Hortus Animae
The Blow of Furious Winds
1. Chapter One: Furious Winds / Locusts
Time for the burning...
Wings that smolder all futures, with no respect for all beings.
(They) Seethe, like rivers of loathing and foretell the end of mankind.
The verb of rape is spread.
Of torture, scorn for lives.
Burnt grounds along the path where emptiness is found.
Naked trees so lifeless are left by with a dead walk, devouring all the flesh of frails, tears are dried by loss.
Soul-less' sorrows for the worms, carcass is the dwell, left alone, all will is gone and now the earth's undone.
Time for the burning...
Humanity next to death row, then pace to holocaust.
You, grinding creatures moldy, in the void your cries are gone.
As furious winds here come the locusts, the demons of the war.
Decay is now the keyword and it's time for the burning.
Time for the burning...
Wings that smolder all futures, with no respect for all beings.
(They) Seethe, like rivers of loathing and foretell the end of mankind.
Time for the burning.
2. Chapter Two: The Mud And The Blood / Funeral Nation
[The Mud And The Blood]
This walk through an endless path
Of all the obscure shapeless
When life is blood and blood is wrath
Skulls with eyes so senseless
Fire, water, essence of life
Under the skin grow demons and madness
In these godless years of...
Rage: killing, dying...
Yes, we're alone in all mankind
All along this cold eternity
Enduring march with no crosses to bear
All arise from this sepulchre and stop the rest from its womb
Still the godless years are...
I convoke to thee Mephisto, to obtain as a gift what I cannot have by myself, all that remains from thee after waltzing in the dark...
I don't ask for rest, I don't ask for tranquillity (neither body nor the soul), never asked for holiness and neither for thy aid...
One and all were asking (for) this to make thou feel weary.
Give all that remains from thee and nobody asked...
Give me risk, I want inquietude.
Give me torment, I want battle.
Give me uncertainty, I want pain.
Now that I ask, that I have the strength.
Just give me that, once and for all.
Raging on...
The crusade and the grandeur.
With the blow of furious winds in our hearts
Lucubrate the (he)art of murder.
Raging fuckin' on...
While the demons are growing and the godless years shall never be brought to an end (and the weak ones now lay down slain in the mud and the blood...).
[Funeral Nation]
The halls of infinity I walk, in shapeless body.
Walls of silence overwhelm me, in an ocean of white my soul is black.
Silent tombs where spirits do not sleep, are waiting for the coming, in these graves the slumber is restless, in my insomniac tomb I shall be back.
3. Chapter Three: The Heartfelt Murder
In a slow dance, we're proceeding, into this ritual... of stillness.
As if no fate... is waiting, we are down... on our knees, melting down...
With closed eyes... we see it, this downfall... implacable.
As if no prayer... may save us, in calm... we mourn...
Crumbling...
Which truth does stand for all... now?
Let us stare... to nothing.
The hopeless ones... are gathering, so please... bring flowers, decomposing...
So, I entered the room, with my cold knife I murdered all of you, for I love you more than myself
4. Chapter Four: The Virgin Whore
In a still vision, of chains and pain, she is the grinder, the dawn is hers.
There's no permission to enter back, so flesh is weak and breathless yet.
A mute awakening of blood and knife, the cage that whispers after a frightened night.
The spell is cast, new light that shines, her touch is poison and closed be eyes.
She's the ghost that haunts forever - half creator, half destroyer.
In the hands of the adorer - half creator, half destroyer.
Behold the movement and keep the secret, then light a candle, have no regrets.
A growing hunger, a passion's play, she is the hunter, mistress of decay.
So please walk softly and breathe in silence, because she's next to your own step.
Indulge with pain, the ache of heart, she is the teacher of how death is art.
She's the ghost that haunts forever - half creator, half destroyer.
In the hands of the adorer - half creator, half destroyer.
She's the beast that loves you more, come on and face the virgin whore.
5. Chapter Five: In Adoration Of The Weeping Skies
The weeping skies...
Oh, drowned in such sweetness, feeling the emptiness of moments, I cannot breathe because of my stupor in seeing things not every time new...
Like falling rain, every drop touching my soul...
Like the pure snow, falling with any control...
Like falling rain, every drop touching my soul... Touching my soul...
And I feel the chosen one.
And I feel divinities' first son.
And I feel the chosen one.
Ah!
The weeping skies...
Dark stormy winds
Grass devouring me.
The air so mild
Leaves devouring me.
Spirits of nature, so kind
Trees devouring me.
Am I still the chosen one?
Blood, flowing like a delicate stream and tears tasted sweet and bitter at the same time.
I feel the fresh caress of the wind touching my delicate skin, it's strange to feel emotions like these... I'm born and born again...
And I cry as I stand mournful anymore and think that I could slowly die without any pain and reach the beauty of spirits in search for a soul companion of some form...
And I feel the chosen one...
All that remains is me, adoring the skies, the weeping skies!
Oh, let me drink from them...
Everything's into me and I still feel the chosen one...
6. Chapter Six: Across The Sea Of Pain
Memories of an old mariner carved on a rotten table of the ancient vessel.
Memories on the rotten table...
I carved in these words throughout journeys round the world, to remember happiness, sorrow and solitude.
A life-long sorrow spent ploughing the seas, witnessing souls depart, landing from port to port.
I have learned the cultures of the world, from past and future, all the rotten kingdoms.
I have savoured love, envy, revenge (Memories of the rotten table...)
I have seen the worlds' prisons and I have seen the unexplored islands, I have seen my shipmates' death and now I sail alone...
And now I'm sailing through this stormy sea and now I'm sailing across an ocean, enraged.
By its waves I rise and offer my total demise, I'll feed this last storm with the shadows of my life.
Now I sail alone and listen to the silence of this sea of pain, water everywhere.
I am adrift, there is no wind, death is the storm destined to fall on the vessel.
A seagull consumes our last provisions, no stopping it as death draws near (Memories of the rotten table...)
I'll perish soon, the vessel will sink with me, sink with me and all of my knowledge.
These memories will be carried by the waves who knows where, who knows who, will find them and by whom they'll be read.
But now farewell, the silence calls me to this sea of pain forever.
In this stormy sea the waves carry me on, a-hoy!
They carry me to drift across the sea of pain, or come to save me, save me but pity me not and by the waves I'll take a breath to penetrate the storm (storm) and drift across the sea of pain, I care not for salvation, so leave me to die and leave me forever...
7. Chapter Seven: Bible Black
Step by step on through the void through these veins of rust we wander.
Among the shadows of life I'm scared of ghosts yet to come, all the ruins of past times as dark caress they touch my skin.
Oh, this long unbounded journey, is it still the path of mourning?
They teach their stories, like babies crying, as howling winds, ferocious and undying.
Like a lullaby comes the true story of gloom that brings the glory, silent dirge is welcomed now, we close in circles and fall down.
We cry out blood, dance hypnotized, we embrace the void and face this night.
Let us all be dressed in this inner state of corrosion...
A wall of faces beholds me in my walk, respectfully in silence.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men that from ancient times in human-souls has dwell.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men, erase all humans.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead, whose grandiose sleep by hopeless lives is fed.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead!
In dark black pages path is shown, what once was sure is now unknown, every tear it feeds the engine, every drop of blood's divine.
Bow down before them, adore their shades, they'll make us hunters, they'll let us prey.
Let us all be dressed in this inner state of corrosion...
A wall of faces beholds me in my walk, respectfully in silence.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men, that from ancient times in human-souls has dwell.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men, erase all humans.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead, whose grandiose sleep by hopeless lives is fed.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead.
Turn the page of fate as darkness feeds our hate.
The heart that pulses in my cold and rusted cage, is now black as night and pitch, as the book that wears the mark.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men, that from ancient times in human-souls has dwell.
HORNS!
All hail the evil in men, erase all humans.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead, whose grandiose sleep by hopeless lives is fed.
HORNS!
All hail the glorious dead!
The soul I used to wear as a fancy clothe of guilt, is erased or sold or something, maybe rotting in the mist.
A wall of faces beholds me in my walk, respectfully in silence.
With a smile I face the torment, through my flesh I live my hell, for the knife I used to hold from my hand it fell down onto the ground, it's the stain that now I wear, it's the fault I want to bear.
Step by step on through the void of this long unbounded journey, I reach its end and take a breath, the wicked shadows of my memories embrace me once again.
And so now my blackened heart forged with hate and will for vengeance will forever rest in peace.
8. Chapter Eight: A Gothic Ghost / The Death Of All Beauty
Oh how hurting was the touch, lived as an omen of farewell... greyness fell upon an already darkened dream, when never seen the sorrow, when never seen the pain.
Now we face the walk all through the garden, blood red flowers gathered round...
In a sorrowful embrace we won't fear the thorns, we won't fear the pain...
Let us walk towards the light, call it destiny or fate...
And the wounds, let them be opened, 'cause the stream that flows is love and the stream that flows is hate...
No existing beauty has ever had a brighter shine than thine.
Now you fade away.
Like sand from my hand, you slip away.
9. Chapter Nine: Garden Of Fairies
Lost in the woods, a world unseen, she came to me, the fairy queen.
So frozen eyes enlighten my path, the strangest eyes I've ever met.
Yes, the fairy queen, she came to me, to reveal to me all her poetry.
Heaven burned in my cold eyes, for the touch of her I'd lose my life...
Oh fairy queen, reveal to me, I'm not the one I used to be, within these walls I'm caged by thee, my soul's forgotten into your fields.
Now I've got my queen, she dances with me and all the flowers all around me are brighter then the light, I see.
Now I walk around in her malicious paradise and golden cages and golden paths surround me.
I've never been lost in such splendour, I am so far gone and dancing in the light again...
And now that I face this I realize I'm losing the light.
It's cold in this marble walled room and as I sit twisted here with your nails brutally pierced in my flesh, full of torment I stay awake, full of torment I taste my pain, full of stupor I see your face.
The whole I gave, the whole you took and in the cathedral of lust where our prayers are consumed, it's colder.
Under our shroud of passion my blood's becoming yours, under our shroud of passion my soul's becoming...
YOURS!
When... I reach... the abyss, your cruel paradise still expects.
The distance... between us...
I'd kill...
As I need your embrace once again.
The touch of your poisonous lips through my weak mortal shell, come to me, while I sleep, your serpent kiss is my hell.
Now... I... Stay... Here... Gold... Turns... To rust... And fear... I... Behold... The mist... Appear... I... Just want... To disappear...
Now my beloved queen's no more with me, the flowers grey and the dark sets all over.
I'm alone and useless now in this malicious paradise, no one can see me as I travel so hopeless.
I'll never see again so much splendour, the day is far gone and fallen is the night once more.
So now that I can see me I realize I'll never more behold the light.
(Torments and furies of the human soul narrated in nine heart-rending stories)
- an opus conceived by HORTUS ANIMAE -
Sleaszy Rider Records, 2005
Hortus Animae:
Martyr Lucifer - Screaming, growling and clean voices. Bass, samples.
Hypnos - 6 and 7 strings lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars.
Bless - Keyboards, backing clean vocals and lead vocals on "Nevermore" (bonus track).
GroM - Drums and percussion. Growls on "Adoration".
Amon 418 - Guitars, synth.
"The Blow Of Furious Winds" was recorded, mixed and mastered at Alpha / Omega Studios (Como, Italy) by Alessandro Azzali in November 2004 and February 2005.
All guitars on this album were performed by Hypnos.
"Die" choir on "The Heartfelt Murder" by Martyr Lucifer, GroM and Alex Azzali.
Violin on "Adoration", "Gothic Ghost" and "Bible Black" performed by Moonbeam of Iblis.
Vocals on "Summoning Of The Muse" by Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull, courtesy of Leaves' Eyes / Napalm Records. Recorded at Mastersound Studio (Fellbach, Germany) by Alexander Krull (bonus track).
Reproduced dialogue on "Gothic Ghost" taken from "Memento", courtesy of Columbia Tristar.
"Windfall introducing Summoning Of The Muse" was originally released on the Black Lotus Records album "Tribute To Dead Can Dance / The Lotus Eaters" (bonus track).
Produced by Alessandro Azzali & Hortus Animae.
Band-photos by Barbara Lisi.
Models: Bebe (throat-cut girl), Gloria (headless bride), Cristina (head), Stefy Witch (stabbed girl), Gaia (throat-cut girl 2).
Costumes by Lady Camelot / Rimini
Band-photo's location kindly offered by Gallo at Osteria del Vizio (RN).
Front-cover, artwork and layout by Fabio Timpanaro
"Making Of" video-track accomplished by Alessandro Durelli (bonus track).
GroM uses PAISTE cymbals and IDEAS FOR DRUMMERS custom sticks.
Music by Hortus Animae / Lyrics by Martyr Lucifer, except:
The Mud And The Blood (Music by Hortus Animae / Lyrics by Martyr Lucifer and Jacek Moszynski).
Across The Sea Of Pain (Music by Lorenzo Bartolini, Hortus Animae / Lyrics by Thomas, Martyr Lucifer and GroM).
In Adoration Of The Weeping Skies (Music by Lorenzo Bartolini, Hortus Animae / Lyrics by Martyr Lucifer).
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke / Nevermore (Music and lyrics by F. Mercury). (bonus track)
Windfall & Summoning Of The Muse (Written by B. Perry and L. Gerrard) (bonus track).
Lyrics in plain text format
