If only you could spend a day or two kicked back in a performance hall laden with mind-blowing acoustics to hear the soundtrack that coincides with my life via this Diary, oh, what a thrill you’d be in for! The concert of my life includes the highest of high, and lowest of low twists, turns, loops, and lulls that could only be rivaled by the most epic of roller coasters ever built. The melodies, ballads, thrashers, and beats on the “repeat” playlist in my mind and on my speakers ranges from orchestral compilations to “death metal” and Jesus, and everything else in between.

Five Finger Death Punch is one of my all-time favorite bands and their music was being woven into just about every part of my story long before I even knew who they were. I’m not gonna lie … it’s a little rough around the edges, and definitely not for the faint of heart. What we “Knuckleheads” know, though, is that behind every “fist in the air” and “finger to the sky” are the silent tears and broken pieces of men literally bleeding their souls out loud. Whereas the untrained ear hear “bitterness, hate, and defeat”, the Knucklehead hears tragic truth, hard-earned wisdom, and even the lighter and brighter part that that comes afterwards.

This morning, I posted this on a Death Punch page I follow:

Hello tribesmen. Hope you’re all faring well in this COVID operation. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here locked in my house with only my German Shepherd and my thoughts. When I posted this on my blog today, I went back to read it then closed my eyes and had THE best imaginary scenario about me and ALL OF YOU …

It’s two months from now. The pandemic has desecrated the earth. People are literally insane, like, real life “Walking Dead” martial law civilian chaos. But MY TRIBE is thousands of fed up, pissed off, “not right in the head” but actually VERY RIGHT IN THE HEAD, well-prepared, “life’s been priming us for this shit since the day we were born – how YOU doin” inked up, leather clad, metal in their faces, weapons-ready warriors and bulletproof phoenixes that the world once thought were just a bunch of angry freaks, losers, weirdos and assholes grinding their axes for NOTHING! Then? We take over the world! It was THE best mini-movie I’ve ever watched in my mind! 

Let’s be ready to pick up our axes and start swinging, and this can be our fight song! Happy Friday everyone. Love all of you angry freaks and weirdos. No, really! 

So, here’s my THRASHER vibe for the day:

“Outlaws & Outsiders”

If “Coronapocalypse 2020” is really coming for us, rest assured that you’ll find me and mine living in the EPIC rogue society this song is conjuring in my mind! An army of formerly voiceless, broken, set aside, forgotten, hated, misunderstood and shame-filled “less-thans” whose lives have been preparing them for social distancing from the moment they were born? HELL TO THE YAH! They’d be the best tribe to survive with if the end of the world is really coming, complete with their giant axes in the air as they go searching for all the other survivors. Once upon a time, some of us actually lived beneath rocks for this hypothetical moment in time! Just sayin’ …

OUTLAWS & OUTSIDERS

Got a gypsy soul. I’m a rebel and rogue and I’m always on the run. With a fire inside, I ain’t ever gonna die. I’m a locked and loaded gun. When the matches strike and the gasoline lights, it’s only just begun. One thing I learned, is you can watch it all burn, but the flame ain’t ever done! Ooh … Raise ’em up a little higher, your lighters, outlaws, and outsiders! Ooh … Some call me a renegade. The enemy. Throw your hands up if you feel the same. Whoa, living life at the edge.

Just say what you wanna say or walk away! I’ll stand tall when there’s hell to pay! Ain’t no power higher. We’re the outlaws and outsiders! Mm, yeah.

I was born in the dark with a fearless heart and a taste for the other side. I was a crazy-ass kid. All the shit I did. I’m amazed that I’m still alive. They thought I’d change with a little bit of age, but you know I never will. Takes too much time to walk a straight line and I don’t have time to kill. Ooh … Raise your fists up higher, you fighters, outlaws, and outsiders! Ooh … Some call me a renegade. The enemy. Throw your hands up if you feel the same. Whoa, living life at the edge.

Just say what you wanna say or walk away. I’ll stand tall when there’s hell to pay! Ain’t no power higher. WE’RE THE OUTLAWS AND OUTSIDERS!

(Cory Marks with Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt & Mick Mars)