Tuesday 18 February 2014

Raping the darkness, d-d-death by his side

So I have had the misfortune to hear Marillion's SEVENTEEN minute long song 'Grendel'. About one minute in I couldn't help but be reminded of Spinal Tap's 'Stonehenge' (except at least that's actually good). Apologies in advance to any Marillion fans. Let's agree to disagree.





Grendel: 


I. Heorot's plea and Grendel's awakening 

Midnight suns bid moors farewell, retreats from charging dusk 
Mountain echo, curfews bell, signal ending tasks 
They place their faith in oaken doors, cower in candlelight 
The panic seeps through bloodstained floors as Grendel stalks the night 

Earth rim walker seeks his meals 
Prepare the funeral pyres 
The shaper's songs no longer heal the fear 
Within their eyes, their eyes 


Wooden figures, pagan gods, stare blindly cross the sea 
Appeal for help from ocean fogs, for savior born of dreams 
They know their lives are forfeit now, priestly head they bow in shame 
They cannot face the trembling crowd that flinch in Grendel's name 

Earth rim walker seeks his meals 
Prepare the funeral pyres 
The shaper's songs no longer heal the fear 
Within their eyes, their eyes 

As Grendel leaves his mossy home beneath the stagnant mere 
Along the forest path he roams to Hrothgar's hall so clear 
He knows that victory is secured, his charm will testify 
His claws will drip with mortal blood as moonbeams haunt the sky 

Earth rim walker seeks his meals 
Prepare the funeral pyres 
The shaper's songs no longer heal the fear 
Within their eyes, their eyes 

II. Grendel's Journey 

Silken membranes span his path, fingerprints in dew 
Denizens of twilight lands humbly beg him through 
Mother nature's bastard child shunned by leaf and stream 
An alien in an alien land seeks solace within dreams 
The shaper's lies his poisoned tongue malign with mocking harp 
Beguiling queen her innocence offends his icy heart 

III. Lurker at the Threshold 


Hounds freeze in silence bewitched by the reptile spell 
Sulphurous essence pervades round the grassy dell 
Heorot awaits him like lamb to the butcher's knife 
Stellular heavens ignore even children's cries 

Screams are his music, lightning his guide 
Raping the darkness, death by his side 
Chants rise in terror, free round the oaken beams 
Flickering firelight portraying the grisly scene 

Warriors advance, prepare for the nightmare foe 
Futile their sacrifice as even their hearts must know 
Heroes delusion, with feet in the grave 
Lurker at the threshold, he cares not for the brave, he cares not for the brave 

So you thought that your bolts and your locks would keep me out 
You should have known better after all this time 
You're gonna pay in blood for all your vicious slander 
With your ugly pale skins and your putrid blue eyes 

Why should I feel pity when you kill your own and feel no shame 
God's on my side, sure as hell, I'm gonna take no blame 
I'm gonna take no blame, I'm gonna take no blame 
So you say you believe in all of Mother Nature's laws 

You lust for gold with your sharpened knives 
Oh when your hoards are gathered and your enemies left to rot 
You pray with your bloodstained hands at the feet of your pagan gods 
Then you try to place the killer's blade in my hand 

You call for justice and distort the truth 
Well I've had enough of all your pretty pretty speeches 
Receive your punishment, Expose your throats to my righteous claws 
And let the blood flow, and let the blood flow, flow, flow, flow



And there you have it. I'm not sure what makes me more embarrassed; the picture chosen for the video, the comments that say things like "Most unique, beautiful, fantasy, heroic song ever" or "Breath taking. gasping for air!" or the awful lyrics.
I feel bad for being so critical of this, but it really is awful. Apologies again to Marillion fans (as if any exist). On a good note however, the song is obviously influenced by Gardner's Grendel and some of the lyrics (despite their cheesiness) are....thought provoking? The last section of the song at least. 

Unfortunately for Grendel, his name hasn't had much look in the music industry, with the likes of this. It's also of little surprise that there's a Finnish power metal band also named Grendel. Those Finnish lads are crazy anyway. Whereas at least Grendel's Mother gets a good song, which I previously posted about. 



I think this explains everything


This is the kind of stuff you're driven to listen to (and write about) when you're supposed to be doing an assignment. But hey, at least I'm not doing something completely irrelevant. 

1 comment:

  1. This song inspired my interest in early medieval Anglo-Saxon literature. It's a bit cheesy alright, but I am a Marillion fan.

    ReplyDelete