Sootmark Protocol from Scarlines by Tinderline

The first sounds of "Sootmark Protocol" aren't music, but the lingering static of a city still smoldering, a direct plunge into the protagonist’s fractured return. It’s an immersion, not just a listen, with over two minutes of raw emergency frequencies before the first sparse guitar note dares to cut through the quiet dread. This opening lays bare the central themes: the heavy pull of Watchkeeper protocol against the ghost of a past fire, the raw struggle between duty and a mind still scattered. The field recordings, actual dispatch calls woven into the fabric, aren't just texture; they are the insistent, unyielding pressure of Stiltmark itself, slowly dragging reluctance into a grim, necessary determination. Live, the track is an exercise in controlled tension, building from that deep, unsettling hum into a relentless push, reflecting the grit and worn utility of the band's stage presence, a shared breath held before the inevitable surge. It’s a stark, unyielding introduction to an album that finds its deepest truths in the silence after the collapse, making its case for the profound weight of every single call.

We ignite the night with ash-streaked stories and siren wails. Between whispered verses and thundering refrains, our songs map the heat of heroism and the silence after flames die. Come burn with us.