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 Второй альбом немцев. При прослушивании сразу подмечается уплотнившийся, утяжелившийся и немного улучшившийся звук, а также заметно подросшее мастерство музыкантов, которые здесь демонстрируют еще более интересную и профессиональную игру. При этом группе полностью удалось сохранить непередаваемый колорит дебютника — альбом слушается как продолжение "Walpurgis Night", то есть все тот же "средневековый" хэви-метал (и все также с небольшим влиянием английского NWOBHM), но с более продуманной атмосферой и лирикой.
Открывается альбом с мрачноватого интро, где звучит какой-то хорал, напоминающий церковное песнопение. Следом идет несложный, но цепляющий боевик "Point Of No Return",выполненный в духе "Cave Of Steenfoll" из "Walpurgis Night". В таком же духе выполнена и последующая "Hell's Still Alive", а также почти все остальные песни, каждая из которых представляет собой очень занятный и самобытный хэви.
Четвертый трек "Masque Of The Red Death", пожалуй, лучший на альбоме. Начинающаяся с напряженного акустического вступления, песня взрывается энергией, которую источает мрачная и красивая мелодия, создаваемая мощными гитарными пассажами в сочетании с сильным, окрепшим вокалом Энди Мюка. Очень интересная и разноплановая вещь, не побоюсь сказать, ШЕДЕВР. Интересен и текст, написанный по мотивам одноименного рассказа Эдгара По. А из остальных песен лично для себя выделю мелодичную и одновременно жесткую "Trust In The Fire", напористый среднетемповый хэви-номер с прекрасным припевом "Lost Legion" и закрывающую "When the Bat Bites".
Итак, еще одна классика тяжелого рока. По сравнению с первым альбом заметен прогресс в нужную сторону. Как итог — один из сильнейших релизов Stormwitch и просто отличный металл с притягательной, волшебно-мистической атмосферой Средневековья. |
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( 1 )
the sky's on fire
now it's Satan's turn
the point of no return, no return
When an owl's crying
and a dog's dying
when the forces of evil rule the land
When the pane's breaking
and the ground's shaking
when the gods take revenge on every man
Spider webs stick to your face
Can you feel their tight embrace?
Standing at the point...
2. Hell's Still Alive
On the top of a hill
where an icy wind's blowing
there is a hole in the ground
In the deep shadows
between moss-grown deep rocks
a demon is creeping around
A long time ago
a handful of brave men
arrested the beast in this cave
they blessed the prison
with clear holy water
from this time on the Earth was safe
'till now, the beast hasn't died
I know that hell's still alive
'till now, he lurks in the night
I know that hell's still alive
Since five hundred years
he's waiting impatient
for someone to open his cage
The demon is roaring
greedy for vengeance
his black soul is foaming with rage
'till now, the beast hasn't died
I know that hell's still alive
'till now, he lurks in the night
I know that hell's still alive
You hear a whispering voice
it confuses your brain
You're in a fever
the words nearly drive you insane
You're forced to climb onto the hill
of man's destiny
You're forced to desecrate the place
to set him free
'till now...
3. Masque Of The Red Death
The gates are closed, the bolts are welded
they've left the red death far behind
in the abbey's deep seclusion
there's just beauty, there is wine
The external world is dying
death is raging in the shade
no time to think about the terror
let's celebrate the masquerade
But who's that stranger in the dark?
his vesture is dabbled in blood
his masque shows scarlet signs of pest
masque of the red death
The fete is held in seven clambers
triponds spread a gleaming light
glare and glitter, madman fashions
feverish dreams in the dead of night
The mighty clock strikes twelve, it's midnight
and the echoes fade away
the crowd becomes aware of a figure
dressed in cerements of the grave
but who's that...
Try to catch him, try to gasp him
try to seize and to unmask him
prince Prospero foams with rage
But he cries out
and his death-shout
took possession of the whole crowd
'cause the red death entered their cage
Darkness and decay, and the red death
holds dominion over all
4. Arabian Nights
Hot sand is all around me
singeing my skin, burning my face
I'm longing for some water
fata morgana in the haze
I feel the strong irons made of steel
and since seven years
rusty chains strangle my neck
Sore weals are the whip's hot, bloody seals
every night and day
they seem to burn on my back
Arabian nights
nightmares of heat and pain and fright
I see the light
the end of the slavery
Arabian nights
stars of the desert shine on me
I feel the light
the time's right to break the chains and flee
Three thousand miles of torture
ten thousand slaves all in a row
my eyes are dim with fever
my vital force is running low
I know that they'll never let me go
I made up my mind
to get away, to take a flight
Cruel whip, tonight I will flee your grip
I'll be off before
daylight displaces the night
Arabian nights...
5. Sword Of Sagon
[spoken intro]
Once upon a time, in a land far far away
a savage dragon descended on the peaceful town of Sagon.
It burned the fields with its flaming breath,
darkening the skies.
In their despair, the inhabitants prayed to the gods of light,
who had mercy on them, and sent them an old blind swordsmith.
He lit up the forge and began to strike the iron,
the anvil hammered the steel began to glow.
After seven days and seven nights he immersed the steel
in a cauldron of human blood.
As the spirit of the blood hardened the red-hot metal,
the swordsmith fell down and died.
And the light of the glowing day was reflected by the
silvery blade of a wonderfulk weapon.
The sword of Sagon, ha ha ha ha.
Prince of Asgard, take this blade
break our chains, light up the shade
trust in metal and your force
half the kingdom will be yours
Once there was a time
when we all lived in peace
now we are the slaves
of the blood-thirsty beast
Sword of Sagon, made of steel
blessed with blood
save us from the tyranny
Sword of Sagon, stab the black dragon's heart
kill the beast and set us free
Face the dragon's evil eye
smoke is darkening the sky
raise your weapon, start to fight
metal power, sharp steel bites
Smash the serpentine's flesh
viscid blood runs down your hand
fight, never give in
'till its head lies in the sand
Sword of Sagon...
6. Trust In The Fire
You feel the metal power
the flame is burning at all hours
hold on to, on to your dream
I want you to shout and scream
Oh - trust in the fire
when the night is cold
it will keep you warm
Oh - trust in the fire
the shadows of darkness
can't do you no harm
so trust in the fire
Get up and stand together
and the heat will last forever
believe me, you're not alone
rock fever's bred in the bone
Oh - trust in the fire
when the night is cold
it will keep you warm
Oh - trust in the fire
the shadows of darkness
can't do you no harm
so trust in the fire
7. Night Stalker
It's midnight, a night-owl
is howling on a withering tree
but watch out, there's something
Going on, on the cemetery
the body-snatcher
is digging up the graves
bone-marauding
no human corpse is safe
He's a night stalker
he's a grave-robber
he's a madman
he's eager for some prey
he's a night stalker
he's a grave-robber
You got to call on him
ten pounds are his pay
By the light of a candle
he's doing his dirty work
he shatters the coffins
and the black rats are on the lurk
the grave is plundered
a dead dog lies close by
a cab's removing
the dawn is in the sky
he's a night stalker....
8. Lost Legions
Grey dawn of day
the piercing war-cries fade away
the fate is sealed
life has left the battle-field
Once they were a mighty army
standing one for all
they fought for glory and for booty
They rode into a fall
Now the crows pick at their bodies
steel turns into rust
Flesh is stabbed
with spears and arrows
the flag turns into dust
Lost Legions, blind and heartless
They devastate the land
Lost Legions, don't know mercy
army of the damned
Their flesh is gone
but their spirit's living on
you can be sure
they're the guardians of the war
They're a part of every bloodstain
of the smoke and steam
their laughter's sounding like the
woundes warrior's scream
everywhere a soldier's dying
they've released the beast
anytime an angel's crying
they celebrate a feast
Lost Legions....
9. When The Bat Bites
The sky is cloudy
and the full moon's on the rise
your hear a lone wolf howl
the dark's got evil eyes
you'd better look the door
nail up the window-panes
tonight's the Demon's night
and hell will break his chains
When all is asleep
he's leaving his grave
searching for a slave
when the bat bites
The room is empty
but you feel you're not alone
black eyes are watching you
they seem to break your bones
a cloud of fog is slowly
Crawling towards your bed
a shadow's coming down
reaching for your head
When all is asleep...
No garlic and no cruzifix
can save you from his grips
you feel the end is near
when he licks his lips
you can feel an icy breath
of rotteness and decay
your pillow's turning red
blood is hard to pay
When all is asleep...