Twisted Metal

The origins of "Twisted Metal" began beneath the constant movement of Interstate 95, during a series of field recording sessions focused on capturing the sounds of highways, passing vehicles, and the endless flow of people moving through unfamiliar destinations.

During recording sessions beneath an interstate underpass, staff members assisting Kareem Jacobs recalled that a microphone was positioned near the roadway while Jacobs worked nearby, capturing the overwhelming presence of passing traffic. Using a BOSS DR-220 rhythm machine, he constructed a foundation from programmed percussion and layered the recorded sounds of the highway into the composition. The result was a track built from metallic textures, fragmented rhythms, and chaotic mechanical patterns that mirrored the unpredictable movement surrounding its creation.

The recordings became the foundation for a larger idea: the image of people traveling endlessly without ever truly knowing where they are going. Jacobs described this concept as "aimless traveling," a state where constant movement can create the illusion of progress while quietly distancing individuals from their own lives. According to Jacobs, this condition often remains unnoticed until a major disruption forces someone to recognize the path they have been following.

Graphic designer Alejandro Del Valle interpreted the track as being experienced from the perspective of an observer standing beside the road, watching vehicles disappear into the distance while attempting to warn those passing by. Through this interpretation, the song becomes less about the highway itself and more about the people moving through it, unaware that they may be heading toward a destination they never consciously chose.

The lyric "brakes for God’s sake, you’re going the wrong way" serves as the central warning within the track, representing the moment when someone finally recognizes that speed and direction are not the same thing.

A press release issued by P&B Fortezza Records described "Twisted Metal" as a metaphor for individuals who become trapped in endless pursuit of external expectations while failing to notice the world passing around them. The crash is not presented as a sudden event, but as the inevitable consequence of years spent moving forward without reflection.

In this sense, the twisted metal is not only what remains after impact. It is the result of a journey that continued long after the driver stopped asking where the road was leading.