Ascendence

This is the first true band recording of LORD since the former name, Dungeon, was put to rest in 2005. A radical departure from the introspective debut “solo album” feel of “A Personal Journey,” this album carries on and expands upon the aggressive and progressive style of Dungeon’s final album “The Final Chapter.”

This is the Australian release featuring the bonus track ‘Shattered’ (Pantera cover).

Released April 1, 2007

Produced by Lord Tim

Musicians that appeared on this album:

Lord Tim – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Tim Yatras – Drums, Backing Vocals
Andy Dowling – Bass, Backing Vocals

Special Guests:

Mark Furtner – guitar solos in “Same Old Lines” and “220”
Chris Brooks – guitar solos in “Rain” and “Through The Fire”
Tania Moran – additional backing vocals
Gareth Michael – additional backing vocals
Mav Stevens – guitar solos in “Shattered” (Aus bonus track)

LYRICS and LINER NOTES

Echoes of the Past

(Instrumental)


Liner Notes: This leads directly on from the end of title track of The Final Chapter album. Last Rites are performed and the coffin is lowered. But reports of this death are greatly exaggerated…

Words: n/a Music/Concept: T. Grose

Reborn

The story over
The final chapter
Laid to rest
And said our last goodbyes

They say we come from nothing
And return to nothing
Dust to dust
That fairy tale is nothing but a lie

We all search for meaning
In an age of reason
Before our eyes the prize
That very few can see

To live for now and ever
Past ties are ripped and severed
Break the chains and claim
Our immortality

Thrown from the precipice
Cast to damnation
For new life: a sacrifice
Old life must die
Oh, yet the spirit still remains

Challenge obsolete ideals
Deconstruct reality
Recreate the world around me
I will be reborn
Leave forgotten sins behind
Resurrect my will to be
I arise for my ascendence
I will be reborn

Look past naive delusions
To see a new day
Oh, a place with no confusion
So take me away…

SOLOs: LT

Torn from the chrysalis
Raging with hunger
Emerge from the funeral pyre
The Phoenix arise

Beyond the sacrifice
Arise. I will be reborn


Liner Notes: This is the first song that was specifically written for this album. Much like “Echoes Of The Past” continued on where “The Final Chapter” ended, so too “Reborn” tells the story of what happens next. As the lyric goes, “For new life: A sacrifice – old life must die. But the spirit still remains.” The Dungeon Era may have been gone, but the true spirit of the band lives on in LORD.

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras / A. Dowling

Going Down

“Judge me for who I am
Don’t like me for what I’m not”

In every aspect of my life
Talk the talk and take the blame
Stand up for what I feel is right
And feel no shame

I’m a sinner, but I’m a winner
Take no shit from anyone
Speak my mind and do the time
For my views

Going down – I stand behind the choices I make
Going down – Be they wrong or right
Going down – I see fires of hell below me
Live and die an honest man
So take me away

Every day another test
Run the gauntlet, walk the line
So live your life to be the best
Every time

Not a rebel or the devil
No false facade, I’m true to me
Stand up to the bastards
And know I’m free

SOLOs: LT


Liner Notes: Strength of will and self-belief are two of the most powerful traits anyone can posses. You may not be well liked for some of your decisions but real life isn’t a popularity contest; it’s about being true to yourself, even if ultimately your choices lead to your undoing. Stand by your convictions and you’ll live an honest life.

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

Same Old Lines

It seems like a long time ago
Felt the sun on my face
A life lived with so much regret
There has to be a better place

A bitter wind, an empty skin
Of all once held true
Searching for reasons I wonder if
Time can heal these wounds

A path that’s well worn, returned here again
Once more, oh I’m unsure I’ll find another road
Sometimes in finding your way, you lose yourself
When the mirror’s eye shows the face of a stranger

I’m hearing the same old lines
Don’t tell me it’s true when you look in my eyes
Keep telling the same old lies

An ever broken dream
Crushed again and again
Should we lie or a truth be told
As a means unto an end?

A path that’s well worn, returned here again
But this time, oh now I know I’ll find another road
A way to believe, a way back to me
But I know that this sadness will stay forever

SOLO: LT / LT (HARMONY) / MARK


Liner Notes: Everyone lies to themselves every day to some degree. Sometimes people live in total denial, or choose to believe a truth that gets them through the day. Occasionally we try to change our behaviour only to find ourselves repeating the same old bad habits again. This song is about that realisation and the attempt to change for the better. Of special note about this song is the hundreds of vocal layers (literally) in the chorus.

Words / Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

Rain

Darkness closes in
And I turn and face the storm
Midnight in the rain
Like a thousand times before

Oh… I feel the sorrow coming, world succumbing
Oh… I feel the sadness tear me away

The rain keeps falling down on me
Of pain and life unwound to be
The rain keeps falling down on me
And darkness all around
As the rain falls down
Falls down on me

A feeling of an empty life
Of broken heart, of broken dream
So tear the sonnet from my soul
Silent words unseen

SOLO: LT / CHRIS BROOKS / LT


Liner Notes: Sadness can be a very powerful emotion. It can engulf us to the point of a complete breakdown or it can move us to reach within ourselves and produce some of the most amazing, heartfelt music or literature. Everyone feels like they’re “crying in the rain” sometimes, but it’s how we use that emotion that makes the difference.

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras / A. Dowling

My Own Way

And when the daylight falls to grey
When even twilight fades
In the darkest veil of night
We stray

It seems this road will never end
Watch our trust decay
As sacred memories turn to dust
And drift away

Can you hear me now?
Hear me calling you?
Can you see my eyes?
These tears that fall for you

You know you’ve always been a friend
Through even lightless days
Sometimes we don’t see eye to eye
Times change

But can you hear me now?
Hear me calling you?
So look in my eyes
Believe my words to you are true

Oh, I’ll never turn my back on you
To go my own way
You’ll never walk alone
To face the darkness
Oh, for all the pain that we’ve been through
Together
And you’ll always have a home
Deep inside my heart

So many years have passed us by
A chance to start again
And hope that time will heal these wounds
Someday

So can you hear me now?
Hear me calling you?
So look in my eyes
Believe my words to you are true

SOLOs: LT


Liner Notes: Times change, people change. The closest of friends can take very different paths and turn into strangers or worse, adversaries. In many cases, regardless of each person no longer being able to see eye to eye, there is still an underlying friendship, much like family, that will always bond them together no matter what different places in life they may find themselves.

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

Through the Fire

Watch another fortune fade away
Another dream cast to the wind
Chronos waits to seize the day
So play his game and play to win

Take hold of life – walk through the fire
Sometimes it seems like time is slipping away
Take hold of life – walk through the fire
Don’t waste your life when time is slipping away

Like the golden goose that never lays
Always waiting for the sign
Time to see it’s time to be
Release the hero, free to fly

SOLO: CHRIS BROOKS / LT

Search inside to find the truth
Circumstance won’t come to you
Be the one you want to be
Live your life to live your dreams


Liner Notes: Time waits for no one. Every day that we waste, we can never reclaim. As the song says, “Take hold of life” – take risks, do what you’ve always wanted to do, don’t live your life wondering “what if?” when you can actually go out there and find out for yourself. What is scarier: the first step in trying something new or laying on your death-bed with the realisation that your life had gone wanting?

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

The Calm

(INSTRUMENTAL)

SOLOs: LT


Liner Notes: If this is the calm, therefore the next track must be the storm…

Words: n/a Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

Limb From Limb

Fuelling the anger inside
The rage starts to break
Reaching the end of my line
It’s all I can take
This hunger for justice I crave
A thirst for revenge
So beg for remorse, for your life
As it comes to an end

Oh, no more time, no more words for me to say
Oh, a time for action, time for you to pay
I’ll tear you…

Limb from limb – you thrust the dagger deep in my back
Limb from limb – you crossed the line the day you stood in front of me
Limb from limb – say your prayers, it’s time for payback
Limb from limb – don’t stand in my way or I’ll tear you limb from limb

Pathetic excuse for a man
You’re lower than swine
Betrayer, deceiver and coward
Born with no spine
Believing your own hype
Drunk on your ego and power
Now beg for your life
As you’re torn from your ivory tower

Oh, no more time, no more words for me to say
Oh, a time for action, time for you to pay
I’ll tear you…

SOLOs: LT

Feeling my hate penetrate
Your inhumane soul
Feeling your strength dissipate
You’re losing control
Down on your knees like a dog
No time to reject
Spit in your face
Now you feel the same disrespect

Don’t stand in my way, I’ll warn you now
Get out of my way or I’ll tear you limb from limb


Liner Notes: A storm indeed! An unfortunate aspect of the music industry is that for every honest person there is an absolute low-life piece of crap that will go out of their way to make your life a complete misery to further their own agenda. This song is dedicated to every one of those worthless excuses for human beings and all of the faecal matter parading as people in general.

Words: T. Grose / A. Dowling Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

220

(INSTRUMENTAL)

SOLOs: LT (all solos, except) / MARK (blast-beat section)


Liner Notes: 220 beats per minute, two minutes and twenty seconds long and absolutely insane! This is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to all of the extremely fast bands out there and is certainly not meant to be taken seriously!

Words: n/a Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

Legacy

Cast to my death in flames
But I will never die
Past life is burned away
Stronger man arise

I am shadow, I am light
I’m your world to be
I am angel, I’m your hell
I am me

Oh, so it seems like this world always changes
But I know what’s coming for me
I see with open eyes
How things should be

Shed the skin of yesterday
My legacy begins again today
Live the dream that drives me on
My destiny, tomorrow will belong to me

I leave the blackness, walk into the shining light
Reach out for my dreams…

SOLOs: LT

Ascend from my trial by fire
Branded and torn
I wear my symbol proudly
Carved into my flesh
I walk the world
A free man

SOLOs: LT

My path now set in stone
As written so shall be
Rise up to claim the throne
Fulfil my destiny

I am angel, I am sin
I’m your LORD’s decree
I am devil, I am light
I am me

Oh, so it seems like this world always changes
But I know what’s coming for me
I see with open eyes
How things should be


Liner Notes: The album’s conclusion and the final part of the story surrounding Dungeon’s transition into LORD. This song was very much inspired by the symbolism of the album cover which features the angel/demon rising from the flames, and is also very symbolic of LORD’s ascendence. If you listen carefully to the final seconds, you will hear a nod in the direction of the first LORD solo album “A Personal Journey” as it reprises the outro melody of “Last Rites”. LORD now “sheds the skin of yesterday” as the “legacy begins again today” – the history is important, but the future is there for the taking and with this album the journey begins anew.

Words: T. Grose Music: T. Grose / T. Yatras

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