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Panama Papers

from Vanquished Kingdom by Vanquished Kingdom

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about

Panama Papers is about the leak of over 11 million documents relating to offshore business processes that – for want of a better word – are extremely dodgy.

A Panamanian law firm hid all sorts of clients (as the song mentions) from around the world in financial secrecy. Arms dealers could afford enough weaponry to break UN cease-fires. Sex-traffickers could cover their footsteps. Large oil companies could avoid millions in tax, working in poverty-stricken countries where hospitals are desperately under-equipped because of a lack of funds.

And yet, this activity of itself is not, technically, illegal. Restrictions placed on companies seem only like “plastic chains” – once they have decided to be greedy, they just need to tell themselves it’s OK. And so, the process goes on and on. Given this circular nature and coming from Panama, the song ends in a repetitive chant of the palindrome, “a man, a plan, a canal, Panama" (a phrase that has the same order of letters, forwards and backwards).

Musically, the opening and instrumental riff is also a simple musical palindrome. The pitches go up and down and back, the same distances apart (the classic heavy metal "tri-tone", in this case spelled as a diminished fifth: from D5 to Ab5) . This song has the only use of acoustic guitar apart from "25 Venoms".

lyrics

Crystal seas of perfect blue
waves roll gently to the shore
Endless coasts of pure white sand
hide the impure core

White washed tombs, corrupted hearts
the Almighty Dollar’s shills,
it’s all legal, never mind
who it robs or kills

Break your plastic chains
conscience may be freed
Bow to your true master
Slavery to greed

Cognitively dissonant
as your mind and morals halve
counting money without guilt
while the people starve

Dictators and traffickers
mines of diamond and steel
arms dealers and drug cartels
never ending wheel.
A man a plan a canal Panama

credits

from Vanquished Kingdom, released November 3, 2018

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Vanquished Kingdom Sydney, Australia

Vanquished Kingdom is a 4-piece band from Sydney, Australia whose strongest influence is the joyous power-driven energy and dark didactic depth of the 1980s' best heavy metal.

Formed in October 2016, Vanquished Kingdom play all original music - "meaningful Maiden-esque metal made modern."

Zac Anderson – lead vocals and guitar
Nick Vilka – guitar
Siebe Pogson – bass guitar
Jessica Kesby – drums ... more

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