Transgalactica Releases Heaviest Track Yet, “Peace on Earth”
Polish progressive metal trio Transgalactica have unveiled the fourth track from their second record, Onwards and Upwards. Titled “Peace on Earth”, the song is their heaviest piece to date, built around a thunderous guitar riff inspired by Tool and interspersed with almost classical instrumental passages. The bridge incorporates the melody of Rachmaninov’s “Island of the Dead”, demonstrating the band’s ambitious approach to composition. While the trio classifies the track as progressive metal, one reviewer dubbed it “modern serious music.”
Written in 2021, before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the lyrics explore themes of war, nuclear fear, and soldiers returning home. Recognizing the changed global context, Transgalactica decided to forego their usual ironic video style in favor of a tribute to Ukrainian soldiers. The video, created with the assistance of a friend from Sri Lanka, features non-Ukrainian settings but was made in good faith as a sincere homage to the victims of Putin’s war. Viewers are warned that the video contains some drastic scenes.
Lyrics (Excerpt from “Peace on Earth”)
Iron dice began to roll
Maybe in your casino
In the booming crescendo of war
I see a dropping line
Mushroom cloud is looming large
You’ve seen too many movies
The destruction will not stop
I see soldiers going home.
The whole world will stand in flames
Of passion and commitment
Word War IV is ever near
I must have missed the third
The terror can strike any time
But for some time it hasn’t
Dirty bomb may bring us down
It isn’t gonna be.
Read Homer’s epics
Read Hebrew Bible
Picture the carnage
Then look around you
Remember the slaves.
Remember the women.
Remember the children.
And stop all this drivel.
The past is a story
Of violence and fear
Of despots and tyrants.
Of cruelty and war.
There will be peace on the earth
Let’s do it through Enlightenment
The swords will be beat into shares
For swordsmen are not that rich
Megatons became megawatts
For mushrooms can be poison
Let’s lay violence to rest
All chanting “rest in peace.”
On AI and Creative Process
Transgalactica has never used AI to create music, emphasizing that all tracks were recorded before such tools were widely available. The band has, however, embraced AI in the production of conceptual videos and promotional images. They cite cost, logistical feasibility, and the ability to realize ideas impossible to achieve by conventional means as primary reasons.
The trio is aware that some audiences have hesitated to share their music due to the use of AI in videos. Band members acknowledge this concern while pointing out that AI is simply another artistic tool, comparable to lithography, photography, or film, and can enhance creativity when used consciously.
Origins and Band Concept
The name Transgalactica stems from a dream by band member Tomasz, in which he traveled on a luxury spaceship. Inspired by Gombrowicz’s satirical novel Transatlantic, he imagined a series in which thousands of Polish settlers journey to Mars aboard the ship Transgalaktyk, with the band’s music forming part of the onboard experience. While the series has yet to materialize due to practical constraints, the name and concept live on in the band’s ambitious compositions.
