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EP 2022

by Lyceum

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1.
Devastation 06:01
Fire swept across the roofs at dawn The woman's screams deafening amidst the howling of the dogs Awakened in terror Blade in hand he ran through the streets Slaughter through the mists he saw Striking left through the choked alleyway Towards A pinnacle of iron above the flames A spire above the smoke A child consumed by the flames, writhing in agony A god-fearing man lynched from the statuary The gates torn asunder, between the mighty stone A pool of blood spreads from within, down to the gravel below Fire swept across the roofs at dawn A fragile form lifeless in his arms Through choking tears he screamed as he fell to his knees Enclaved by reliquary The sounds of cruelty faded into naught The fires slowly fell Wreathed in ash he finally rose With eyes that held that inferno in which he was reborn An avatar of vengeance and discord Destined for loss and for tragedy He chased the butchers of that hateful dawn A vision for blood alone At nightfall he reached their encampment Where torchlight and war drums filled a narrow gorge He hefted his blade and lifted a flaming brand With singular mind Striding through the blackness He struck aside the guard Throwing a torch into the canvas Spread fire throughout the savage horde Arrows streaked across the night sky As he ran for his life
2.
Betrayal 07:41
The North awoke with blades in hand with the news that came that spring One thousand ships of the southern foe had been emptied from the sea The gods had granted respite from the legions of the Ark The devil's pass unguarded, and a strong wind from the east A promise beyond A promise of a better life, and riches beyond dreams awaited them beyond the sea The hammers never rested and the forges fired to life The sound of ringing steel filled the towns from dawn to night A young man felt his heart swell as his hands began to shake Though he feared his death and loved his home, he sailed at first light The currents deny winters hold My elders beckon me to war I know not why she weeps at night But to me her eyes grow cold I fear she bears a son that is not mine As she urges me to go Never to return, I leave my home And to my right is the man that I see her smile to from afar Better armed and armored He stammers, and I see the fear behind He wants what is mine They beseeched the spirits of the blackened sea, and demons beneath the waves Long days later we see land upon the horizon The stars have led us to our quarry He jumps into the surf with axe in hand, and I soon behind A lone christian warrior stands on the beach before a road This warrior crushes the first of us, and the man I follow swings his blade The Christian lashes out violently, leaving bloody ruin I smile as I see my woman's lover fall, and I strike heavily He crumples beneath my blade And I realize that I will never love the child And he will never know Still I smile, as I urgently charge the road Seeking to forget…. forlorn hope of this child.
3.
Violence 05:42
Even in the dead of night when the wolves scratch at the sill I fear only the pain of failure When their faith in me has faded And the energies of my life have long since passed In a struggle I did not have the will to win Terrified by nothing more than twilight Deep shadows in the night And not by shattered shields nor searing pain nor torture on a rack of coals But save me lord from all that isn't real He saw the ships approaching at the new dawn He saw their grinding sterns rake up the shore And seizing his crucifix, he made peace with God in Heaven Drawing rasping steel with a muttered oath, he met them with his battle weary sword No time to warn those he loved as the first men disembarked, wielding axe and torch the Norsemen sought the road Where he stood, with dire face, his back to the sleeping town He risked his life to hold the attack, and prayed the noise would wake them Striking fast the first man fell, torch guttered in the sand While overhead the warrior heard the rushing winds of death He crouched and lashed out savagely, felt the parting leather snap as pulling his arm aside the sword bit deeply into cloth and into flesh A reckless courage bore his voice to a staggering echo then “Go Godless to your end!” As an avatar of fury, he strode atop the dead Encircled now he saw a land fairer And as the last blade fell towards him he smiled for its edge And knew that in battle he had defeated his terror At the rising of the sun, as the Norsemen took the road He lay fearless bleeding out upon the sand His loved ones faith was justly placed And the energies of his life were rightly passed In a struggle that took his whole lifetime to win
4.
Redemption 06:20
He saw his death looming, as blood stained the soil He lay by a tree to rest Deeply he drew in the fast-cooling air And ripped the first arrow from his shivering chest And so it comes to a desolate end A fugitive cast from the light But who bears my judgment...a God or a Man When distant I die from my creator's sight? Where to begin? A life filled with beauty then ravaged by sin Our weakness exploited on a cursed winter's dawn A smoldering chapel and the bodies within But God must be here Even in this foul and blackest night, ridden with fear He must have seen and thought noble my deeds... My plaintiff cries, he must Hear me now At the hour of my death I command your ear Tell me I am more than but a vengeful man Justify all of my loss, justify all of my tears Hear me now But the winds blew no harder, the skies did not part The cold moon gazed down on a dying man's heart Which just in one moment was ruthlessly broken And his mind finally open at the hour of his end Death be my crucible Fatherless I fall I spread wide my shoulders and imagine the place where I'll wake When this long night gives way to peaceful dawn True love and beauty for eons to come A warmer rain falling and a fast rising sun A peaceful life far from this savagery and conquering Better people living peacefully in heavens of their own making Truth love and beauty for eons to come A warmer rain falling and a fast rising sun Though God had long withheld joyful disincarnation Just at the end, he finally, finally found one

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released December 11, 2022

Mastered by Imperial Mastering

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Lyceum Concord, California

Lyceum was founded in early 2010 by the former members of three Bay Area metal bands.
The name Lyceum refers to the academy of Aristotle, the teacher of Alexander the Great, dedicated to Apollo Lyceus, pivotal in the history of western aesthetics, education, and philosophy. ... more

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