1. |
The Destruction of Ymir
04:16
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Ymir
The birth of the earth and the sky
Bleeds the flood
That drowns the ancient giants alive
Rebirth
Of the frost giants race
Rulers of heaven and earth
Killed the first
And from him carved the sky, the moon, the stars, the trees, the sea and the lakes
His blood
Birthed the sea
and soon the earth would come to be
Creation of all humanity
His death
Birthed the storms
and the sun that keeps us warm
the winters and the wind-whipped rain
Broken bones from the giant of ice
Carved into stone and mountains high
Once the beast had died
Took his skull and fashioned the sky
In which Odin and Sleipnir rides
Birth of the mountains
Birth of the raging seas
The raging winters ice and snow
Beckons for eternity
...and the fires blazed in the night
Midgard was formed
From bones and blood
The burning elements
of the sky
To create heaven
and earth
And as the blood gushed freely from the wounds
They made the seas, the lakes and the rains
And as the ancient one lay down to die
He gave birth to the earth and the sky
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2. |
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Blackened dusk
The falling of
Autumns blood red leaves
Icy winds
The calling of
Winters soulless birth
Solitude
Isolation
Accompany the wise man
Agonising sorrow
Tales from a dying land
I am one with the darkness
I have seen through the light
I am one with the ice and snow
that cloaks the world tonight
I stand atop the mountain
My mind is lost in a dream
I am numb to the sorrow
That is engulfing me
Winter is calling me
To sleep for eternity
North winds descend
upon a barren land
The lone wolf stalks his prey
The shadow of a man
All that's left is nothingness
Emptiness of the soul
No purpose to satisfy
The tears of the weeping crow
Winter is calling me
To sleep eternally
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3. |
The Black Dawn
08:49
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On the horizon under cloudy grey skies
A fleet of ships from the east
To deliver the message of a new king
Bearing the cross of God
You shall adhere to this good faith
or your homelands will burn
Your family and kin will be put to the sword
and your will be engulfed by flame
Yet still they refused to abandon their faith
The men took up their steel
A battle ensued, swords did meet shield
And the men of God did kneel
The black dawn
The era of blood
The fires of hell
Await those who deny their new god
And so the men of God were sent back to their king
Their king in the far east
Bearing the message of the refusal to believe
To accept their saviour
So the king gathered a mighty fleet
carrying 1000 men of war
To convert the heathens of that far isle
By sword, fire and blood
Again ships appeared, a mighty war fleet
The brass horn sounds for war
Men of the isles took up their arms
Prepared to defend 'till the end
The king stands and cries, lay down your arms!
And accept the new ways
If you do so your lives will be spared
Refuse and this land will go up in flames!
The isles men stood firm and so battle began
Few outnumbered by far
One by one they fell to the king
Who relieved them of their sins
Some who surrendered were then put to death
By order of the king
All left alive were forced to obey
and become one with the new faith
A house of God was therefore built
It's cross raised up to the sky
Left in it's wake are those who perished
Those who refused to believe
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4. |
Wrath of the Sea Wolves
04:32
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Howling of the wind, downpour of the rain
Flash of lightning, dragon ships on the waves
Heathens, intent on destruction
The punishment for our sins
The demons flame engulfs the land
Cold wind carries forth the sails of death
The spirits of evil come to stake their claim
Through cold-blooded massacre
Merciless slaughter, steel pierces flesh
Pleas for mercy, waste of final breath
Holy ground laid to waste
Blood of unarmed men flows through this place
Lightning ignites the blackened sky
By fire and by flame, all good men shall die
The storm rages on in the night
Brings forth the wolves, scavengers of death
Wrath of the sea wolves, come to invade
Rage of the northern men, come to enslave
Dragon ships and thunder, death in fire
Church goes up in smoke, your funeral pyre
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5. |
The Runemaster
07:37
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By the loch sat the old man in the cold mornings fresh breeze
The autumn mist rolls down the hill and slithers through the trees
With mind of fire and eyes of ice he is one with solitude
Ancient wisdom guides his soul as he begins to carve the runes
Names of the fallen, remembered for all time
Through the symbols carved on stone, legacy forever alive
A thousand winters has since passed and still the runestones stand
For a thousand more, they will remain on the northern lands
The skyline is ablaze with the setting sun
Golden light cast upon the names of those now gone
Secrets passed through centuries, knowledge now old
All father above, let their tales be told
The old man carves the name of his son
A boy sent south to die
Made immortal through the runes
He rests in hall up high
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6. |
Shadows of the Stones
12:02
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Midsummers twilight descends
upon the golden land
Cloaking the soil with burning embers
Merging reality and legend
Silence surrounds the circle of stones
Preserving legends from long ago
Ancient secrets from a kingdom once proud
Lies still within its mystical shroud
The whispers of the fallen echoes through the hills
Their spirits carried by the wind
Shadows cast by age long past
Sombre is the realm of ancient kings
Silence surrounds the circle of stones
Preserving legends from long ago
Soil, the guardian of ash and bones
All that remains is silence
And the shadows... of the stones
Twilight, the bridge between death and life
Ritual sacrifice, temple of the sun, casts
Shadows, upon the lonely graves
Forefathers of a land so great, their spirits still roam
For all eternity
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7. |
Beyond the Northlands
12:03
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Endless north seas
Icy cold waves
Our ship makes its way
Northward to the land of gods
and giants or so they say
Gentle breeze blows, carries the longship
through night and day
months have passed since summer days
when we first sailed away
Far beyond the northlands
Far beyond our seas
Far north from our homeland
Sailing into eternity
Starry night sky
No cloud in sight
Sign of the approaching winter
Silent seas and gentle waves
will surely be our icy graves
All hope is now lost
Our thoughts are of home
and our families
A land we left so eagerly
But now there's nowhere we'd rather be
We are condemned to die
or drift eternally
Icebergs off the starboard bow
The gateway to a frozen hell
The cold sun in the pale sky
No breath of wind no cloud in sight
Horizon reaching out
for the edge
And as day
turns to night
Another day passes no land in sight
The autumn twilight biting cold
In an unknown realm so old
We're never going home
Endless north seas
Winter nights so cold
North stars guiding light
Accompanied by pale moonlight
Changing seasons
Winter drawing in
No sun to guide us home
Drifting all alone
Suddenly a northern breeze picks up
The cold wind fills the sails
Heading south towards our homes
We know we will not fail
Each man finds reborn strength
As he grabs hold of the rope
Raise the halyards and let us fly
Our hearts are filled with hope
With fire in our hearts
We crash through frothing seas
Heading south towards our home
And our families
Then the storm came crashing in
And turned our dreams to dust
Lightning splits the wooden mast
It crashes down on us
The mast splits the ship in two
And she is going down
It's every man for himself
But we know we all will drown
I cry out for help
As I die alone
Icy black water
Fills my lungs
I'm dragged beneath
And the darkness closes in
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Jarlshof Scotland, UK
Jarlshof is a one man Epic Black Metal project from the Shetland Islands. Heavily influenced by northern landscapes, history, heritage and bands such as Windir, Jarlshof captures the elements of the northlands with a combination of biting cold fury and soaring melodies. ... more
Jarlshof recommends:
Unique approach to folk metal from the US. One of the standout releases for me.
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