Bloodthorn - Onwards Into Battle (1999)

In the blackened shadows beneath the mistveiled mountains
Dwells an ancient evil of a long forgotten past
Beneath the twisted trees it's hatred is growing stronger
Restrained for an eternity, soon to be unleasehed

Ravaged by a thousand storms
Scarred by the anger of gods
Tainted by a magic foul
Mighty mistveiled mountains

Reaching towards the sky like a thorn that's forged from darkness
A symbol of oppression, a monument of fear
In the tower bloodthorn the unspoken horror breeds
Hidden by the veil of time untouched by the light

Ravaged by a thousand storms
Scarred by the anger of gods
Tainted by a magic soul
In the shadows of mistveiled mountains

"Come to me you pitiful mortal
I sense your presence... and despair
Come to me you pitiful mortal
I thrive upon - upon your fear
Your soul for me, for me your flesh
Your pain and anguish - my life
Joined together, become as one
As one in darkness"

"Summoned by a chanting whisper"
"Your soul for me, for me your flesh"
"Lead astray from the path I follow
Can it be my soul is fading
Lost eternally
Embraced by evil
Surrounded by darkness"

"Come to me you pitiful mortal
I sense your presence... and despair
Come to me you pitiful mortal
I thrive upon - upon your fear
Your soul for me, for me your flesh
Your pain and anguish - my life
Joined together, become as one
As one in darkness"

Hooves of iron sounds like thunder from the blackest earth
It's the day of the beast the time for darkness' rebirth
Demons of war, bearer of plague and of pain
Minions of chaos, make holy blood pour down like rain

Flames of the earth consuming the living with sin
The scent of burnt flesh poisoning the air and the wind
Clouds of black ashes cover the sun and the sky
When day turns to darkest night all are sentenced to die

Enter a new realm of pain - So mezmerising to the beholder
Slaughter of the human waste - Crushed beneath the iron sceptre

With a word from the master, the high commander of hell
Death to them all, like a plague, by a malevolent spell
"No sanctuary - no salvation to save you from doom"
Slow death and torture 'neath the bloodred face of the moon

Enter a new realm of pain - So mezmerising to the beholder
Slaughter of the human waste - Crushed beneath the iron sceptre

As the dying sun sets behind the mistveiled mountains
and the shadows grow deep amidst the Aeidolon Fangs
The snowclad peaks almost hid by the cold evening fog
gleams with hellish fire under the deep blue northern sky

Hidden in the shadows thousand red eyes gleam in the fading light
As the army starts it's decent the mountainsides come a live
Crawling darkness bringing death through cold black shining metal
Reaping lives of mortal men in a bloodcrazed madness

As the hordes of evil tear apart the ranks of the mortal army
A black steed brings it's master swiftly 'cross the battlefield
Morthion attacks in spiteful malice his warhammer sheading blood
A shape so twisted by magic and evil his mere presence bringing death

The tortured screams of a thousand dying men haunt the midnight sun
A black mass of destruction brought slaughter clad in fear
The moon's grim face laughs in scorn upon the total death
The shapeless twisted darkness spread pestilence with it's breath

Behind the shuttered door a voice from below the earth
rumbled like the fiery pits of the underworld
And with such ferocious strenght it spoke, the entire world trembled
"Hearken to me my legions... walk out into the light and
bring death and darkness with thee
March onwards my legions... destroy everything in thy path
March onwards... into battle
...March to war"

The night opened it's eyes and gazed upon the gathered armies of men
Who greeted the coming horrors with a warrior's hail and swords prepared to kill
Endless was the stream of black that float from the heart of darkness
Greeting the men with a deafening shriek and weapons raised in malicious hate
Onwards onto the battlefield to welcome death and embrace the sufferings of war
With a thundering roar the armies clashed filling the day with the sound of death

Still the voice thundered over the sounds of the battle,
spreading it's poisonous words to the attacking legions, encouraging
their maiming, praising their killing and honouring the
slaughter they brought with them... and pushed them further onwards:
"Hearken to me my legions... walk further through the light
and bring death and darkness with thee
March onwards my legions... bring pain and suffering on the way
March onwards... into victory
March onwards... into battle"

In the far horizon a shapeless darkness filled the sky
And slowly with a faint whispering, making the air putrid and unbreathable
The nightshadow came crawling...

The ground was covered by fallen men, their bodies mangled and torn
Upon the Hillside the Final stand, and they knew they would come home no more
A deafening thunder shook the earth and lightning split open the sky
Rain fell like blood when the heavens turned black and the sun slowly withered and died

Engulfing the fallen and standing alike, killing the living and waking the dead
A darkness so black it would make night seem like day covered the hills and the plains
The hearts of the mortals, all but the brightest, turned to stone black as the night
But the brighter the light, the darker the shadow that consumes the source of all life

Trapped by the evil he set out to conquer, his soul now cried out in vain
His mind was twisted and lost in the kingdom where madness and suffering reign

Deformed by the darkness the Nightshade brought
Condemned to be killed but never to die
Forever in torment, chained to the throne
Where the Nightshwadow rules with death on it's side

They gathered in the morning twilight, ten thousand mortal men
With banners held high to the sky, and eyes that gleamed with pride
Their hail was carried through the air as the king adressed the crowd
He spoke of the battle soon to come, and how the day world end in glory
They all hearkened to his wisdom and in their souls a hope was lit
And with his words still ringing in their ears they marched... onwards into battle

The morning silence was broken by ten thousand marching men
Unknowing of what the day might bring their hearts all beat with strength
The day of reckoning was finally here, the slavery would end
with dreams of freedom they rose their heads and stared into the sun
A cold pale void on the freezing sky, bearly breaking through the dust
High above it's fading light lead the way... onwards into battle

Before them laid a cold grey desert, a landscape void of life
The portal of the tower stared like the black eyes of the night
The tower stood as a spike thrust straight in to the heart of heaven
As struck down in to the mountain by giants of the past