1. |
Clarion Call
05:19
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Clarion Call
Stars align, a sign
The morning skies blush again
Recognize the darkening clouds’ ascent, lament
As sure as the sun will paint the sky
As sure as a living thing must die
There surely is more than meets the eye
This is a clarion call
See the tree, its leaves
A palette of gold and red
Change will come
Winter is just ahead, the end
As sure as the sun will paint the sky
As sure as a living thing must die
There surely is more than meets the eye
This is a clarion call
No looking back
The turning, the burning scent
To purify, to clarify, mortify
The world alight
The mourning, no warning sent
No battle cry, to signify, to edify these things
No looking back
The turning, the burning scent
To purify, to clarify, mortify
The world alight
The mourning, no warning sent
No battle cry, to signify, the writing on the wall
Overcast, abashed
The winds of change stir the calm
The crow descends
Announcing his sacred song, a psalm
As sure as the sun will paint the sky
As sure as a living thing must die
There surely is more than meets the eye
This is a clarion call
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2. |
Masquerade
05:10
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Masquerade
Faceless, without hesitation
Baseless, pure speculation, no more
Aimless, in blind acclamation
Nameless, a lost generation, unsure
Fear of the future erases the past
We strain at the sutures
From under the casque we've made
We fall into stupor in legion amassed
Reluctant we too are
Adorned for this masquerade
Spineless 'neath crushing placation
Mindless, you preach defamation, appalled
Silenced, the new conversation
Compliant, no sign of vexation at all
Fear of the future erases the past
We strain at the sutures
From under the casque we've made
We fall into stupor in legion amassed
Reluctant we too are
Adorned for this masquerade
Defenseless, against castigation
Portentous, denied machinations
Breathless, the death of a nation
Senseless, a lie our salvation
A lie our salvation...a lie's no salvation
A dull display
The naive swayed
And all dismayed
A dark charade
A fool's parade
This masquerade
Fear of the future erases the past
We strain at the sutures
From under the casque we've made
We fall into stupor in legion amassed
Reluctant we too are
Adorned for this masquerade
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3. |
Trauma
04:49
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Trauma
Whatever doesn't kill you
Only makes you long
For days before the trauma
For weaker days unhurt not strong
And what are the scars that never faded?
And what are the wounds that never closed?
And what are the wrongs still unforgiven?
And what of the pain still unresolved?
Whatever doesn't kill you
Only helps you die inside
When every day consumes you
As every day crawls by
And what are the scars that never faded?
And what are the wounds that never closed?
And what are the wrongs still unforgiven?
And what of the pain still unresolved?
Whatever doesn't kill you
Only weighs you down
Throw off the stones that drag the drowning
And watch them sink, no longer bound
And what are the scars that never faded?
And what are the wounds that never closed?
And what are the wrongs still unforgiven?
And what of the pain still unresolved?
And what are the scars?
And what are the wounds?
And what are the wrongs?
And what of the pain?
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4. |
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The Time for Tears (Dry Your Eyes)
The time for tears has long passed us by
when every day is dark and cold
and all those fruits of hope half-come to bear
are stinking dead upon our own threshold
There are those who laugh, choked full of pride
while all their coffers are spilling full
and all the rest who grasp will not ever know
the touch of purse nor strings to pull
It's time to rise and dry your eyes
The time for tears has come and gone
when every life is locked and barred
And all the rivers of blood and sweat spilled before
the crooked smiles of crude, carved scars
which all the stagnant, still in dull slumbered sleep,
have wasted vane and flushed afar
and handed back the reigns of bought liberties
to hardened hearts as black as tar
You'd better rise and dry your eyes
The time for tears has long passed us by
when every day is dark and cold
and all those fruits of hope half-come to bear
are stinking dead upon our own threshold
There are those who laugh, choked full of pride
while all their coffers are spilling full
and all the rest who grasp will not ever know
the touch of purse nor strings to pull
It's time to rise and dry your eyes
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5. |
A Reckoning
05:26
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A Reckoning
Before the spark becomes the fire
Before the fuse becomes flame
Before the war there comes the skirmish
Before the trick becomes shame
Before we know, there comes the learning
Before the mystery is gone
Before the mission comes the yearning
Before these things, a reckoning must come
In every chance you take
And every choice you make, a lesson well learned
a reckoning, discerned
Before the birth becomes destruction
Before the seed can take root
Before the cub becomes the lion
Before the child becomes man
In every chance you take
And every choice you make, a lesson well learned
a reckoning, discerned
Before I felt the pain of knowing
Before I saw in your face
Before I knew you were a liar
Is when I fell for your grace
Before you ripped it all to pieces
Before I lost all hope
Before I knew only anger
Before we met, before I let you in
In every chance you take
And every choice you make, a lesson well-earned
a reckoning, discerned
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6. |
Blessed Are
04:41
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Blessed Are
Blessed are the longing
For they will call heaven home
Blessed are the mourning
Soon comfort will long no more
But cursed is the man
whose words invite conflict and pain
And cursed are the lips
that murmur and spew the same
Woe! unto him and his kind
Ravaging nations,
placating the blind left behind
Blessed are the seeking
Whose hunger will be replete
Blessed in their mercy
In mercy they're made complete
But cursed is the man
whose actions can only bring harm
And cursed is the hand
that stokes the fires of war
Woe! unto him and his kind
Savagely stalking
and walking in darkness of mind, Woe!
Blessed is the vision
Which sees with a purer heart
Blessed are the peaceful
Whose kindness is set apart
But cursed is the man
who welcomes all manner of strife
And cursed is the fool
who peddles his death with his life
Woe! unto him and unto his kind
Killing, instilling, unwilling to be refined
Woe!
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7. |
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Quiet Wars
The braver that they are the harder they fall
But they don’t always fall
Some return alone without a curtain call
So little left, some never left at all
Never having seen such cruelty
What remnants of a heart could remain?
Rattled by the inhumanity
Sometimes the lucky are the slain
'Cause you’re a soldier now
Did what they told you
Now the only enemies are inside
The braver that they are the harder they fall
But they don’t always fall
Chewed up, spit out having answered the call
So little left, some never left at all
When all seems a loss
When all turn away
When all pass you by
Know some remember you
Buried ‘neath the broken sanity
Enveloped in the constant toil
Swallowed by the gross calamity
Could anything remain unspoiled?
We'll never know the count or casualty
The veterans of a quiet war
Where everything, magnified,
Every sound, amplified
The screams you can't ignore
'Cause you’re a soldier still
And there’s no switch to kill
Only the broken will to live
The braver that they are the harder they fall
But they don’t always fall
Chewed up, spit out having answered the call
So little left, some never left at all
When all seems a loss
When all turn away
When all pass you by
Know some remember you
Know some remember you
Know some still honor you
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8. |
Shed My Skin
04:24
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Shed My Skin
I feel it tightening, strangling me
The tension growing, it's clear to see
Something's changing, it's bursting through
With cracks appearing
Now it's time to shed my skin
Iron sharpens iron, steel sharpens steel
Grinding the dullness to naught
Untethered, adrift, this current is swift
When no longer anchored
By things we'd thought we thought
I'm suffocating, I'm paralyzed
Choked in conflict, it slowly dies
What once was healthy, a pallid hue
This rotting vesture
Now it's time to shed my skin
Iron sharpens iron, steel sharpens steel
Grinding the dullness to naught
Untethered, adrift, this current is swift
When no longer anchored
By things we'd thought we thought
Where something's dying, there, something grows
I'll drag these shackles of doubt no more
Once naive notions were all I knew
The veil is tearing
Now it's time to shed my skin
Iron sharpens iron, steel sharpens steel
Grinding the dullness to naught
Untethered, adrift, this current is swift
When no longer angered by things we'd thought
Iron sharpens iron, steel sharpens steel
Grinding the dullness to naught
Untethered, adrift, this current is swift
When no longer anchored
By things we'd thought we thought
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9. |
Grace is Greater
06:09
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Grace is Greater
From the halls of the sanctuary
Comes a distant cry
Protocols of truth lie buried
And the word denied
Have you forgotten grace?
Did you forget what bought and brought you here?
Did you forget your place?
Did you forget that you are fallen too?
We are only worthy of the righteous judgement coming
And we are only worthy of what we give for what is taken
And we are only worthy of wrath
There, but for the grace of God, go I
Still we are given mercy
Because the blood and grace are greater
As you play judiciary
From your seat on high
In the role of the adversary
Do you right divide?
Have you forgotten love?
Did you forget the price your vices owed?
All you're deserving of?
Did you forget that you are guilty too?
We are only worthy of the righteous judgement coming
And we are only worthy of what we give for what is taken
And we are only worthy of wrath
There, but for the grace of God, go I
Still we are given mercy
Because the blood and grace are greater
Self-appointed emissary
With a fist and a shout
And the fire of a missionary
You drive them out
Have you forgotten?
Do you strut the yoke that you still wear?
Have you forgotten?
Did you forget its weight you could not bear?
We are only worthy of the righteous judgement coming
And we are only worthy of what we give for what is taken
And we are only worthy of death
There, but for the grace of God, go I
Still we are given mercy
Because the blood and grace are greater
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10. |
No Surprise
04:51
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No Surprise
All questions answered by lying to yourself
Confusion filling your mind
The blinders fall, the light that floods your eyes
Too bright to see what lies behind
We've heard lies all our lives
This comes as no surprise
What they hide and disguise
Is not what they've described
All meaning pondered, all reason lost to time
Deceit supplanting all truth
Unlock the cell, the keys beneath your feet
Turned, slay the tales of your youth
We've heard lies all our lives
This comes as no surprise
What they hide and disguise
Is not what they've described
We're starved on rations
Of rotten, poisoned scraps
Right from the day of our birth
The sky is falling, to wash away this trap
Look to the ends of the Earth
We've heard lies all our lives
This comes as no surprise
What they hide and disguise
Is not what they've described
We've heard lies all our lives
This comes as no surprise
What they hide and disguise
Is not what they describe
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11. |
Absence of Presence
05:30
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Absence of Presence
I walked along
And saw the name among the shadows
And felt a coldness run
I read the words
Beheld your face in recollection
But felt the absence still
I called your name
And no one answered
And no one came
And no one came
It's years and tears are falling
From eyes that no longer see
The breeze and leaves falling
Are all that accompany me
I sat alone
And touched the stone ever so gently
I knew you were not there
I mouthed the words
And breathed a wish at my reflection
To see your face once again
I called your name
And no one answered
And no one came
And no one came
It's years and tears are falling
From eyes that no longer see
The breeze and leaves falling
Are all that accompany me
If I could slip
Into the world in which you slumber
To feel your presence near
I'd take your hand
Recall the time in pleasant whispers
And hold you so close again
I'd call your name
And you will answer
We'd be the same again
The same again
It's years and tears are falling
From eyes that no longer see
The breeze and leaves falling
Are all that accompany me
It's years and tears are falling
For things that can never be
The past and absence of presence
Are all that encompass me
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12. |
Light Up the Shadows
06:20
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Light up the Shadows
They force their goals and dark demands
Guided by the hidden hand
Born through deceit and mystery
Versed in fraud and trickery
Light up the shadows
In shielded cliques they organize
Masked and cloaked in vile disguise
They operate in secrecy
Their worship, only sorcery
Light up the shadows
They force their goals and dark demands
Guided by the hidden hand
Born through deceit and mystery
Versed in fraud and trickery
Light up the shadows
Rend the veil, reveal their deeds
Swift-exposed for all to see
Lying bare their might abates
As the lie disintegrates
Light up the shadows
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13. |
The Orphan
11:09
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The Orphan
This child, his offspring
His true bastard wing
His kin, sacrificed
Betrayed, sold for vice
Once he soared beyond the sky
Chasing dawn in faithless flight
Pierced through by his bloated pride
The eagle died
This branch, his seedling
To him, worth nothing
His own, left behind
Scorned and maligne
Once he stood in my defense
Where he watched with diligence
Having sired a malcontent
Here, he stands no more
Gone, the father who reared in me
An onerous destiny
Its weight upon my shoulders
Once he'd limped away
ashamed, he denied his seed
His sins and his legacy
are lain upon the orphan
Defend myself, protect myself
Sustain myself, preserve myself
Once elegant, her torch aflame
Dignified, her word, her name
Beautiful, her face, her frame
Now vile to look upon
Gone, the one who had birthed in me
The flame of her progeny
Her torch has been extinguished
Having gone astray,
The mother who carried me
The one who abandoned me left,
Whoring for acceptance
No flesh bore this flesh
No blood bore this blood
Conceived from ink alight
Liberty, my birthright
Life is just lonely cage
The world is just an orphanage
Never will I be assuaged
As long as I am contained
Where is the father who reared in me
This onerous destiny
Which weighs upon my heart?
And where is the mother who birthed in me
The flame of her progeny
Whose torch has all but
Been extinguished now?
No, no, no!
Damn this family I thought I knew
I pledged my allegiance to
These parents who are only a memory
They're only a memory
They're only a memory
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14. |
Morningsong
05:15
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Morningsong
Trust in me
Take these words and hold them as your own
Take from me
Replace the things that held you at the seams
And exit wearied haunts of the skeptic
For I can make you whole again
For I can make you new
Look to me
Envision sights that greet the infant eye
Where features pull to form a face
Unscarred by history
And enter into this as the newborn without fear
Without suspicion
Won't you let me dream of righting every wrong?
Dream of righting them all
I dream of righting every wrong
Of erasing them all
Words of comfort given you mean nothing
When your crumbling walls come down again
And promises without intent without meaning
Hollow-hearted, not worth keeping
Are promises not worth making
Trust in me
Hear these words as fresh as morningsong
Breathe with me
Drawing air to cleanse the baneful lung
And exit wearied haunts of the skeptic
For I can make you whole again
For I can make you new
Look to me
Envision sights that greet the waking eye
Focusing upon a face unmarred by yesterdays
And enter into this as the sleeping, without fear
Without suspicion
Won't you let me dream of writing every single wrong?
Dream of righting them all
I dream of righting every wrong
Of erasing them all
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15. |
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Watching Through Darkness
Asleep in shadow of fallen idols
For they hadn't answers worth believing
I Need an Angel to take my hand
And lead me in time of doubt and grieving
And I'm watching through darkness
I see the light gone out...
I fought the dying to save my life
When there wasn't life inside worth saving
A watching angel so beautiful
I couldn't have seen with eyes alone
And watching through darkness
She'd seen the light gone out...
And I close my eyes as I lie my head back
Stretch my arms out
And I'm letting go as I fall towards you
I'd let me soul go with you
If you would take it
I fought the dying to save my life
When there wasn't life inside worth saving
A watching angel took my hand
And led me in time of doubt and grieving
And I'm draining the poison
To drink the heaven through me...
And I close my eyes as I lie my head back
Stretch my arms out
And I'm letting go as I fall towards you
I'd let me soul go with you
And I close my eyes as I lie my head back
Stretch my arms out
And I'm letting go as I fall towards you
I'd let me soul go with you
If you would take it
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16. |
What You Became (2021)
05:05
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What You Became
You've grown into this faceless mask and empty shell
And, like a ghost of your indulgence, you wear them well.
Still haunting something, by your own hand, lost
And you shiver with the chilling sense
You've saved nothing for yourself…
The lies, the games,
Devoid of guilt or shame
Now you resent what you became
And the reality of only you to blame
You wander through each desperate hour and numbered day
And long to hold each wasted moment spent in vain
Still missing something you've slain so recklessly
And ignored it through shortsightedness
The thought that someday you might care
The lies, the games,
Devoid of guilt or shame
Now you resent what you became
And the reality of only you to blame
Now you resent what you became
And the reality of only you to blame
You've grown into this faceless mask and empty shell
And, like a ghost of indulgence, you wear them well
Still haunting something, by your own hand, lost
And you shiver with the chilling sense
You've saved nothing…
Nothing for yourself…
Now you resent what you became
And the reality of only you to blame
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17. |
Release (2021)
05:12
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Release
For forever living in
For forever dying in
The shadow of a killing cross
Born and held accountable
Sworn to bear the burden, now
For sinful nails
Driven deep
But I can't be responsible
For having done the unthinkable
And won't...
No, I won't play that role
For forever living in
For forever dying in
The shadow of a killing cross
Born and held accountable
Sworn to bear the burden, now
For sinful nails
Driven deep
But I can't be responsible
For having done the unthinkable
And won't...
No, I won't play that role
For forever living in
For forever dying in
The ashes of a smoldering cross
Born and held accountable
Sworn to bear the burden, now
For shameful hands
Which held the flame
But I can't be responsible
For changing the unchangeable
And won't...
Don't, to ourselves, we owe release?
With rusted chains
We incarcerate and cage ourselves
Cease
We patronize and crucify
And kill ourselves
We seduce the past
And draw it close
And hold it tight
And never let it go
Until we hurt ourselves
And hate ourselves
And blame ourselves again
Again...
No, we can't be responsible
For bearing the unbearable
And won't...
Don't, to ourselves, we owe release?
With rusted chains
We incarcerate and cage ourselves
Cease
We patronize and crucify
And kill ourselves
We seduce the past
And draw it close
And hold it tight
And never let it go
Until we hurt ourselves
And hate ourselves
And blame ourselves again
Again...
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18. |
Far Too Long (2021)
05:43
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Far Too Long
We have pretended far too long
Ignoring far too much
Accountability long overdue
We have neglected far too long
Assuming far too much
Hoping our ignorance will see us through
We have hated far too long
Hurting far too much
Feelings of compassion stripped away
We have followed far too long
Denying far too much
Responsibility has gone astray
I hope in my heart of hearts
With all my soul and mind
That it's not irreversible
That this isn't all there is
We have accused for far too long
Blaming far too much
Never really able to accept
We have doubted far too long
Distrusting far too much
Our contempt leaves no room for empathy
I hope in my heart of hearts
With all my soul and mind
That it's not irreversible
That this isn't all there is
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19. |
Brotherhood? (2021)
07:25
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Brotherhood?
For all of our wandering,
We've still so far to go
For all of our questioning,
We've still the need to know...
Are we still the frightened child?
Are we still the angered youth?
Or are we old before our time?
Are we getting any closer to the truth?
We're force-fed reasoning
Yet, still can make no sense
The mind misses the point
Blind in its arrogance
Should we build a "better way"?
With whatever we can find?
If, in turn, it means we lose ourselves?
Should we force a common mind?
We're weaned on empathy
To satisfy our doubt
While attempts at unity
Have scattered us about
Should we invent a "common bond"?
Through means misunderstood?
Or are we simply widening the gaps?
Should we force a brotherhood?
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