Metalhead Blog

Still Waters | Amorphis | Concept Explained

The story behind Amorphis’ 2007 album Still Waters is based on Finnish folklore and mythology. Many of Amorphis’ albums play out scenes and characters from Kalevala (a compilation of epic poetry).

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the story based on the lyrics along with the my research on Finnish mythology.

This album follows a shaman hero from Kalevala named Lemminkäinen.

I must admit, I did not read the entirety of Kalevala. As with most epic poems, it’s extremely long! However, I did read sections of it and compared the poems with the lyrics to create the story explanation for this album. If you have extensive knowledge on this mythos or any pertinent fun fact about Finnish mythology, I encourage you to leave those down in the comments!

Track 1) “Weaving the Incantation”

This is a scene about our hero getting ready to go into battle—one which he knows he will die. He is preparing for his death in this scene and has bitterly accepted his fate as we see him combing and braiding his hair into war braids using his father’s brush.

The brush in this song is mentioned in the poem of Rune 14 “Death of Lemminkäinen” from Kalevala where Lemminkäinen’s mother learns of his death when his hairbrush begins bleeding.

Track 2) “A Servant”

This is the one track I found very difficult to figure out how it relates to Lemminkäinen’s story. My best guess would be it involves a scene where Lemminkäinen is given snake beer in Rune 27 “The Unwelcome Guest” from Kalevala.

Lemminkäinen crashes a wedding he was not invited to. He watches everyone leaving for the party while he’s out tending the fields. He decides to crash the party despite his mother warning him not to go. He goes anyway. The road to Pohjola is wrought with danger but he overcomes all the obstacles and goes on to the wedding. He arrives demanding food and drink and he is given a beer with live snakes in it. He kills the snakes, drinks the beer, and then enters into a swordfight where he kills the host, the master of Pohjola.

Track 3) “Silent Waters”

Lemminkäinen’s mother comes to his rescue in Rune 14 “Lemminkäinen’s Restoration.” This track follows Lemminkäinen’s mother. Upon her finding out her son is in trouble, she entreats the god Ilmarinen to construct a magical iron rake to use to rescue her son from the river. She then asks the sun god to light her way in the underworld and hold back the monsters of Tuoni while she searches for her son.

However, Lemminkäinen is dead. She finds his dismembered body in the river.

Track 4) “Towards and Against”

Here we back up a little and learn of the events leading to Lemminkäinen’s death. Our hero is quite boastful, overly proud, reckless, and complacent. This song shows his confidence not only in battle but in completing any task set before him.

In Rune 14 “Death of Lemminkäinen” we follow our hero in his pursuit if the Maiden of the North. To earn her hand, he must complete three tasks: capture the Hiisi moose, tame a fiery gelding, and shoot the black swan of Tuonela.

Lemminkäinen is feeling confident after successfully completing the first two tasks. He goes on to Tuonela (the underworld) to seek out the swan. He sings to the gods on his way in the hope they will grant him safe passage.

Track 5) “I of Crimson Blood”

In this track we back up even further before his death. In Rune 12 “Kyllikki’s Broken Vow” from Kalevala, we learn of our hero’s desire for Kyllikki—a maiden who has vowed to never marry him. However, Lemminkäinen is persistent and uses magic to make her marry him. They are wed, but Kyllikki soon grows bored with domestic life and goes to a village dance. This throws her husband into a rage and leads to him leaving on another quest to seek a new bride.

Track 6) “Her Alone”

In Rune 13 “Lemminkäinen’s Second Wooing” Our hero returns to the land of Pohyola to the north and entreats his host for a new maiden.  

The “her” in track could be seen as the maiden–Louhi’s daughter– whom he seeks to win over. OR it might also refer to his mother. She is a constant throughout these tales. Her love for her son defies all bounds. She is always warning him of what can come from his actions and running to his aid when he doesn’t listen. Although he loves his mother, he is intent on defying her at every turn.

Track 7) “Enigma”

Here we see Louhi giving Lemminkäinen his three tasks to complete. Lemminkäinen completes his first two tasks, capturing the evil moose and taming the fire-breathing horse. He has once task left: to shoot and kill the swan on the river of death. 

Track 8) “Shaman”

We flashforward again to after Lemminkäinen’s death. His mother transforms into a bird to search for her son. She collects all the pieces of his body using the iron rake forged from the gods. She then uses her magic in combination with divine honey and her unending love to stitch him back together and bring him back to life.

Track 9) “The White Swan”

We now finally see Lemminkäinen’s death play out. He arrives at the river of death in Tuoni and finds the swan. However, a blind and crippled shepherd named Nasshut guards the river and sits in waiting for Lemminkäinen’s arrival. Lemminkäinen has the swan lined up in his sights as he pulls back his bow. He is about to shoot it when Nasshut shoots a serpent like an arrow from a bow. The snake pierces Lemminkäinen through the chest. He falls into the river. As he dies, he wishes he had heeded his mother’s warning.

Track 10) “Black River”

Lemminkäinen returns from the dead to see the error if his ways. He travels home and sees the world with a new perspective on life. He now has new-found wisdom and sees how arrogant and selfish he has been.

The Turning | Bask | Concept Explained

Play

The concept behind the Spaghetti Western / Sci-Fi opus that is Bask’s 2025 album, The Turning. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the story based on the lyrics along with the brief story description from the album’s press kit. 

Track 1) “Chasm” 

Instrumental track setting the scene and the tone. This story takes place on another planet in another time and place lost to history. It’s a planet resembling the old west with extraterrestrial outlaws.  

Track 2) “In the Heat of the Dying Sun” 

Here we meet our heroine known as The Rider. We see her riding across the endless desert as the sun sinks down into the sky. She is an outlaw on the run, trying to escape her inevitable capture. 

Track 3) “The Traveler”

Here we meet out next character: The Traveler. He is an ageless outlaw (and being a fantasy and science fiction writer, I have imagined a magic system for this world that’s half technology half witchcraft. I’d like to think this Traveler character is a bit of a psionic—but more on that later). 

Just like our Rider, the Traveler is galloping on his horse across the wasteland in an effort to evade capture. He speaks of his time on this planet—the longest he has been able to stay in one place running his con until he was eventually run out of town following the betrayal of his old partner. I imagine him having left bodies in his wake after the shoot out that took place during his escape. Now things have caught up with him, and he needs to get off planet quick.

As he rides out of town, he happens upon the Rider. He tells her he is a weary traveler and has lost his way. He explains that he can get them both out of their dire situation. He has a device called the “Turning” but it requires two people to operate. 

The riders agrees and together they open a portal through time and space and fall through.

Track 4) “The Cloth”

The Traveler and the Rider tumble through the portal but instead of it taking them to another planet, they enter a strange sort of purgatory. It’s the same old west time period and the same endless dry desert where they just opened the portal, but things are different—the sky is illuminated in the eerie rust-colored glow of sunset. It’s as if they are trapped in perpetual dusk yet time continues to tick on at an alarming rate. The hot summer weather fades and fall sets in. The winters in this part of the world are harsh. If they are caught in the elements without proper shelter, they will die. 

So they mount their horses and ride toward the sunset as they try to outrun the changing of the seasons, hoping to find the portal at the end of the road. 

Meanwhile, the Traveler wonders what the hell happened. As a psionic, he has used the Turning successfully many times before. Why have things suddenly gone awry? He looks to the woman beside him and wonders…

The Rider isn’t sure what to make of this purgatory they are in. She is afraid, yet beyond her fear is curiosity. Both the Traveler and the Rider have had their faces covered by bandanas to keep from breathing in dust while they ride. Neither have seen each other’s face. But there’s something familiar about the Traveler’s eyes. When they take a break to rest their horses, the Rider yanks down the cloth covering the Traveler’s face. 

****If you’re enjoying the story behind this western sci-fi story, here is where I do a shameless plug for my book. My dark fantasy novel, Trials for the Haunted, which is about a girl on a quest for redemption—set in an old west inspired fantasy world. If you want to hear a story involving human sacrifice, steampunk weapons, and a deadly competition—this is the book for you. 

It’s available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook! 

The Turning fits the vibe and setting of my Barrelslinger world to a T! I’ll definitely be using this album when I create my book playlist for the sequel. ****

Okay, back to the album…

Track 5) “Dig my Heels”  

Here we get a little backstory on both our characters. The Rider gapes at the Traveler’s face. She recognizes him for he wears the face of the man she once loved—a man who is dead. 

At the same time, the Traveler yanks down her bandana and finds she very closely resembles a woman from his past—someone he left behind when he was running from the law. A woman he has never forgotten about and his been pining after for years and years. She too is definitely dead from old age as this happened long, long ago.  Our Traveler has an extended life because of his psionic abilities. 

The Rider became an outlaw after her lover was killed in a shootout, and she went on a killing spree taking out every man responsible for her lover’s death. 

In walks the Traveler around the same time and place. Being an intergalactic sorcerer (AKA Space Cowboy), when he arrives on a new planet, he can take on the face of whomever he wishes—and of course why not be a young attractive man. He molds himself after the Rider’s dead lover before riding off into the sunset, never expecting to run into anyone who might recognize him. 

In this track I imagine the two falling in love with each other, though it’s a love based on the people the other resembles and not who they truly are. The Traveler doesn’t reveal he is not the man she thinks he is. 

Track 6) “Unwound”

I think of this track as a montage of the two’s travels through this endless purgatory. Time stretches and rebounds, forcing the two to endure decades in a single ride while sometimes passing through a month in a matter of minutes as they try to outrun the cold and the dark constantly on their tail. 

At long last, by the end of the track the two finally reach the end of their road when they arrive at the portal at the edge of the wasteland. They are finally about to get off planet and escape death. 

But here is where the Rider finds out the Traveler is not her lover back from the dead. She feels betrayed and sickened by the deception They arrive at the portal, and she rides on ahead but just as she’s about to cross, a deadly storm catches up with them. They get caught in a hurricane. 

Track 7) “Long Lost Light”

In the wake of the hurricane, our Rider wakes up alone in an unfamiliar land. Where‘s the desert and the orange sky? She realizes she is on another planet, having been sucked through the portal during the deadly storm. But where is the Traveler? She can only assume he is dead. Unless he left her behind like he left the woman before her…

Track 8) “The Turning” 

The Rider picks herself up and presses onward. She secures herself a new horse –or this word’s version of a horse—and rides on. But she can’t stop thinking about the Traveler. She’s wearing his duster and in it smells like him. Despite the Traveler not being the man he looks like on the outside, she still fell in love with him. 

Eventually, she finds she doesn’t want to go on without him. But just as she’s about to despair, she reaches into the pocket of his duster and finds the Turning device. Only a Psionic can activate it, but when she touches it, it lights up. She smiles; it’s the first time she’s felt hopeful since she arrived on this planet. 

This is where the story ends—on a bit of cliffhanger, though we are led to assume she plans to return through another portal in search of the Traveler. 

The Joke: Al the Killer’s Story Explained

Let’s talk about Coheed and Cambria’s 2024 single “The Joke.” It’s a song that was originally planned to be part of the newest Vaxis album, The Window of the Waking Mind. However, for reasons unknown the band decided to withhold it from the album and release it as a single alongside the remaster of the song “Deranged.”  Of course I was stoked about this two-song release. “Deranged” is one of my favorite Coheed songs (it made my top 20 list). It was written for the video game Arkham Asylum back in 2011 and it explores the similarities between the Joker and Batman.  The song “The Joke” came as such a wonderful surprise. I was immediately hit with plenty of you Freaks and Children of the Fence asking for my opinion on the music video so let’s talk about it! “The Joke” Story Explained: The music video for “The Joke” might just be one of the most visually well-done videos Coheed has put out. (It you haven’t seen it yet, click here NOW!) I was pleasantly surprised to see the resurrection of an old character, Al the Killer, starring in this video. And the way they portrayed Al in the video looks like he walked straight out of The Second Stage Turbine Blade comics. I was immediately intrigued by the presence of a female Joker character, and I decided I needed to dig my teeth (knife?) into this story behind this song. So here we go… (*Disclaimer: as always, this is just my personal interpretation of the lyrics and the accompanying video. I welcome you to comment with your own theories!) Let’s begin with some background on Al the Killer. Without summarizing the entirety of the story behind SSTB, here’s what you need to know: Al is a serial killer who likes drugging, murdering, and mutilating women. He pilots the ship called the Camper Velourium which contains a big ole freezer where he keeps the dead bodies of his victims. The women he murders are surrogates for the woman he actually wants to kill: his ex-girlfriend Luci.  One way to interpret the music video for “The Joke” is the depiction of the relationship beteem Al’s rational mind and his dark subconscious that drives him to kill. Another way to interpret the song/video is it’s a love song for a Joker-dressed version of his old lover Luci. Personally, I think it’s a combination of both. The lyrics alone appear to be a straight up love song for Luci. Phrases like “If you ever need to break somebody, I’ll be here to star in that comedy” and “Holding your umbrella under a falling sky” certainly paints the picture of someone who is hopelessly in love. If this is Al singing about Luci, it’s clear there is nothing he wouldn’t do for her. And their breakup can be seen as the impetus behind Al’s descent from crazy, abusive boyfriend to cold-blooded killer.  Adding in the video aspect we see throughout the video Al is haunted by the ghost of Luci/Joker. With her picture on his dashboard, I think it’s clear he’s not over her. He loves her, he hates her. She laughs in his face, taunting him. She is the embodiment of his shame. This shame, this rejection, is the fuel to his rage-driven insanity. She is the dark side of Al, the part of him that makes him kill. We get the sense that he feels if he could only kill her, he’d be able to move on from his pain.  However, if we’re talking Jungian terms, she is his “shadow self.” And the funny part is, the only way to heal your shadow self is through acceptance. (Not by stabbing it in the gut.) By taking out his rage on women who resemble Luci, he is actually trying to kill the part of him that feels this pain. And the act of murder only perpetuates this cycle of inner turmoil. I think that’s why Luci appears in the Joker regalia. It’s a poetic way to point out this juxtaposition.  And because Al continues to go about freeing himself from his inner demons the wrong way (i.e. murder) we have the Luci-Joker “winning” in the end. The irony is that because of Al’s attempts to kill the object of his pain, we can expect him to stay in this state of perpetual pain and shame as the butt of the joke—a joke where he’s the only one who doesn’t get the punch line.

Are Pop Stars are Stealing from the Metal Scene?

Maybe I’ve spent too much time scrolling though social media these days, but I keep seeing people talk about how pop stars have suddenly become … dun-dun-duh… Satanic! *Que gasps of terror* 

Now this may just be my Instagram algorithms knowing how much I love a good conspiracy theory, but I can’t deny it knows me well. In case you’re not privy to the whole popstars-looking-questionably-satanic-these-days, I’ll fill you in: fans of artists like Taylor Swift are up in arms about some very ritual-like stuff going down during their concerts. People in black hoods with candles, flames, chanting, and flashes of demonic imagery on the jumbotron does seem a little out of place in the middle of “Shake It” or whatever song T Swift is singing these days. 

Then there’s Sam Smith’s flames and horned hat performance that caused an upstir during the Grammy’s. They’re not alone. Artist like Doja Cat (whoever that is), Demi Lovato, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake have joined in on the devilish aesthetic in their music videos and live performances. I’m sure there are others as well.

Now me as a metalhead, when I see “normies” losing their heads over a bit of flames and pitchforks, I have to laugh. (That’s a Tuesday night at our local rundown music venue.) 

It seems we have a new wave of Satanic Panic on our hands! A few decades back, all the pop stars were competing in a weirdness competition (but no one quite nailed it like Lady Gaga). Being overtly sexual has always been a requirement for mainstream fame and who could get the nastiest was also a contest (Niki Minaj takes the cake for me with her “Anaconda” song, but that’s just my opinion). These days, it appears scaring the shit out of your fans is now in vogue. 

Not to dog on pop artists, there are a few I like and even respect, but it’s kinda sad, really. Having to jump on the what-will-get-people-talking-the-most train just to stay relevant must be exhausting. And this whole Satan-is-cool thing is so unauthentic, it makes a metalhead like me roll my eyes. Now, unless you buy into the conspiracy theory that these pop stars are trying to control our minds and turn people against the Christian God with this not-so-subliminal messaging, we can see this for what it really is: a way to sell.

Now, you may say that rockstars did this exact same thing back in the 70’s and 80’s—they used Satan to sell records and get people talking. This is absolutely true. But over the years Satanic imagery has come to mean so much more than just a cheap sale for metal bands and their fans. 

When you compare this new pop star fad to the Satanic imagery espoused by rock and metal, you can see the difference. The Satanic imagery in the metal scene is not the Satan of the bible. Most metalhead’s don’t even believe in the devil. And only a teeny-tiny percentage of metalheads are practicing Satanists. And I don’t mean to offend any of you who are religious. I just ask you to bear with me for a moment and consider what Satan means to most rock and metal enthusiasts. 

For us, Satan is a mascot. 

Upside down crosses, pentagrams, songs about the antichrist, Lucifer, witchcraft, and pagan practices are not at all about selling our souls to the devil. It’s about being proud of being the outcast. It’s about staring society expectations in the face and saying, “No, thanks.” Metalheads do not follow the status quo. We are not weighed down by dogma (unless it’s dogma within the metal community, but that’s a whole other conversation). Metalheads are not sheep. We will not be herded into traditional ideals without question. Metalheads follow their own path. We aren’t afraid to be our authentic selves, and we don’t care what other people think. 

And that’s why, to me, seeing more and more of this theft of Satanic imagery by pop artists annoys me just a little. They are using our mascot to get people to do the exact opposite: to look and think just like everyone else; to follow the trends and not think for themselves. If you feel this is a stretch, just remember pop music literally means Popular music. It’s music for the masses. Now if the masses of Swifties begin looking like metalheads, that’s fine. But I can then see Satan no longer representing a community of outcasts and free thinkers. And we could always find a new mascot to represent the us freaks, but I kinda like the dark satanic stuff. It’s fun and—hey! it was ours first! 

At the end of the day, however, I have to admit that what pop artist do can’t truly have much of an impact on the metal scene. This trend will end and, in a year or two, pop stars will be chasing the next money-making craze, and our mascot will belong to us alone once more (well… us and the practicing Satanists). 

Heavy metal music has endured and remained relevant for over 50 years because we are the most dedicated fanbase around. I get there are some hardcore Justin Beiber fans, but I cannot see the same girls who cried at his concert falling over themselves in 50 years to see him live. Nor do I see them introducing their children to the Beibs and passing the baton on like metal fans do. 

If you’ve made it this far into this blog post, you’ve seen me go from laughing at the new satanic panic, to rolling my eyes, to finally shrugging with a “who gives a damn?” I apologize for using this platform as my personal journal/ Ted-talk drafting table. But I thought some of you might have similar feelings on the topic. Feel free to comment with your alternate point of view. I’m curious to see what sort of impact you think this might have on the metal scene, society as a whole, or even the collective consciousness! Hit me with your conspiracy theories. 

Thanks for reading!

Cheers, 

JJ

P.S. I truly don’t mean to offend anyone’s religious beliefs with this post. I personally see “Satan” as a mascot and therefore it doesn’t bother me to talk candidly about Satanic imagery. I understand my opinion does not reflect the entirety of the metal community (though I do think a large majority would agree).

The Cult of Kariba | Carach Angren | Concept Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Carach Angren’s 2025 EP, The Cult of Kariba. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the story based on the lyrics. 

Track 1) “A Malevolent Force Stirs” 

                  Introduces a man wandering through the dark mist, holding a lantern and calling the Cult of Kariba to gather. I Interpreted this scene as taking place in the same Dutch village of Schinveld from the 2008 album. 

Track 2) “Draw Blood”

                  I man wakes up confused in the middle of the haunted woods. Suddenly, seven cloaked figures converge on him. The cultists preform their ritual, using the man’s innocent blood as the sacrifice to seal their spell. He realizes he’s been the instrument to their witchcraft as he slowly bleeds to death. 

Track 3) “The Resurrection of Kariba” 

                  This track follows a cult leader as he descends beneath the church to the secret lair where the cult gathers to perform their witchcraft. There the Cult of Kariba performs a spell to awaken Kariba. The cult learned of her past and how she went crazy and slaughtered half her village. The villagers then accused her of being a witch and made her watch as they hung her children. 

Ok, so it’s not officially stated that Kariba is the White Lady from the Lammendam album. BUT if you want my opinion, I think the two can be seen as one in the same or in the very least the audience is meant to draw parallels to the two characters. 

Lyrics from the Lammendam album didn’t make mention of the White Lady being a witch, but I believe it’s possible she was. How else did she have a secret castle in the woods all to herself? Not to mention she bewitched two men into falling madly in love with her (which of course ended up being her downfall). 

Also, I believe the storied past of Kariba killing half her village night be due to the fact it has been over 200 years since her death and the myths surrounding her have become twisted and embellished over the years. 

But of course, we can see Kariba as her own separate character—one who is an even older entity. She was known to be a poisoner and a sorceress with a past entirely different and arguably far more tragic than the white lady. 

Anyway, either way you look at it—whether that be as the two characters being sperate or the same the cult accomplished getting Kariba/the White Lady reborn … in a very macabre and visceral way (if your curious, just watch the end of the music video for “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” or that one scene in the 1986 movie The Fly). 

So, the resurrection of the white lady is a success but something else followed her into this realm…

Track 4) “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” –> (“I Come From the Grave”)

                  This track is all in Dutch. I translated it to find the story is about a man who died 250 years ago and we learn he is one of Kariba’s ex-lovers. He is back from the grave, having clawed his way out of Hell to seek vengeance against the witch. What did she do to him? 

Well, if you’re subscribing to my theory that Kariba is the White Lady from Lammendam, we know the White Lady had two lovers. The man in this song must be one of the two (Let’s say its Ian). She made him fall in love with her only to cheat on him. And then after her death she returned as a ghost to murder him. 

However, another way to interpret it is man is a whole new character. One who was poisoned by Kariba and is seeking out the woman he once loved but who was unfaithful to him. 

And now that his soul has been rotting in Hell for the last 250 years, he is all wrath and evil. Having made a deal with the devil he snuck him essence back to the earthly realm during the cult ritual that resurrected Kariba. He is now inhabiting a new body as he seeks to destroy the object of his hatred. He eventually finds her. He quickly kills the man she is with then rapes and strangles her to death.  

However, if we’re going with the theory that he is Kariba’s ex-lover, he did not accomplish his goal of killing Kariba. I think returning to Earth 250 years later in a new body and a new time was so disorienting for him—not to mention having just clawed his way out of Hell where he his soul has been twisted and tortured. I think the witch tricked him and he just found someone who looked like Kariba and decided it was her.  So he effectively just killed a random woman and her boyfriend. 

Track 5) “Venomous 1666”

                  This song shows Kariba’s return to power. She performs a spell and brews a potion, summoning all the creatures of the night as she seeks vengeance against the town who hated and condemned her. She casts her curse for six nights raising hordes of rats who attack the villagers. She then vows to cast all into darkness and bring everything she touches back into death with her—including the cultists who wakened her!

Lammendam | Carach Angren | Concept Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Carach Angren’s 2008 album, Lammendam. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the story based on the lyrics. 

The concept for this story was inspired by a real Dutch myth about the woman in white who haunts a ruined castle and the surrounding forest in the village of Schinveld located in the Dutch providence of Limburg. 

Track 1) “Het spook van de Leiffartshof”

            Translates to “The ghost of Leiffartshof.” This is an instrumental track to set the scene and mood. 

Track 2) “A Strange Presence Near the Woods”

            This track opens the story with a man running through the woods of Schinveld. As he flees from the ghost following him, he gets lost and stumbles upon the remains of a burned-out castle. He seeks refuge in the castle as the sun sets, and the full moon rises. Before he knows who has happened, he is dead—his body floating in what remains of the cattle moat, his soul trapped there forever. 

Track 3) “Haunting Echoes from the Seventeenth Century” 

            Here we go back to the 17^th century to see why the land is haunted. We learn of a white ghost who appears in the town on Schinveld on nights when the moon is full. The ghost is a woman who once lived in the castle there. She had two lovers—one from Högenbusch named Ian Mansfred, another from Heeringhof whose name we don’t know. The woman carried on her affairs until the day she was caught. Though it’s not mentioned in this album, we come to know through the second installment of the story that the woman’s name is Kariba and she is rumored to be a witch.

Track 4) “Phobic Shadows and Moonlit Meadows” 

            The next scene we find the woman’s castle burning and her tortured screams are heard from the village. We don’t know exactly how it happened, but we come to understand her two lovers were thrown into a rage when then found out about each other and burned her alive. 

Track 5) “Hexed Melting Flesh” 

            On the night the woman perished, the full moon cast a yellowish light and wind and rain fell with the sound of weeping and crying. And here we get a glimpse of her powers as a witch. 

Track 6) “The Carriage Wheel Murder”

            The next morning one of her lovers was found dead. His body cut up and broken in a horrendous way. The Second lover—Ian—knows it was the ghost of his mistress that murdered him. He is now in fear of her wrath. He rides his carriage through the woods when her ghost appears. She shoved his head between the spokes of the carriage wheels and cracked his head open, yet he survived and was able to escape with his life.  

Track 7) “Corpse in a Nebulous Creek” 

            We jump to one year later. Ian is sicked with fear as the anniversary of his mistress approaches. We learn her body was never recovered from the castle and she therefor had no proper burial. Ian has fallen into depression and then into psychosis. He Keeps seeing her everywhere, her corpse dressed in white just like on the night of her death. He is considering suicide. One night he goes out riding, and she finds him. She pushes him off his horse and he falls and breaks his neck. Now he’s dead!

Track 8) “Invisible Psychic Entity” 

            Instrumental track about ghostly power. 

Track 9) “Heretic Poltergeist Phenomena” 

            This song is an ode to all the ghosts out there and how they refuse—for one reason or another—to pass on to the other side. 

Track 10) “La Malédiction de la Dame Blanche”

                  (The Curse of the White Lady) Dives into the folklore that inspired this concept. The narrator urges people to be in bed before the moon lights the night as that is when the forest comes alive. French farmers who fled to the Netherlands during the Frech Revolution named the ghost “La Madame Blanche” after peasants began disappearing if they stayed out working the fields too late. The Dutch church then transformed the French name of the ghost to “De Lammendam” and the cursed town became known for its haunted woods and the ghost of the lady in white. 

And that’s where we leave off with this album. The story picks up in their upcoming EP Cult of Kariba. I’ll be covering that story here in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! 

Now on to the bonus tracks. 

Track 11) “There Was No Light”  (Bonus track)

                  The lyrics are “And when she finally reached heaven, there was no light” followed by screams and what sounds like a body being pulverized. If we’re talking about Kariba, or any ghost for that matter this can be interpreted a number of ways. One: that heaven rejected her for her sins. Two: she never reached heaven, only thought she did but her despair dragged her soul back to earth. Three: she actually arrived at Hell and/or purgatory. Or four: there is no heaven or afterlife to go to. 

This is where the story of the white lady ends, and we pick up with another ghost. Though is you ask me, this track could be seen as the white lady going into the void and emerging as another ghost or becoming one with all the lost spirits trapped within the veil. The crunch at the end of the song makes it sound like she is dying again, maybe trapped in a cycle of death. It also reminds me of a fall from heaven having been rejected. 

Track 12) “After Death Premises” (Bonus Track)

                  This track takes us to the year 1835. This song tells the true story of Colonel Loftus who reported sighting of the “Brown Lady” around Christmas time in 1835. Colonel Loftus was staying in “Townshend’s hall” which is known as Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England. After dark the Colonel began seeing glimpses of apparitions, hearing voices, and seeing things moving in the house. He then comes face to face with the ghost of a woman whose eyes are only empty sockets. 

In the real story of the “Brown Lady” the ghost is supposedly Dorothy Walpole who lived in the estate until her death. When her husband found out she had an affair with another man, he reportedly locked her in her rooms and didn’t let her leave even to see her children.

And I think that’s the connection between the two ghosts: women who have committed adultery and where then punished by their husband/lovers. This Brown Lady can be seen as an alternate version of the white lady. 

Track 13) “Yonder Realm Photography” 

                  Continuing with the Brown Lady ghost story we now go to modern times. This is based on true accounts of ghost sightings of the Brown Lady at Raynham Hall where photographers from Country Life magazine captured an image of the ghost residing in the hall.  The song follows the two photographers as they arrive at “the accursed hall” and feel a malevolent presence. They snap a picture of the stairs and there we have one of the most famous ghost photos. 

Franckensteina Strataemontanus | Carach Angren | Story Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Carach Angren’s 2020 album, Franckensteina Strataemontanus.

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the concept based on the lyrics.  

The concept is inspired by Mary Shelly’s classic novel: Frankenstein, also known as The Modern Prometheus, (originally) written in 1818. If you haven’t read the book, it’s not exactly what you would expect—it’s more so a character study that focuses on the theme of what it means to play God and what makes a monster. I enjoyed it though, and I suggest you give it a read (it’s very short). In case you’re not familiar with the book, a few things to know is the monster in the story is not Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the name of the doctor who created the monster. The monster is referred to in the book as the daemon. 

The story of this concept album actually follows a fictionalized version of the real-life inspiration behind the book. Franckensteina-Strataemontanus refers to Johann Conrad Dippel whose experiments, eccentric behavior, and questionable belief in God led to plenty of rumors that continued long after his death. 

Track 1) “Here in German Woodland”

Prologue: A young boy is playing in the forest in Darmstadt, Germany, near Castle Frankenstein. However, when he gets home, he gets very sick and dies. 

Track 2) “Scourged Ghoul Undead”

The family has a funeral for the boy. As the family mourns his passing, they begin to have terrible nightmares about the boy. One stormy night, the boy awakes and digs himself from his grave to return home. Upon arrival, this zombified version of the son attacks the mother and begins eating her alive. 

Track 3) “Franckensteina Strataemontanus”

This track is about Johann Conrad Dippel—the real-life inspiration behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He was a German man born in 1673 at Castel Frankenstein. He was exceedingly brilliant and studied philosophy, theology, alchemy, and anatomy. In his time he created a number of questionable concoctions and potions that could presumably—among other abilities—exorcise demons. 

Another example of this sort of mad scientist eccentricates is he claimed to have discovered the elixir of life. In his pursuit of science and alchemy, he spent plenty of time dissecting animals as part of his many experiments. These dissections, along with his unusual theories and philosophies, inspired many rumors—the most famous of which was that he dabbled in soul-transference where he attempted to transfer the soul from one dead body to another. He was also accused of consorting with the devil, grave robbing, and sorcery.  

In this song, we see Dr. Frankenstein (aka Johann Dippel) down in the depths of castle Frankenstein playing God by performing the famous scene of bringing a corpse to life.

Track 4) “The Necromancer”

Here we find Frankenstein preparing the corpse that he is to bring to life. The corpse of course being an amalgam of body parts from different dead bodies. The scene is more evil sorcery than science as we see Dippel has sold his soul to the devil to assure the success of this macabre experiment. 

In real life, Dippel was accused of selling his soul to the devil in exchange for discovery of the elixir of life. However, these claims were most likely due to the church amounting his loss of faith in God to satanic intervention. 

Track 5) “Sewn for Solitude”

This is from the perspective of the monster. I really think this song and the lyrics closely follow Mary Shelley’s character from the book where the monster is actually sort of a sympathetic character who loathes his existence. The isolation he experiences is what drives him to truly become a monster. The lyric, “Monster to many, friend to none” really exemplifies this character—this creation’s loathsome existence.

Track 6) “Operation Compass”

This song is about a battle against an army of zombies in Egypt. How does this relate to the concept? Well, Johann Dippel created what was known as “Dippel’s Oil” which is this nasty, smelly, black oil derived from animal bones. At the time of creation, Dippel claimed its use for many things including: tanning leather, “relieving the pregnancy pains,” insect repellant, for curing colds and fevers, and as a treatment for epilepsy. 

However, this oil was highly toxic and was later used by the British in WWII to poison wells to make the enemy’s water undrinkable. This little historical tidbit was expanded upon with a little fantastical twist where instead of just poisoning the enemy, the oil turned them into zombies. 

Track 7) “Monster”

At first listen, you may think this song is about Frankenstein’s monster. However, armed with the source material, a deeper analysis shows the real “monster” is Frankenstein himself. A deranged alchemist who sold his soul to the devil to create an abomination certainly fits the definition of a monster more than the undead creation. It also goes to show that while someone might look scary on the surface, in reality the most devious of monsters are normal looking people who you would never suspect. Much like how serial killers tend to be wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

Track 8) “Der Vampir von Nürnberg”

Here we flash forward a few centuries from the 17^th century to the 1970’s in Nuremberg, Germany where the writings of Johann Dippel inspired a young man by the name of Kuno Hofmann. Now Kuno Hofmann is a real person, whether he was influenced by Dippel is not based on any evidence, but the story of Kuno Hofmann is true: Deaf and dumb after being beaten by his father, he grew up a troubled child who did time for theft and eventually became obsessed with the occult. He would perform horrific rituals with dead bodies which included necrophilia, drinking the blood of the dead, gnawing on the corpses, and cutting off their heads. Later, in search of fresher blood to drink, he shot and murdered a couple in their car. Because of his blood drinking crimes, he was dubbed “the vampire of Nürnberg.” 

Track 9) “Skull with a Forked Tongue”

Here we go back to Frankenstein (or our fictionalized version of Dippel). We dive into his obsession with finding the elixir of life. Here he consults this “skull with a forked tongue” which is how he speaks to the dead—likely in the form of a demon who guides him to commit darker and darker crimes in search for a breakthrough. Until the day he finally finds the right concoction that successfully allows him to live forever! 

However, it comes at a price—as all things do. His body begins to rot and fall apart, but he does not die. Forced to live in this monstrous existence forever—unable to move or do anything as he rots away for all eternity.  

Track 10) “Like A Conscious Parasite I Roam”

Here Dippel—or the conscious form of him that still exists—comes to regret his dark ambitions that led him to become trapped in his decaying bones, slowly going mad. He begs for redemption—for a chance to do it over again. But unable to do anything, he waits for an opportunity for a new body to steal. 

And now we find ourselves back at track one where a young, innocent boy finds himself in German Woodland where the soul of Dippel possesses his body. 

Death Came Through a Phantom Ship | Carach Angren | Story Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Carach Angren’s 2010 album, Death Came Through a Phantom Ship. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the story based on the lyrics.  

This concept album is the band’s take on the maritime folktale of Flying dutchman. 

Track 1) “Electronic Voice Phenomena”

Begins with a radio transmission from a tugboat. We can assume they have spotted a ghost ship. 

Track 2) “The Sighting Is a Portent of Doom”

The story sets sail with the captain of this tugboat seeing a ship on his radar but his attempts to contact the vessel go unanswered until ghostly voices come through the radio. 

Suddenly, a derelict black ship emerges from the mist. The ship is abandoned and fills our captain with a terrible fear. However, the ship sails past without incident, and the captain begins to wonder if he had just imagined it. 

Track 3) “…and the Consequence Macabre”

When the captain arrives home, he is still haunted by the sighting of the phantom ship. He begins talking about what he saw. His tale disturbs his wife and daughter. He tries to forget about it as he goes to sleep that night, but he enters a vivid dream where a man in a black hat is beating him. The captain fights back, grabs a knife within reach, and stabs his attacker 60 times but he does not die, just laughs. 

He then hears growling coming from his daughter’s room. He runs to get his shot gun and barges into her room to find—not his daughter—but a rabid beast in the shape of a hound. He shoots it twice and stabs it just before the man in the black hat appears behind him, laughing once again. 

The captain wakes, thankful it was all a dream. Then he sees the blood on his hands and rolls over to find it was his wife he stabbed in the face 60 times. He runs to his daughter’s room and finds her dead, blood and shot gun blast splattered across the room. What is he to do? His wife if still miraculously alive so he puts her out of her misery and then places the barrel of the shot gun in his mouth. 

Track 4) “Van der Decken’s Triumph”

We then flashback in time to see the origin story of this phantom ship. It was originally a Dutch East-India Trading Company specializing in shipping spices, opium, slaves, and whatever else can make a man rich during these times. 

Here we see the ship cutting through the sea under the charge of Captain Van der Decken. He is a ruthless character motivated by greed and an obsessive need to triumph over the sea. He runs a tight ship with a loyal crew, and we see nothing unusual about the ship, yet we get the sense that the captain’s ambition will soon lead them into trouble. 

Track 5) “Bloodstains on the Captain’s Log”

We then flash forward a few years, and we see how the captain’s greed and ruthlessness have cultivated his cruelty which in turn has turned him down the path of piracy. He has now become the richest, most feared pirate on the seven seas. He has become despicably evil in all he does. 

Track 6) “Al betekent het mijn dood”

One Easter Sunday, a horrible storm rolls in. But Captain Van der Decken is determined to set sail despite the dangerous storm and the objections of his crew being superstitious about sailing on the holy holiday. When the crew refuses orders to sail, Captain Van der Decken grabs one of the objecting crew and stabs him through the throat while screaming the curse, “May God curse me! We will sail even if it means my death!”

Track 7) “Departure Towards a Nautical Curse”

Captain Van der Decken then throws the body of the crew member he just murdered overboard and declares they will sail around the Cape of Good Hope even if it means sailing straight through hell. The captain is completely mad, but the crew is too fearful to defy him and so they set sail. 

Soon the storm rages on the high sea, ripping apart the ship and turning it back from lighting strikes, all the while the captain flings curses into the wind and rain. 

When the storm finally abates, they sail on through calmer waters. However, the sun never rises, and they never find land. For months and months, they sail on through darkness, lost in an endless purgatory. The supplies dwindle, illness runs rampant, and the crew die or throw themselves over the edge one by one. 

Then one day, Captain Van der Decken emerges from his cabin and slaughters the remainder of his crew. He then ties himself to the wheel and declares he will not yield. 

At his words, a new storm crashes through. The main mast is struck by lighting and the shards impale the captain through the chest, effectively ending his life, but the twisted evil of his spirit lives on. 

Track 8) “The Course of a Spectral Ship”

Years later, whispers of a phantom ship begin spreading. One sailor tells the tale of a recent voyage where a dark storm rolled through, in its wake appeared a demon ship. It abruptly changed course and sailed right toward them. He saw ghost at the helm, surrounded by dead bodies, with a rabid hound at his side. The phantom smiled as he steered the ship right into them. The ghostly vessel passed straight through theirs and disappeared. 

Track 9) “The Shining Was a Portent of Gloom”

We then get a glimpse of Captain Van der Decken as a ghost. His tortured soul is cursed to wander forever. He is chained to the ship, sailing through darkness without land or stars to guide him through the endless void. The twisted soul of the captain continues on—death has only further twisted his ambition and thirst for blood. He sails on an endless conquest to bring death and suffering to the poor souls on any vessel he encounters. 

And so goes the tale of the phantom ship the “flying dutchmen” or at least Carach Agren’s take on the old tale. 

Under the Reviled Throne | Summoning the Lich | Concept Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Summoning the Lich’s 2024 album, Under the Reviled Throne. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the epic fantasy concept. I base my explanations on the lyrics as well as band interviews and fan theories. 

Track 1) “Return to the Soil”
The Lich has conquered all of Rodor –every King and army has fallen. The Lich and the “Sin” (the unholy army of otherworldly beings of power led by the Lich) have traveled far and spread desolation in their wake. Yet he knows the human race will once again rise up and so he seeks to extinguish every last one in what will be known as “The Age of Chaos.” 
Having decimated the lands of Rodor to the west, the Lich and the Sin travel east through the desert wastes to the land of Bastell. Bastell is a coastal kingdom known for building ships. The people of Bastell feel safe from threat as they are surrounded by a large wall all along their coast. 
On his way to conquer Bastell, the Lich runs into the coven of witches from “Hyms (of Witches of the West)” in the previous album. The Lich offers the witches the chance to smite the humans by joining him and the witches accept. 
 
Track 2) “Reviled Crystal Wielders”
This song is about the hierarchy of beings among the Lich’s army AKA the Sin. There are:
The Chaos—the foot soldiers of the Lich’s Sin. These are his army of ghouls. They wear the brands of the Lich on their chests and grow more evil and undead the more souls they consume. They are the lowest on the totem pole. 
Then there are the Witches and other magickal beings of the Sin—they are kind of like free agents. They follow the Lich because they are united in purpose. They were all recruited from various places, and each have unique powers that they use to kill humans with. They don’t necessarily lead any part of the army, but they can certainly stand on their own and wreak havoc. 
Then there are the Reviled: They are akin to the Lich’s generals. There are six “Keepers of the Stone” who wield magicked crystals that grant them immense power to command the Chaos and spread destruction: 
1. Evee and her trees of death
2. Algaliarect—Keeper of the gate—AKA The Dragon Lord of Suffering (“The Gatekeeper”) 
3. Elias—the Serpent mage 
4. Twin demon #1
5. Twin demon #2
6. The Ghost
 
Track 3) “THE FOREST FEASTS”
Flash backward in time. The beginning of this track explains why the druids disbanded after the war where they banished the chaos into the void. The druids were then betrayed: King of Rodor killed the leader of the druids with the sword the druids crated to save the humans. 
After the betrayal, we follow one druid who flees Rodor and wanders the eastern lands for centuries, still believing humanity can be redeemed. He eventually feels a desire to obtain the magick of the forest of Taane floating out at sea, so he ventures there and finds a forest of trees that eat people. The roots of the trees grab him and pull him down into the heart of Taane. 
There he finds the spark of power that created the world of Arrias (the planet in which this story takes place), left there by the Bog. The Bog—celestial beings that created the universe and tasked the druids with leading humankind. 
The Druid speaks with Taane (Taane being the essence of the Bog left buried within the soul of the forest). Taane asks the druid to merge their powers. If they do, Taane will be able to sustain life without needing to eat so many people. Instead, they could use their combined power to grant the souls the forest has consumed with magickal powers. The druid decides to merge with the spark of life inside Taane and together they become one. 
 
Track 4) “My Horrors Unending”
The people of Bastell call to arms to defend their kingdom against the dreaded Lich and his army of monsters. The Bastell army is confident in the protection of their fortress for their walls have not been broken in centuries. But they are not prepared for the Lich and his Sin.  
The people of Bastell quickly retreat from the horrors of the Lich’s atrocities. The POV character—a messenger from the front lines—is fleeing to warn his people of the Sin and their power when he his caught by a curse that takes over his senses and turns him into a pawn to perform the Lich’s bidding. 
 
Track 5) “Bastell Dirge”
Instrumental track where Bastell falls to the Lich and his Sin. 
 
Track 6) The Carrion Fleet
The people of Bastell are all but defeated. The Sin pick off the survivors, torturing and drinking their blood while the few who could made for the fleet of ships and set them on fire in the hope that would keep the Lich contained within the city. Though of course that did not stop the Lich. He raises his magick and with a simple command, he brings all the dead back to life to repair the fleet with their own flesh. And the undead set sail. 
 
Track 7) “Arrias Groans”
The spark of life that is Taane—the remnants of the Bog mentioned in track 3—senses the despair of the souls on Arrias. 
Meanwhile, the Lich and his army set sail on these ships of flesh and embark on spreading more chaos and misery. However, his actions have woken Taane. Using the new power granted through the fusion with the druid, the forest picks up its roots and crawls out to sea to go to war with the Lich. 
 
Track 8) “Will to Survive”
An eon ago, when the essence of The Bog, i.e. Taane, merged with the druid, I think this woke up the forest which now becomes whole and conscious. Taane now calls to arms all who live above their roots. Taane sacrifices the weakest of their followers to fuel the magick the forest needs to pick up roots and set off to defeat the Lich on the high seas. 
Meanwhile a single ship was able to escape the massacre of Bastell. It fled to the south where it warned the Believers of the Bog of the coming of the Lich. Together, the survivors of Bastell, the Believers to the south team up in what is called the Alliance of Amelung—united to defeat the Lich. While Taane crawls through the water to declare war on the Lich. 
 
Track 9) “Potion Seller”
This is another flashback to centuries earlier at the end of the war where the druids helped lock the chaos away and save the humans—only to be betrayed by the Kingdom of Rodor. After the betrayal, the druids left alive scatter back to their homelands. 
This track tells of one female druid who wanders the land filled with rage at the betrayal of her order by the very people they just saved from desolation. 
And of course, During these trying times, when misery abounds, there are those who seek to capitalize on the fear and desperation. 
We learn of a potion maker who is selling bottled brew to help people forget their miseries. The female druid accepts the potion and falls into the bliss of oblivion. While she’s in this state, she lets slip a few druid secrets about magick, science, alchemy, and about the Bog which eventually lead to her demise… more on that in a moment.
 
Track 10) “The Void Gate”
This is again a flash backward in time to just after the humans betrayed the druids. The druids were created by the Bog to help guide humankind. However, after the betrayal at the end of the war, the druids are questioning why they even helped in the first place. 
This track tells of one druid who decides he wants to overthrow the humans. He seeks to capture the power of the void they just locked away behind the veil. He decides to create a gate into the void to steal its power. So, he travels to a series of islands where he tricks the people there into helping him build this “Infernal Arch.” 
Finally, after much time, he calls all his magick and opens the gate. The horrors of the void suck him in and devour his soul. As he dies, with his final breath, he manages to seal the gate so that the void stays locked away.  
 
Track 11) “Praise to the Bog”
Going back to the female druid who spilled her secrets while under the influence of the potion, we learn that she was supposed to keep secrets about the Bog hidden from the humans. 
Yet, after her death her scribes founded a religion formed around worshiping the Bog. But of course, as with most religions the truth gets twisted along the way. This sect was founded on the idea the Bog is God since they know the Bog is responsible for creating all life on Arrias. Overtime, the Bog worshipers began performing rituals and brutal child sacrifices of non-believers in an effort to gain the Bog’s favor. 
And so, a great Divide between believers and non-believers or “Science vs sacrifice” causes hundreds of years of war and suffering between the two nations. 
Bad blood runs thick. The two sides must work together to defeat the Lich and his army. But will the Alliance of Amelung withstand centuries of hatred and distrust?
Will the people of Arrias band together to defeat their common foe? Or will they fall and leave nothing standing in the way of the Lich for world domination. 

United in Chaos | Summoning the Lich | Concept Explained

Here is my interpretation of the story behind Summoning the Lich’s 2021 album, United in Chaos. 

** What follows is my personal interpretation of the epic fantasy concept. I base my explanations on the lyrics as well as band interviews and fan theories. 

Track 1) “The Nightmare Begins” 

An old druid—the last of his kind in the kingdom of Rodor—has been maintaining the veil of chaos alone for centuries. The years have weighed heavy on him. He is weak, tired, and close to death. His hatred toward the selfishness of mankind has festered. The very souls he has spent his life fighting to protect are nothing for his sacrifice. 

To stay alive, he seeks a dangerous power—one that could destroy humanity. He unearths an ancient, buried shrine and unleashes chaos. Demonic creatures claw their way into existence, and the druid prepares to seize control of the minds of men. 

He begins to harness the power and starts casting dark spells that turn the sky violet. An army of men rise up to stop the evil sorcerer before he can complete the spell, but they don’t know it’s a trap. The druid lured them to his cave as a way to fulfill the sacrifice needed for the final acts of the spell. 

The druid trades his soul for power in immortality and becomes: The Lich.

Track 2) “Cult of Ophidian” 

The Watcher gazes into the future and sees bloodshed, devastation, and madness—all at the hands of this powerful being who bends men’s will to his own. He cannot see this being, but he sees the destruction he will bring. 

The Watcher wakes from the vision and tries to warn the clan of what is to unfold. They refuse to heed his warning, so he seeks to tell the Elder of his clan—only to find the Elder has been corrupted by this being. 

The being speaks through the Elder’s lips and condemns the Watcher to a fate worse than death. This being—the leader of the Cult of Ophidian—tricked the people of the Watcher’s clan and made them think that he joined the Cult and purposefully did not warn them of what was to come, so they damned his soul for all eternity, when in truth the Watcher was a victim of the Cult just as much as they were. 

Track 3) “The Gatekeeper” 

After the Lich’s awakening, many try to destroy him. Valant King Elelogarr leads his armies across the sea to destroy the evil forces taking over the land led by the Dragon Lord of Suffering: Algaliarect. 

The king arrives at the water gates to the kingdom. The demon creatures crawl from the sea and attack the King and his legion. They decimate his ships and every man onboard finds themselves a watery grave. 

Track 4) “Demon of the Snow”    **(My personal favorite on this album)

By now the dark forces of the Lich have taken over nearly every kingdom. One holds out: A castle in the middle of a snowy mountain range is protected from invading armies by way of a horrendous beast. 

Each year, the people gather in a ceremony to thank the Demon of the Snow and pacify its hunger for another year by providing it with sacrificial virgins. 

But on the night of this feast, the beast awakens with new sentience granted to him through the power of the Lich. The beast turns on the people and makes THEM become his slaves as he had been a slave for their protection for all those years. 

Track 5) “Predatory Reflection” 

Here we get another glimpse into the corruptive power of the Lich and how he inspires each person to become indulgent slaves to their worst sin. 

A woman falls victim to her own vanity. She is tricked by the face staring back at her in the mirror. Blinded by her pride, she becomes trapped in a mirror. In this mirror she is forced to see the ugliness of her own soul for all eternity. She goes mad and begins to mutilate her own body. She tears out her eyes so that she doesn’t have to look upon herself any longer. 

Track 6) “Acid Reign”

Another King marches his armies to defeat the evil Lich. Greedy to be the one to take down the sorcerer, he will stop at nothing to defeat him and conquer the evil in the world. He gathers the largest army the world had ever seen. Every town and village the king passes he forces all able-bodied men to march toward victory and burns the rest to the ground to make way for his army. 

He marches to the lair of the Lich, leaving burning forest and fields in his path. They reach the lair, and the Lich stands atop his mountain. He slams his staff into the ground and shatters the land just the mountain erupts. The flying pieces of rock and molten lava rain down on the King and his armies—burning all in a torturous death. 

Track 7) “United in Chaos”

With ash still clouding the air, the Lich collects all the villains he has made: the Watcher, King Elelogarr, the Demon of the Snow, the woman in the mirror, and the soul of the king he just defeated (and one more Evie the Temptress). They join the Lich and venerate him for his evil greatness. 

They rejoice as rulers over all mankind. 

Track 8) “Descend”

The villains go about doing their worst unto humanity. One of the last heroes alive, a mage who has been helping the destitute, is caught and captured by the Lich’s evil forces. He is taken and tortured. Day after day they cut him open and cauterize his wounds only to reopen them and more on the morning. 

As he lies dying, he utters an incantation and hides away a vial of his blood before he dies. 

Track 9) “Hymns (the Witches of the West)”

A coven of witches sets up on a village. Blood is spilled and one of the high priest’s sons is burned to death in retribution. 

The coven then gathers their forces to seek vengeance. They gather around the village and begin to chant. Their incantation rises and all the children of the village perish at the hands of their curse. 

The children then rise as undead to terrorize the village. The village surrenders and begs for their lives, but the witches give no mercy. They don’t stop until every last heart is ripped from their chests.

Track 10) “Death Crystal”

A man of royal blood, exiled when his land was conquered by the invading king, wanders the endless desert. 

He meets a woman who offers him a way to take back what was stolen from him. She gifts him a crystal and departs. He returns to his kingdom and uses the power of the crystal to lay waste to the usurper of his throne. All nobles within the castle are laid to waste. With each soul the crystal collects, it grows darker and darker until it is black. 

His vengeance is complete, but it comes at a price. The power of the crystal transforms him into a beast-monster enslaved to the woman who gifted him the crystal. 

Track 11) “Temple of the Bone”

Here we return to the Lich (I think) and we find all the glory of death and destruction has not satisfied him as he so thought. Now that he has conquered and had his fun, there is nothing left for him to do. He cannot die and he now feels trapped by immortality. He sees that a life that will not end is meaningless. He has nothing to do but wait for a death that will never come. 

Track 12) “The Lure of the Necromancer”

The Lich, now regretting his decision to become immortal, seeks out the only one who might be able to reverse the curse. He seeks out the Lord Death: the Necromancer and watches him go about his work. 

The Necromancer comes to a man mourning over the loss of his betrothed—the only woman he ever loved who died the night before they were to be wed. A figure appears to the man from the shadows of the graveyard. The being smells of rot and explains that he can bring back the love of his life. The man asks after the gift will cost. The Necromancer replies that the man need only feed her when she wakes and she will be his once more. 

The man agrees and the Necromancer calls upon the dead and the ground splits with hands shooting up from the grave—they claw through, and the man meets his undead bride. Her body is all decay and though she is animated, she is not alive at all. 

This was not what he agreed to, he tells the Necromancer in fear. But the Lord of Death only smiles and says he has held up his end of the deal, now the man must do the same and feed her! The undead bride launches at him and tears through his flesh to feast on his guts. 

But Necromancer does not let him die—oh no—he spells the man’s body to stay alive and watch as the bride devours him alive. 

And that is where we end the album. This is the first of a trilogy that tells the story if the Lich. This first album we get to see the Lich rise to power and explore the deplorable side of human nature. This is a set up for the following album which plays into the motivation of the druids and their hatred for man.