GUARD THE DOOR — Animus [Intro — low iron drone, distant bar strikes, scraped guitar harmonics] [Female whisper — close, controlled] Stand straight. [Low female double — cold, almost masculine] Don’t bend. [Verse 1 — restrained industrial groove, low bass, sparse toms] Black plates at the shoulder Buckles at the throat Every piece pulled tighter Every breath made small He wears my face in iron Same eyes, harder set Built to keep the danger out Forgot what he protects [Pre-Chorus — mechanical drums begin locking into place] Don’t ask Don’t shake Don’t show them where it aches Chin high Jaw set There are doors we don’t unlock yet [Chorus — huge gothic-metal lift, soaring clean female vocal] You were meant to guard the door Not become the house I can see my hands between The iron in your ribs You call it strength I call it silence When every lock turns in You were meant to stand beside me Not decide what I can feel [Post-Chorus — metallic impact, low vocal echo] Guard the door. Guard the door. [Verse 2 — heavier, colder, more mechanical] Boot heels square the hallway Every picture straight He keeps the rooms immaculate And bolts another gate Every softness cross-examined Every tear dismissed He holds the key so tightly There are fingerprints in it [Pre-Chorus — rising distortion, marching toms] Don’t need Don’t plead Cut the weakness at the seam Stand still Stay hard Keep the tender thing behind the bars [Chorus — heavier] You were meant to guard the door Not become the house I can see my hands between The iron in your ribs You call it strength I call it silence When every lock turns in You were meant to stand beside me Not decide what I can feel [Bridge — instruments strip to low drone and metal resonance] [Female lead — intimate] I gave you steel Because I needed shelter [Low doubled voice] Stand up. I gave you walls Because I needed somewhere safe [Low doubled voice] Don’t cry. But somewhere in the building You forgot which side was mine [Silence] [Female whisper] I never asked you to become the cage. [Breakdown — massive half-time riff, crushing industrial percussion] Take one plate off Let the air in Open the ribs Open the ribs I don’t need you gone I need you at the door [Full stop] Not in front of me. [Final Chorus — enormous but cathartic, clean soaring vocal] You were meant to guard the door So stand beside it now I can pull my hands back through The iron in your ribs Strength can bend And still be strength The gate can open wide You were never meant to silence me You were meant to stand beside. [Outro — armor creaks, one lock opening, low feedback] [Quiet female vocal] Guard the door. [Low double, softer now] I will.
