1. |
At Wit's End
09:55
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It was a cold October evening
Days of rain have yet to stop
A towering monolith of ivory
The man stood atop
Valour and honour have left the land
What remains tugged at his heartstrings
With all virtue and common sense
Ceased all songs Minerva sings
Tarred, feathered, scorned, ostracized
From all civilisation
Evil is as evil does
And so was his intention
The ghosts of present, future and past
Run a marathon with human life
With his dreary company
Left no choice but to venture outside
Sight blurs through a crimson hue
Visions writhe, only one thing left to do
As they haunt
Splatter grey and black
Through time and all things betwixt
The great bog awaits
A wizard's hut
To banish and silence the spirits
In the midst of the darkness
Beyond fauna and cobblestone
Man's oldest dream
Quiet epitome on an oaken throne
Plunged into despair
Longing for retribution
His mind courts atrocities
One does not dare to mention
Love truly is a peculiar thing
One time it saves, then taints all immaculacies within
As its funeral is held on a sombre, rainy day
No birds will come, not even vultures seeking prey
The hand that feeds was gnawed to the bone
Society has lost its worth, he roams alone
The art of loss can be wisdom or a mistake
And when thought righteous, all can turn towards hate
Yet the leaves fall
He returned from the shack
Eyes as red as some scarlet bud
Now it's time to pay the price
For the potion has done its part
Smothered thoughts align
To the greater good, his mind surrenders
The flame of lust is no more
Cause what time ignites will burn to a cinder
Mucus from the mouth
Blood drips from his hands
As he finally found his peace
He did as the spirits command
Loud gusts, glowing shadows
Back towards the sun, slouching to the moor
Surge of clarity through skin and marrow
Indeed, when it rains it pours
Yet the leaves fall
Silent and prudently cloaked
Death drags him to his abode
Who lives by the sword
Shall likewise die
A hero's deed could not be harder to see
Ghost shall tempt
Bring history's end
And alter the legacy one leaves
In the midst of the darkness
Fever can singe both wool and stone
Endless it seems
One can only reap what was sown
The truth can be cruel
Silence unnerving
The mirrors lie shattered here
The glass is lacerating
And the leaves fall
A brisk wind whistles a mellow tune
Sings of all that the night has eschewed
Soon the wailing lulls the spawns of spring
Crippling deviants, murdering all evil that dwelt within
Everything
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2. |
Caught In The Circle
08:22
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Dark clouds haunting me
Lost in despair, blood is boiling
I find myself lingering in the darkness
Wrath paves a way for hatred, no way out
I glance at the ruins before and after me with apathy
Those who scold me shall taste my blade
My hope has faded away, now I'm suffering
Despite all struggles this vile life is getting rougher
Is there a solution, a remedy?
Regardless of how much I fight and try to flee...
The most of you will think, for redemption it's too late
But you never heard the words the wise man said
They promised me Eden, honey and milk
Indeed, now the world feels like it's made of silk
There are some mendacious feats to face
But blinded as I am I can't read between the pages
Then I hear those words whispered in my ear
What is the answer, who tells the truth?
Where is the joy I felt just weeks ago?
Darksome thoughts start to pervade me again
Far away, my masters reside in their chambers
They reign and hold sway over my new comrades
For the first time I recognize my mistakes
Should I run? Should I stay? Where is the right path to walk?
Questions that won't be answered, nor even listened to
Nobody heeds when I call aloud, nothing has changed
I have no choice but to try to escape for good
To break out of this circle, sever the clutches that tied and caught
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3. |
Perdition's Waltz
06:00
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A moonlit though misty night
I woke from uneasy slumber
The forest nearby, as always it cries
With a voice like roaring thunder
The path I walked, obstructed by roots and stones
Lead into the woods, so I walked in
The cold and humid wind crawled into my bones
Forward, forward to reach the goal so deep within
While I was stumbling through grove and bramble
My eyes caught an oddly appearing view
Its presence was obscure and evil
Curiosity moved my body forward so I could see...
And so we danced
The dance of death and I glanced
At my future, the end
Has finally come
Through the scrub I fought my way
Its thorns cut my skin wide open
But the inner desire forced me to hurry
Until I finally reached my goal then
Its shimmering true shape, so beautiful yet crooked
Forsooth, I was trapped under its spell
Why I didn't run before its claws took me?
I could not tell
And so we danced
The dance of death and I glanced
At my future, the end
Has finally come
Stripped of all fear
My life reappeared
Before my eyes and only now I realize
There was no one there, except for me and my knife
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4. |
What Lies Beyond
07:09
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Like a king he sits enthroned in his castle of stone
Protected by all the walls he built around himself
To stay save in warmth and out of danger
His hopes and dreams, years have passed since they have gone
Howling wind and the dread from the outside do not affect him
Yet nothing in his fortress can save him from his anger
Save yourself, crawl under your bed
Cry for help, so long until they find you dead
No one will ever hear you
You are in this all alone
He stares out of the windows of his towers
The bitter travesty of a human being
Drowning in loneliness, depressed with his only company
With bloodshot eyes, wasting all his precious hours
Wrath and hatred finally overthrew him
What things to regret, oh there are so many
Save yourself, crawl under your bed
Cry for help, so long until they find you dead
No one will ever hear you
You are in this all alone
Climb down your high walls and find your way out
Terrors are everywhere on every path you're walking
Escape the claustrophobia, flee your hideout
Breathe the air, feel the sun's warmth, see what lies beyond
The young man attempts to see what lies beyond
Before losing himself in misery
Wars and famine wear down what once was strong
Thus he's seeking the caress of his high walls
And there he lies thrashing, whimpering in pain
The demons in his head are torturing his soul
His attempts to distract himself, of course they are in vain
Why must this existence be so cruel
Old and shattered he watches the crimson sunset
Hypnotized by its beauty he begins to wonder:
Is this the meaning of life? Caged here in my castle of stone?
He wants to venture outside but is too weak on his own
Climb down your high walls and find your way out
Terrors are everywhere on every path you're walking
Escape the claustrophobia, flee your hideout
Breathe the air, feel the sun's warmth, see what lies beyond
As an old man he failed to see what lies beyond
He lost himself in woe and misery
Never to behold the blue and form a bond
Thus he's doomed to rot withdrawn in the shadows
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5. |
Facing Eternity
10:30
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Gazing at the stars to contemplate the darkness that's beyond
A strange familiar face came into mind as all hope's lost and gone
New faith will be found until the final end of days
The pantheons will be exchanged with different and inferior gods to praise
A tiny change in the course of time may tear world's history to shreds
All we feed our children is the blood that we have shed
Centuries will pass, enemies will be different, yet the same
Wars will come and go as will lives, cultures, eras and faith
The cosmos shines
Illuminating
Our reflections in the sea
A new constellation
A foreshadowing
Of what chants my heirs shall sing
Across the river Styx we fly
Conquered all burdens of the afterlife
Life itself remains a myth
To those that never take and merely give
The crown of thorns is burned
Elder gods awake, soon to return
We have cleansed the world with fire
Left ash and ruins we now admire
As I stare into the sunset of the world I dearly hate
Agonies of people unbeknownst, illusions of freedom raped
The lessons we were taught appear so small in a world this grand
The amount of fallen ones is so great compared to those that still stand
Across the river Styx we fly
Conquered all burdens of the afterlife
Life itself remains a myth
To those that never take and merely give
The crown of thorns is burned
Elder gods awake, soon to return
We have cleansed the world with fire
Left ash and ruins we now admire
Upon the coals of life we trot
Past paths on which we could never walk
Sow the spirit, harvest insight
Exploring Eden beyond wrong and right
Like a maiden on a river's bank
Waiting for her lover's ship that long since sank
Man tries to build what simply cannot be
In this age of false clarity
The old man next to me is so young and has never found true love
He doesn't believe in anything, neither man below nor god above
In a year or two they'll play the music to his doom
And I will follow him, as will the sun and as will the moon
He has lived beneath the surface for the entirety of his prime
He has not seen the sun and he will not for the rest of his time
Like countless others he has reached the point of no return
About life we mused but never did and shall we learn
With ailing limbs
Through vacant eyes
The gray man faces me and chides
Observe our realm
See its true guise
And you will be as plagued with grief as I
Upon the coals of life we trot
Past paths on which we could never walk
Sow the spirit, harvest insight
Exploring Eden beyond wrong and right
Like a maiden on a river's bank
Waiting for her lover's ship that long since sank
Man tries to build what simply cannot be
In this age of false clarity
Across the river Styx we fly
Conquered all burdens of the afterlife
Life itself remains a myth
To those that always take and never give
The crown of thorns is burned
Elder gods awake, soon to return
We have cleansed the world with fire
Left ash and ruins we now admire
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6. |
Just Another Journey
07:50
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Staring into the eyes of a broken man
My conscience is burning and I feel betrayed
Cannot believe how deep I've been falling
Tried to rewind but it is too late
Deep underground where you rest
My mind was vanquished so long ago
The writings on the tombstone
Mourning has broken, it's still not over
Restless wandering
Lingering, paralysed
Since you died
Life just felt like a charade
Looking for the strength
To stand up and move again
Cause death seems like
Just another journey
Ride, ride
Into the shadows of the night
Far away
Never find a place to stay
You are free now
Searching for the light
Cannot see that
I will ever be alive
Ride, ride
Into the shadows of the night
Far away
Never find a place to stay
You are free now
Searching for the light
Cannot see that
I will ever feel alive
The leech of grief died like the vermin it is
Despite death's greed life may grant gifts
Suffering is over, my sight is clear
But the bitter taste won't ever disappear
The devil is not among the dead
He's ruling and tormenting this realm
Yet no need to see our world burn
Well, death is just another journey
Ride, ride
Into the shadows of the night
Far away
Never find a place to stay
You are free now
Searching for the light
Can't you see now?
What fire the dark ignites?
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7. |
Time Takes Its Toll
08:08
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On beast's back she came riding, to our sacred Nazareth
With pounding hooves and horns on each of its seven heads
Our sabres were rattling, our fists were clenched in fear
When she began to speak softly whilst the wind blew through her hair
She came from afar, the grand city's domain
Our lips were sewn shut as she uttered its name
“I come in peace, so I beg you to sheathe your swords
Use your magic wisely and burn your sermons in the forge”
“Hush, foul creature! We know of thy kind
Armed are we with wisdom from our holy rhymes
Thou shalt not tempt us, so be gone and take thy beast
And return to the abyss from which thou wast unleashed”
The priest glared at the being, she met his stare with spite:
“Say, good people, who is it that is more wise?
A scholar of ancient tongues or an arbiter of nature's law
A nomad of land and sea or one that is caged by temple walls?
A scarlet gleam caused the twilight throughout your early years
Redemption tears the shadows you've cast, now in humanity's eve”
Reminiscing the past, disturbed and questioning all they know
The people thought to have done the impossible and alter time's eternal flow
“Clouds shall descend, bearing the fruits of time
Marauding, ravaging as your bells begin to chime
Gloom in the distance, corrupting mind, body and soul
Seething uncertainty, until time takes its toll
You banished all evil and coloured the altar red
Blackened the aether, slain newborns in their bed
Now the friendly morning dew shall vanish in the nightly mist
And you'll finally see with tears that fate does not forgive”
Proudly spoke the woman to the priest and to the folk
“Atlantis sank and Sodom drowned in flames in tales of old
Sail to a new life, aboard my waiting ships
'Cause what good are leaders if they brought you all to this?”
“We live in great prosperity and are well-fed
Crossed through fiery hazes and storms that did not abate
Thou forcest to desert the earth, turn all to ruins and dirt
False believe and superstition will destroy this world!”
The woman frowned and left “you are not the first to die.”
Later, I spoke to the priest 'bout why she would arrive
He said “I do not believe in tests of faith and otherworldly epiphanies
But what place could be worthier than ours of our esteem?”
The looming shadows broke the sunlight in the early dawn
Murmurs about prophecies as I walked beneath the coming crows
Greyish colours plague the earth and whisper with the wind
Just the water still stood azure blue, and thus a new cycle begins
Clouds are descending, bearing the fruits of time
Marauding, ravaging as our bells begin to chime
Gloom in the distance, corrupting mind, body and soul
Seething uncertainty, until time takes its toll
We banished all evil and coloured the altar red
Blackened the aether, slain newborns in their bed
Now the friendly morning dew vanished in the nightly mist
And we finally saw with tears that fate does not forgive
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8. |
A New Beginning
08:36
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Death: “Come along and face the end
I have yet to find a worthy opponent
Judgment day is close at hand
And I command you to leave your scorched land
Countless souls knelt before the council and begged
And you shall be no different”
The Condemned One: “Fire has engulfed my entire life
The stench of charred flesh haunts me and sears me dry
To quench my thirst I've waded through filth and slime
Disposed of all in my path, however meek and benign
Now, lust for blood made way for remorse
And I shall accept all that lies before me”
The ferryman came and took all shades of light
Nightmares consumed both day and night
The end began and carried the sails like a storm
Life will go on
Their stares were empty, mouths shut
Solely emitting a daunting aura of grace
My heart froze as my eyes met the eldest
Cloaked in black, seemingly older than time itself
A sudden flash broke my memory
Losing consciousness, now exposed to their will
Now I anxiously await...
And now I anxiously await...
The ferryman came and took all shades of light
Nightmares consumed both day and night
The end began and carried the sails like a storm
Life will go on
The time has come
I was awakened by a siren's song
I gazed upon a familiar face
Her lips were moist, inviting me
Her voice as soft as a virgin's skin
Caressing all that lurked within
Yet I was never more certain
And so she vanished into thin air
The ferryman came and took all shades of light
Nightmares consumed both day and night
The water stood still yet the boat passed by
Such is life
The facade fell
I stood there, paralysed and shocked
Knee-deep in mud, a fetid swamp
Facing a wizard's hut
He stood armed
With a sceptre and the trace of a smile
The eldest of the council
Leading me to a new life
Still the leaves fall...
The ferryman came and took all shades of light
Nightmares consumed both day and night
The water stood still yet the boat passed by
Such is life
And the leaves fall
And the leaves fall
And the leaves fall...
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Emperdia BY, Germany
Progressive/Thrash/Doom Metal from Bavaria
Steff Müller - Vocals
Amit Dey - Guitars
Ibrahim Lakhdar - Drums
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