02. PATIENT ZERO — VÆR | FROM THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR | Paradoxa Records

VÆR — PATIENT ZERO FROM THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR | 2009 What if the disease isn't spreading around us? What if we're the ones carrying it? PATIENT ZERO is a brutal confrontation with hypocrisy, moral corruption, manufactured righteousness and the poisonous comfort of blaming everyone else. A world where forgiveness has a price, cruelty disguises itself as virtue, and those who preach salvation are often the first to spread the infection. But beneath the anger lies something far more disturbing. The moment a man realises that the corruption he despises in others has been growing inside himself. Driven by crushing low-tuned guitars, relentless rhythmic aggression, devastating guttural vocals, dark melodic hooks and explosive instrumental transitions, PATIENT ZERO evolves from a furious accusation into an unforgiving confession. "I WASN'T THERE TO FIGHT THE PLAGUE. I WAS THE THING THEY LET INSIDE." This isn't a song about finding someone to blame. It's about recognising the monster in the mirror. PATIENT ZERO — FROM THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR (2009) PATIENT ZERO — LYRICS BLEACH THE TABLE! HIDE THE KNIVES! The city wears a surgeon's mask With filthy fingerprints inside We sterilise the cutlery And let the wolves decide who's right A thousand hands are pointing fingers Every finger hides a stain They put a price upon forgiveness THEN SELL THE SUFFERING AGAIN! You want salvation? THEN NAME YOUR PRICE! You want a conscience? BUY IT TWICE! PATIENT ZERO! DRESS THE WOUND IN WHITE AND GOLD! PUT A HALO ON THE HUNGER! LET THE INFECTION TAKE CONTROL! PATIENT ZERO! EVERY SAINT HAS DIRTY HANDS! YOU CAN QUARANTINE THE CITY! YOU CAN'T QUARANTINE THE MAN! Cash in the confessional, mercy on demand Everybody wants forgiveness with a weapon in their hand Every sermon has a sponsor, every victim has a price And polished shoes can walk across a broken life Count the righteous, count the frauds Count the names beneath the cross YOU DRESS YOUR GREED AS VIRTUE AND YOUR CRUELTY AS COMMON SENSE! I USED TO CALL THEM PARASITES! I USED TO SPIT UPON THEIR THRONE! UNTIL THE MIRROR SHOWED THE INFECTION WAS ALREADY IN MY BONES! PATIENT ZERO! PUT THE POISON IN THE WINE! TELL THE SICK THEY'RE GETTING BETTER! WHILE YOU SELL THEM MORE DECLINE! PATIENT ZERO! LET THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM CHOKE! YOU CAN BURN THE INFECTED! BUT YOU CAN'T BURN OUT THE SMOKE! One night beneath the dirty lights I watched my reputation bleed I had a hundred explanations For the man I chose to be She didn't bow She didn't bend She saw the violence in my pride I CALLED THE WHOLE WORLD ROTTEN WHILE THE ROT WAS GROWING INSIDE! I WASN'T THERE TO FIGHT THE PLAGUE! I WAS THE THING THEY LET INSIDE! I sold my anger as a virtue Made a weapon of my pain Pointed at the whole damn city WHILE THE VENOM FILLED MY VEINS! I AM PATIENT FUCKING ZERO! PATIENT ZERO! I SET THE HOUSE ALIGHT! THEN CURSED THE PEOPLE WATCHING! AS THE FIRE ATE THE NIGHT! PATIENT ZERO! DON'T YOU PRAY FOR SOMETHING CLEAN! IF YOU WANT TO FIND THE PLAGUE! TAKE A GOOD LOOK BACK AT ME! THE DISEASE HAS GOT A NAME! AND IT SOUNDS LIKE MINE! VÆR Elias Mercer — Lead Vocals & Lead Guitar Damien Crowe — Drums Jackson "Jax" Riven Crowe — Bass Kai Voss — Rhythm Guitar PARADOXA RECORDS A human-directed, AI-assisted music project. #VAER #PatientZero #FromTheDepthsOfDespair #ModernMetal #HeavyMetal #ParadoxaRecords