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Shadowbane

by Runeshard

supported by
lustmord56
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lustmord56 Possibly out Bal-Sagoth-ing Kull, and they have members of Bal Sagoth!!! Superb stuff. Favorite track: Shadowbane.
PKMetal
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PKMetal Don't get me wrong, I love KULL to death. But if you want something that comes even closer to sounding like early Bal-Sagoth, with omnipresent keys and grandiose narrations, you just found it! Favorite track: Altar of the Wyrm.
sagothian77
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sagothian77 It's my most beloved and long awaiting album of the year. Favorite track: Altar of the Wyrm.
Hetairos Hekateros
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Hetairos Hekateros Majestic, bombastic, supreme barbaric epic metal. Runeshard gloriously fill the void Bal-Sagoth left behind. These symphonic, magic-illuminated tracks are the best example of a bright future in the making.
The clarion is heard to awaken the Silver-clad Legions at the Altar of the Dreaming Spire for the Coronation of the new Barbarian Kings... Favorite track: Shadowbane.
obscuur
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obscuur Hungarian epic black metal outfit Runeshard (Bálint Kemény (Hun) and Henry Mahy (UK)) strike back even harder with Shadowbane without surrendering the epic majesty that is their absolute trademark.
I thought it couldn't get even better than on the Dreaming Spire, but they managed to pull it off. Clean production and great compositions: the EP Shadowbane is well worth listening to! 9/10 Favorite track: Altar of the Wyrm.
GGGames
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GGGames Incredible stuff! This is Sword & Sorcery metal the way it was meant to be. Awesome melodies, epic journeys, beautiful vistas capped off with savage attacks. Album of the year material for sure. Favorite track: Altar of the Wyrm.
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1.
2.
The Storyteller: A mountain rose up high from the midst of blackened crags Hither led the path the hunter and his wrath Embraced by hoarfrost he carries on the way 'til the blazonries of sunset wither in dismay The algid bitter cold now bites down to the bone a pyre's lit to shelter the wanderer, so lone. Before dawn could pierce the grim obsidian sky howling could be heard, a savage primal cry. Magister Ralibar-Vooz: I summon thee grim avatar of war, give me the strength to withstand these creatures so foul aid my blade in the task at hand. I summon thee grim avatar of war, give me your power so the Voormis may fall before my might, my blade shall be painted red with blood. The Storyteller: Illusions swirl in the moonlight Sorcery cast under the veil of night The high crags are warped as the arcane takes its toll The grim cries of war fade away, the fires burn down to coal Shadows are gathering in the moonlight Ancient invocations uttered in the dark The hunter arrives as the power takes its hold The spell is broken, the conjunction is void The Sorcerer Ezdagor: Fool! The summoning is broken I waited for a thousand years You shall be placed under my geas Journey to the depth of the mountain, I offer your life, to the dormant gods, for I waited for a thousand years, and you are now placed under my geas. The Storyteller: Illusions swirl in the moonlight Sorcery cast under the veil of night The invocation surrounds the hunter with fell fumes The grim cries of war abound again, as he treads towards his doom Magister Ralibar-Vooz: O, Elder God Tsathoggua, Hear my call great Atlach-Nacha The Elder Gods Tsathoggua and Atlach-Nacha: Your purpose is not what the Eye foresees journey forth with another geas Magister Ralibar-Vooz: Grim sorcerer Haon-Dor, wise scholars of the serpent-men The sorcerer Haon-Dor and the serpent-men: Seek out the Archetypes, they may use you for their profane rites The Storyteller: The hunter was led to a prehistoric fen compelled by spell, his mind shaken, the womb of the world was nothing, but a cruel host A chance to see Commoriom, the last hope is lost Magister Ralibar-Vooz: Hear me out o Archetypes, primogenitors of mankind The Primordial Archetypes: We disown you with indignation, Your presence here's an intrusion Magister Ralibar-Vooz: Abhoth, Lord of Miscreation, grim primordial abomination The Elder God Abhoth: I cast upon you the seventh geas, Seek out the Outer World and end your pleas. Magister Ralibar-Vooz: With the seventh geas cast, My story shall end at last The darkest abyss awaits my fall, From the primal void I hear the call
3.
The Storyteller: Behold, the warhosts of the Imperium are marching to face the last stand of the barbarian kingdom. The mighty heathen keep towering before them in all its brooding majesty! Legion captain Caius Septimus: Encircle the fortress Until the break of dawn There will be no escape These fields will be their graves The Barbarian Kings have long withstood our wrath We storm the gates tomorrow carnage will follow our path King Eadric: We'll die with honour by the steel! Caius Septimus: Unleash fire upon the dogs! King Eadric: Ancestors, grant us courage and strength to defeat the Imperial host! The Storyteller: Brimstone rain fell Arrows darkened the sky Carnage below the gates, Death the men defy The defenders stand tall, but there's no end to the imperial foe As siege towers draw ever closer Death was eager to sow King Eadric: Do not fear darkness, men! We're ready to defend our ways Even if we perish on this day The bards shall sing our names! King Eadric: We'll die with honour by the steel! Caius Septimus: Shatter the heathen dogs! King Eadric: Ancestors, grant us courage and strength… to destroy the Imperial host! The Storyteller: In the mouldy catacombs of the keep Lies an ancient altar to the Draconian Kings Hewn from obsidian in primordial times It guards the Dragonhorn from unworthy eyes It is said that in times of great peril It calls forth the might of the Great Wyrms Upon the foes of the realm of men Breathing fire down upon those who threaten the land When all seemed lost the King delved beneath the keep He knelt before the altar and let his own blood be spilt He summoned forth the dragons from their age-old slumber To wreak havoc in Imperial ranks and tear them asunder. Brimstone rain fell Dragons darkened the sky Carnage out on the fields, Charred remains, broken shields The last defenders sally forth, but there's no end to the imperial foe The howling war-cries are legion And Death cared not for their woes The keep lies in ruins in stillness' frigid grasp The altar of the Wyrm lies buried under dust The last of the free folk never stood a chance The Imperium marches on, the war-hosts advance
4.
Shadowbane 11:03
So long have I walked in the Shadow Realm, so frail Darkness, cold and desolation hounding my trail The last fading embers give no solace to the forlorn Malevolence now plagues the land, a sickness grips the throne Seeds of chaos were sown across the land Malformed scions of the plague hail the withered hand The last bastion of the light has fallen to its demise The wardens were burnt at the stake ensuring chaos' rise As the last of my order, my destiny I claim, To return to the forlorn keep and end darkness' reign The tyranny of undeath can plague this land no more, The last artifact is in my hands thus I shall claim the throne The Sceptre of Righteousness feels heavy in my hands The searing pain dwarfed by the power that it grants I have sworn to seek out the enemy within The final eclipse is imminent, my path shall be grim I will strike down the dread that grips the land I will cleanse this realm, that keeps withering I am sworn to honour the legacy of the lost light It's me and my destiny entwined, only void is by my side As I walk down the Great Hall The veil begins to fall The skeletal king awaits Defiant at the gates The destined hour is finally upon me, my fate shall be decided beyond this foreboding gateway to the grim chamber at the very heart of this accursed fortress! I will strike down the dread that grips the land I will cleanse this realm, that keeps withering I am sworn to honour the legacy of the lost light It's me and my destiny entwined, I'll end this war this night My courage, do not fail me, as I cross over the threshold! The skeletal king stares at the void, light flickers in his eyes, I must end this wretched servant of death and grant him his demise Once a lord of the Imperium so proud in his stance, His copper crown perched jagged on his ancient head The clash of swords, a song of woe pierces the silence deep The hall awakens from its slumber the void swirls around the keep The gargoyles reanimate one by one, red flames light in their eyes A last stand against the king, I'll hold out till sunrise Shadows fall in the wake of the undead king's demise The first rays of the cold blue sun pierce the hoary skies The crumbling keep is embraced by the freezing morning mist A great triumph was sealed by the shattering of the Rift! And as the beams of cleansing light flooded the ancient halls and the forlorn realm of shadow was lost no more, the champion knelt in silence, feeling the last vestige of the undead king within him, festering in all his wounds. Mustering all his strength he closed his grip on the sceptre and stood, he knew his fate is one of exile and loss As he turned his back on the keep and journeyed north, to the lands of eternal frost Destined for solitude The Bane of Shadows falls Exiled from the promised land Salvation by death is at hand A fate of oblivion Glory's but a vain hope A sacrificial pawn Of chaos and order A battle eternal A never-ending struggle Paid with the blood Of the forgotten ones A cycle unbroken Yet countless have fallen The multiversal balance cannot be undone His fate now accepted His legacy lost Craving death Amidst the frost He found his final rest Among the toppled spires Of legends laying frozen Deep beneath the ice And so, my sacrifice condemned me to this icy tomb where I shall remain until the final age of mankind. My legacy borne upon the winds, my land but a distant memory, yet I keep the shadow encased within my ravaged frozen body, and the darkness in my heart for all time!
5.
The Rune Master, at the apex of his lifelong quest: …And as the glimpses of legend are revealed in ancient runes upon the scattered shards of the crystal tablets, I witness the gathering of a vast maelstrom sundering the boreal firmament. The blinding cosmic chaos of the aurora begins to converge, revealing wondrous visions of a long-forgotten age. Suddenly I behold a gleaming citadel spire atop a colossal mountain that shimmers through the mystic haze, beckoning me to awake the dreamer that dwells within. Truly the gods are merciful on this day, for at last I comprehend my true destiny! Without haste I reach out in desperation for the realm beyond, that I have seen for mere moments yet with which I feel such profound affinity… …Alas! Just as the mystical nexus seems at its most potent, the aurora vanishes in a blinding flash, and with it my destiny is left unfulfilled. What dire fate shall become of my master of that mighty citadel now that I have failed him? What cruel manner of divine entity can manifest visions of such majestic splendour, only to seal them away with such haste? My sombre cries go unheard, obscured by the roaring icy gales that soar across the desolate, snow-clad plain. As I steel my heart I reflect upon my purpose. My quest to recover the remaining shards must continue, and thus I shall wander this land until the day I can finally conjure the aethereal nexus once more, and return to that lost kingdom to which I surely belong!

credits

released September 18, 2021

Runeshard are:
Henry Mahy - vocals and narrations
Bálint Kemény - guitars and keyboards

All music composed by Bálint Kemény and Henry Mahy
Lyrics written by Bálint Kemény and Henry Mahy

Recorded and produced by Henry Mahy and Bálint Kemény
Mixed and mastered by Henry Mahy at BattleForge Productions

Artwork by Dan Capp (dancapp.com)
Logo by Gragoth (www.luciferiumwargraphics.com)

Special Thanks to:
Márk Wencler, Zsolt Kemény, Tamás Illés, Lee Rule, Henri Sorvali, Christian Alexander Oppitz, Ádám Gerhes, Tamás Geiszt, László Dudaszeg, Anett Horváth, friends, family and all the legions of the Dreaming Spire.

Our warmest greetings to our bandmates and friends in the epic metal scene:
Sellsword, Elanor, Xoth, Fairyland, Gravespawn, Dwarrowdelf, Númenor, Isatha, Forge

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Runeshard Budapest, Hungary

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