Amorphis Under the Red Cloud 1. Under The Red Cloud I retired a towering mountain Laid down in a circle of stones For three days and for three nights I listened to the skull of a bear The sun burnt its sigil into my chest The rain washed the evil away Time spun itself around me The moon cast its silvery shell I rose up in circle of stones Made my way down in the valley Followed the banks of a rushing river To a shore of and icy sea The great bear growled The thunder spoke The mountain shook The skies lit up They came carrying their torches Appeared from the desolate dark Approached me circling and swirling Howling their battle-cries That’s when the bear was born in me It rose on its legs beside From a distance the crack of thunder And the red cloud swallowed the sky I rose up in circle of stones Made my way down in the valley Followed the banks of a rushing river To a shore of and icy sea And in the furthest corner of the North On the edge of the world we know With open arms embracing them And I bared them my heart of hearts Under the red cloud 2. The Four Wise Ones The nations search for treasure And beasts rise from their tombs Kings revel in triumph All succumb to shadows in their own turn The fish spawn, the birds nest The roses bloom and wither away The winds lash, the leaves decay All deaden to ice, covered by snow See beyond the secrets of space The four bearers of heaven Gaze in all directions The four wise ones stand their ground Call the stars that shine in their skies Gaze in all directions The rivers rush, the lakes they gleam When summer yields to autumn cold Moments flee into oblivion Fading to blue and turn into rime The first cloaked in clement winds The second with meadow-scented hair The third who’s cold and grey The fourth who carries the snow away Sing, the beginning of our songs Spin an end to all our stories Sing, the beginning of our songs And bring an end to all our stories In Tounela See beyond the secrets of space The four bearers of heaven Gaze in all directions The four wise ones stand their ground Call the stars that shine in their skies Gaze in all directions Kings revel in triumph All succumb to shadows in their own turn Moments flee into oblivion All succumb to shadows in their own turn 3. Bad Blood Break down the weirs on the brooks Crush the bulwarks of my soul Let the rapids run white and foaming The bad blood cut off my ears The bad blood blinded my eyes The bad blood choked up my mouth Draw the poison from my veins Let out the bad blood in me Let the stream run golden and true Let out the bad blood in me Drive away the bad and the ugly Divert the dreary dregs Pierce a stream that rushes anew I can’t see my path I don’t hear your voice I have forgotten my song Draw the poison from my veins Let out the bad blood in me Let the stream run golden and true Let out the bad blood in me Bleed out the dross and the dead Bleed out the dross and the dead The bad blood cut off my ears The bad blood blinded my eyes The bad blood choked up my mouth Draw the poison from my veins Let out the bad blood in me Let the stream run golden and true Let out the bad blood in me Bleed out the dross and the dead Bleed out the dross and the dead 4. The Skull Carried by restless winds Under the crimson cloud I sailed the purple waves Aboard my comely ship The ship was adorned with banners With flags dedicated for me A spirit summoned to its sails Emblems painted with blood The evening came, the night fell The moon rose, circled the island And all around me The starry skies glittered in the water I asked for holy words Besought his sage advice I bowed to the skull of the bear I prayed for the spirit of god I asked for his holy words And my heart began to sing To the beat of the heavenly drum And I prayed for the spirit of god The ship it plotted my course Evaded the rocks and shoals It brought me to an island On the shore of a sacred place I climbed the side of the mountain Made my way up, up the craggy slope And on the top on a field of jagged rocks I met a hallowed god The wind it sang, the ship it rocked White-crested waves the knew my course As I felt to restless sleep I wandered to a time that’s yet to come I asked for holy words Besought his sage advice I bowed to the skull of the bear I prayed for the spirit of god I asked for his holy words And my heart began to sing To the beat of the heavenly drum And I prayed for the spirit of god I met a hallowed god 5. Death Of A King When the dawn is bright and new And the day is full of hope It's easy to continue your journey Like a king on his royal way You will stand there amidst silence In the void of endless winter On the ice of an unknown lake In the heart of loneliness There you will meet yourself There you'll weigh your crown On the ice of the lake of death On the mirror of time There you will meet yourself There you'll weigh your crown On the ice of the lake of death On the shiny mirror of time When the days are getting colder And the winds clash against each other When light is getting dimmer And darkness shrouds the roads You will drift into strange byways Lost in foreign lands Stranded on frigid shores On a godless desolate plain There you will meet yourself There you'll weigh your crown On the ice of the lake of death On the mirror of time It's there where your endeavour ends On the face of a forlorn lake Under weight of a timeless sky It is there where you shall die There you will meet yourself There you'll weigh your crown On the ice of the lake of death On the mirror of time There you will meet yourself There you'll weigh your crown On the ice of the lake of death On the shiny mirror of time Death of the king 6. Sacrifice I have brought this treasure of berries red and apples fallen from the soil, from these grounds would you take them as your own Come before the winter's gale before the frost and snow take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice Covered sun has gone away when the world has gone take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice I have brought this treasure and lay my gift on bed of sprigs you will find when darkness falls my offerings of clean cold stones Come before the winter's gale before the frost and snow take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice Covered sun has gone away when the world has gone take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice Come before the winter's gale before the frost and snow take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice Covered sun has gone away when the world has gone take what I will give you Accept my sacrifice. 7. Dark Path In the twilight when he steps forth In the bend of the dark path When he catches up with you You won’t know if he’s on your side Or if he will turn against you And in the dead of a moonless night As your path turns into the black You become one with the darkness And in the dead of a moonless night Who knows if you are brothers Or if you will turn against each other And it the dusk when he finds you Hidden in the shadows He must judge your allegiance He won’t know if you’re on his side Or if you will turn against him And in the dead of a moonless night As your path turns into the black You become one with the darkness And in the dead of a moonless night Who knows if you are brothers Or if you will turn against each other 8. Enemy At The Gates They will come, the heinous thoughts Silently from the lair Hunched and crouched, they will come Reeling us under their might As they emerge, from the darkness of a heart Born of the night, concealed in seeds of fear They will come The brothers of delusion They will come The sisters of shadows The enemy is at the gates The enemy at the gates They make their camp, on the field of hope And burn down, the house of sleep Steal the treasures, of our thoughts Storm the gated, of our hearts As they emerge, from the darkness of a heart Born of the night, concealed in seeds of fear They will come The brothers of delusion They will come The sisters of shadows The enemy is at the gates The enemy at the gates 9. Tree Of Ages Somewhere there’s a tree of ages Havens hanging from the branches Cradling worlds beneath its shadows It seeds give birth to tomorrow Universes coil its trunk And heavens rush above its crown It dances without moving It is the tree of ages It is the tree of ages Like our promises and wishes Die its flowers along with its leaves Like drops of blood the leaf buds open Like sights the fruit falls down Universes coil its trunk The dawn shimmers on its crown Day turns to gold its leaves It is the tree of ages It is the tree of ages Night call the solitary god Night falls all lights shall bow in awe Night call the solitary god Night falls all lights shall bow in awe Night call the solitary god Night falls and these lights shall bow in awe 10. White Night Our lady of the sun Sees to us day and night Our lady of the moon Sees to us night and day Our way of warmth and light Night will not becloud our path The spirits of our kin Wisdom flows through mystery Only the stars Only the stars are gone Only the stars Only the stars are gone Enchanted we bow To a dewdrop on the grass Glowing with hidden fire Of our burning midnight sun Only the stars Only the stars are gone Only the stars Only the stars are gone In the white night of the north The pearl-white spirits are lost Strayed from their summery path Into the frail twilight In the white night of the north The pearl-white spirits are lost Strayed from their summery path Into the frail twilight In the white night of the north The pearl-white spirits are lost Strayed from their summery path Into the frail twilight In the white night of the north The pearl-white spirits are lost Strayed from their summery path Into the frail twilight 11. Come The Spring Dream weavers above me The wildfowl arriving As a crane flies through me I know that she will come Leaves sprout from my horns And sap flows from my eyes Crackle the gravel and sand In the pits of me white ribs Come the spring I and reborn The wind lays down beside me My dream already fades Oh come the spring I’ll live again The blackened ice is melting Swirling in my eyes The boulders of giants Are rolling down my slopes In the streams of my old veins I carry sand for the golden reefs As blood-red buds in the snow Flowers will rise from the ground The deer will come a-grazing And the bear must be awake Come the spring I and reborn The wind lays down beside me My dream already fades Oh come the spring I’ll live again The blackened ice is melting Swirling in my eyes 12. Winter's Sleep My eyes turn black as pitch My gaze grows bleary and dull Doze my prisoner if sleep In my rooms, rimes with frost My heart is frost and slow It’s snowing in my soul Empty, the halls of my heart The candle burns, flicker and fade I am gone with the autumn wind I am come with the winter’s gloom Murdered by the darts of light Born of the great big blue I am of the dream of life I am come with the winter’s gloom Oh the light of bygone time Born of the great big blue I’m crouched by the cradle of time Hidden, by dark woods Concealed by the roots of trees Under a mount of moss My heart is frozen and slow It’s snowing, in my soul Empty, the halls of my heart The candle burns, flicker and fade I am gone with the autumn wind I am come with the winter’s gloom Murdered by the darts of light Born of the great big blue I am of the dream of life I am come with the winter’s gloom Oh the light of bygone time Born of the great big blue I am of the stuff of stars Of the light of bygone time I am of the wish of death I am of the dream of life Jan Rechberger — Drums, Keyboards Esa Holopainen — Guitars (lead) Tomi Koivusaari — Guitars (rhythm), Vocals Santeri Kallio — Keyboards Niclas Etelävuori — Bass, Vocals (backing) Tomi Joutsen — Vocals