Hey all, here's some transcriptions/outlines I've done of some of Emil's tunes. The reason I say "outlines" is because, as Emil said somewhere on this forum when asked about posting some transcriptions he basically said "I'd be happy to help but a lot of holy sons tunes are written/recorded fast and sometimes in different tunings or not standard pitch" and he also mentions that a lot of things are improvised as well so I haven't taken the time to transcribe something like the solo to "fermenting mind" as I'm sure Emil doesn't play the solo live the exact same way as he does on the record. Besides things like that, I've tried to make these as complete as I can. If there is a song or riff or whatever that you can't figure out please ask me. Enjoy

Gnostic Device"

G#- ================== F# E
I can't walk these streets at night,
G#- ==================F# E
Humility reveals and puts me right

B=========== A#- ==G#- == F#
I can't trust these eyes, or realities disguise,
== ==E (let ring out)
Till you put me in my place put me in my place put me up


G#- ==== A
Ohhhhhh ohhhhhh

G#- ========'======F# ======= E
I always thought that I was doing wrong
(same progression continues)

G#- ========F#======== E
I can't walk these streets at night


So, as you can see this song is basically one chord progression that (on the studio version) has three different variations on it. The "I can't trust these eyes..." is just a descending bass line walking down from the relative major of the key. This same thing happens in "ready to die."

Please note also that if your going to play along the with "decline..." recording, Emil is tuned down a whole step.

To give you an idea of some variation on the main progression:
E
B 4== 4== 4== 4 ===== 2 ==0
G 4== 4== 4== 4 ===== 3 ==1
D 6== 6== 6== 6 ===== 4 ==2 GUITAR 1
A 6== 6== 6== 6 =====4 ==2
E 4== 4== 4== 4 ===== 2 ==0 these guitars are overdubbed on each other

E ==========================0
B ==========================0
G ==========================1 GUITAR 2
D ==========================2
A
E

This is based more on how I've heard it played live.
Hopefully the tab there will give you an idea what I'm talking about.
I'm not at my place right now so I'm typing this out on a blackberry playbook so sorry if that's a tad messy. Just listen to the recording and you'll get it.

I think what makes some people think this song, from a purely harmonic standpoint, think it's more complicated then it is is due to the great arrangement and instrumentation.
An example of a much more harmonically rich tune would be "a chapter must be closed" that sees Emil changing keys three times in the song.

He posted a live video of holysons playing "gnostic device" to his vimeo account. Just check that out and this transcription should all make sense.

When I typed this out on the bb it crunched all the chords together so I used = to space them.
Also, in case you don't know, - means minor.

"A Chapter Must be Closed"

======Abmaj7=======================Gbmaj7
see your old clothes on some junkies back, watch your furniture get up, and disappear

===Abmaj7
have pity on those, who gotta suffer from their own hand

==Gbmaj7
and watch what they have get up and disappear

=Dbma7===============C-7
a chapter must be closed, a chapter must be closed,

======Bmaj7==================Bb-7
it cant go on and on and on and on and on

===Dbmaj7=========C-7
you gotta shut it down, to start it up again,

======Bmaj7==================Bb-7
it cant go on and on and on and on and on



Dbmaj7=========Bmaj7


========Dbmaj7
Im not gunna rise up like a phoenix from the fire, and fly away

==Bmaj7
or hold hands with the whole wide world on an endless sunny day

======Dbmaj7
why cant people accept it may just be the way, the way it always was

==============Bma7===== Bb-7
their so wraped up in fantasy

====F#maj7=======A#-7==F#maj7======A#-7
ohh, a chapter must be closed, a chapter must be closed

======Emaj7===============D#-7
it cant go on and on and on and on and on

===F#maj7===A#-7===F#maj7==A#-7
you gotta shut it down, to start it up again

=======Emaj7==============D#-7 (Bmaj13)
it cant go on and on and on and on and on


Amazing tune and also very fun to analyze harmonically what's going on here as it can be viewed a few different ways...

I wrote the chords as either -7 or maj7 but of course these can be extended like -9 maj6/9 maj13 ect.
If you want some voicing suggestions I'd be happy to help.

"Ready to Die" from "I want to live a peaceful life"

TUNE 1/2 step down


This is the basic picking pattern (the song is in 6/8)

A ==========F#- =========E ==========F#-
ready to die, ready to die, baby im ready to die

Here's how Emil arpeggiate's the chords:

--A --------- F#- --------------E----------------- F#-
e----0-------------------------------------------------------
b------2-------------2---------------0h2p2-------------2-----
g---2----2-------------2--------------------1-------------2--
d--2-------------4--------4-------2-----------2------4------4
a-0-------------4----------------2-----------------4---------
e-------------2----------------0-----------------2-----------

That fill on the E was just something I heard him do live. Just mess around with the F# natural minor and you can figure out the fills easily. Just keep it in 6/8

Here's the other two parts

==== A == A/G# == F#-
And Im soo ready to die X2

=== A== G#- = F#- = E == Dmaj7
And im soo ooo ooo ooo

"No Claws"

C#- ======= A ====== C#- ====== A
rush off to work again, pushin off that mean last stair

C#- =====A
gotta lot of streets to pound my heads turned down
legs know the path and i wear a frown

C#- ====A =========== C#- ====A
if there is too much stress, the liver cleans up the mess

==C#- ===== A
its just another dusty mop when your weapons drop
if you tip back too much and your night watch stops

G#-
im vulnerable to the thieves and all the other scum on the street

===================A- ========F
dont you know there aint no claws im searching for

=======A- ==========F
there aint no laws im searching for

=======A- ==========F
there aint no spells im searching for

====A- ================================== G
there aint no clause that im under to harness my mind


=========A- =========================G
too much comfort dulls the mind, shovels soil i hoped to find

=========A- =========================G
feelings cold on mind controlled, wasted life on the blind

=========A- =========================G
cover dust over my name, ill never pass this way again

=======F
change my walk lose their trail history written never mailed


A- ==================== F

F
too much comfort dulls the mind........