Illnath

The mirrors, the mirrors
That hides the hideous
Me, the others
Banned and forbidden
From of your world
Alone and cold
Watching in silence
So close, still aeons away...

Touch the surface, cold and smooth
You see me as I watch you...

When you move, I move too,
But is this you or me who moves?
Who are you and who's the reflection?
Crush a crack, feel the connection
I am you and we will win.
Crush the mirror. Let me in!

A little crack is all it takes.
Drop the mirror, let it fall
Because every time you smash a mirror,
I steal a little piece of your soul

The mirrors, the mirrors
That are between us
Me and you
Separated, delirious
You... beholder,
Seeing. We
Are watching, observing
You still when you are not
Touch the surface, cold and smooth
You see me as I touch you...

The borderline between me and you
Is a vast prison for both of us two
And you know what you must do


To get us out of this celestial's zoo

[Solo]

Crush it, crack it, smash it to pieces
Of your sick, pathetic world
Little fragments of yourself and me.
Flickering, see it twirl!

Destroy the pure, transparent shroud
Don't listen to your doubts
Let it break, smash it now
Let me in! Let me out!

The mirrors, the mirrors / are locked like doors
Me, alone / behind what's between us
Hidden, unseen / admired and adored
Aware, unknown / brinked with mistrust

Watch the mirror, broken and scarred
Seeing me as who you are
Your eyes are mine, and I look at your hand...
...and I see blood.

[Behind the mirrors - Comments]

[The Mirror-song-lyric was finished the same day as we recorded it, and with it's rather experimental way of writing, it delivers a punch I never thought it would do. As I wrote the lyric I wondered how short I could do each line. I wanted every line to punch like the little freeze you get down your spine when you see a mirror that you didn't know was there, or suddenly see something strange in there, so i wrote: "The mirrors / The mirrors / That hides / The hideous / Me / The others / Banned! / Forbidden!"]

[I think mirrors are one of the most spooky things in my house, and I never stop being fascinated by them. Horror movies like Poltergeist 3 and the Changeling was good inspiration and hard fuel for a spooky boost. I think the song has quite some good punchlines, and really enjoyed working them out.]
[- Narrenschiff]

At the brink of Hell an island swims in lakes of fire by the darkened plains
Deserted and dead it declares its place
By spewing it's magma like blood from its veins and covering the island
In a black, poisonous haze

This was the first spot where the angel Lucifer set his foot
And claimed and declared this view as his home
He came from the north, and alone was he not
But joined by the followers from the roads he had roamed

Here he set his haven. Here where angels die
Here he baptise the newcomers in fire. On the Devil's own Sinai.

[Female]
"Sinai roars as your frail brittle bones viciously torn, mutilated and
scorched.
Bleeding lava pulsating like blood, 'neath your skin as it withers and
burns"

Still the damned gather here to hail
Amidst burning smoke beneath black skies
Hellhounds bark at the northern pale view...
This is the common abyss for all alike
Where the red, melted stone fl ow a scorching river
Into the day in north, and in south... the night.

And here (Here you are) on the outstretching fields (On Elysium grounds)
Far away (Far away from life). God (God) is out of reach

Here they gather to spit and curse and bark
From the south of heaven where angels are told
Not to approach nor to look nor to set foot
Where the truth of Armageddon will unfold

Here they sacrifice the captured saints .
Here is where the torture awaits
Here is where you abandon your faith.
On the Devil's own Sinai...

They wait and wail in ghastly pain
While digging deep inside, insane.
Inflict a wound you heal in vain
As blood pours black from pierced veins
They crush and cut, the dark stone stained
A ribcage opens, a hole that frames
A soul unstained and struggling sane
Beneath the burning rain ...

...cast into the fields of evil pleasure.

Discovering the abyss' deepest hidden treasure
Bending borders of emotional measure
Cast far into the fields of evil pleasure...

[Solo]

It's always been there, and forever it will
Stay untouched by the tooth of time
Standing with majestic intimidation
Bat-winged creatures surrounding its peak,
High above Hell they all fly
Forever screaming in demonic celebration

And here (Here you are) on the outstretching fields (On Elysium grounds)
Cast into the fields (Cast into the fields) of evil pleasure
Forever (Forever) awaiting only to (die)

[Cast into fields of evil pleasure - Comments]

[If you can imagine a spot in between worlds where one side describes the positive (yin, summer, daytime) and the other describes the opposite. We take the basic elements: Heaven and Hell. Then you imagine that the hordes of Hell have conquered this spot, and that from here they can see Heaven again, but don't really dare to go any further. This was the borderline, and now they are standing closer than ever, maybe to break loose on Heaven's green fields, maybe ready to stay on stand-by forever.]

[I think the idea of the song was just to make the borderland, but then I tended to fill it up with all kinds of nasty figures. ("Here they sacrifice the captured saints, here is where the torture awaits, here is where you abandon faith: The Devil's own Sinai"). I liked the idea of the Devil's Own Sinai, and if I was the Devil and wanted to poke God in the ribs by making my own Sinai, where would I build it but the brink of Heaven, just to say: "Yeah? Well look what I've got!". But I think my favourite line in this song must be " This is the common abyss for all alike, Where red melted stone flow a scorching river, Into the day in north, and in south; the night." I kind of like that image.]

[And here, while being poked in your guts, you can still see Heaven shining north of where you lie strapped down. Quite depressing, huh?]
[- Narrenschiff]

The sun sets at last, sliding slowly and silently down
'Low the horizon in the west, where a small house lies...

The puppet-man is ending his workday, as the starlight peak through the
clouds
He's worked all day and says goodnight to his dolls before he close the door
He lives alone in this house, and it's his home and a way of living
Though he thought he knew all the secrets of his house, there's more...

'Cause tonight... the puppets are roaming the room
In spite... of being creatures of iron and wood
They live as well as you and I
Though driven by other forces inside
And tonight the creator's biggest pride
Will make his way through the door and charge to take the puppet-man's life

Now the doll runs through the living-room
And he's hiding in the dimly faded gloom
Now he's approaching the bed
And won't leave until the body is dead

But the creator awakes before the doll can fulfill the task
And he's paralyzed in amazement as he sees his hand-made mask
Of the horrifying devil he made
Once so many years ago
And he cannot even scream as the knife
Rips through his throat

He'll never again be put back on that shelf
"Kill the flesh! Kill the flesh!" screaming to himself
The doll is standing above the puppet-maker's corpse
The devil-mask covered in blood and gore


Silently standing, looking down
With the dripping knife still in his hand

Now he turns and he sees the door
He's tasted blood and is thirsty for more
The rain is cleansing his mask as he runs through the night alone
He's shaking in tension as he's heading for the town.

[Solo]

'Cause tonight... the puppets are killing in town
And the villagers are lying in bloodstained nighting-gowns
And now as they all have become alive
They are immortal and cannot die
And tonight the creator's biggest pride
Will run into the world and try to take mortal men's life

He's hunting at night. Watch out for open windows
He's hunting at night. Perhaps you should stay inside?
He's hunting at night

[The creator's biggest pride - Comments]

[A most funny song to work on. It turned out quite infant and childish, with the sheer wickedness and evil which are found in classical King, Fulci and Argento movies and with a pinch of Tales from the Crypt. I don't really have a clue why the lyric turned out like it did, but I have a sneaking feeling that the song made me do it. It's just perfect how the doll sneaks trough the living-room and hides in the dimly faded gloom...]
[- Narrenschiff]

Pools of black eternity
Sweeping down on brightly burning fires
When comes the righteous ones
Bringing the servants of leechy throngs

Angels, remembering every promise
Black vise crushing the feathers white
Come pain deliver us in darkness
Unknown, the promise of their demise

Intercepting a world
Dwelling in disbelief

Were able to exterminate
You Down-to-Earthlings
With truth that would toss you into suicidal grief
What renaissance this hour will bring

Dark grimoires of sorceries
Filled with spells of cursed conjurations
Bring down the witching hour
From earth to ashes we all shall fall

Those eyes, ebony enchanted
Pass on the undenying truth
Of youth there isn't any left
What came from this insanity?



Bring on pain and suffering
The answer for crimes
Plead as much you can
You liar, you fucking liar

Pools of black eternity
Sweeping down on brightly burning fires
Bring down the witching hour
From earth to ashes we all shall fall

Free men, shall come as the unwanted
Forcing the old ones to leave in vain
At last denial bringing justice
Cruel fate, they are forever slain

[Bring down the witching hour - Comments]

[This lyric was done as a sort of homage to all the witches that died at the stakes in medieval Europe. The lyric was done some time before Narrenschiff joined the band, but it was a lyric that both he and I liked a lot so we decided to keep it as it was.The lyric is all about how the righteous people of the church killed all these women and the masses loved them for it. But now, today the witches are returning in great numbers and today we have no hallowed men to slay them for their knowledge. In the studio we found that it could do with a couple of lines and Narrenschiff added the final touch, so it's basically a joint effort. The title itself is partly inspired by Anne Rice and her Mayfair Witches.]
[- Tobias]

By the hands of violent winter, his fate was sealed
Crawling on the icy slopes with limbs frozen cold
Memories of untold torture, in his mind
Waking from the endless slumber leaving him numb

Creeping worms they eat his mind
Feelings blind this clouded time
They took his soul, so they could find
The truth

Feeling hate for usurpers gone mad
Reaching in for the power he had
Wanting more than he could give
But they would never falter
In his mind only memories of hate
Planted there by the monger's of fate
Reaching out for sanity
But hope is ever fading

Looking for the answer
Why did they do this to me?
Leaving me deserted
I never asked for this hell

Reaching out for fires burning, in his eyes
Hope is still a trusty friend but fires burn low
Snow keeps falling all around him, as he screams
Seemingly the only answer is from the void

Defeated and forsaken, he lies in fields of snow
Only sign of life his eyes, in panic seeking solace
Sun, rising high
Bringing, warmth and energy again

Waking up from a steady state
Of suspended animation
Blinded by these rays of light
Hailing from the sky

Senses now return to him
Tribulations feeling dim
Now a sordid memory
Impeding doom approaching



As he run, try to shake off the vice
No one hearing his desperate cries
The usurpers are hunting him
Hounds barking and wolves closing in
His escape was a futile attempt
He is hunted by common consent
Now returned to the bleak white cell
I hope that dying is the end of this hell

[Solo]

Looking for the answer
Why are they doing this?
What is it I have done?
To deserve this living hell

By the violent hands of winter, his fate is sealed
Dying by the hands of strangers leaving him cold
Memories of untold torture still in his mind
Never more awakening, this time it's the end
Defeated and forsaken, his peers would not let go
The trial was an endless one, and death did not yet show
Come, reap my life
Now, it's the time of my departure

Afore of him a shadow stands
It's glowing with eternal might
"I am one of many names
And one of them is bringer of light"

[By the hands of violent winter - Comments]

[The idea for this lyric came from and old horror-movie, that I can't remember the name of. But it was about a guy who had his memories shared with those of a cat. He got away from the scientist guys and ran and ran but they caught up with him in the end nevertheless, and all the time he had these flashy images running through his mind that he knew wasn't his own.I wrote it because I found it a scary though that you were being experimented upon and you could do nothing about it. And in the end dying is not even a relief.The lyric was written together with Tyr, before Narrenschiff joined the band.]
[- Tobias]

Frozen constellations, now we are,
Forever trapped by illusions of fate
Arising from the ashes of fires,
Burning low in the shadows of hate

You and I, we are blinded by,
Hatred flowing from years of denial
As we cry, forever asking why,
The blind is following others in vain

Scorn these jubilations, by blinded ones,
They are a picture of bruteness and pain
Mourned by bygone years of exclusion,
Are forever the loss of our sin

Cursed, by shame and suffering
Our lives are but a memory of reason
Now it's time
Time for us to come crashing,
Down the broadening lanes of life
Trailing froth and illusion,
Showering others in the truth of their condemning lies

You and they, shall forever pray,
The common wish for a leader of man


Now and then, changed forever when
The old and powerful, slain was by man

Flowing tears, showing the world
All the pain and the fears
The old is here, and this time
There'll be no one spared

Frozen constellations, now you are
Forever trapped by delusions of pain
Real life breaks again bringing foolishness
You never know what tomorrow will bring

[Frozen constellations - Comments]

[One of the last songs I wrote, this one is about the Old Norse gods coming back to life and sending the Christian god running like hell... Not much to it, but a fun little lyric that I enjoyed writing. Don't think too much about this one.]
[- Tobias]

And there was light
and the darkness that followed blinded my eyes
The night
made me trustworthy and hid all my lies
I called
the seventh of the eight and gave him my offer
So cold
were the feelings I bore inside after I'd lost her.

Sometimes
I still can hear
his voices calling, calling me from everywhere.
And now and then
I feel my soul slowly slipping out of myself into his...

Hell
claws at my window and makes me forget
to tell
her of the deal and the conditions I met
and now
it's far too late to tell her what's going on here.
Somehow
I'm almost looking forward to when this is over.

"I felt my ghost cross over, and knew he was near,
and across the river I could see him standing there."

(solo)

And there was light
and the blackness that followed blinded her eyes
the night
drew her to me and we met in the dark
and this
"why am I here?" were the words she said.
A kiss
told her I was responsible for her being dead.

She cried in silence and I wiped away her tears.
She felt my cold hand amplifying her fear.
She knew where she was and cursed her beloved
and all of a sudden it all was over

Sometimes
I still can hear
his voices calling, calling me from everywhere,
And now and then
I feel my soul slowly slipping out of myself into his Hell.

"I know he's waiting there for me
in his limbo between destination and reality."
("He's waiting there for me")

Behold, he stands before you all
upon the tower, fit to fall.
See the beauty of the never-ending,
hear his creatures call.

Say then, say then:
Lay no eye upon my eye, lay no voice upon my crying.
Set no truth above my lie, shed no tear upon my dying.

An orphan is your child to be,
and like you took my child from me
the likes of this, my vengeance,
have my hell bred creatures yet to see.
I've never known such naked pain
as if I'm naked in the rain.
I've searched each world for virgin soil
fir for my slaughtered child's remains.

Say then, say then:
For an eye you take an eye, take my voice for all your crying.
Upon your infants grave I lie, upon it's death I do my dying.
For his eye you take an eye, shattered was he when we found him.
Stone and cut and crucify, leave his killer's heart unpounding.

Men and angels hide in vain
for he who hath my firstborn slain
shall die before the sun has set.
He took my child, he will regret.

Say then, say then:
Lay no eye upon my eye, lay no voice upon my crying.
Set no truth above my lie, shed no tear upon my dying.

(solo)

Poised to strike is the slumberous sword
of the dark and childless lord.
"This machete of mine will get thee in time,
we're alone in a room with no door."

Yes, I recall the death of one
older, and more holy son.
I see the irony, but that won't render
this one deed undone.

Say then, say then:
For his eye you paid an eye, a law you find is self-fulfilling
In your place your child did die. Death is all you gain from killing.

Your smile so dim, your eyes alive
A gesture hides a vicious lie
Your face so clean, but deep inside
I know you're hiding something
A trace so faint, a chisel's scar
Carved piece by piece who you are
His head held high, but deep inside
I know you're hiding something

Pieta, you're the one and only truly holy sculpture
So now... sentenced by the divine tool I wheel he falls down

A crack and crackle, a thin black sear
Upon the surface pale and raw
Frozen for now, neatly carved
Deep in silence, clutching at straws
I crush the face, the crumbling lines
An expanding maze that seems alive

Again alone, you're face is gone
Still I see no confession coming from
Your soul, your core, your hand, your son
Still I know you're hiding something
I sit and wait, then un-create
My mind confused and filled with hate
I marvel at our common fate
Still I know you're hiding something

Pieta, you're the one and only truly holy sculpture
So now... sentenced by the divine tool I wheel he falls down

Another crack upon the marble
Disfigurement I don't even enjoy
I see it now, though in vain
I see how perfect art is pain
And as I make you dissolve
I see the secret that I have destroyed

A granted wish for a demon's kiss
Drew lust for more and mental twists
Across the simple minds of men
And no one here was watching them
As they broke into their certain doom
By craving more that they deserved to

So crowned and claimed by Satan's eye
Is a book of truth that doesn't speak lies

Written words in well-inked shapes
In demon-blood as he rapes
The book of destiny
Claimed by the damned who wants
To stain his soul, but more can't be
For the one who seeks and will find me

Sought by the fallen one
Sought by the fallen one

And I can never leave
Forever bound in here
An everlasting dream
In an everlasting nightmare
And even though I still
Have my mortal soul to sell
In here I've found
My own personal hell

Sought by the fallen one
Recreating tortures down
Inflicted deep by the foulest demons
Children of the second son

Sought by the fallen one
Damnation for a battle one
There's nowhere left to hide my guilt
And nowhere left to run

My confessions were to grave
That no living priest was brave enough
To hear my spoken word be said
Corrupted by my pain
Slowly driving me insane
With oblivion due, I'd rather be dead

Seraphims sing their hymns in disgust!

"You cannot run from what isn't hunting", he said
"It cannot kill what was never meant to be dead"

Seraphims sing their hymns in disgust!

She sweeps the doorstep, a well-used broom
Bring diseases and plague, the ultimate doom
By witchcraft of trolls she casts her spells
With curses from heaven and blessing from hell

With the unholy rain and the northern breeze
She curses the land with her broom-sweeps of disease
While beasts obey her commanding word
She sweeps mankind from the face of the earth

A damp air surround what's left
A faint touch of decay
A vast wreck yard is all that's left
Ruins of yesterday
Cultural monuments scattered
Metal Archives suxxx
Broken, crushed, betrayed
As the survivors rise and start again
Trying to find a way

Plague! The devil is amongst us
Plague! Demise!
Plague! Run and hide the youngsters
Plague! Sacrifice!

"I'll kill you all as winter is coming and summer starts to crawl"

She comes to town at the raven-dark night time
When everyone lies restlessly inside
Like a lonesome ghost she walks out there
With red glowing eyes and pitch black hair

Bubonic plague, we're rotting alive
We are all bleeding so deep inside
Run to the forest, hide in there
Let not this demon come you near, my dear!

And all that's left is ashes
All that's left is dust
But we rise and live again
Because we know we must
And all that's left is broken dreams
All that's left is death
But we rise and live again
Living with every breath

The last days soon comes, the signs are shown
In the blood washed streets of a manmade Babylon

Feeding on everything our fathers left behind
Abasing her grace since the beginning of time

The rotten flesh of mother earth
Pleads in sincere desperation her longing wish for Armageddon
Deep inside a diabolical birth
Prepare the grim invasion of the twisted demons soon unleashed
"The worms shall seek the light, homeless children seek the night
Their minds in loveless bright, and dying sirens shall call
Angels walk the ground, no longer shall they be heaven-bound
Thunder's distant roar shall sound and feathers shall fall"

Pulling at her blood stained sleeve
Closing our eyes in disbelief

A starless sky in purple shades
Shine upon the landscape of am apocalyptical metropolis
It's a vast wound in her face
Decaying since the coming of man like god's leprous kiss
"The worms shall seek the light, homeless children seek the night
Their minds in loveless bright, and dying sirens shall call
Angels walk the ground, no longer shall they be heaven-bound
Thunder's distant roar shall sound and feathers shall fall"

Feeding on everything our fathers left behind
Abasing her grace since the beginning of time

Gnawing at her empty breasts
Tearing at her heartless chest

Rip the veil and secrecy away
Expose the truth, her deepest secrets in the name of progress
Bend the rules and break the chains
Binding us to the only touchable and certain god or goddess
"The worms shall seek the light, homeless children seek the night
Their minds in loveless bright, and dying sirens shall call
Angels walk the ground, no longer shall they be heaven-bound
Thunder's distant roar shall sound and feathers shall fall
The worms shall seek the light, homeless children seek the night
Their minds in loveless bright, and dying sirens shall call
...and feathers shall fall

...and feathers shall fall"

I see no hope where hope should be
A courtroom drama in major aspect
Mortal laws for those who see
Beyond extorted discipline and respect
I see no hope where hope should be
I see no seven, six nor three
Faith has vanished, they are banished
And gods fall furthers that you and me

Fall!

The clockwork of time is no longer divine
Shattered glass will guide the way, the path that leads
To judgement day

Pale and unmoving like golems of ashes
Away from the wind and the rain that slashes
Their powerful limbs to dust
Nothing left to loose, but no one left to trust

The ornamented entrance, the gate of pearls
The lack of maintenance hurts

And shivering is your empty hand
Pointing way to the promised land
Nothing is there but sun and sand
Nothing more than when we are banned
The shivering hand is loosing it's grip
Promises lamenting from your lips
As they're falling brick by brick
Falling brick by brick

Fall!

The clockwork of time is no longer divine
Shattered glass will guide the way, the path that leads
To judgement day

Stored in a space untouched by man
Praying for deliverance like only gods can
Do when they are alone
No churches nor shrines to call "home"

Descending rapidly down the spiral
Not quite sure what I have embarked
Thoughts don't make any sense at all
In the shifting, liquid dark
The words my eyes read on the sheet
Pull my gaze along the lines
Devour facts my comprehension meet
In the words, between and behind

Pulling my fate along in the book of sand
(what does it make to make out this enigma?)
Secrets of eternity's at hand
(everything here is a reason to fear the book of sand)

The paper crackles perfectly as I slowly turn the pages
The letters once more greet the light, the first time now in ages
A careful, calligraphic handwriting of a magus
And I crawl deep into his knowledge's pitch black mines

Dig deep and read the breed of the deed!

Dust swirl out of reach of my dim candle light
Little fragments of ink and paper freed of fearless fright
What word were you, my little one why fly into the night?
A death, a tear, a philtre or poison flowing in the wine?
To read and search so deep inside
Behind, beyond, between the lines
What wonders are there I shall learn
Behind, beyond, between the words?
Between the pages like sand...

Time has slipped my memory for long
I tumble past page fourteen hundred and seven
In a reverie out of my control
Wrapped in a world of lore and legends
Suddenly page six hundred and eleven
Flash across my wet and weary eyes
The previous page is unfamiliar
And there yet another secret hides

Pulling my fate along in the book of sand
(what does it make to make out this enigma?)
Secrets of eternity's at hand
(everything here is a reason to fear the book of sand)

Dig deep and read the breed of the deed!

And I so close the book again, leave the words all rest
To ascend before I dive too deep is always for the best
Close the tome and the session, at least until the next
And let my eyes unwillingly forget the text

To read and search so deep inside
Behind, beyond, between the lines
What wonders are there I shall learn
Behind, beyond, between the words?

Between the pages like sand

Time has slipped my memory for long