[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Samoth.] [9:06]
As the Darkness creeps over the Northern mountains of Norway and the silence reach the woods, I awake and rise... Into the night I wander, like many nights before, and like in my dreams, but centuries ago.
Under the Moon, under the trees. Into the Infinity of Darkness, beyond the light of a new day, into the frozen nature chilly, beyond the warmth of the dying Sun. Hear the whispering of the wind, the Shadows calling...
I gaze into the Moon which grants me visions these twelve full Moon nights of the year, and for each night the light of the holy disciples fades away.
Weaker and weaker, one by one.
Weaker and weaker, one by one.
I gaze into the Moon which makes my mind pure as crystal lakes, my eyes cold as the darkest winter nights, by yet there is a flame inside.
It guides me into the dark shadows beyond this world, into the infinity of thoughts... thoughts of upcoming reality.
In the name of the almighty Emperor I will ride the Lands in pride, carrying the Blacksword at hand, in warfare.
I will grind my hatred upon the loved ones. Despair will be brought upon the hoping children of happiness.
Wherever there is joy the hordes of the eclipse will pollute sadness, sadness and hate under the reign if fear.
The lands will grow black. There is no Sunrise yet to come into the wastelands of phantoms lost.
The lands will grow black. There is no Sunrise yet to come.
May these moments under the Moon be eternal. May the infinity haunt me... In Darkness.
2. The Burning Shadows Of Silence
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [5:35]
Benighted darker and darker as I walk through the woods, into the silent shadows.
As the sky goes from dark to black, ice cold whispers burns my skin. From nowhere to the deepest of my soul they speak unto me... grievance of sadness, like the gift of sorrow. A Moon, a bloodred full Moon lights my black hearts night.
Lightning cracks the sky and thunders roll, through the night a chaos of storms arise.
Purgatory. Burning flames catch my eyes. Into the shadows (so dark) I hear the choirs of evil, a "joy" in blasphemy beyond my darkest fantasies.
The Gate is open...
Into the silent shadows I crawl, upon the throne so cold, atmosphere of melancholy. I will forever burn... Burn... Burn...
Into the silent shadows I crawl, upon the throne so cold, atmosphere of melancholy. I will forever burn...
Into the silent shadows.
3. Cosmic Keys To My Creations And Times
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Mortiis.] [6:06]
The heavens are lit by the stars where years of secrets of universal forces lay hid. They shine so bright, but yet they have seen more evil than time itself. Reflected in the deepless lakes (they are drowning in black elements).
They are the planetary keys to unlimited wisom and power for the Emperor to obtain. (They being) the gods of the wolves whom upon they bark at night,
requesting their next victim in thirst of blood. I enjoy those moments I may haunt with these beats of the night.
What kinds of beings are existing at the deeps of my lakes? They surely must be of an evil race, for no friendly thing can live in such depressive waters.
(Here is also a planet similar to the Moon, but its phases is only one and it is in its most powerful for all and ever... There passes no light without the barking of the wolves.)
All these landscapes are timeless, and this is all just a part of cosmos, but all is mine and past and future is yet to discover... Much have been discovered, but tomorrow I will realise I existed before myself.
I will be reborn before I die.
I will realise planets ages old, created by a ruler with a crown of dragon claws, arrived with a stargate... a king among the wolves in the night... An observer of the stars.
I will realise planets ages old, created by a ruler with a crown of dragon claws, arrived with a stargate... a king among the wolves in the night... An observer of the stars.
An observer of the stars. An observer of the stars.
4. Beyond The Great Vast Forest
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Samoth.] [6:00]
Beyond the great vast forest, surrounded by majestic mountains,
dark rivers float like tears of sorrow. Frost submerge the holy ring of fire.
They shall rise again, for they are of Him.... The Dark Lord of eternities.
These are the Devils of Darkness. They can not be laid to rest forever. Resurrection... They shall haunt again, "Phantom der nacht", the creatures of the night. Blood is life. Blood is life.
Their art of death is infernal, like their life eternal. See the castle so proud, but yet so grey and cold.
Their art of death is infernal, like their life eternal. See the castle so proud, but yet so grey and cold.
Grey and cold. Grey and cold.
The frost submerge. The Moon is on the rise. Hear the nocturnal howling of the wolves...
the children of the night. They shall rise again, resurrected through our gathering of the ancient and evil.
They shall rise again, for they are of Him.... The Dark Lord of eternities.
These are the Devils of Darkness. They can not be laid to rest forever. Resurrection... They shall haunt again, "Phantom der nacht", the creatures of the night. Blood is life. Blood is life.
In the name of the almighty Emperor they shall rise and forever wander the land beyond the great vast forest.
5. Towards The Pantheon
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [5:58]
May the wolves start to howl again. May the age of darkness arise. We will travel for eternities into the unknown to reach what we seek. Fight the ways through the barriers of light, through the wastelands where nothing but grief have become the eternal memory.
Shield of life, sword of death held up high into the sky. Guided by the shining Moon in the starry sky above. In the horizon beyond black clouds of destruction rages like dancing shadows of pain. ... of pain.
We will grant Him their pain. He will grant us His flame. In flesh and blood. He will arise to deliver the key. As the armours black robe slides across the landscape, we see the land of wisdom, strength and pure evil... Darkness, frost, hate...
the throne will be ours.
May the wolves start to howl again. May the age of darkness arise. May we touch the black flames of the past again... and forevermore.
6. The Majesty Of The Night Sky
[Music: Ihsahn.] [Words: Ihsahn.] [4:53]
Like the tide, shadows flow towards the shore of light. The night comes whirling like a maelstrom. Warring waves of crackling clouds embrace this nightside landscape. The heavens bleed, through open wounds, the dim light of the Moon. The winds are crying mournfully and tears fly with the gusts. They whip my clenched faces freezing skin with ice-cold burning cuts.
Too long I have suffered the desert sands of time. But as I drown in darkness it will release the sign. My soul will leave this mortal coil of flesh and earthly life, to fly into the mist of night, into the nightside eclipse, and experience existence on the other side.
As a stone of scorching enthusiasm I refract the reflecting surface of this unfathomable sea. Growing circles of grief and pain slides across the land as an omen of the horror yet to come.
The strength of a thousand fire-breathing demons breed in my infernal, sinking soul. And as I reach the surface once again these powers are under my control. Now I am one with the night sky majesty.
7. I Am The Black Wizards
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Mortiis.] [6:00]
Mightiest am I, but I am not alone in this cosmos of mine. For the black hills consists of black souls, souls that already dies one thousand deaths. Behind the stone walls (of centuries) they breed their black art. Boiling their spells in cauldrons of black gold.
Far up in the mountains, where the rain fall not far, yet the Sun cannot reach. The wizards, my servants,
summon the souls of macrocosm. No age will escape my wrath. I travel through time and I return to the future. I gather wisdom now lost. I visit again the eternally ancient caves, before a mighty Emperor thereupon came. Watching the mortals "discovering" my chronicles, guarded by the old demons, even unknown to me.
Once destroyed their souls are being summoned to my timeless prison of hate. It is delightful to feast upon the screaming souls that were destroyed in my future.
How many wizards that serve me with evil, I know not. My empires has no limits.
From the never ending mountains black, to the bottomless lakes. I am the ruler and has been for eternities long. I am them.
(I am them.) (I am them.)
From the never ending mountains black, to the bottomless lakes. I am the ruler and has been for eternities long. My wizards are many, but their essence is mine. Forever they are in the hills in their stone homes of grief. Because I am the spirit of their existence. I am them.
I am them. I am them.
8. Inno A Satana
[Music: Ihsahn and Samoth.] [Words: Ihsahn.] [4:48]
O' mighty Lord of the Night. Master of beasts. Bringer of awe and derision. Thou whose spirit lieth upon every act of oppression, hatred and strife. Thou whose presence dwelleth in every shadow. Thou who strengthen the power of every quietus. Thou who sway every plague and storm. Harkee.
Thou art the Emperor of Darkness. Thou art the Emperor of Darkness. Thou art the king of howling wolves. Thou art the king of howling wolves. Thou hath the power to force any light in wane. Sans mercy. Sans compassion nor will to answer whosoever asketh the why.
Thy path is capricious but yet so wide. With no such thing as an impediment to strong.
Every time thou consecrate me to another secret of Thine, I take another step towards Thy Pantheon.
O' mighty Lord of the Night. Master of beasts. Bringer of awe and derision. Thou whose spirit lieth upon every act of oppression, hatred and strife. Thou whose presence dwelleth in every shadow. Thou who strengthen the power of every quietus. Thou who sway every plague and storm. Harkee.
Thou art the Emperor of Darkness. Thou art the Emperor of Darkness. Thou art the king of howling wolves. Thou art the king of howling wolves. Thou hath the power to force any light in wane. Sans mercy. Sans compassion nor will to answer whosoever asketh the why.
Forever wilt I bleed for Thee. Forever wilt I praise Thy dreaded name. Forever wilt I serve Thee. Thou shalt shalt forever prevail.
Inno a Satana. Inno a Satana. Inno a Satana. Inno a Satana.
Inno a Satana.
9. A Fine Day To Die
[Bathory cover] [Reissue bonus track.] [Originally released by Bathory in 1988 on the album "Blood Fire Death".]
[Music: Quorthon.] [Words: Quorthon.] [8:28]
Orgy of silence, conspiracy of peace. Only the sound of the cold northern breeze. Twinsun sink fading behind the black lake. Asleep is the mountains, yet the night is awake.
Strange is the night. Now black stars rise. And many Moons circle through silent the night.
[Guitar solo]
Along the black mountainside, scattered by the campfires awaiting the dawn. Two times a hundred men in battles. Tried by the steel in the arrow, axe and the sword.
By battle worn, hunger torn, awaiting for the Sun to break through the cold haze and for the banners of Ebal to appear on the hill in the Sun's first warm rays.
The elder among the men looked deep into the fire and spoke loud with pride. Tomorrow is a fine day to die.
[Guitar solo]
Now the morning advance from far East. Now the Sun breaks through dustclouds and haze. Now a forest of spears appears on the hill and steel shines bright in the Sun's first rays.
[Guitar solo]
Die. Die. Die.
10. Gypsy
[Mercyful Fate cover] [Reissue bonus track.] [Originally released by Mercyful Fate in 1984 on the album "Don't Break the Oath".]
[Music: K. Diamond and M. Denner.] [Words: K. Diamond.] [2:25]
This magic winter night I see a light. Again I hear that tune, some sort of croon. Oh no, no, no, oh, my brain.
I see them gypsy waggons left in the snow. Oh, I must see that lady, I have to know. Gypsy woman, let me inside.
[Guitar solo]
They say you know the secret, secret of all time. So gaze into your crystal and tell me all you see. Gypsy woman, let me know.
"Oh, my son, you were never gone. You are the Devil's child, and so am I."
[Guitar solo]
Gypsy now I know you're not my mother. You're a part of my soul, it's dear for all to see. Oh no, no, no, I am you. Gypsy, you're inside of me.
