MOURNFUL CONGREGATION INTERVIEW
FOR CONVIVIAL HERMIT #4
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“Every crevice is filled with the memories of depression”
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- You are headed now into your 15th year of existence, and yet the fundaments of your sound remain unchanged. What is it, or what are they, that have kept the band going for this long, you think?
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Adrian: “I think primarily it is just an unrelenting dedication to this art, to pushing the boundaries of what it is we do and perhaps what we considered achievable as teenagers. There is a definite progression from the demo days to the newer tracks but you are correct in that many elements have remained constant throughout and this is largely due to the fact that we have always been somewhat indifferent to what is in vogue, to the trends and fashions that come and go. We know what we’re about and we know where we wish to take this sonic anguish – there is no compromise.”....
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- When you come down to it, Mournful Congregation has recorded only one full length CD so far in its 15 years, isn’t that so? After all, “The Dawning of Mournful Hymns” double-CD is a compilation, a sort of “best of” album with material taken from the three demos. How fond are you of your demos, your CDs and your vinyl recordings today?
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....Adrian....: “Yes, technically “The Monad of Creation” is the only full length CD released thus far. Having said that, “Tears From A Grieving Heart” was intended to be released as a full length back in the late 90’s but for various reasons this never eventuated and all of those tracks appeared on “The Dawning…”. Like many bands, listening back to early material is a slightly odd and nostalgic journey because you’re looking at what you did then via what you know now. I’m certainly fond of the earlier works as the rawness of it all appeals to me and I’m most grateful that these songs found their way to a double-CD as opposed to being obscure demo tapes lost to the gallows of time.”....
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- The majority, if not all, of your songs have been composed over considerably lengthy periods of time. Is this on account of a long process of refinement and a sense of perfectionism, or is it more a matter of circumstances beyond your control, like difficulty in finding the time to write music? Both?
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....Adrian....: “I’d say it’s a bit of both. We would definitely prefer to take the time to fine tune songs rather than release something we would consider below par. Also, all members of The Congregation have been and continue to be involved in other bands and this invariably places limitations on the amount of time we can each dedicate to MC.”....
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- Since each track takes so long to evolve I wonder about how you retain the information you record so as not to forget it... Is there some place that you store all of your riff ideas over the years? Do you write them down? How has that process changed over the years?
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....Adrian....: “These days, with ProTools and a home studio setup, it’s funny to reflect on the earlier times when it was cassettes and a tape player – but that’s exactly how it was. All of the riffs were documented via cassette and if we wished to record a particular section or track for personal reference we simply placed an old tape player in the middle of the room and hit record… primitive but effective nonetheless. Now all riffs are recorded straight into a computer, these files distributed amongst us, rehearsed, arranged, put through pre-production and recorded. It also helped enormously to have two qualified sound engineers in the ranks because as technology advanced, so too did their knowledge hastening the evolution of the band in this regard. Still, to this day there are charts and notes in the rehearsal room so some old habits remain intact.”....
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- What is the longest track you’ve recorded so far? Might that be the final track from The Monad of Creation? Have you ever thought to record an album consisting of just one long song, like Edge of Sanity have done with the 40-minute Crimson?
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....Adrian....: “The title track from “The Monad of Creation” is indeed the longest track recorded thus far. The one epic song concept is something we’ve definitely considered but whether or not we release something of this nature in the future remains to be seen.”....
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- Most doom metal bands, and I think it’s safe to put Mournful Congregation into that category, remain faithful to their original sound, I notice, while using their original name, or if they do change their sound, they change their name correspondingly, like in the case of Thergothon who became This Empty Flow. Have you noticed that yourself? How important is it to retain the heavy sound you started from under the Mournful Congregation title?
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....Adrian....: “It’s a yes and no answer to your first question because it seems that for every band who changes their name for the above reasons there is another who maintains the same name, regardless of their stylistic mutations. The perfect example of this within doom is Anathema whose recent releases bare almost no similarity to what they unleashed in the early 90’s. Katatonia is another that springs to mind so I think it really varies and more than likely comes down to the personal attitude of the band members involved in each case. For us, there is an almost unspoken understanding that we maintain a particular integrity in terms of what we consider Mournful Congregation should be. There will always be people out there who wish for you to perpetually release your first demo which is unrealistic as we all continue to grow as musicians and individuals. At the same time (and as I mentioned earlier) we have a very clear understanding of what we feel this band should be, an understanding that stays true to the foundations upon which it was built. With this understanding in mind, we strive to outdo ourselves with each release and continue to steer this morbid vessel as we deem fit.”....
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- One of the unique things about Mournful Congregation is that band information is never listed in any of your releases (or at least in the ones that I’ve seen). Is this an intentional distancing from the “cult of the artist”, a willful deletion of the “man” from the space and time equation, so to speak? What do you feel about the personality cult among musicians and artists in general?
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....Adrian....: “The only real explanation for this is that we’ve always viewed the individuals involved to be secondary to the entity – as Damon has previously said in interviews, the music must transcend the persona. This stance would invariably transcend into our attitude towards those supposed artists who seek to use the media or whatever other means for the gratification of their ego and contribute little else of any merit. At the end of the day we are all dispensable vermin in this human rat race, destined to slowly rot together and no musician, artist or ego stands above this.” ....
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- By the time this is printed the planned 4-way split with Otesanek, Loss and Orthodox will have likely come about. What is your connection with these other bands, and what prompted you to approach this format, a first for Mournful Congregation?
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....Adrian....: “We’ve harbored the idea of releasing something with Loss for a while now so this was a perfect opportunity to do so. As this split wasn’t organized by us we actually know very little about the other two bands but we trust the judgment of those involved and anticipate very good things from them. There are definitely benefits to releasing both vinyl and CD… previously we’ve released multiple limited edition vinyl splits and there are always people who miss out as they tend to sell quickly.” ....
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- Is the planned tribute to Thergothon still in effect? Talk about your cover of Elemental... is it one of your favorites or was it selected because all the rest were taken already?
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Damon: “Elemental” was chosen by us because yes, it is my personal favourite from the album. Luckily it wasn’t taken by anyone else when we organized it. It’s also maybe interesting to note that when I sat down to work it out on guitar, I plugged in, pressed play on the CD and my guitar was in perfect tune to their tuning without touching it, and in one sitting I worked though all the riffs. It was meant to be!” ....
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- How did you feel about other doom tributes, such as the Skepticism tribute on Foreshadow? Do you think it’s generally a good idea to rediscover and rearrange such classic tracks?
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....Adrian....: “It’s actually interesting to hear how one group of musicians will reinterpret the works of another so I have no problem with tribute albums. All classic tracks in most forms of contemporary music have been covered countless times and it never prevents the original version from remaining a classic. The only problem I see is a market flooded with tribute albums to the point where they are simply commonplace and every other band seems to have a tribute album done in their honor. To me it’s necessary for such tributes to be reserved for innovative bands who have contributed greatly to a particular genre… and in the context of extreme doom, Thergothon and Skepticism are more than worthy.” ....
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- Is Misery’s Omen, Damon’s band, still active? The self-titled album on Bindrune Recordings was really interesting, to say the least... I’d like to hear more, if possible!
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Damon: “Yes, Misery’s Omen have a new album being released through Worship Him Records very soon (early 2008). Also a 7” is in the works for later in the year.”....
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- Is he (Damon) still intending on recording vocals for Fallen? Fallen has been put on hold for a new Funeral album, I’ve read, but it is still, apparently, active. Are you or any other guys in the band a follower of this classic Norwegian band?
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Damon: “The vocals were done for this track a long time ago now. I don’t know what the plan is for the track. Mr. Eek will get around to it eventually I guess?! I only have the first MCD and the first album of Funeral, but I love them both.”
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- Besides Funeral and Fallen, what’s your opinion of other slow bands that are active today, like Evoken, Esoteric, Loss, as well as all of the (relatively) younger doomy artists on the Firebox label, like Pantheist and Until Death Overtakes Me?
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....Adrian....: “My opinion of these bands you’ve mentioned is very high as they have all contributed considerably to the evolution of the doom genre. As a scene we are quite united, regardless of which corner of the globe we come from – it’s a scene whose underground ethic has withstood the test of time. In addition to the bands you mentioned, we should not forget the likes of Ataraxie, Worship and Imindain who are also very much active.” ....
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- I remember stumbling upon your Dawning of Mournful Hymns CD, which was my first exposure to the band, and thinking how strange it was that the label that released it was Japanese. How did Weird Truth Productions get in touch with you, or you him? What is your relationship like? Do you have any problems in respect to understanding, cultural differences?
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Damon: “Weird Truth wrote to us and offered to release our first two demos on CD. It eventuated that we put out the DCD with all the extra material on it. Makoto is very easy to work with and to be honest there has never been any misunderstandings due to the language barrier. Our next album will be through Weird Truth too, so I guess that is testament to our working relationship.”....
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- Have you ever been interested in visiting ....Japan.... or the East in general?
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....Adrian....: “Yes, very much so. Numerous times I’ve had stopovers in various Asian destinations but unfortunately have never been in the position to immerse myself in any one place. Damon toured ....Japan.... with Stargazer a year or two back and the experience and hospitality of the people sounds incomparable. So as part of a band or simply as a tourist, I’d relish the opportunity to visit these lands.” ....
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- I have to pardon myself to my readers, as I’ve asked this question before to other bands whose recordings were also released on vinyl, but what is your broad point of view of vinyl versus compact disc, and other formats? Does vinyl attract you for its nostalgic value mainly, or it is more practical, like a benefit in sound or more room for artwork? I think it’s indisputable that the visual side of a record is far better than a compact disc, at least...
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....Adrian....: “For sure, the aesthetics of vinyl are far superior to other formats and there’s a particular warmth to the sound that makes it unique. I guess in some way there’s the nostalgic attraction to it for us but it also provides us with an opportunity to release tracks on splits that might otherwise never see the light of day.”....
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- I’ve read that one of the Mournful Congregation guys has or has had his own magazine. Is that true?
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....Adrian....: “Yes, in the mid to late 1990’s Damon ran a magazine entitled Ambience and Atmosphere of which three issues were released.”....
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- What are some books (or even magazines) that you have read that have profoundly influenced your thinking or your music, or that you would simply recommend to a person listening to Mournful Congregation?
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Damon: “Some of our lyrics reveal quite evidently the topics of interest, and apart from the more “depressive” lyrics, most of them are influenced by what I read and study. For example, on the first two demos astral projection, prophecy, the cabbalistic path and transcendental meditation are evidently a strong interest, and from there all “occult” and metaphysical phenomenon are explored still to this day. Some writers of interest; Madame HP Blavatsky, Muktananda, Yogananda, Lobsang Rampa, Zecharia Sitchin, Wilhelm Reich are the more famed writers. Obviously, universal wisdom and mystery is what we explore.” ....
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- Speaking earlier of Weird Truth which is based in the east, some of your lyrics reveal an interest in Eastern cultures and ideas, too, like the “pralaya” concept from the Monad of Creation. From your perspective, what are the primary pros and cons, or just perspective differences, in both of these worlds, East and West? Does one attract or interest you more than another?
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....Adrian....: “I suppose unless you’ve lived in both the east and west for a considerable time then it’s difficult to generate a true perspective from which you can compare and contrast the two worlds. From what I’ve observed though and from what I’ve heard via those who’ve spent significant amounts of time there, the eastern countries and cultures seem to possess a respect and discipline that is decidedly lacking in the west, or at least in the western country in which we reside. In terms of attraction, I don’t feel particularly drawn more to one than another but I do possess a deep fascination with the east simply because I’m less familiar with it.”....
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- Do any of you actively engage in meditation or yoga practices?
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....Adrian....: “I think the other guys have undertaken meditative practices and I’ve been involved with martial arts since I was quite young and meditation was a fairly strong component in this. It helps, finding silence in the void…” ....
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- Do you think listening to doom metal can qualify as a kind of meditation? Or playing it? Are you in a meditative frame of mind when you play or record your music?
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Adrian: “Listening to doom metal can definitely create a type of reflective state but whether it acts as a form of meditation or not more than likely comes down to the individual listening to it and what particular doom metal we speak of. For instance, I can’t imagine too many souls meditating to the first Worship demo, unless deep reflection on agony and catatonic despair is their thing! When it comes to playing it… I’m not sure how other bands and musicians feel but personally I don’t find myself to be in a meditative state at all. To me, I associate meditation with a state of tranquility and this is the antithesis of what I feel when I play in Mournful. Slow as it is, I feel only aggression and resentment manifesting when I play this stuff – it is the outlet for all the bitterness this world creates in me.” ....
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- I think a properly performed Mournful Congregation live performance, if you ever have the opportunity to organize one, can be a strongly meditative experience if the circumstances and settings are correct. What do you think?
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....Adrian....: “An interesting question considering we’re presently in the process of trying to organize a European tour for 2009. You’re correct, the settings are really important and there is a particular atmosphere to it all that we have to adhere to in the aesthetic sense. Whether people find it a meditative experience remains to be seen but ultimately we’re an extreme metal band and therefore we guarantee it will be heavy and bleak!” ....
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- I’ve read that Australian culture is growing increasingly Americanized with time, with crass commercialism permeating more and more the mainstream. Is there any truth to that?
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....Adrian....: “Unfortunately you are very correct, particularly in terms of business and media and these areas obviously have a stronghold over any society. As a western country Australia is a very young and multicultural society and consequently we seem to borrow heavily from foreign cultures, particularly America’s, as a means of establishing some form of contemporary cultural identity of our own.”....
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- As an Australian I am sure you have some elementary knowledge of aboriginals and their culture, so I have to ask you this question: what is your perspective on the aboriginal myth of the “dreamtime”, or the Dreaming, as they call it, and other such indigenous myths? For readers who might not be aware of it, the Dreaming is - among other things – the view that time is objectively non-linear while, from a subjective reference frame, it only _seems_ linear when it actually is not. The question becomes further interesting upon reflection of the fact that, as you know, there is no real consensus on how time really “operates” in the universe or what time actually is today, except that it is an inextricable part of space, so in essence this leaves even such an eminently incredible and mystic interpretation open to debate...
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....Adrian....: “Yes, we learn of The Dreaming (or Altjeringa) in school here and it’s really amazing stuff that lies at the very heart of our indigenous folk. To them, all begins with The Dreaming, a sort of time beyond time where ancestral Totemic Spirits formed The Creation. It is epic stuff – Aboriginals basically believe in a duality of time, the objective day to day but also an eternal spiritual cycle which is The Dreaming, a reality beyond reality that establishes the laws and values of Aboriginal society. The whole concept of time has fascinated me ever since my philosophy tutor at university was doing his PhD on the very concept of time and shared his ideas with us. He basically painted a portrait of a 4th dimension and argued that time is merely a notion devised by man himself to rationalize the rise and fall of the sun, the patterns of the environment that surround us and the fact that we start and terminate. This fact, that we begin and end, makes it difficult for the human mind to conceptualize the idea of the infinite, the idea that perhaps time never began nor will it end, that the universe is unending etc. It is all conjecture… but perhaps time is a null and void concept, or one etched firmly in the realms of the infinite. Will we ever know? Probably not.” ....
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- Have you ever seen Werner Herzog’s “Where the Green Ants Dream”? There’s a particularly poignant scene in this film that’s impossible to forget, where you see a bunch of aborigines seated together in a circle on the floor of a supermarket, surrounding a piece of land they believe is sacred. This is an excellent metaphor, I think, not only for the lack of a spiritual connection or reverence to nature in today’s industrial society, but also the sheer absurdity of the modern condition in which consumerism outweighs all other values and is foisted upon us as one of the prime means of “being happy”... I really recommend you watch it if you haven’t yet.
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....Adrian....: “I’ve yet to see this film but it sounds interesting. The situation you speak of is one that devours the soul of humanity… fear and consumption are now in control and on various levels we are all servants to this machine.” ....
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- That about does it for my questions. I want to thank you sincerely for taking the time to answer this lengthy interview. Doom on, my friends...
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....Adrian....: “Our deepest gratitude goes to you Yury for taking the time to construct such an interview and for supporting extreme art. All the very best for the continued success of your zine!” ....
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ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS I AM ASKING ALL MY INTERVIEWEES....
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If something is produced with a conscious intention of making a material profit, can it still be considered art? Is there a division between “false art” and “true art”, art and commodity? What is art to you? And does art necessarily have to be pleasing aesthetically or emotionally satisfying at the barest level to qualify as such?....
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....Adrian....: “I have read that graffiti is the most sincere form of art, as it is generally both anonymous and devoid of financial gain. Art is not of the production line, it cannot be manufactured and therefore any product created and marketed purely for the consumption of a particular demographic is not art to me. Art is sincerity of the soul, whether it is pleasing or displeasing.”....
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Assuming there was some actual meaning to life as opposed to there being none (which I am pretty sure is the case), would it make any difference to you in respect to its value?....
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....Adrian....: “Regardless of whether life has some tangible meaning or not, the only thing that seems to matter in this reality is how history will remember us. So the answer to this question lies in how much an individual values themselves and their legacy within the catacombs of humanity.” ....
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If a single thing, what, in this modern world, would you like to change?....
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....Adrian....: “What of any real substance can we change without dissecting the very fabric of our nature? For instance, it would be nice to eliminate war but to undo war we must undo greed, to undo greed we must undo lust and so on thereby forcibly distancing ourselves from the fallibilities that render us human in the first place – a butterfly effect of the human condition essentially. As monkeys barely free of the trees we cloak ourselves in modernism, proclaiming to be so far above the basic instincts that governed our ancestry… but as warring primates we stumble into the burning cosmos and the most productive solution for the longevity of the planet would be the termination of the lot of us. We are the parasites of the earth.”....
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Do you think technology has worsened or improved mankind and why?....
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....Adrian....: “It certainly hasn’t worsened us. Any gaze upon history reveals a barbaric species and if anything technology has generally just made us more accountable on some global level, more aware of the consequences and implications of our actions.”....
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What is more important, the individual or the collective, the citizen or the state, and why? ....
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Adrian: “For the hermit, the individual… for the statesman, the state… the why is relative only to how the individual sees themselves within the context of the state and whether they determine their status and position within society to be of any consequence.”....
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Do you think it would be to the benefit of mankind if money were abolished? Would it be possible?....
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....Adrian....: “We could never revert back to some global medieval village, bartering goods and services. Considering that the strength of our economies generally determines our particular nations’ status within the world, the very notion of the abolition of finance as such is absurd.”....
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Death or immortality – never having the option to die – the alpha and omega of eternity, of having no way forward or back... which is more attractive to you and why?....
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....Adrian....: “To me there is no option as immortality would be only an existence shrouded in the doubts of what lay before and what lies beyond. The immortal is unappealing because if nothing else… death is closure.”....
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