Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider

Πριν απο 21 χρόνια,  το 1991, την 1η του Νοέμβρη, οι μέγιστοι Iced Earth κυκλοφόρησαν το Night Of The Stormrider....-ακόμα ένα πολύ αγαπημένο...-

Θυμάμαι που ο φίλος μου ο Ανδρέας είχε πάρει την κασέτα -φρέσκια-φρέσκια- και με κάλεσε σπίτι του να την ακούσουμε.. και μαντέψτε... την "ακούσαμε"...

Τι ήταν αυτό ΘΕΕ μου;;;

Την εποχή εκείνη ήμουν 13 ετών... είχα ακούσει κάτι Kill Em All, Arise, Agent Orange, Seasons In The Abyss κτλ. αλλά αυτό που άκουσα απο το μαγνητόφωνο του Ανδρέα ήταν.............απερίγραπτο....

Πρώτη μου φορά ένιωσα δέος...

Πρώτη μου φορά με συνεπήρε αυτή η μαγεία του Schaffer στα κιθαριστικά μέρη του...

Θυμάμαι κρατούσα τους στίχους στα χέρια μου και ίδρωναν οι παλάμες μου, απο την ιστορία, απο την εξέλιξη...

Ξεδιπλωνόταν ολόκληρη η ιστορία μπροστά μου...

Για όσους δεν γνωρίζουν να σας πω ότι ο δίσκος είναι ο δεύτερος σε κυκλοφορία των Iced Earth και ο πρώτος που καταπιάνεται ολοκληρωτικά με κάποιο θέμα...

Ή όπως λένε στο χωριό μου Concept Album...

Με τι καταπιάνεται λοιπόν αυτός ο δίσκος;;;

Αναφέρεται σε εναν άνδρα ο οποίος νιώθει προδομένος απο την θρησκεία του και καθώς απογοητευμένος και θυμωμένος απομακρύνεται απο αυτή, έρχονται οι σκοτεινές δυνάμεις για να τον χειραγωγήσουν και να τον στρέψουν εναντίον ολόκληρης της ανθρωπότητας. Παίρνει διαταγή να ταξιδέψει στην έρημο και εκεί αφού βλέπει οράματα και του γίνεται μια πλύση εγκεφάλου, γίνεται ο Stormrider, αυτός που θα κυριέψει τον κόσμο. Στο τέλος του πολέμου μεταφέρεται μπροστά στους κριτές της ψυχής του και τον καταδικάζουν αιώνια στα βάθη στης Κολάσεως. Εκεί αντιλαμβάνεται τι έχει κάνει και πως χρησιμοποιήθηκε απο τις σκοτεινές δυνάμεις, κι ενώ μετανιώνει για το τι έκανε γνωρίζει ότι πλέον δεν μπορεί να κάνει απολύτως τίποτα...

Όλη αυτή η ιστορία ντύνεται ιδανικά με την μουσική ιδιοφυΐα του αρχηγού της μπάντας Jon Schaffer...

Κι έτσι μας μένει στα χέρια ένα διαμάντι...

Το tracklist αυτού του υπέροχου δίσκου είναι η εξής:

1. Angels Holocaust
2. Stormrider
3. The Path I Choose
4. Before the Vision
5. Mystical End
6. Desert Rain
7. Pure Evil
8. Reaching the End
9. Travel in Stygian

Και οι παίχτες που έφεραν εις πέρας την αποστολή είναι οι εξής:

Jon Schaffer - κιθάρα

John Greely - φωνητικά

Randall Shawver - κιθάρα

Dave Abell - μπάσο

Rick Secchiari - τύμπανα



Η βαθμολογία μου:

Παραγωγή : 5/10

Δίσκος 10/10

Εξώφυλλο 8/10


Για τους μη-μυημένους είναι ένα δύσκολο άκουσμα...το μόνο που μπορείτε να ακούσετε είναι το Reaching The End... Οι πιο τολμηροί μπορείτε να ακούσετε τα Angels Holocaust και Stormrider -αυτά πάνε πάντα μαζί- και τέλος το Pure Evil

Για μένα αγαπημένα είναι... ΟΛΑ τα τραγούδια...

Οι υπόλοιποι

n'joy


 1. Angels Holocaust

As I walk through the blackened forest
Thoughts of hate and anger fill my soul
The charred remains of the holy rollers
Scream repentance though it's far too late

I fight back the laughter at what I see
The suffering healers false destined prophecy

He didn't think yesterday of the end of his life
The brainwashed fools born again of a thousand lies

Hate filled screams break the silence
Terrifying dreams filling up your head
Blasphemy thrusting out, in the masses it reigns
The mask of hypocrisy is slowly unveiled

Fear the angels holocaust, they're screaming
Dreams of pain forever entering your head
Death and hatred loathing, on mankind it feeds
Earth is dead and gone now, we've brought it to an end

For the last time I've been betrayed
Never again will I subject myself to this hypocrisy
Something is drawing me to the other side
Only time will tell my true destiny

2. Stormrider 

As I travel through the astral plains
I see the break ahead
As though the sky has burst in flames
Before the storm I dread
Lightning breaks across the sky
Blackish blue at night
Riders ride on dismal clouds
I scream at heavens light

Storming demons travel through the night
The time is almost here
I lay in a jacket of steel
My scream no one hears

I can feel the storm approaching
The pain is its' reality
The death I breathe is in the air
I feel no more, no longer care

The trumpets sound as I break free
This vision I see just can't be me
What is this that I have done
Why am I the chosen one

Fight on, grab on
Stormrider
Stormrider

Now the rider rides through the night
The time is almost here
As I lay wrapped in steel
My scream no one hears

Help me, through this hell inside
My life's my own, it's my pride
Carry on my solid dream
Save me from this horrid scream

Fight on, grab on
Stormrider
Stormrider

3. The Path I Choose

During the last rays of the sacred moon
I walk the desolate terrain cold and all alone
The rider came to me a black tornado, a violent mass
The cloud of evil rose, now I'm marked for all time

Temptation befell me
Darkness is calling for me
This is the path that I choose
This is the path that I choose

Forced power besieged in me
Showing visions of what will be
Now obsessed with my fate
I must go forth and conquer

The chosen one to lead the pack
This boiling hate has risen
From the depths of my blackened heart
This madness is my destiny

Temptation befell me
Darkness is calling for me
This is the path that I choose
This is the path that I choose


4. Before the Vision

Go now, into the plains
Seek out, the answers you'll find
Visions will be shown to you
At night by the lit desert moon

Be strong, ride forth in pride
Our destiny, lies in your hands
Visions will be shown to you
You're truly his chosen one

 5. Mystical End

On the plains of the desert
A murmured cry was heard
From the echoes of a wind song
Singing of a word

The word of the land begotten
Is very seldom taught
To natives of the desert
Which tribes of old have sought

Way up in the sky the sun is burning bright
All the natives screaming, screaming to be free
The teachings of a wasted life and a darker death
The burning sun is turning black falling from the sky

As the moon fades away
And the sun turns black
The darkest fall from the sky
Prepared for their attack
In the dawning hour
The doom and destruction begins
Inside the natives minds
It seems it never ends
At once the sun turns back
And the battle stops
Everyone's in grave danger
Except for those of the dead
For the one who shall deceive us
Is the one...

On the day of the night things were always well
But on the night of the light all night things fell
Thrown into the pit you hear the natives scream
The legend lives on in the Sun God's eye


6. Desert Rain

The sympathy in my mind is growing cold
Life is like the burning sand so I'm told
The time is coming near when solitude appears
Take the chains of oppression away

Through the sands of time I'm marching on
The blistering rays of hate strengthen me
The violent mass has shown my destiny
Does all of this justify the rage inside

The desert rain is changing me
It's called on me to rise

A world of hate and malice
Yes, that's the way it seems
The hour glass is running out
The serpent rides with me

We shall rise and conquer
Crushing all that's weak
All that's light is burning out
The serpent rides with me

7. Pure Evil

 

 

 

Cannons pound into the night
Angels soar into the sky
The battle rages on
Deliverance unholy one

The seeds of hate fly tonight
Good and evil light the sky
Another vision from inside
I know it's wrong I can't deny

For seven years I have reigned
In this damned and desolate hell
Now I've lived the masters vengeance
It saved me from myself

We paint the sky with blood tonight
Setting free the damned to fight
The whore of Babylon is here
The end of the storm is near

Pure evil
Feel the pain from the jackals wrath
Pure evil
Dance in flames for the final quest

Hear the ghost of violence
Fear the God of detriment

The land on earth is soaked with blood
Hear the screams of the helpless ones
Axes yield and daggers fly
Ripping through all flesh in sight

We paint the sky with blood tonight
Setting free the damned to fight
The whore of Babylon is here
The end of the storm is near

 

8. Reaching the End

 

 

 

Now I feel that I've reached the end
And the end of my quest is close at hand
What have I done
I've reached the end
And as my life slowly fades away
There's not one single thing that I'd change
What have I done
I've reached the end

9. Travel in Stygian

 

 

 

Through the flames I watch
As you plead on your knees
The reaper awaits

The ride that you take
Through the lake, lake of flames
Will decide your fate

Was all of it worth eternal pain
The path you chose to live in vain
The river Styx is calling your number
The hot winds of Hell breathe your name

On the night that it came to me
It was like nothing I'd ever seen
A vision darker than death itself
A violent cloud straight from the depths of hell
And that's when I saw my destiny
As it approached I was frozen still
I couldn't move, couldn't scream for help
Out of the darkness it reached for me
And that's when it planted the evil seed
And that's when I saw my destiny

Travel in Stygian
The damned scream my name
Travel in Stygian
I can't repent it's too late
Travel in Stygian
Hot winds blow upon me
Travel in Stygian
No remorse it's too late

The henchman awaits you
Yes that's right, step aboard
We have a very long journey
You owe us
You got what you wanted
In your mortal life
Now your soul is in our grasp
It's time

Riding on the hot winds of hell
Traveling down in the ship of pain
I chose this fate no turning back
The river Styx has called for me.