Darkenhöld Echoes from the Stone Keeper 1. Subterranean Corridor Following the crackling path of the torch Glowing bard and his scalding tune A shadow glides on the stones Like a protecting fur The prudent wanderer is hiding From the greedy breath of the depths Winding along the wood's teeth Defending the threatening mouth... Of the subterranean corridor 2. Under the Sign of Arcanum A precious gift of crude metals Stands in the depths of the earth Materia prima From cosmos to the world Rushing the evolution Men think about the transmutation The initiated used To the discipline of arcanum Lapis philosophicae From impure metal to gold secrecy Altar of divine fire, mercury Life essence, spiritus mundi Under the sign of saturn... Negrido Under the sign of the moon... Albedo Under the sign of the sun... Rubedo Alchemical processes Transmutation of base metals In noble metals This projection is the inner quest Of perfection Production of Panacea And way to immortality The source of power Philosopher' stone... be ours Under the sign of arcanum The initiated drapes himself In a mystical awakening Beyond his success And inflamed philosophy is crystallizing 3. Wyvern Solitude Chant When the monarch with his hairs of flames tempers his ardour When the cerulean ocean blazes up in a twilight verse Here comes the time when the veil of limbo is deployed Extending its black waves upon the gleaming foam In your den, you're waiting for the crowned moonlight Wyvern, arise, and dazzle the night Haloed by the alabaster goddess and her sparkling kind Your wings are fluttering like the instruments of the wild In the theatre of the nocturnal arts, threatening creator You're howling with rage about the depths of your gaol From the mountain cave to the sky orb Your carbuncle is a reckless wandering warrior The cold darkness where you call your solitude Hold astral twin reigning on earth, seas and woods Underground guardian of some wonders offending the celestial sirens In your chasm by day, the night hides you from the eyes of the sun And the roaming which hammers the rythm of your heart Becomes the fanatic conductor of your solitary scars 4. Echoes from the Stone Keeper Unrelenting strength of a flood The shadows which raise these ornaments Silently tumble down the castle Sinking into the depths of the Old monument The sigh of a sovereign night Are leading to her splendour There where fades the sky Beyond the dim light of the corridor an ancient door stands Demanding the silence in its might The stone sculptures this guardian Here, no key could impose Its authority The door of the underground passage Is a decree It is a stony mouth which reveals the throat Sinister chant winding among the fangs of walls A song of mysteries fills the underground passage Every blast provokes... the secrets... which reign... there Ancient wild creatures and their mephitic souls Seducing strange flora Swirling work of claws far off a shape stands out It's the other stone keeper Sentinel staying up a forgotten world Spreading under the towers 5. March of the Sylvan Beasts Grazing the murmur of shadows Muscles adorned with old stones A dishvelled mane is reflecting the moon flame On his face, the greatness of the vast forest Only kissed by the solitude's breath The creature's leader hatching destiny Through the palace of ageless trees In company of restless beasts His limbs are made of rock bones The trunks erect the temple's columns Enchantments of the nocturnal call Tempest in the souls stuffed with blood Rush of the deep forest fauna Fierce escort of an endless walk Scourge of hairs and fangs Gust of rumbles and claws Fire crackling of glowing orbs Fantastic paint of this secret world Speaking an ancient tongue Pacing up and down the kingdom His steps strock the humus skin Weaving the gratitude of the sylvan beasts 6. Interlude 7. Mesnie Hellequin At nightfall... when the autumnal chant is fooming The fever of the summer... a reign slowly dying The early ciy winds Blow on the frost twinkling And the nocturnal vault gathers the stones of its throne For the turbulent arrival of the wild hunt Fanning the stormy waves building up in the night The shadow seasons is spreading an atmosphere of chimera And the sinister crack of the lightnings rips the sky apart Discharging the rumbling clamour of rain under the stars The bitter whip of the wind is mauling the world Merciless devastation of a phantasmagorical storm Mesnie helequin Army of unchained spirits, perched on rapid steeds Hordes of animals and their tempestuous melodies A cacophony dedicated to the fury A procession of terror and howlings 8. Chasm of Asylake Defended by the rock Protected by the closeness of shadows A viscous secret Beating in the underground world On every face Vindictive appetites rushes Eternal nightmare Obsession summoning the madness In this painfull place Covered in resentment and anger The fear sealed its pledge Frozen flame of murder The abyss... The rejected ones are tumbling down A facustrine sanctuary Covers the murderous ground The souls muzzled by the fall Strike the void and the surface A water trench is waiting for them Swallowing their trace Alerted by the spatters The walls are covering of sparkling eyes Sentinels are watching over The hordes spitted by the chasm The shadows release the secrets Of a cavern welcoming the ostracized Asylum bathed in the music of the lake For the orphans of the surface 9. Nightfall and the Fire Doom The setting sun blowing at the horizon The scorching fire... is shooting its last arrows It's striking the houses of wood and stone According them weapons... against the nightfall Isolated from the village, licking the forest A shack plotting the shadows The woman living here rouses the dread Some people speak about celebrations Under the moon... In this land where the legends grow The oddness has... a diabolical pact value The amber coloured eyes of the woman Torment the souls... with a sulphur truth Sometimes when the goddess is well A few bystander ventures in the night Behind the murmurs soak the hearts In the gloom... The snow white velvet Welcome unreal tracks Among the tree of the forest A coat creeps, so dark With the time... bloody murders appear Evening of candles Frameworks vibrating of stories They have seen a fanfastic wolf Roaming around the house of the witch And in the cold of mountains... some perish of unpunished fangs Graveyard bristling with fatal tombstone The tears of rage piercing the snow A revolt cry accuses the taciturn woman Of being the perverse beast leader A night of hatred, a gathering of mortals Entrust this den to the purifying fire Jaws of flames devour this temple A concert of impious odours Wood sabbath with red wings Books of magic spells flying And suddenly, a beautiful howling A black silhouette arising In the forest, disappearing Witch or she-wolf, nobody's knowing 10. Castle Ruins Anthem Memorial roots of conquests Withstanding the siege of time Majestuous and proud fortifications Armour forged in the stone Reigning over the vast forests Honouring the colossal mountains Overhanging the swallow holes Watching over lakes, seas and oceans Fascinating breath of the ancestors Haunting the glorious corridors Guardians of the old chants Boundless source of legends