Clench

*Play this song on YouTube.*

"**Clench**" is an October Noir song included on their fourth album *Letters to Existence*, released in 2023. This song is very upbeat and is split into three cantos. The first canto, titled "Murder", has dense melodic sound reminiscent of "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure and guitar riff reminiscent of "Be My Druidess" by Type O Negative, plus it has '80s synthpop feel that resembles Jane's Addiction or Tears for Fears according to Dustin Peterson who reviewed the album on *Brutal Planet Magazine*. The second canto, titled "Hold Tight", has organ solo along with drum beats and guitar and bass strums, then the third canto is the 68-second reprise of the first. "Clench" is about having someone to kill them to end the pain and suffering and as well release the soul.

"Clench" was first played live at The Merry Widow on November 19, 2022, effectively the second song released from *Letters to Existence* (single or live) after "Endless Lonely".

## Lyrics

**[Canto I. "Murder"]**

Longsuffer

I'll gladly suffer

And I may lose my mind

Feels like I've lost my mind

All others

naïve and fake

Don't care what they might say

Care what they think or say

Beaten down

Yet I am found

In fear, broken, and drained

Held captive by this pain

Sacred bonds

Perpetual hate

Is it all worthless?

Were all these years in vain?

(Betrayed)

You'll have to

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

You'll have to

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

My limbo

of glass and salt

Wounds that are open wide

like I'm buried alive

Harmony

A trinity

of mind, body, and soul

Please look before you throw away

You'll have to

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

You'll have to

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

murder to let me go

**[Canto II. "Hold Tight"]**

She loved me

her heart died with time

Lock and key

where she hides inside

Hollow days

seek and find my mind

Early grave

oh, revive - contrived

Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight, hold...

Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight

Hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight

Hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight

Hold on

She loved me

her heart died with time

Lock and key

where she hides inside

Hollow days

seek and find my mind

Early grave

oh, revive - contrived

Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight, hold...

Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight

Hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight

Hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight, hold on tight

Hold on

**[Canto III. "Murder (reprise)"]**

Murder to let me go

Murder to let me go

Murder to let me go

Murder to let me go

Murder to let me go

Murder to let me go

## Personnel

* **Tom Noir** – vocals, bass, writing, engineering, mixing, mastering, production
* Trey Ozinga – guitar
* Tyler Fleming – drums
* Doug Lane – keyboards, organ

1. "The Haunting"
2. "Volatile"
3. "Trinity"
4. "Alpha Omega"
5. "Exhume"
6. "Silicon"
7. "Deep Woods"
8. "Vertebra Seraphim"
9. "Feel Heart Love"
10. "Beautifool"

1. "Tombstones"
2. "Burn"
3. "Spellbound"
4. "Little Drummer Boy"
5. "Symmetry"
6. "Black Light"
7. "Lavender"
8. "The Veil"
9. "Her Dark Embrace"
10. "Cauterize"

1. "Fate"
2. "Windows"
3. "Reverence (Make You Love)"
4. "Effigy"
5. "Wine"
6. "Persephone"
7. "Serendipity"
8. "Wanderlust"
9. "Cradle the Monster"
10. "Wisteria"
11. "Sistinas"
12. "Proverbs"
13. "Goodbye Black Bird"
 ***Letters to Existence***1. "Spring"
2. "Endless Lonely"
3. "A Halo Hung from Horns"
4. "Forever Haunt"
5. "Deja View"
6. "Summer to Autumn"
7. "**Clench**"
8. "Tourniquet"
9. "For Honor"
10. "Flash Paper Matches"
11. "She's Gone"
12. "Winter"

* "Pictures of Matchstick Men (RIPeter)"
* "Lips Like Sugar"
* "Wicked Game"
* "Race War"
* "Cry Little Sister"
* "Love You to Death"
* "Crimson and Clover"
* "Nights in White Satin"