Rival the eminent

Immolation:"Rival the eminent", (fra albummet "Unholy cult", 2002):

Not all of us choose to believe
Some of us choose to live
Not all of us follow so blindly
And accept all that we hear

Maybe you´re no so smart
To look outside yourself
Maybe you´ve chosen unwisely
In the God you´ve made your own

I´ll be my own leader
I´ll be my own saviour
I´ll be the strenght that carries
I´ll be the light that guides...me
I will make you see
Your devotion is in vain
I´ll be the one left standing
When all of you are kneeling
And smiling, so content
I´ll wipe the smiles off your faces

Don´t you dare pity me
I´ve made my choice and I´ll prove you wrong

My voice will thunder through the heavens
And my flames of hatred burn
I believe in me and only me
And I bow to no sovereign

(tekst: Ross Dolan, Bill Taylor, Robert Vigna, Alex Hernandez)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbgIUv9kcTM

(Det amerikanske band Immolation, (fra New York), plade-debuterede i 1991, og hører dermed til blandt veteranerne på death metal-scenen, men det var først i 2002, da Immolation udgav deres 6. fuldlængde-album "Unholy cult", at jeg stiftede bekendtskab med bandet. "Unholy cult" er en god death metal-skive, som dog bør nydes i mindre doser, da der generelt er noget underlig depressivt over de enkelte numre....Men holder man lidt igen med gennemlytningerne, er der meget fedt at komme efter, især på et catchy track som "Rival the eminent").

Amity

The Gathering:"Amity", (fra albummet "if_then_else", 2000):

The torture won´t part you
Motherly breast won´t warm you
You fail and foam from your mouth
why is this so loud. this sound?

All the sense you´re capable of
does not seem to save you
You heed the glance of a smile
Was it impossible to float for a while?

Restless is carrying fever
burning you to pieces
In search and need of a friend
Will I bow down to this in the end?

I lay in the hands of my maker
and I want to spend the rest of it awake
Why do I get the feeling they´ll break it
It´s a fight...it´s a fight...

The torture won´t part you
Mother´s lap can´t seem to warm you
You strain. you clamp up and frown
Why is it so loud. This down?

All the sense you are capable of
does not seem to save you
You heed the glance of a smile
Was it impossible to float for a while?

I lay in the hands of my maker
And I want to spend the rest of it awake
Why do I get the feeling they´ll break it
It´s a fight...it´s a fight...

(tekst: Anneke van Giersbergen)

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

Godt Nytår / Happy New Year :-) :-) :-)

The cry of mankind

My Dying Bride:"The cry of mankind", (fra albummet "The angel and the dark river", 1995):

You can´t expect to see him and survive

You´ll swallow his tongue of thorns

His mouth, dripping with flies

In his glorious kingdom of fire

But I believe he wept

I will make them all lie down

Down where hope lies dying

With lust, you´re kicking mankind to death

We live and die without hope

You tramp us down in a river of death

As I stand here now, my heart is black

I don´t want to die a lonely man

This is a weary hour

This is a weary hour

(tekst: Aaron Stainthorpe)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-UE-KbCQD8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiBMkhu3KTU

(Hvis der er et heavy metal-album, som jeg i dén grad forbinder med vinteren, så er det utvivlsomt engelske My Dying Bride´s 3. fuldlængde-album "The angel and the dark river". Albummet er så fyldt med mørke og kulde, at det er noget nær umuligt at forestille sig en hvid sandstrand, mens man lytter til musikken....Jeg vil ikke ligefrem påstå, at åbningsnummeret "The cry of mankind" er mit yndlingsnummer på pladen, men med sin iskolde stemning af modløshed, er det en genial optakt til, hvad der venter forude...."The angel and the dark river" er og bliver et af hovedværkerne inden for gothic/doom metal :-)).

One second

Paradise Lost:"One second", (fra albummet "One second", 1997):

And for one second I lost my head and for one second,
I wished that you were dead and for one second,
you wish that you were here all alone
hold back the tears that could fall for me.
And for one second, I lost my breath and for one second,
I cherish what you said and for one second
it seemed that I was here all alone.
Hold back the tears that could fall for me.
And for one second I understand and for one second,
my life was in your hands and for one second,
you wish that you were here all alone.
Hold back the tears that could fall for me, they fall alone.

(tekst: Nick Holmes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MDSUuHYzlo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ORCb1JQ3s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u0TIqYEM70

(Jeg har tidligere her på Heavy-Skov været inde på, at jeg ikke ligefrem er begejstret for snevejr og kulde, så det har været nogle drøje uger her i december måned i Danmark, hvor sneen bare er faldet og faldet....Men mens jeg er gået rundt på mere eller mindre glatte og ufremkommelige fortove, med huen trukket godt ned om ørerne, har jeg rimelig ofte haft Paradise Lost´ smukke sang "One second" fra albummet af samme navn kørende oppe i hovedet, og det er en sang, der varmer!! Albummet "One second" var unægteligt et skridt i den forkerte retning for Paradise Lost efter udgivelsen af "Draconian times", men lige præcis titelnummeret er ganske enkelt uimodståeligt....Og med "One second" ønsker jeg alle besøgende på Heavy-Skov, fra Danmark og andre lande, en rigtigt glædelig jul :-)).

The last time

Paradise Lost:"The last time", (fra albummet "Draconian times", 1995):

It´s a struggle with a failures frown
And it crashes in front of me
I see the clouds divide
Will you stay or try to leave

The time you´re looking at through the door
And think to walk right through
I want to ignore
I only wish that it passes soon

I raise a sunken smile
As I serve only the ones who serve
What can I achieve
As you steal the air I breathe

A cruel misfortune
Forbidding us to see
When stories may collide
It´s a sad state of mind

Hearts beating for the last time
Hearts beating it is a state of mind

Hearts beating for the last time
The peace you cannot find

(tekst: Nick Holmes & Gregor Mackintosh)

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ1OxhKT1lc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO1DxsFCgtY

(Jeg glædede mig rigtig meget til udgivelsen af engelske Paradise Lost´ album "Draconian times" dengang tilbage i 1995, og blev bestemt ikke skuffet, da jeg fik albummet i julegave i en limited edition med en bonus disc med bl.a. live- og demonumre....:-) "Draconian times" er en helt igennem herlig plade, (gotisk, melodisk og storslået), som i mine ører er det absolutte højdepunkt i Paradise Lost´ fornemme karriere, men desværre blev "Draconian...." også startskuddet til en mindre nedtur for bandet, som efter udgivelsen forgæves prøvede at gå kommercielle veje. Pardise Lost er dog gudskelov stadigvæk iblandt os, og vil til evig tid stå som et af de store engelske heavy metal-bands, bl.a. takket være.et nummer som "The last time" :-)).

Other side of the river

  

Life of Agony:"Other side of the river", (fra albummet "Ugly", 1995):

There´s blood on the floor
And you´re not even moving
Don´t really know if it´s mine or yours
But you ain´t moving
Eyes are wide as you grin at me
You know there´s a place that you´d rather be
But if you should die and I survive
How could i go on knowing that I´m still alive
Here breathing
There´s a beast that´s living deep within me
Forcing me to feed all my needs
Yeah he´s in me
And he brought us here to end our fears
To wave goodbye to all of the tears
To start a new life on the other side of the river
Well my world would be over
Hold on, hold on, I won´t be long
Wait for me, man, I won´t be long
You were such in a rush to reach the other side
Look at yourself with that look in your eye
Smiling wide and pre-occupied with that river
Well my world would be over.

(tekst: Alan Robert)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABwjFRIA4Bo

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

(1995 var rent faktisk et fantastisk år....ihvertfald når det gælder fede heavy metal-udgivelser :-) Tænk blot på albums som Anathema´s "The silent enigma", Paradise Lost´s "Draconian times", My Dying Bride´s "The angel and the dark river", The Gathering´s "Mandylion", Fear Factory´s "Demanufacture", Death´s "Symbolic", Deicide´s "Once upon a cross", Morbid Angel´s "Domination", At The Gates "Slaughter of the soul", og....New York´s Life of Agony´s "Ugly"! Jeg kan tydeligt huske en torsdag aften i 1995, da programværten på det (desværre!) forlængst hedengangne "Heavyland" på Danmarks Radio´s P3 Carsten Holm spillede nummeret "Other side of the river" fra "Ugly" for os lyttere. Jeg faldt pladask for nummeret, og få dage efter befandt "Ugly" sig i min pladesamling....:-) "Ugly" er i bund og grund en meget enkel form for heavy metal, men takket være forsanger Keith Caputo´s helt enestående melankolske vokal kommer albummet op på et meget højt niveau!! Jeg stod fredag aften i køkkenet og lyttede til "Ugly", mens jeg lavede mad, og selv efter godt 15 år er albummet stadigvæk helt igennem fantastisk :-)).

Oblivion

Mastodon:"Oblivion", (fra albummet "Crack the skye", 2009):

I flew beyound the sun before it was time
Burning all the gold that held me inside my shell
Waiting for you to pull me back in
I almost had the world in my sight
Lost love
Bright eyes fading
Faster than stars falling
How can I tell you that I´ve failed
Tell you I failed
Falling from grace cause I´ve been away too long
Leaving you behind with my lonesome song
Now I´m lost in oblivion
I tried to burrow a hole into the ground
Breaking all the fingers and the nails from my hand
The eyes of a child see no wrong
Ignorant bliss impending doom
Lost love
Bright eyes fading
Faster than stars falling
How can I tell you that I´ve failed
Tell you I failed
Falling from grace cause I´ve been away too long
Leaving you behind with my lonesome song
Now I´m lost in
Falling from grace cause I´ve been away too long
Leaving you behind with my lonesome song
Now I´m lost in oblivion

(tekst: Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, Brann Dailor)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i65fMJh2pg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6WGNd8QR-U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmFFGvznE8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL365KU2cM8

(Jeg har i efterhånden et godt stykke tid opfattet Mastodon´s trommeslager Brann Dailor som værende en af de allerdygtigste trommeslagere inden for heavy metal-genren, men ikke nok med at han er et kæmpe talent på trommerne, så viser nummeret "Oblivion" fra Mastodon´s 4. fuldlængde-album "Crack the skye", at Brann Dailor også er en fabelagtig sanger! "Crack the skye" som udkom sidste år er en del lettere tilgængelig end forgængeren "Blood mountain", og i bund og grund også en bedre plade, men når alt kommer til alt, så er og bliver "Leviathan" min absolutte Mastodon-favorit....ihvertfald indtil det næste Mastodon-album udkommer....:-)).

Colony of birchmen

Mastodon:"Colony of birchmen", (fra albummet "Blood mountain", 2006):

This forest is growing faster than I can tell
Cell structure eats away at a massive swell
Seems however I´m a victim of circumstance
Hunt for ogres and dwarves
Lion slicer
Run with death
Run with death
White faces coming closer with every step
Earth envelopes taking breath without happenstance
Carve my teeth out ripping through the sheep´s head curse
Hunter gatherer
Ridden from the cave
Run with death
Run with death
Gone away
My heart´s gone away
Taking everything
My heart´s gone away
Take it now
Hunt for ogres and dwarves
Lion slicer
Run with death
Run with death
Gone away
My heart´s gone away
Taking everything
My heart´s gone away
Take it now

(tekst: Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, Brann Dailor)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvoVgob0szc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQo9bwQ2rQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc4_ri926ZQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OspCjpCAZo4

(Efter udgivelsen af "Leviathan" i 2004 blev Mastodon udråbt til at være det nye Metallica...., og derfor kunne man sagtens have forventet, at opfølgeren "Blood mountain" (2006) ville være det rene mainstream-metal, men sådan kom det (gudskelov!) ikke til at gå. Jeg har det sådan med "Blood mountain", at hver gang jeg lægger cd´en i afspilleren og trykker på play-knappen, føler jeg nærmest, at jeg starter helt forfra....Dén er gennemgående svært tilgængelig, og tager tid at lære at kende, men objektivt set så er det heavy metal på et meget højt niveau, og en plade som viser 4 amerikanske fyre, der har det helt fantastisk sammen! Et af de trods alt lettere tilgængelige numre på "Blood mountain" er "Colony of birchmen").