Shadows in the Mountain
Song info: this song is about the Order of Assassins that was founded in 1090. It is from them that the term "assassins" comes from. This is the only song I can recall that was recorded in two different days, as I had to pause recording before the second bridge and came back to record the rest a few days later. The music and lyrics were written independently, and decided to pair them while planning the eighth track for "Speak with the Dead". In this song, there's a direct reference to Celtic Frost in the line "And heretics steal the jeweled throne". I'd started giving Celtic Frost a serious listen through during this time and they became a big influence on a couple of the songs on this album, particularly in Conquest of Bosporus.
Lyrics
In the middle eastern mountains we watch As crusaders take to the sands like snakes Control of the holy land is sought And bloody swathes are left in their wake As they and the false branch clash with steel We cut through the night to bring God's will The silent death wrought from our zeal Of our divine duty to kill As scorpions flee from the light Our work is never done in the sun We deliver death without a fight And our witnesses amount to none Our name strikes fear across the land And spreads a bitter chill throughout the night The reaper will guide our hand We assassins that lurk in the sand In the name of Allah And Hassan-i-Sabbah Death upholds the doctrine We, the order of Assassins In our shrouded fortress By our enemies' blood, we are blessed We will slay them for their sins We, the shadows of the mountain As holy wars spread misery Our shadowed blade weaves through the air To release death is our duty One which we will gladly bear As armored knights march in the east And heretics steal the jeweled throne Upon their blood, we will feast And the Old Man's will she be bestowed In the name of Allah And Hassan-i-Sabbah Death upholds the doctrine We, the order of Assassins In our shrouded fortress By our enemies' blood, we are blessed We will slay them for their sins We, the shadows of the mountain |