Heretic

Prepare to dig never before heard sounds of guitar-psychadelia in this very dark, foreboding, seven-minute composition. There are several messages woven into the music and I can assure you that it was never played before and will never be played again. Fortunately it was captured for the improvised work that it is and I decided to release it exclusively on N1M. Feel free to download a copy and spread the good news, baby! And thanks to all of you for your continued support- see you on the other side...

New Heretic single "Coffin Nail (Writ of Man)," features a special surprise or two. For unreal, guitar-psychedelia, mind-bending madness, there's nothing quite like it. It just sorta happened out in the desert last week :) Rumor has it that the Writ is contained within it, as an additional, hidden, legally-binding, special added feature. No comment on that however, from Heretic at this time.

I just posted a few new videos to the band's reverbnation page. Please visit the related link to check out two documentary videos on two different uncovered Nazi torture sites in San Diego county. If you've been following the recent posts, you already know that the new single "A Place Without A Name," is the story of these locations and their horrible, tragic past existence. The more awareness, the more justice!

This is the story behind the song, “A Place Without A Name,” written and recorded both on Friday, November 3, 2023. At some point in the spring of this year, I began venturing out on CA 94 east from San Diego with the simple intent of exploring more of the vast east county outdoors- possibly in hopes of finding some good hikes or, best case scenario, maybe a swimming hole or hot spring. Instead, what I found were some inexplicable remains of large, cement structures scattered across the roadsides and in fields of Campo, Jacumba, and other nearby locations. A few of the obscure clues that could be found in or around some of the sites, indicated that these locations served a very specific and very unsettling purpose.

They were prison camps/torture sites and they began appearing around June of 1935 (based on an actual dated record at one of the sites). What’s left of them now is difficult to interpret and fully grasp. There are large iron hooks mounted around some sites and on nearby trees. Most (but not all) of them are little more than a concrete slab that a previously standing, multi-level structure existed on. They vary in size but on average are approximately 1000 square feet in diameter. Many of them have at their location a circular container, also made of cement. These also vary in size but a few of the sites’ circular containers are massive and deep, while most are smaller and shallow. The smaller ones average approximately 5’ in diameter and only 2’ deep. One of the larger ones is approximately 20’ across and 12’ deep and another is even larger still.

While most of them have been reduced to little more than a concrete slab, there is more. Some sites still have scattered fragments of what look very much like chicken coops- only these aren’t at all farms and those coops weren’t holding chicken. Some of the sites have large, tall metal bins- approximately 15’ across and 15’ tall. They look like they may have been used for water or grain storage, but with no access to the inside other than the opening at the top.

There are at least 3 sites whose remnant consists of more than scattered coops and a single, flat cement slab. These sites still have walls around them and are multi-level. It’s clear that these were not homes and based on the material, grade of the professional build, and consistent thickness of the cement, it can easily be determined that these were government/military sites. Who else would have built them? Ironically, two of these three happen to be located right on the side of a state highway (CA94 and CA80, to be exact) and the third sits on the side of a public road, right off of CA 94E. This site in particular has been left enough intact that at close inspection, its purpose is difficult to refute. There remain metal hooks inside the lower level on the ceiling. While the majority of free space in this level has been filled with abandoned furniture, there’s a hole in the middle which has been covered over with something. What it leads to underground, remains to be seen. There’s a staircase that leads to an open, second level deck. The deck has a cement tub built into it and what looks like a gas line or two in the same vicinity. There’s a hole in the middle of it that is directly over the covered opening on the first level. But what’s most compelling about this location is the gigantic four-story incinerator that propels upward from the lowest level along, what is now, the outside wall. The height of which, along with clear marks around each side of it, indicate that the building was once five levels and not just two. It also indicates that what appears to be the outside wall that the incinerator rests on, is actually the very middle of what was once a much larger structure.

While these sites may seem peculiar to some, their implication is rather significant. My mind began to pursue the truth behind the mystery of what I had most unexpectedly stumbled upon. In the process, the questions became very conscientious and direct. I started asking them out loud- out loud to the wind and to the trees, like the big oak tree off the side of the first walled site I encountered on 94E. The sites, as it turns out, have their own story to tell and I personally believe the story can be heard by anyone who cares to seek it out. The tree spoke to me about the cruel nature of what had been done there. In sorrow, it divulged a story of children who had been tied to the giant iron hook that had been embedded directly into the trunk. It told me of a boy who cried and cried alone for days before he was finally beaten brutally to death against the tree and died in agony.

At every site, I began to hear the stories of the ungodly, savage brutality that had taken place and who was responsible for it. People were being taken from their homes, right here in the United States, both shortly before, during, and after World War II began- entire families getting kidnapped in the middle of the night. This all of course being very much on par with the tactics of and the rise of Nazi nationalism in Germany that brought about the war. I was shocked by the unbelievable accounts that I was hearing, the notion of US citizens being taken from their homes to torture camps in exact Nazi Gestapo style, was absolutely flooring. The story is real and remains untold for a very specific reason and the sites are sadly, not just limited to east San Diego County. I found two more located in Kern County and it’s my belief that the entire state of California is littered with them. It could be and probably is, farther reaching than just California. How many people were ruthlessly taken hostage, publicly humiliated and disgraced, beaten to death, and brutally tortured in the most inhumane ways such as being cast into a giant human blender? The answer seems significant because the next question that comes to my mind anyway is, how in the hell could this have all been happening domestically and publicly on the soil of an Allied Nation- on the soil of this nation, no less?!

I’m not so naïve as to think that every story of government-produced patriotism is something to put your faith in. But I never would have imagined that something like this could exist on American soil or that with so many lives potentially lost, that it could have ever gone untold. Considering all of this was theoretically taking place during a time that, on the other side of the national mouth, we were engaging the Axis forces both financially and eventually with military backup, it’s more than a little confounding. Why would the same government, during the same time period, be quietly practicing Nazism to the point of creating encampments like these and being responsible for such unreal atrocities? Ironically, it's worth mentioning that Campo itself has the look and feel of a prison camp. The monuments that can be found in the area suggest that it was a US Army base in the first half of the century, but there’s no mention of any type of concentration camp reality in the area, at least not on the public plaques and designated monuments.

However, in my continued pursuits I did manage to find one single published source that verified Campo was indeed a prisoner of war camp during World War II and that at least one prisoner in it had been beaten to death. These accounts were based on visits to the camp from local San Diego County catholic priests and diocese members. So for the sake of this account, I’m mentioning this to avoid the unnecessary potential disregarding or disputing of what I’m suggesting. There is public record of some of the Japanese American encampments that existed in a handful of locations, including Mount Whitney, CA. But no online research has led me to any information on the existence of so many of these large concrete structures which were designed and constructed for one sole purpose- to severely and mercilessly torture people in the most brutal and insane ways conceivable.

There are enough of them out there that I’m sure the numbers of lives which were lost to these torturous deaths, is staggering. Yet the story behind all of it remains buried- just like so very many bodies in the fields where these encampments were located. The long, very noticeable mounds of dirt still visible across certain sections of the fields outside of Jacumba are a testament to the real lives of US citizens who were brutalized in broad daylight in a nation that promotes itself to all the world as being the beacon for free rights and liberties for all. Their bodies are still out there in large numbers and in shallow graves just under the topsoil, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement and a proper burial.

It’s no secret that the US has a history of blood stains throughout its past and Manifest Destiny was a justification to slaughter its native population as a means of expanding its own agenda through direct and clear brutal oppression and genocide. But I try to think of such savage bloodthirsty cruelty as a nasty mar on the past that couldn’t possibly repeat itself in my lifetime. This story reveals a nation that is not only horribly hypocritical, but one that is potentially capable of unreal acts of savage, twisted, cruelty- the likes of which are exceedingly more horrendous and unspeakable than anything that’s ever been conceived of before. It could be said that the crimes, the cover-up, and the nature of the tortures themselves carried out on those who suffered there, are blatantly evil. There’s no other explanation. Is this not on par with what’s been discovered in other Nazi prison and concentration camps? To my knowledge, unfortunately the answer is “yes.” However, the concept of this taking place not on German soil or some other occupied nation, but instead here on our own lands, speaks to an entirely different reality than has ever been revealed. For those who aren’t aware, Nazism was abolished universally and permanently through the Geneva Convention of the early 1950s- and for very good reason!

I’m putting all of this out there because, quite frankly, I know that I’m right and that there is no other explanation that exists or purpose for these military-constructed buildings, which have all been mysteriously dismantled to varying degrees. I’m told that their de-construction began taking place in the early 70’s but that many of the sites were revisited throughout the 80s and 90’s. It’s not only possible, but more likely to be probable that some of these locations are still active. Given the sick, demonic, twisted, insane purpose that they exist for, it’s worth shedding light on and delving into the whole story for the sake of any remaining humanity left in the world and the lives of those who would potentially suffer there. Not to mention the presence of a Nazi agenda that was taken to a very real and unbelievable extreme, that needs to be accounted for. If anyone would happen to become aware of my testament and wish to refute or challenge me on it, before you try to do so, I challenge you first to do the following. Go there yourself and try to provide any other logical explanation for what these places are, why there are so many of them, and what purpose they serve other than the ones I’ve revealed. Try to find some sort of public record for their construction or existence at all.

I’ve previously referenced one site that I found, which I dubbed the Bloodborne Echo Chamber. It plays a significant role in this story because upon uncovering it as one of the ill-fated torture sites, it also struck me that it had unique sonic qualities to it. I recorded a handful of short, instrumental tracks there and had some success and I was interested in hearing the acoustic guitar and vocals in it. I wanted to write something new and unique that was inspired by the location. So last Friday, I took the time to go back to the site and wrote “A Place Without A Name” and likewise recorded it that afternoon. Nothing I’ve ever written could be more powerful and inspired than this simple live performance.

Ladies and Gentelmen,

The course of the last handful of years for Heretic has been a very rough road to travel. Without getting into too many details, I’ve basically been forced into the role of a solo artist and left without much/any ability to execute as a full band. It’s not my favorite topic to discuss but it is true. In the process, it’s changed my role as an artist- one that demands everything I have of myself in order to keep it going. I’ve been challenged with writing and producing music that, for now, doesn’t fit into the full rock band mold. To say that it’s been frustrating, would be a severe understatement. I’m a rocker and it’s rock music I want to play most.
But I have made attempts, such as “I Am the Shaman,” along with a handful of other more recent contributions, to keep things current and continue to put out new music. The experience has also pointed me into some new territory as an artist, which I chalk up as beneficial. Along those lines, there’s a very intense bit of subject matter that goes into the newly written and recorded Heretic single, “A Place Without A Name.” So much so, in fact, that I wrote a narrative for the story behind the song and posted it on the band profile in the latest post. Please take a minute to visit the profile and check out the story- it’s as profound as the song is itself, which I happen to be very proud of. I’ve never written anything that was as inspired or as intense. Thank you for listening…

Heretic

This is the story behind the song, “A Place Without A Name,” written and recorded both on Friday, November 3, 2023. At some point in the spring of this year, I began venturing out on CA 94 east from San Diego with the simple intent of exploring more of the vast east county outdoors- possibly in hopes of finding some good hikes or, best case scenario, maybe a swimming hole or hot spring. Instead, what I found were some inexplicable remains of large, cement structures scattered across the roadsides and in fields of Campo, Jacumba, and other nearby locations. A few of the obscure clues that could be found in or around some of the sites, indicated that these locations served a very specific and very unsettling purpose.

They were prison camps/torture sites and they began appearing around June of 1935 (based on an actual dated record at one of the sites). What’s left of them now is difficult to interpret and fully grasp. There are large iron hooks mounted around some sites and on nearby trees. Most (but not all) of them are little more than a concrete slab that a previously standing, multi-level structure existed on. They vary in size but on average are approximately 1000 square feet in diameter. Many of them have at their location a circular container, also made of cement. These also vary in size but a few of the sites’ circular containers are massive and deep, while most are smaller and shallow. The smaller ones average approximately 5’ in diameter and only 2’ deep. One of the larger ones is approximately 20’ across and 12’ deep and another is even larger still.

While most of them have been reduced to little more than a concrete slab, there is more. Some sites still have scattered fragments of what look very much like chicken coops- only these aren’t at all farms and those coops weren’t holding chicken. Some of the sites have large, tall metal bins- approximately 15’ across and 15’ tall. They look like they may have been used for water or grain storage, but with no access to the inside other than the opening at the top.

There are at least 3 sites whose remnant consists of more than scattered coops and a single, flat cement slab. These sites still have walls around them and are multi-level. It’s clear that these were not homes and based on the material, grade of the professional build, and consistent thickness of the cement, it can easily be determined that these were government/military sites. Who else would have built them? Ironically, two of these three happen to be located right on the side of a state highway (CA94 and CA80, to be exact) and the third sits on the side of a public road, right off of CA 94E. This site in particular has been left enough intact that at close inspection, its purpose is difficult to refute. There remain metal hooks inside the lower level on the ceiling. While the majority of free space in this level has been filled with abandoned furniture, there’s a hole in the middle which has been covered over with something. What it leads to underground, remains to be seen. There’s a staircase that leads to an open, second level deck. The deck has a cement tub built into it and what looks like a gas line or two in the same vicinity. There’s a hole in the middle of it that is directly over the covered opening on the first level. But what’s most compelling about this location is the gigantic four-story incinerator that propels upward from the lowest level along, what is now, the outside wall. The height of which, along with clear marks around each side of it, indicate that the building was once five levels and not just two. It also indicates that what appears to be the outside wall that the incinerator rests on, is actually the very middle of what was once a much larger structure.

While these sites may seem peculiar to some, their implication is rather significant. My mind began to pursue the truth behind the mystery of what I had most unexpectedly stumbled upon. In the process, the questions became very conscientious and direct. I started asking them out loud- out loud to the wind and to the trees, like the big oak tree off the side of the first walled site I encountered on 94E. The sites, as it turns out, have their own story to tell and I personally believe the story can be heard by anyone who cares to seek it out. The tree spoke to me about the cruel nature of what had been done there. In sorrow, it divulged a story of children who had been tied to the giant iron hook that had been embedded directly into the trunk. It told me of a boy who cried and cried alone for days before he was finally beaten brutally to death against the tree and died in agony.

At every site, I began to hear the stories of the ungodly, savage brutality that had taken place and who was responsible for it. People were being taken from their homes, right here in the United States, both shortly before, during, and after World War II began- entire families getting kidnapped in the middle of the night. This all of course being very much on par with the tactics of and the rise of Nazi nationalism in Germany that brought about the war. I was shocked by the unbelievable accounts that I was hearing, the notion of US citizens being taken from their homes to torture camps in exact Nazi Gestapo style, was absolutely flooring. The story is real and remains untold for a very specific reason and the sites are sadly, not just limited to east San Diego County. I found two more located in Kern County and it’s my belief that the entire state of California is littered with them. It could be and probably is, farther reaching than just California. How many people were ruthlessly taken hostage, publicly humiliated and disgraced, beaten to death, and brutally tortured in the most inhumane ways such as being cast into a giant human blender? The answer seems significant because the next question that comes to my mind anyway is, how in the hell could this have all been happening domestically and publicly on the soil of an Allied Nation- on the soil of this nation, no less?!

I’m not so naïve as to think that every story of government-produced patriotism is something to put your faith in. But I never would have imagined that something like this could exist on American soil or that with so many lives potentially lost, that it could have ever gone untold. Considering all of this was theoretically taking place during a time that, on the other side of the national mouth, we were engaging the Axis forces both financially and eventually with military backup, it’s more than a little confounding. Why would the same government, during the same time period, be quietly practicing Nazism to the point of creating encampments like these and being responsible for such unreal atrocities? Ironically, it's worth mentioning that Campo itself has the look and feel of a prison camp. The monuments that can be found in the area suggest that it was a US Army base in the first half of the century, but there’s no mention of any type of concentration camp reality in the area, at least not on the public plaques and designated monuments.

However, in my continued pursuits I did manage to find one single published source that verified Campo was indeed a prisoner of war camp during World War II and that at least one prisoner in it had been beaten to death. These accounts were based on visits to the camp from local San Diego County catholic priests and diocese members. So for the sake of this account, I’m mentioning this to avoid the unnecessary potential disregarding or disputing of what I’m suggesting. There is public record of some of the Japanese American encampments that existed in a handful of locations, including Mount Whitney, CA. But no online research has led me to any information on the existence of so many of these large concrete structures which were designed and constructed for one sole purpose- to severely and mercilessly torture people in the most brutal and insane ways conceivable.

There are enough of them out there that I’m sure the numbers of lives which were lost to these torturous deaths, is staggering. Yet the story behind all of it remains buried- just like so very many bodies in the fields where these encampments were located. The long, very noticeable mounds of dirt still visible across certain sections of the fields outside of Jacumba are a testament to the real lives of US citizens who were brutalized in broad daylight in a nation that promotes itself to all the world as being the beacon for free rights and liberties for all. Their bodies are still out there in large numbers and in shallow graves just under the topsoil, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement and a proper burial.

It’s no secret that the US has a history of blood stains throughout its past and Manifest Destiny was a justification to slaughter its native population as a means of expanding its own agenda through direct and clear brutal oppression and genocide. But I try to think of such savage bloodthirsty cruelty as a nasty mar on the past that couldn’t possibly repeat itself in my lifetime. This story reveals a nation that is not only horribly hypocritical, but one that is potentially capable of unreal acts of savage, twisted, cruelty- the likes of which are exceedingly more horrendous and unspeakable than anything that’s ever been conceived of before. It could be said that the crimes, the cover-up, and the nature of the tortures themselves carried out on those who suffered there, are blatantly evil. There’s no other explanation. Is this not on par with what’s been discovered in other Nazi prison and concentration camps? To my knowledge, unfortunately the answer is “yes.” However, the concept of this taking place not on German soil or some other occupied nation, but instead here on our own lands, speaks to an entirely different reality than has ever been revealed. For those who aren’t aware, Nazism was abolished universally and permanently through the Geneva Convention of the early 1950s- and for very good reason!

I’m putting all of this out there because, quite frankly, I know that I’m right and that there is no other explanation that exists or purpose for these military-constructed buildings, which have all been mysteriously dismantled to varying degrees. I’m told that their de-construction began taking place in the early 70’s but that many of the sites were revisited throughout the 80s and 90’s. It’s not only possible, but more likely to be probable that some of these locations are still active. Given the sick, demonic, twisted, insane purpose that they exist for, it’s worth shedding light on and delving into the whole story for the sake of any remaining humanity left in the world and the lives of those who would potentially suffer there. Not to mention the presence of a Nazi agenda that was taken to a very real and unbelievable extreme, that needs to be accounted for. If anyone would happen to become aware of my testament and wish to refute or challenge me on it, before you try to do so, I challenge you first to do the following. Go there yourself and try to provide any other logical explanation for what these places are, why there are so many of them, and what purpose they serve other than the ones I’ve revealed. Try to find some sort of public record for their construction or existence at all.

I’ve previously referenced one site that I found, which I dubbed the Bloodborne Echo Chamber. It plays a significant role in this story because upon uncovering it as one of the ill-fated torture sites, it also struck me that it had unique sonic qualities to it. I recorded a handful of short, instrumental tracks there and had some success and I was interested in hearing the acoustic guitar and vocals in it. I wanted to write something new and unique that was inspired by the location. So last Friday, I took the time to go back to the site and wrote “A Place Without A Name” and likewise recorded it that afternoon. Nothing I’ve ever written could be more powerful and inspired than this simple live performance.

This is the story behind the song, “A Place Without A Name,” written and recorded both on Friday, November 3, 2023. At some point in the spring of this year, I began venturing out on CA 94 east from San Diego with the simple intent of exploring more of the vast east county outdoors- possibly in hopes of finding some good hikes or, best case scenario, maybe a swimming hole or hot spring. Instead, what I found were some inexplicable remains of large, cement structures scattered across the roadsides and in fields of Campo, Jacumba, and other nearby locations. A few of the obscure clues that could be found in or around some of the sites, indicated that these locations served a very specific and very unsettling purpose.

They were prison camps/torture sites and they began appearing around June of 1935 (based on an actual dated record at one of the sites). What’s left of them now is difficult to interpret and fully grasp. There are large iron hooks mounted around some sites and on nearby trees. Most (but not all) of them are little more than a concrete slab that a previously standing, multi-level structure existed on. They vary in size but on average are approximately 1000 square feet in diameter. Many of them have at their location a circular container, also made of cement. These also vary in size but a few of the sites’ circular containers are massive and deep, while most are smaller and shallow. The smaller ones average approximately 5’ in diameter and only 2’ deep. One of the larger ones is approximately 20’ across and 12’ deep and another is even larger still.

While most of them have been reduced to little more than a concrete slab, there is more. Some sites still have scattered fragments of what look very much like chicken coops- only these aren’t at all farms and those coops weren’t holding chicken. Some of the sites have large, tall metal bins- approximately 15’ across and 15’ tall. They look like they may have been used for water or grain storage, but with no access to the inside other than the opening at the top.

There are at least 3 sites whose remnant consists of more than scattered coops and a single, flat cement slab. These sites still have walls around them and are multi-level. It’s clear that these were not homes and based on the material, grade of the professional build, and consistent thickness of the cement, it can easily be determined that these were government/military sites. Who else would have built them? Ironically, two of these three happen to be located right on the side of a state highway (CA94 and CA80, to be exact) and the third sits on the side of a public road, right off of CA 94E. This site in particular has been left enough intact that at close inspection, its purpose is difficult to refute. There remain metal hooks inside the lower level on the ceiling. While the majority of free space in this level has been filled with abandoned furniture, there’s a hole in the middle which has been covered over with something. What it leads to underground, remains to be seen. There’s a staircase that leads to an open, second level deck. The deck has a cement tub built into it and what looks like a gas line or two in the same vicinity. There’s a hole in the middle of it that is directly over the covered opening on the first level. But what’s most compelling about this location is the gigantic four-story incinerator that propels upward from the lowest level along, what is now, the outside wall. The height of which, along with clear marks around each side of it, indicate that the building was once five levels and not just two. It also indicates that what appears to be the outside wall that the incinerator rests on, is actually the very middle of what was once a much larger structure.

While these sites may seem peculiar to some, their implication is rather significant. My mind began to pursue the truth behind the mystery of what I had most unexpectedly stumbled upon. In the process, the questions became very conscientious and direct. I started asking them out loud- out loud to the wind and to the trees, like the big oak tree off the side of the first walled site I encountered on 94E. The sites, as it turns out, have their own story to tell and I personally believe the story can be heard by anyone who cares to seek it out. The tree spoke to me about the cruel nature of what had been done there. In sorrow, it divulged a story of children who had been tied to the giant iron hook that had been embedded directly into the trunk. It told me of a boy who cried and cried alone for days before he was finally beaten brutally to death against the tree and died in agony.

At every site, I began to hear the stories of the ungodly, savage brutality that had taken place and who was responsible for it. People were being taken from their homes, right here in the United States, both shortly before, during, and after World War II began- entire families getting kidnapped in the middle of the night. This all of course being very much on par with the tactics of and the rise of Nazi nationalism in Germany that brought about the war. I was shocked by the unbelievable accounts that I was hearing, the notion of US citizens being taken from their homes to torture camps in exact Nazi Gestapo style, was absolutely flooring. The story is real and remains untold for a very specific reason and the sites are sadly, not just limited to east San Diego County. I found two more located in Kern County and it’s my belief that the entire state of California is littered with them. It could be and probably is, farther reaching than just California. How many people were ruthlessly taken hostage, publicly humiliated and disgraced, beaten to death, and brutally tortured in the most inhumane ways such as being cast into a giant human blender? The answer seems significant because the next question that comes to my mind anyway is, how in the hell could this have all been happening domestically and publicly on the soil of an Allied Nation- on the soil of this nation, no less?!

I’m not so naïve as to think that every story of government-produced patriotism is something to put your faith in. But I never would have imagined that something like this could exist on American soil or that with so many lives potentially lost, that it could have ever gone untold. Considering all of this was theoretically taking place during a time that, on the other side of the national mouth, we were engaging the Axis forces both financially and eventually with military backup, it’s more than a little confounding. Why would the same government, during the same time period, be quietly practicing Nazism to the point of creating encampments like these and being responsible for such unreal atrocities? Ironically, it's worth mentioning that Campo itself has the look and feel of a prison camp. The monuments that can be found in the area suggest that it was a US Army base in the first half of the century, but there’s no mention of any type of concentration camp reality in the area, at least not on the public plaques and designated monuments.

However, in my continued pursuits I did manage to find one single published source that verified Campo was indeed a prisoner of war camp during World War II and that at least one prisoner in it had been beaten to death. These accounts were based on visits to the camp from local San Diego County catholic priests and diocese members. So for the sake of this account, I’m mentioning this to avoid the unnecessary potential disregarding or disputing of what I’m suggesting. There is public record of some of the Japanese American encampments that existed in a handful of locations, including Mount Whitney, CA. But no online research has led me to any information on the existence of so many of these large concrete structures which were designed and constructed for one sole purpose- to severely and mercilessly torture people in the most brutal and insane ways conceivable.

There are enough of them out there that I’m sure the numbers of lives which were lost to these torturous deaths, is staggering. Yet the story behind all of it remains buried- just like so very many bodies in the fields where these encampments were located. The long, very noticeable mounds of dirt still visible across certain sections of the fields outside of Jacumba are a testament to the real lives of US citizens who were brutalized in broad daylight in a nation that promotes itself to all the world as being the beacon for free rights and liberties for all. Their bodies are still out there in large numbers and in shallow graves just under the topsoil, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement and a proper burial.

It’s no secret that the US has a history of blood stains throughout its past and Manifest Destiny was a justification to slaughter its native population as a means of expanding its own agenda through direct and clear brutal oppression and genocide. But I try to think of such savage bloodthirsty cruelty as a nasty mar on the past that couldn’t possibly repeat itself in my lifetime. This story reveals a nation that is not only horribly hypocritical, but one that is potentially capable of unreal acts of savage, twisted, cruelty- the likes of which are exceedingly more horrendous and unspeakable than anything that’s ever been conceived of before. It could be said that the crimes, the cover-up, and the nature of the tortures themselves carried out on those who suffered there, are blatantly evil. There’s no other explanation. Is this not on par with what’s been discovered in other Nazi prison and concentration camps? To my knowledge, unfortunately the answer is “yes.” However, the concept of this taking place not on German soil or some other occupied nation, but instead here on our own lands, speaks to an entirely different reality than has ever been revealed. For those who aren’t aware, Nazism was abolished universally and permanently through the Geneva Convention of the early 1950s- and for very good reason!

I’m putting all of this out there because, quite frankly, I know that I’m right and that there is no other explanation that exists or purpose for these military-constructed buildings, which have all been mysteriously dismantled to varying degrees. I’m told that their de-construction began taking place in the early 70’s but that many of the sites were revisited throughout the 80s and 90’s. It’s not only possible, but more likely to be probable that some of these locations are still active. Given the sick, demonic, twisted, insane purpose that they exist for, it’s worth shedding light on and delving into the whole story for the sake of any remaining humanity left in the world and the lives of those who would potentially suffer there. Not to mention the presence of a Nazi agenda that was taken to a very real and unbelievable extreme, that needs to be accounted for. If anyone would happen to become aware of my testament and wish to refute or challenge me on it, before you try to do so, I challenge you first to do the following. Go there yourself and try to provide any other logical explanation for what these places are, why there are so many of them, and what purpose they serve other than the ones I’ve revealed. Try to find some sort of public record for their construction or existence at all.

I’ve previously referenced one site that I found, which I dubbed the Bloodborne Echo Chamber. It plays a significant role in this story because upon uncovering it as one of the ill-fated torture sites, it also struck me that it had unique sonic qualities to it. I recorded a handful of short, instrumental tracks there and had some success and I was interested in hearing the acoustic guitar and vocals in it. I wanted to write something new and unique that was inspired by the location. So last Friday, I took the time to go back to the site and wrote “A Place Without A Name” and likewise recorded it that afternoon. Nothing I’ve ever written could be more powerful and inspired than this simple live performance.

Looks like we reached 81,000 plays on N1M as of a few days ago. That's VERY cool and speaks to the awesome online community here and to the loyalty of our fans. Thank you for your support and for helping us spread the word that is "HERETIC!"

Certain live recordings become associated with a particular location, whether by definition in the title or maybe as signifying of a strong performance. However rarely, a location itself can serve to enhance a recording and the related performance. Earlier this summer, I was doing some unrelated "research" and stumbled upon such a location. It's creation and history are a story unto themselves. For now, I'll just say that its origins are dark, disturbing and genuinely gut-wrenching but the first time I set foot in it, I knew that it offered a unique potential for audio recording. I named it The Bloodborne Echo Chamber and made a few stand-alone, single instrument recordings in it recently.

Sure enough, the sound I was able to capture in it was memorable. Notably, the resonance of sub-bass frequencies it was able to produce with the djembe is incredible. "Resonance (In the Bloodborne Echo Chamber)" was improvised on-site with my Native Indian flute and was the first song I recorded at this location (ITBEC for future reference). If you have a sub-woofer in your sound system, "Bassimus Maximus" should go directly into your playlist- it lives up to its name. Also earlier this year, I picked up the three old harmonicas I had in my possession but had forgotten about for several years. I improvised "On the Mississippi" during my first recording session ITBEC as well.

Thanks for the support, as always, and hope you enjoy these new offerings (other two tracks are available for download on the page- please visit)!

Before I moved to San Diego and started writing and recording under the name, Heretic (technically around 2005), there was a beginning. As is the case with most bands, that beginning consisted of being in a previous band. For me, that band was Mea Culpa and I formed it in early 1994 with some guys that I knew from the same general area of central Indiana.

Initially, I was writing and playing guitar for what was my first rock band and, in the process, was also trying to figure out where it was all going, if anywhere. We did one demo recording that we only got on a cassette with our first singer and a second guitarist, who ended up splitting in 1995. I was still learning guitar and how to write but as of the departure of our second guitarist, a decision was made to move on without our original singer and I opted to take over on vocals and continue as the sole guitarist. It took the better part of a year to be comfortable with the technical aspect of the new double-role. At that point we began working on new songs for the new lineup. Five of those songs ended up being recorded in late March of 1997 at Floodstage Studios in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis. The demo, "Liquid" was the outcome.

I had hoped we would ride it to fame, but unfortunately within another year, the momentum was failing. Drugs and newborn kids were sending two of the four of us in different directions and I could see the writing on the wall for Mea Culpa clearly spelled "dead end." Disappointed to say the least, I decided to finish school and head to San Diego, which I did in 2001. I left that music and, with just a few exceptions, that band both in my past and began anew so that Heretic could be born.

However recently, I decided to take a walk down memory lane and pulled out my copy of "Liquid." It was good to revisit that music, as it was the inception of my life as a singer/songwriter/guitarist, and led directly to what I do as Heretic. So here's a remastered post of the song, "Torn Up In Between," which happens to be the very first song I ever wrote with vocals and as a vocalist/guitarist. More to come later but for now, enjoy this track from the vaults and thanks, as always, for the continued support and patience.

One day, I'll publish the full, behind the scenes, story on this band and why it's been so difficult to produce new music. It does appear that some doors are opening and opportunities are presenting themselves that will enable a new level of productivity. In time, there will be many new offerings but for now, please enjoy these tracks that span the career. Thank you.

Hi Gang, I wanted to post a few recently recorded outtakes from rehearsals at the studio. These aren't finished album tracks but I thought you guys might still want to check them out. They are 2 flute tracks (played on my native american wood flute that I used on "I Am the Shaman"), 2 drum tracks (played on my djembe) and one guitar solo track. Cheers and happy holidays from Heretic!