stake in, but also those that have to literally clean up the destruction that war creates and leaves in its wake. Also, we wanted to confront the ongoing effects of these historical events, even if they are unfolding before us in the present day. However, on reflection and with the feedback of some of our friends, we can understand how it may not be appropriate for us to use such an image without proper context, especially considering no one in our band is a person of color, so we have taken down that artwork from the website, and any future releases will have different artwork. Despite our positive intent and explanation, we understand this was a regrettable blindspot, and hope to remedy our thinking in a way that will result in further discussion on the horrors that capitalism and militarism inflict, as well the general oppression of those marginalized by these systems continue to endure today. We welcome you to get in touch if you’d like to discuss this further. Thank you for listening and your support!

Original image and plenty more historical information here:
jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/burying-the-dead/

credits

released August 25, 2016

Eric Andersen - Drums
Sarah Green - Vocals, Bass
Luc Parker - Words, Guitars, Vocals
Dave Rupel - Guitars, Vocals

Recorded by Dave at Blank Wall Studio, mixed by Dave and Luc at Wank Balls basement in July-Aug. 2016 in beautiful southside Mpls, MN

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Omega Defender Minneapolis, Minnesota

Omega Defender was a band active from 2016 to 2019 based in Minneapolis, MN. It consisted of Eric Andersen, Sarah Green, Luc Parker, and Dave Rupel. We miss you, and may reunite someday, until then crank this up as intended.

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