Crypts Below (Live from Banfest)

I stepped alone at dusk Into the obsidian ruin A realm of forgotten gods And life turned into dust The ruin bled cold shadow Hollow skulls paving my way I crossed the altar And felt the cold come fast Down under cracked marble A breath began to crawl Ancient runes were glowing Like warnings on the wall The ground gave way beneath me Like a trap about to spring And something in the dark below Started calling my name In the crypts below Something knows my name Life turned to bone In the crypts below In the crypts below I can’t leave it alone (Down in the crypts) (Down in the crypts) I raised my glowing weapon And saw the ancient stairs Carved with old inscriptions And centuries of prayers Beyond the broken doorway The shadows formed a throne Pale figures watched me closely Like guardians of stone They wore the rings of bishops The mouths of buried queens Their hands were stitched with roots Their hair was full of screams The ancient gates behind me Closed with iron screams And from the lowest chamber Ancient evil awakened from its dreams In the crypts below Something knows my name Life turned to bone In the crypts below I walk alone (Down in the crypts) (Down in the crypts) (Down in the crypts) [Bridge] I reached the final chamber Where ancient statues knelt A crown of cursed iron Lay buried in the silt The altar cracked wide open A thousand whispers rose And every rune around me Began to bleed and glow Then came the sound of footsteps Too heavy to be mine The ancient foe awakened The darkness drew its sword A voice echoing through the halls Spoke through the choking smoke: "Ione.. you came this far. Now face what you awoke." In the crypts below The ancient shadows rise In the crypts below The dungeon opens its eyes (Down in the crypts) (Down in the crypts) No hero leaves unchanged In the crypts below I entered the darkness And the darkness knows my name