The first bonus track from THE ONLY SKULL campaign has been released as a single. You can hear it on Unauthorized, on the various mainstream music platforms, and on YouTube. The second bonus track will be released as a single next Monday, and I have no idea when the third bonus track, being the organic one, will even be recorded, so that one will be a while.
In other news on the creative front, a new chapter has begun in the serialization of TEMPUS OCCULTUM on Arktoons, chapter four, entitled Deceptus Eclipsus.
The abbot’s study was illuminated by tall windows that admitted thin blades of afternoon light, slicing through dust motes that danced in their path. As I entered, I sensed the weight of authority in the room—not just ecclesiastical, but something older, more primal. Father Umbertus stood by the abbot’s desk, his expression tense. Abbot Gerhardt sat behind it, fingers steepled, his face an impenetrable mask. And there, by the window, stood the stranger I had observed in the courtyard, now examining a celestial globe with affected interest.
“Brother Lukas,” the abbot intoned, “may I present Doctor Alessandro Visconti, Chief Archivist of the Vatican Apostolic Library.”
Visconti turned at the mention of his name, fixing me with eyes so dark they appeared almost black in the shadowed room. The ring with the quartered circle gleamed on his right hand as he offered a slight bow.
“Brother Lukas,” he said, his Italian accent precise yet subtle. “I have heard much about your… scholarly endeavors.”
“You honor our humble abbey with your presence, Doctor Visconti,” I replied, bowing in return. “Though I confess I am surprised that my humble work cataloging manuscripts would attract the attention of the Vatican’s Chief Archivist.”
A smile flickered across his face, cold as winter sunlight. “The Church takes a keen interest in all scholarly pursuits, particularly those concerning the correct interpretation of historical documents.”