Dark shadows from above Ravens fly, obliterate the sun "It's a sign of the devil. He will come for his servant tonight" These are dark times Suspicious minds breed like rats Guardians of corrupt morality Spread their filthy lies
Am I to burn I have not sinned! Burnt at the stake. Innocent blood that can never be wished clean
The flames of ignorance Grow higher and higher Licking my flesh - burning my soul The raven laughing in the moon
These are dark times Suspicious minds breed like rats. Guardians of corrupt morality Spread their filthy lies again...
Weaving a web - of lies and deceit It's a dangerous game - we play
All this time - the pain eating us away All this time - the memories refuse to fade A rotting shell of dying trust We share this hell at any cost
Phases and stages Circles and cycles And empty charade This pointless masquerade
A dangerous game A dangerous game - we play
Web of lies I can see it in your eyes Web of lies You can see it in my eyes
It will never be the same We have gone too far this time Our temple of false dreams Comes crashing down... A rotting shell of dying trust We shared this hell at any cost
This liquid vision of euphoria Living a life on borrowed time Paying the price of immortality Desperately avoiding our fate Lead me through the halls of tortured souls Alone, forlorn... human dignity dethroned Forevermore - A life never ending Time stands still as the immortals keep on breeding
The future is locked within us All we need is the key Crying at the fountain of youth Eternal life is killing me
Triumphant in chariots they ride On this arena of the undead Anoher lap of honour for the... Vacant galleries Lead me through the halls of tortured souls Alone, forlorn... human dignity dethroned Forevermore - A life never ending Time stands still as the immortals keep on breeding
Weak and sick I crawl In the dust of past mistakes Leaving for the darkness Of tears and cold heartaches Suffer in this grief Of forever burning hate The ashes of my life By the torment you create
On my knees... remembering The wasted years of dark insanity
The rage increases fast As the memories eat me alive God, I wish this to end But I'm not prepared to die No more a human being Just a fool of anxiety Unable to escape The darkest insanity
Spiritual Isolation - The ultimate frustration Scratch the surface, tuurn another page The ugly truth or another pretty lie You deceived me, I believed you Why did everything go...
So wrong... For so long... So the truth comes out at last
I'm dead inside (I'm burning up) A hollow shell (My private hell) In my own misery You leave me to dwell
Then we were young and strong Now everything is wrong Did you want me, did you need me Could you not say you believed me? Everything we had is gone... Like an old forgotten song The deceiver and believer Now everything is...
Divine queen of evil Sowing her seeds of hate Mistress of pain Diva satanica - Master of temptation
Medusa... abuser... both beast and beauty Seducer... she'll use you... bring you to your knees
Blinded by her infinite beauty you are lured into the temple The smell of incense burning this carnal pleasure yearning Bride of satan Transgress the rules of this world Too late you realize this love is ripping you apart
Medusa... abuser... both beast and beauty Seducer... she'll use you... as fodder for her dreams
Drinking the blood Eating the flesh She's getting high on you Watching you die gives her a thrill ...There is always more blood to spill...
From the womb, to the tomb An eternal struggle for the holy truth We are not the first, nor shall we be the last We shall be followed by thousands more Study the scriptures - Intensify the faith The works of men much greater than you or I From the cradle to the grave Thousands of immortal souls just waiting to be saved!
Pilgrim man - What are you searching for? Believe the tales when everything else fails Pilgrim man - Deep in your heart you know Your faith is already bought and sold
All my life I served the cross Always believing my God was a just one I maimed for you - I killed for you But looking back at my life I just don't know anymore...
Fly with me on a starlit sky I'll set you free, yes it can be A dream unchased is a life at waste Never let them conquer your pride Our love is warm here
Like the image of a distant sun This star will always shine And never, ever fade away
Fly on silverwing Fly with me stay free silverwing
Seeking truths in spirit skies Which one of you will guide me tonight? The milky way tastes sour Has heaven lost its power? So let us set sail on this sea of dreams
The moon gets lost in the morning sun Just let the spinning wheel spin And let your life begin
Beware the beast of man For he's the devils pawn Alone among god's primates He kills for sport, lust or greed
The sacred scrolls... The truth unfolds...
Shun him - or become like him Shun him - the beast of man
Let him not breed in great numbers For he will make a dessert of his home and yours Shun him - drive him back into his jungle lair For he is the harbinger of death
Hideous crimes, atrocities The slaughter of millions - beyond belief Those were dark times, so different from now The law of evil ruled our fatherland
I was but a pawn in their game Why should I feel any guilt? Still when I close, close my eyes The words unfold, it all comes back
I can't defy it, can't deny it I know it ot be true In my sleep - they come to haunt me They know it to be true Tears of the dead
We are all on the turning wheel of fate A young man, standing proud in uniform I never stopped to hesitate Until it was far to late
My hands are soiled, covered in blood Stains that never wash away Their hollow eyes... Confronting me - Judging me
Now an old man, at the end of my days Contemplating - My life of sin Living is never simple - the rosad is hard I had no say - just a puppet in a sick play
Standing at the bridge of destiny So long since I tasted fear Lurking in the darkest holes Awaiting my minds weakest moment Old words from an old world Against the laws of nature They say the truth is overrated Wall of anger corrupts my thought
Standing at the bridge of destiny Show me a sign On the verge of losing my sanity Free my soul
My inner demons torture me Flapping their wings in my face Damn you! You twisted illusion I am no longer afraid See through their liquid souls Evil eyes that will hypnotize You can no longer hurt me I am my own worst enemy
Unleash the trapped souls of the dead Spirits since long forgotten Guardians fo the lost faith Destined for glory? Watch them all turn into sand And the wind blow them away Wisdom pours into my soul ...endlessly...
죽음을 강하게 의식하는 건 생을 사랑하여서이다. 이 역설은 아치 에너미(Arch Enemy)의 외연이 적의에 차 있지만 내포된 메시지는 살의(殺意)가 아닌 인간애의 발현이라는 것과 잔학한 목소리의 주인공이 남성이 아니라 여성이라는 것과도 통한다. 허버트 마르쿠제가 [일차원적 인간]을 통하여 사회변혁을 위한 의식과 비판마저 흡수해버리는 체제를 통렬히 고발했듯, 아치 에너미는 [Anthems Of Rebellion]에서 시스템 속에 노예화된 인간들에게 각성을 촉구한다. 인간성을 말살하는 체제에 대한 분노를 표출한다는 점에서 스래쉬메틀의 저항의식을 계승하고 있는 셈이고, 지적인 리프와 곡의 구조 또한 스래쉬와 데쓰메틀의 절충이다. 귀 여린 이들에게는 비인간적이게만 들릴 이런 사운드에 담긴 메시지의 가치성에 대한 ...