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Американские прогрессив-пауэрщики Halcyon Way четыре года пребывали в молчании, а в 2014 году сбросили на слушателей настоящую бомбу. Эти годы не прошли зря для группы, которая буквально во всех аспектах поднялась и усовершенствовалась, результатом чего стал практически идеальный во всех отношениях диск, почти который можно даже назвать шедевром. Открывающей визитной карточкой «Conquer» стала шикарная мистическая, а возможно даже и апокалипсическая обложка авторства Тревиса Смита (Iced Earth, Nevermore и др.), демонстрирующая всю глубину и выразительность его художественного таланта. Думаю, у любителей физических копий при одном взгляде на это произведение искусства сразу же должны чесаться руки. Продюсировали альбом гитарист самих Halcyon Way - Jon Bodan и некий Lasse Lammert, в результате чего у них получился мощный, чистый и современный звук, который отлично подошёл такому же мощному и современному материалу. Предыдущие альбомы Halcyon Way были модерновыми и с влиянием экстремальных элементов (бластбиты и скриминг), но на «Conquer» они стали более изящными и более гармоничными. Все эти фишки придали перчинки музыкальному материалу, который и без того оказался очень эмоциональным и цепляющим в мелодическом плане. И вообще материал выдался хитовым, сильным и оставляющим уже после первого прослушивания исключительно позитивные и яркие впечатления. Меня поразили своей цепкостью такие песни, как «Home» и «The Poisoned Apple», которые даже в плане текстов оказались весьма интересны. Возможно «Conquer» не был бы настолько захватывающим, если бы не впечатляющий вокалист Steve Braun, напоминающий своим высоким вокалом Йоакима Канса (HammerFall). Стив немало добавил вокальной мелодики и общего настроения от своей прошлой прог-метал группы Ashent, и всё это пошло только на пользу музыке Halcyon Way. В итоге, мир прог-пауэра озолотился одной из лучших своих работ! |
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Wake up, for you remain
You've got to burn it down!
[Chorus:]
When your flesh betrays you
You've got to rise above
When your blood forsakes you
This fire will be enough
When your cup runs over
This is not a drill
Prepare for battle
You go in for the kill
You've got to conquer
You've got to burn it down
You'll make it suffer
You burn it down to the ground
You've got to conquer
You've got to burn it down
You'll make it suffer
You burn it down to the ground
I know it's cold outside
And I've seen the signs
These days are all that's left
So cling to what you find
2. Web Of Lies
With winded souls they seize the day
Beaten men will speak in shame
To bitter end they seek defeat
To crush and tear the weak
[Pre-chorus:]
You speak and the emptiness escapes
You speak and you spread your stain
You speak and open fire again
You speak, but your words are blanks
[Chorus:]
Every time that I arise
I scale that peak with my mind
As you spin the web of your lies
(but you won't hold me back!)
Every day I start again
I will climb and not descend
You spin the web of your lies
(but you won't hold me back!)
With dirty hearts they spread disdain
Hollow men with marks of Cain
They try to purge their souls of blame
Scorch the earth and tap the vein
You will - You will not hold me back
You will - You will not hold me back
3. Conceived In Torment
I won't take no for an answer
I will not retreat or concede
I will embrace the struggle
Crushing all that impedes me
I will not waste my chances
They will not pass me by
I will seize the moment
Until the day I die
[Chorus:]
March through the adversity
Break through the walls
In torment we're conceived
We climb; you crawl
In time it'll be revealed
We won't take the fall
In torment we're conceived
We climb, you crawl
Born from pain - this is my proclamation!
Born from pain - we will not be denied!
You can never stop me
I will not be denied
As the sun will rise tomorrow
And the certainty of tides
This is my proclamation!
We will not be denied!
Born from pain
Conceived in torment
In faith and flames
With blistered hands we engage
4. Home
My home I run to
Where all my dreams were born
Is this the final moment of which you're tethered to?
Broken dreams out of focus
Is this what's left of you?
In the camera eye you're drifting
Your will is severed through
It's not enough
You fade to memory
It's not enough
You crown the fool
My home I run to
Where all my dreams were born
I hope I find it
Before I lose my faith
Blood shot eyes and weary whispers become your trademark form
Conquered mind with no spark
Is this what's left of you?
The fool with scorn is crowned in worship
Fires once burned bright are dim
It's not enough
You fade to memory
It's not enough
You crown the fool
[2x]
My home I run to
Where all my dreams were born
I hope I find it
Before I lose my faith
When the path is washed away
Into a crowd of weary souls
Hearts of stone, the truth untold
Fools crowned in worship
When the path is washed away
Into a crowd of weary souls
Hearts of stone, the truth untold
Fools crowned in worship and scorn
[2x]
My home I run to
Where all my dreams were born
I hope I find it
Before I lose my faith
All my dreams were born
5. World Comes Undone
You're drawn to conflict
And destined to fade
Grasping insignificance
The deal is made
Leave the world hanging
Wait for the sun to rise
Or is the sun setting
On your lack of compromise?
Face your desolation
Sing your revelation
[Chorus:]
Once you were heaven sent but I see what you've become
Now watch in terror as your world comes undone
Slave to your master like a drug you can't resist
You invite disaster and your world comes undone
You dream of power
Over minds and men
You invite the fracture
Like a moth to the flame again
Spewing out your failure
Trapped in your maze again
Sing your revelation
Scream it out from within
Waiting on the sun to chase away the night
Searching but afraid to see what's in the light
Your mind is not your own
Controlled by those you know
Like a puppet on a string
Or is it a noose from which you swing?
Face your desolation
Sing your revelation
6. Militant
Unto this conviction
Unto this state of mind
Unto this decision
A new kingdom will arise
[Pre-chorus:]
In force we move ahead
With steel in our spine
We will forsake these times
Which seek to destroy our lives
[Chorus:]
Militant - Where there is will, there's strength
Militant - I've come to realize the path is straight
Militant - Where there is will, there's strength
Militant - I've come to realize... you are the one!
Warlike - No peace
Militant, we shall be unleashed
When there is attrition
When there is only one
When there is recognition
You will embrace the gun
7. Hatred Is My Cause
You think that I'm a fool
Cause I speak my mind
But you're not fooling me
Use your weakness as a crutch
For everyone to see
Look deep inside yourself
Gaze in the mirror and you'll see
Why I hate you so openly
Hate in one hand, fist for the other
[Chorus:]
Hatred is my cause
Through the flames I carry on
When the ravens fly
Your kingdom will crumble
Hatred is my cause
Through the flames I carry on
When the ravens fly
Your kingdom will crumble down
I'm not sorry that I called you out
Or made you cry and weep
Your life's a tragic game
A sad story
Never been the one to cast a stone
But baby that's just me
Cause I hate you so openly
Hate in one hand, fist for the other
I am the underdog with fangs out
I am the underdog
8. The Poisoned Apple
There is strength in numbers
In this world the count is one
Seize all the days you're given
Where the wounded souls are lifted up
In our hearts we seek out heaven
With our wings we fly above
We deny the reasons given
Which keep our souls bottled up
[Chorus:]
So consume the poisoned apple
Eat from the tree
Repair the broken dreams
Offer up the failed promises
I'm broken and sorry
Sacrifice your everything
When hands shake and shiver
When our fears prove too much
When our minds are pushed to the limit
Our wounded souls are lifted up
You've got to stay alive
You've got to stay awake
This is your do or die and this is the choice you make
You've got to realize
There is a price you pay
Cause if you wave the flag then it'll be your last mistake
Anything to kill the pain
A bitter pill to feed the dream
Sometimes the poison is the cure
So eat from the tree
9. Save Your Tears
You revel in your misery
Bathe in the sympathy
You long for attention
In your tragic comedy
[Pre-chorus:]
Beg for intervention
A vow of tragedy
Sell us your infection
Spreading your disease!
[Chorus:]
Save your tears for another day
Sell it to the world but I won't pay
Save your tears for another day
The parody concludes and we clear the slate
Save your tears - save it for another day
Save your tears - save it for another day
Enveloped in self loathing
Adorned in gilded pain
Brainwashed for a purpose
In dissonance you reign
10. Every Second Counts
[USA Bonus Track]
10. Unbroken
You are the saint and I am the sinner
As I dance in the fire of your betrayal
The lines are drawn no more will I suffer
You are the saint and I am the sinner
[Chorus:]
You want us broken but we stand tall
With the strength of a thousand we hold
In the shadows you shall recall
And when you kneel then you will know (I am the sinner)
You are the saint and I am the sinner
In perfect existence, you're left all alone
It was you who lived in my world
You are the saint and I am the sinner
When it's over and gone
And I reach the end of all my trying
I'll carry on, living out what I believe
As the stage is set
The whole world is laid before me
There nothing could ever pull me away
11. King Of Ruin
In weakness you assert your strength
In blindness you see the way
Of desolation you sow the seeds
You will harvest them in vain
[Pre-chorus:]
Teach them with your fists
The future repeats today
Hide your violent struggles
Instruct them on your pain
[Chorus:]
You wrap yourself in sorrow
You shelter from the shame
You - you're the king of ruin
On your throne of pain
In bleakness you, you project your shame
Reassessing you, you shift the blame
In damnation, terror displayed
You will gather in the flames
You could wrap yourself in sorrow
You could take shelter in your shame
We could crown you king of ruin
You can sit on your throne as the king of pain
12. Eviscerate The Morning Sun
With every breath some strive to control
With every thought some plot to escape
With every fear we fail to hold
Small deaths suffered every day
[Pre-chorus:]
You try to tamp it down
You have to stomp it out
They fight, they speak, they will not listen
They want to tear it down
They want to burn it out
You look away and then dismiss them
[Chorus:]
What is this that we have done?
Empowered the feeble man
Eviscerate the morning sun
Embrace of the new day to come
What is this that we have done?
We feast on the ashes of man
Obliterate what you've become
And wait on the new day to come
Some blame the ones who call the shots
Some blame the ones with hands held out
We've lost grip on reality
And the way we used to be
Hate - Lust - Take
Eviscerate the morning sun