Original Version American Version 1. Act I: The first seal 9:39 1. Act I: The first seal 9:39 2. Act II: Beyond the black diamond gate 7:14 2. Act II: Beyond the black diamond gate 7:14 3. Act III: Carnal delight in the vortex of evil 6:14 3. Act III: Carnal delight in the vortex of evil 6:14 4. Act IV: Congressus cum daemone 10:24 4. Act IV: Congressus cum daemone 10:24 5. Act V: The magic temple 4:17 5. Act V: The magic temple 4:17 6. Act VI: The sixth seal 7:50 6. Act VI: The sixth seal 7:50 7. Bela Lugosi's dead (Bauhaus cover) 5:28 7. Bela Lugosi's dead (Bauhaus cover) 5:28 total time 51:06 total time 51:06
Act I: The First Seal Dark and forgotten the times of these writings Timeless stones shape the walls of this site Arcane and powerful symbols traced on them May the moon lead my steps In the sacred search of supreme knowledge Waiting for his coming And it was gloom Somewhere in time In unknown lands ruled by an ancient magic In titanic forests 6 towers of power were built They guarded 6 sacred heirlooms, Protected by 6 seals They show the effigy of the god Who sits on the big black throne I mesmerize my soul To fly along the dusty paths of Acheron Looking for the magic circle of the black ring Toth Amon, prince of enchanters Tell me your secret Or I will tear it from death to death Running on a human blood river He feeds on blood The blood calls him His strength glows if the hands invoking him are stained with blood Where he shines, the blood is shed There the light's kingdoms wobble There nature forces are shaken Thoth-Amon, give me the sword of sacrifice And the sacred cup I am gonna fill with lifeblood Give me the lance of almightiness And the potsherds of the black stone I'm gonna place on the altar of Dagon Entrust the sixth heirloom to me And so be it! And then a whirlwind struck my breast, freezing my soul The candle flames vanished announcing his coming 5 the tips and 5 the elements It is the blood in which I annihilate The sixth is the knowledge the supreme god, the bringer of light Engraved in the sixth heirloom The sacred book ordained to the devotee Io Thoth-Amon, io sono Shaytan Act II: Beyond the Black Diamond Gates Dancing flames reflect a purple light Dyeing the room with a mysterious stillness Wrapped in the ineoriating haze of the fumed incense We were sitting at the table pleasantly stunned by the sweet pungent smell of storax Martyrized with ircos, oleum libani, commiphora The white goddess was ruling the night And the old bell heralded the arrival of Kephra Our fingers were riding the ethereal dimension which embraces everything "I'm the guardian of the east gates, master of the whirling air I am him who opens the threshold The portal is opened to you, holders of the ninth key" In the intensity of powers The ninth evoked energy was waiting for us Beyond the black diamond gates "My name is Astharoth-Astarte" it hurled "I am him-her who walks in the dark Who will lead you to ecstasy I will give you the power of revenge 'Cause you are my sons May the power of evil be with you So that your souls can prepare for the call In a place, sacred to you, celebrate with dances, chants and fires You will couple in rapture And I will enjoy your lust I am the ninth key, the ninth flame of hell Young, chaste with innocent fleshes You will fetch her to me" Magic resins have worn out Scents have faded Tum, patient, is waiting But He-She is still walking with us Act III:Carnal Delights in the Vortex of Evil The way leading to him is unknown and steep And the bodies rests of those who didn't deserve him make it slippery But it is at the borders of my soul, so I know the secrets to walk along it staying unhurt The threshold of his abode is barred by a tangle of infected thorns But my soul keeps its key His throne is shielded by 12 servants' stare But he has called me, I felt him calling me And he has given me the power to bewitch them His rooms are icy But he warms my naked body with his breath The throb and the blood flow suspend In the presence of him His eyes, diabolical larvas his pupils, scan me His glance captures me and penetrates my breast Goblet of delicious vermilion wine I give myself up to his grim embrace Throb of death He is the storm He is the breeze He is the aurora He is the twilight He is the everlasting mind in the timeless abyss He injures and sates my lips He lessens my hunger He appeases my thirst He is fire burning my flesh He is icy snow settling in my womb Rod of viscid serpents Death and blood excite him And my blood is the balm for his ecstasy and his voracious delight Putrid carrion with burnt seales Obscure seducer with smooth scented skin of infant Now I know you But he has always known me Act IV: Congressus cum Daemone The sacred fire burns in the stone circle In the centre of the all I'm waiting for the guardian Powerful thunders rumble in the air And lightnings herald the storm Darkness turns into light and light grows into darkness While the salamanders are continuing to dance in the heart of fire The moon stops growing She stretches the fronds shades as spectral witnesses And Eurus, the east wind, gives them life 6 are the towers, 4 are the revealed seals And now I am waiting for the next one Thunder is rumbling again Like the dragon's awakening from the deep abyss I honour the dark simulacrum of the depth's gates That is silently waiting for the event's completion I desert the realm of chaos and I liberate over the infernal rivers I follow the way of the red snake Ancestral flight ...into the depth I will celebrate the umpteenth passage ritual A new baptism in a space without time Tisipnon, fury of the occult power, is waiting for me To deliver me the black book of the supreme knowledge I cross the hidden paths of Shaytan to violate the ayernus gates That raise from the deep abyss up to the horrid vault 3 are the bronze doors and 3 of iron and 3 of diamonds They are wrapped up by an eternal fire That makes all red-hot but nothing destroys At the sides of the awful passage 2 guardians are waiting for me First guardian: "Be aware of your virtue, oh animal, and the abyss With its spectres will be overcome Rejoyce as a new spirit and the barking of the Infernal beasts will become silvery chant Beyond these portals you can join the perfect lightof the space without time" "I am Angelikos Phosphoros, Lucifer, Morning Star" Second guardian: "Welcome spiritual warrior who, conscious and daring, utters the secret name Before the black diamond gates Welcome ensign of light This pathway knows the steps, dreads and triumphs of your search Welcome insane hero, the only one who has descended the stairs of damnation You, blazing sun, dare-devil who faces the hades to win yourself" "I greet and thank you, obscure guardians, who allow my passage Without rending my flesh. I, brave rambling being, go and reveal the fifth seal" Act V: Il Tempio Magico Io metto il mio sangue nelle mani di Shaytan La forza che sta nell'essenza degli dei Che crearono il ciclo e la terra Benediccte onnipotenti questo luogo Affinche sia puro e possa contenervi Innalzatevi o potenti fumi e purfieste questo mio tempio Scorra lento il sangue per nuirire il cuore del cerchio E ora giura! Act VI: The Sixth Seal Fall low into silence and fill up your mental calix with black substance of nothing Burn 3 blood candles and breath the dense fumes of Gorgio Enter the sacred circle and hail the altar of the dying sun 8 silver tinklings to hear the secret name Rise from silence, open your eyes and vibrate Gorgot, Assai belem I invoke you timelessness Who visits earth and skies You, who lives night and day Who knows darkness and light Asar Lin-Nefer No one ever saw you, in any time You are jabas, you are japos You are the right, and the unfair You are the female and the male You are seeds and fruits I am the ancient to whom you entrusted the mysteries Listen to me cause I'm the angel of Shaytan and this is your real name East air Listen to me and subdue all demons to me So that all spirits of external spaces and seperate dimensions All spells and gods scourges obey me, on and under earth In the great water, in the whirlwind, in the burning fire! South fire I invoke you, terrible and ivisible god who resides in the empty of the spirit West Water Listen to me. Ru-Abra-Iao-Mariodam Babalon-Baoth Assal-Ou Ai Aphaniao I thothe Abrasar Acooi Ischure Powerful and timeless North earth I invoke you, Ma Barraio Ioel Kotha Athor-E-Bal-O Abraoth East spirit Listen to me He's the gods' master He's the god of universe Winds fear him It's him who uttered the word He's the master of everything, king, ruler, succourer! North spirit Listen to me I'm the timeless spirit, strong immortal fire I am the truth, I am him who shines and thunders! I am him whose mouth blazes eternally! I am him who begets and shows the light Heart and serpent are my names Iao Sabao, those are the words Now burn up 3 blood candles and wait for the empty time Gorgot Necrod Belem I dismiss you, threshold guardian, unfathomable Gorgoi! And go back to your dimensions secording to your law I will not suffer any pain! Lyrics in plain text format	Line up Cadaveria - Vocals Ossian - Guitars Vlad - Bass Flegias - Drums Lunaris - Keyboards Artwork Info Recorded and mixed at Studio Underground, Sweden in January 2000 Produced and engineered by Pelle Saether Assisted by Magnus Soderman and Lara Linden Mastered at Massive Arts Executive production by Avantgarde Music All music and lyrics by Opera IX except "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus Front cover and photos by Alberto Maria Gotti "La Piccola Bottega dei Misteri" Cassle M.to, Italy Layout by Greylife Research Band contacts: opera9@hotmail.com http://www.atek.cc/operaIX Review Opera IX is always pure enjoyment for me. Their typically melodic black style with the female grunts of Cadaveria sound as good as ever on this third cd. I think their sound and technique progressed since the last album, but on the down side, they haven't changed much other than that. It would be better if it was a little more original, but still it sounds great, and for me it's the best album this year so far... Rating: 7.5 out of 10