THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS


Tomi Koivusaari: Vocals, Guitar, Six String Acoustic Guitar
Esa Holopainen: Guitar, Twelve String Acoustic Guitar
Olli-Pekka Laine: Bass
Jan Rechberger: Drums, Keyboards

1. KARELIA
2. THE GATHERING
3. GRAILS MYSTERIES
4. WARRIORS TRIAL
5. BLACK EMBRACE
6. EXILE OF THE SONS OF UISLIU
7. THE LOST NAME OF GOD
8. THE PILGRIMAGE
9. MISERY PATH
10. SIGN FROM THE NORTH SIDE
11. VULGAR NECROLATRY *BONUS TRACK ON CD*

1. KARELIA


INSTRUMENTAL

2. THE GATHERING

 As I sense their steel, As I see the mighty one, As we all gather once again the gods of war
  summon us... summon usNorth wind blows to our valley men with ships, with swords, with
                                   honour 

 Their horses between flames, their dogs eating enemy childs, Our heavenly father, what is
                     this mortality, do you see my mortal agony

   Look, I see the shield up high this must be the sign from my lord this can be my death -
                         sentence what a fine day to die 

  Taste of blood comes up high Wind blows hard, our men fall... one by one This oath claims
  me I must bleed for my generationStrong is the enemy, strong is my sword the hammer is
                           rising I feel their cold steel

 Now when I leave this world I shall open the mighty oaken gate and we all shall gather once
                                    again

3. GRAILS MYSTERIES

   I shall have a son, out of Cornwall shall he come, that shall be a wild boar, bristled with
               steel... he shall be a man most brave and noble in thought

  Thou shall kneel for him, for every man shall humble in front of our lord I stood upon the
 sand of the sea and the great wind told me to carry on He shall once know the secret of Holy
                                    Grail 

And so was the coronation made And there was he, sworn unto his lords and the commons to
                                 be true king

4. WARRIORS TRAIL

               As the sun falls down and the swell crashes into the shore

  The great warriors of doom and wind ride high Silent is the silence, the only breathing of
 horses sound, Cold northern steel, shining blade, pleases us And we all live under the black
                                    mark

     Oh lord, lead us to the paradise My lord, is this the promised land is this your gift

                 Let us fly into your dreams Let us taste some blood

 Sorrow - the unknown force Hate - respect your enemy Bitterness - shall be forever Silence
                                 - nothing left

                 Let us fly into your dreams Let us taste some blood

5. BLACK EMBRACE

   Terror, when the darkness binds your limbs Terror, when the fear freezes your nerves
      Horror, when the pain climbs up your veins Darkness, creeping under you skin

 Moment of life, when we all have to choose, which way to go and for whom to sacrifice your
                                     life

 Invoke the god - pray To lead you back to life - pray Cursed by religion - hate Learned upon
                                 church - fake

  In the verge of hell, of human mind Redemption of your soul, as darkness binds you tight

 Moment of life, when we all have to choose, which way to go and for whom to sacrifice your
                                     life

6. EXILE OF THE SONS OF UISLIU

  A wave the sound of Noisiu's voice his singing was ever sweet... Noisiu's grave has now
                  been made and the accompaniment was mournful

          For him I poured out - hero of heroes, the deadly drink that killed him

            Dear his short shining hair a handsome man, even very beautiful

              Dear the grey eyes that women loved fierce they were foes

7. THE LOST NAME OF GOD

 We have to know, we have to see Religions so many, which one of them are so real, That it
                  makes us to believe ? Crushing the chains of faith

    To find the way of immortality, We're hiding behind the cross To find shelter, we're
                          searching for the name of god

                    In this maze of hatred The name of god is lost

      Under the flag of salvation we are cleared this land of pagans Under the cover of
                     Christianity, we stained our hands in blood

                  At these times of anguish The name of God is lost

 "I saw the coming of the end, Sun stopped its shining, Air is no longer fresh, Then it was too
                   late to realize, that we can't breathe our hate."

                             The lost name of God

8. THE PILGRIMAGE

           In his eyes The evil spirit rise Turns to darkness with Satan's name

 "As the time is right dead bodies rise up from their graves And when the time comes near
                          Oh, I see the prince of glory"

            Holy month Sacred hounds Under the hill Do you hear their call

9. MISERY PATH

 We sail across the sea, In our thoughts we float over mountains All this vanity that we could
                                hide The truth

     The truth is to be alive and to live your life in fear by hate and create our own gods

   We all ourselves are created our own images Ourselves we are created our own gods

 In the misty morning When the sun is rising, When the whole sky is red like blood Man can
              realize the real meaning of life to love and respect your life

                     Your salvation, or is just your damnation.

                               We all ourselves...

10. SIGNS FROM THE NORTH SIDE

                    True Celtic power from the cape of Cornwall

              Cry of hope, angels cry This was omen, our sign, prediction

             Distant gate, gothic grave Through ages our clan still remain

 In this proud land I grew up strong, My tears are flowing all around The wind is twisting my
                       sorrow I still believe in truth and hate

 All through my life I have carried our ring, The omen All this was the fragment from my life

 In this proud land I was born alone I was taught to fight, taught to win They told me the way
   of steel and secret I am the unburied child, child without a nam, Without fate, I fight for
                           peace and love, I am reborn

11. VULGAR NECROLATRY

  Erosion of life I see it makes the passion burn in me Life it always withers away Death will
                                 eternally stay

  Corpses in their coffins forever rest in peace ? There sleeping with the aspergillus is this
                              justice to the dead ?

   The atrocious sight of burial ecremony Christians weeping for the departed They won't
                       understand, they should envy them !

  The deceased they know, if there's a paradise Or shall we feel, the purgatory ! I open the
           graves, admire the rot I can feel the presence, of something beyond

 Aureola of nauseating reek Wings of shriveled skin Holy beauty of a carcass Divine sight for
                               me to gaze upon !

       Necrolatic ! Reverence for putrefaction Necrolatic ! reverence for the stench

I kneel, before a carrion I pray, before the dead I know, they shall rise I fear, for the scourge
                           I revere, power of the dead