"Undressed" by Tiamat

Tiamat:"Undressed", (from the album "Clouds", 1992):

Not aware of what you´ve buried
You feel comfortable that way
You´re living in a smaller world
That is sometimes far too small
Then you´ll come to me
Asking to share my world with you
And maybe something I do
But never again for my own sake

The girl opened her mouth
I opened my veins
The girl opened her heart
I opened a door to another world

I opened a door to another world
I opened a door to the entirety
I opened a door to the entirety

Lonely in a cell
I still hear the voices of the wind
And rule at times great areas
Greater than you´ll ever know
This moment leaves no time to think
The past is always limited
But in my dreams dwells everything
And never again shall I let you in

The girl opened her mouth
I opened my veins
The girl opened her heart
I opened a door to another world

I opened a door to another world
I opened a door to the entirety
I opened a door to the entirety

(lyrics: Johan Edlund)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLwA6sQ2b0

(I have a kind of....erm....weird memory connected to this incredible song "Undressed" by Tiamat....One afternoon during springtime 2002, I came home from work with a headache, and felt quite miserable, and I remember playing the "Clouds"-album at a very low volumen, while I was sitting in the livingroom in an armchair with closed eyes....About halfway through the album, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, the very last track on "Clouds", "Undressed", was going on, and I was like "Well, Carsten, you´ve got this damn headache and you definitely don´t feel alright, but does it really matter as long as Tiamat exist?" :-)

"Clouds", (released ten years before I got this memorable headache....:-)), was so to speak the calm before the storm for Tiamat, because a couple of years after its release, their ultimate breakthrough-album "Wildhoney" (1994) entered the heavy metal-world and left nothing but....GREAT SUCCES :-)

Kind regards
Carsten

"Dry bone valley" by Mastodon

Mastodon:"Dry bone valley", (from the album "The hunter", 2011):

Head down running from the beast
Breakneck speed taking all my breath
Black feet scraped and scarred and dripping blood
Rain come down take me with your flood

I came to and I was running from you
Feel your breath on the back of my neck

Where have I come to be
Is this all that´s left for me

I wish that I was still there
I want to keep on breathing

Bulls roar loud
Snakes move past my feet
No teeth no hands set me free
Bones start rattling ´round inside my head
I don´t know if I´m alive or dead

I came to and I was running from you
Feel your breath on the back of my neck

Where have I come to be
Is this all that´s left for me

I wish that I was still there
I want to keep on breathing

Dig deep kicking up rock and dirt and sand
Out of this lifeless valley bones in hand
Over these mountains to the seas of life
Leave this desert for the sick and damned

(lyrics: Mastodon)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-HWnKvIj_Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdvFXqyXJaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpf2Ei2PFY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FXBw-UP-Ss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLxUDQc6JA

(It has to say the least been quite a problem for me picking out the absolutely best song from the new, (and great as always!), Mastodon-full-length "The hunter", which saw the light of day last year. But NOTHING is impossible from HEAVY-SKOV´s point of view :-) The winner is...."Dry bone valley", and the choice has something to do with drummer Brann Dailor....Not only is Dailor, in my opinion, one of the most talented metal-drummers in the world but a great vocalist too, and his singing on "Dry bone valley" gives the track a....dare I say....magic touch :-)

"The hunter" is definitely great news from the Atlanta-guys: very accessible all the way with a fine catchy songwriting, which leaves a lot of memorable songs in your head :-) I will not claim the album being Troy, Brann, Brent and Bill´s best album this far, because the competition from their former albums is quite tough, but "The hunter" is absolutely recommendable!

Kind regards
Carsten

"In your dark pavilion" by My Dying Bride

My Dying Bride:"In your dark pavilion", (from the album "Evinta", 2011):

All great children
Build altars
I have no love
To give you

In the fire that rages between our sleep
I thought I saw you amid the ruins.
And I can witness you have nothing left.
I´ll give you my heart through this biblical tome

I dream of being beside her
As I move through this water
Step over here you Devil
Her earth looks like
My dying skin

(lyrics: Aaron Stainthorpe)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36AtSCm01UA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzG03Axl5Po

(I´ve been a big fan of England´s My Dying Bride since the good old days with the masterpieces "Turn loose the swans" (1993) and "The angel and the dark river" (1995), but to be honest, the doom metal-legends haven´t really suprised me musically since we entered the new century some years ago....Well, that was until "Evinta" came out last year, because this new full-length really SURPRISES me :-) On the new album My Dying Bride have stripped down the heavy metal-aspect and instead filled the music with classical themes, and it just sounds so great, heavenly beautiful and relaxing....:-)

If you are not familiar with My Dying Bride, I´ll recommend "Turn loose the swans" or "The angel and the dark river" or maybe "Like gods of the sun" (1996) as a start, but if you know the band well, give "Evinta" a chance....The album definitely deserves it, metal or not metal!

"In your dark pavilion" is the very first awesome track, that will meet you, when you press the play-button :-)

Kind regards
Carsten

"The fields of reckoning" by Winterfylleth

Winterfylleth:"The fields of reckoning", (from the album "The mercian sphere", 2010):

Learned we in former-days,
Of glory-blessed heroes,
The thegns of the Lord,
Their force did not fail,
In the war,
When banners clashed together.

Illustrious men upon the earth,
Bold folk-leaders on fields of reckoning,
Doughty Warriors, Battle-Brave!
When shield and hand defended their crown.
When all man´s land was found in murder,
The enemy´s deceit was rife in the kingdom.

On the dwelling-place of mighty men,
Homeland of heroes. They of true spirit!
Neither bread nor water for men,
Consumed they, blood and skin throughout the nation,
The flesh-homes of foreign-coming men,
Such was the peace-less token

The violence of the wretched,
That the  enemy, sword-grim and sad-minded,
Destroyed the sight of the eyes,
with the point of spears.

Then they strove against incursion,
Swiftly under shield,
Bristling with spears,
Enraged ash-bearers,
Towards the fight´s flame!
One and all, together, for home!

(lyrics: Winterfylleth)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usvi45xje6w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slpBVBH1I34

(The black metal-band Winterfylleth are english, but they really sound that norwegian it´s hard to believe, that they´re NOT from Norway! "The mercian sphere"-album, which came out in the year of 2010, is the Manchester based-band´s second full-length, and is a great black metal-album with some folk influences. A word which really describes the music is....FRESH! Actually "The mercian sphere" sounds more fresh to me than most of the black metal, I´ve been listening to for the last couple of years....Big words, yes, but in fact true :-)

We´re in the beginning of 2012, and may 2012 be the year, where we´ll get a third release from these talented guys!

....and "The fields of reckoning"? Well, it´s absolutely my favorite song from this brilliant album :-)

Kind regards
Carsten