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Back in 1989, Chris Anderle and Franz Josef Krebs began to gather musicians who were able to express their morbid moods and unholy emotions through litanies of dark, extreme Metal music. Ancient Ceremony became a reality when several members (partly sessionists) joined the band to complete the line-up under the Winter Moon of 1991. Here began the formation of the band's musical identity with powerful guitars, atmospheric keyboards, extreme vocals and Satanic lyrics. In 1993 the first successful step into the international underground was done with the "WHERE SERPENTS REIGN" demo. The first live appearance took place in June 1992 and performances with bands such as In Flames, Absu and Impaled Nazarene were following.
February 1994 saw the own-release of the "CEMETARY VISIONS" cult-MCD, a dark infernal Metal aria which was re-issued one year later through Alister Records and achieved global distribution.
Inspired and influenced by many different genres of Metal music, classical composers, horror movie soundtracks, photographies presenting dark erotica or sinful sexuality and also literature of a Satanic, Gothic or occult nature, Ancient Ceremony already here could easily proof that their individually created “Devilish Trinity“ - consisting of music, lyrics and artwork - is to be seen as a very important aspect in the band's concept from the first day on.
In December 1996 Ancient Ceremony signed to London based cult-label Cacophonous Records and released the worldwide successful albums "UNDER MOONLIGHT WE KISS" (1997) and "FALLEN ANGEL’S SYMPHONY" (1999) under their banner. With these two dark-symphonic albums the band could win many new fans all over the planet, not the least as gigs with a.o. Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Umbra et Imago and Therion were played.
Faithful to their motto "There is no real Art without the Influence of the Devil" and after several changes in the line up Germany's longest existing formation in Black/Death Metal again gave a shit on current trends and followed their paths consequently without limits to themselves and their diabolical spirits.
Through "SYNAGOGA DIABOLICA" (Alister Records, 2000) Ancient Ceremony definitely went more "back to their roots", located in the mentioned mixture of extreme Metal with dark horror-elements, so that not only Metallica's cultsong "Creeping Death" but also an own classic ("Choir of immortal Queens") got a new interpretation on this epic. Lyrically the album deals with different facets of Satanism, such as mythological, poetical, historical, modern or philosophical ones. Vocalist Chris has been in contact with several international Satanic organisations and lodges for many years now which causes a favourable effect on his lyrics.
Anno Satanas XXXV the band played – after several international open airs and festivals as well as many club gigs – their first headliner tour which led them through 6 European countries. The most important step forward for Ancient Ceremony was the deal with the Trisol Music Group, one of the world’s leading independent labels, which was signed in summer 2001.
The band nowadays has 4 permanent members: Chris (Satanic Screams), Jones (Bass), Patrick (Guitar), Christoph (Keyboard) and is completed for works in the studio or on stage by different session members.
Released through Trisol/Armageddon Shadow on 25.01.2002 the actual album “THE THIRD TESTAMENT“ achieved many enthusiastic reactions, fantastic reviews and incredible sales figures from all over the world so that Ancient Ceremony are definitely ready to attack the black throne of their genre!
In the meanwhile a new drummer (Manuel) and also another guitarist (Bales) were established so that this now hopefully constant line up started kicking ass all over Europe at festivals, open air events and club shows.
The blasphemy scandal in summer 2003 brought the band into media worldwide. Being confirmed for one of Germany’s biggest Metal festivals, church and city government forced the promoters to take Ancient Ceremony from the billing as the band would spread blasphemy and Satanism (which is essentially true). In their fight against this censorship and obvious religious stupidity they achieved massive support from fans, magazines and other bands but authorities still want to see them banned. A song about the incident was composed, entitled “P.uritan’s B.lasphemy C.all” (PBC is a radical x-tian party that also has taken some influence on the cancellation) and it will be released either on a special MCD or as bonus track on the upcoming album “Holycaust – Angelus Mortis”. Recordings for the next strike will start in August and the band hopes for a release in early 2004.
To be continued eternally…
Death In Desire's Masquerade
Ancient Ceremony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Death came to me as Beast
Venus smiled at us that eerie Autumn Night
Candlelight Banquet in Victorian Halls enflamed my Love for Her
Even Poet's passionate Verses were unable to evoke
a true Description of such tremendous Fierceness
Though appearing as sweet Woman
"Art Thou my Destiny?"
Whilst we embraced Moonlight touched Thy soft Lips
Such pale Skin, as white as purest Snow
Wind curled Thy ebony Hair like Vipers on Medusa's Head
Less the Horror than the Grace turned me almost into Stone
Infected with such idolatrous Shape my deepest Dreams came true
These red magic Eyes, like bleeding Flowers
made me Slave to Her
Erotic Kisses under whispering Trees
were my Foretaste of Eden
Melancholia's Fire burnt in highest Flames
when She told me to leave
"Will Thou be mine again, most sinful of all Demons?"
"Encrimsoned Fullmoon is the Sign
when my Spirit shall cover Thine
At the eldest Oak of the Midnight Forest
I'll teach Thee Secrets buried in Stone
and by a Force to Man unknown
I shall never be alone!"
With blind Thirst for that doomy Hour
I wandered through my Days like (in) Trances
Tears of Blood stole from Moon's Eyes and were Omen to me
Bats haunted deep nightly Woods
whilst we kissed again in fierce Nocturnal Embrace
Love-drunken Slumber led me away from Mortal's sighing World
"Awake now to face my real Countenance!"
Thus to me spake Azrael in the Robe of godlike Beauty
"Hades sent His loveliest Angel
to grant Thee Expiration divine!"
Death came in Desire's Masquerade
The lyrics of this song tell a story of a man who meets a woman who appears as both a maiden and a beast, and becomes deeply infatuated with her. Despite her alarming appearance, he is unable to resist her beauty and falls in love with her. The two engage in a passionate romance, and the man is willing to do whatever it takes to be with her forever. However, the woman reveals that she is no ordinary person and is, in fact, a demon. She promises to return to him, but only on the condition that he dies first. The man becomes fixated on the idea of being with her again and ultimately allows himself to be consumed by his desire and his fate.
The song employs vivid imagery to convey the intense emotions experienced by the singer: Venus smiling on an eerie autumn night, candlelight banquets in Victorian halls, the touch of moonlight on soft lips, and winds curling ebony hair like vipers on Medusa's head. The lyrics also contain a poetic quality as the singer compares the beauty of his lover to the palest snow and describes her red magic eyes as bleeding flowers.
Overall, "Death in Desire's Masquerade" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the power and destructiveness of love and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Death came to me as Maiden
I encountered Death in the form of a young woman
Death came to me as Beast
I also encountered Death in the form of a wild animal
Venus smiled at us that eerie Autumn Night
On a strange autumn night, even the goddess of love seemed to be on our side
Candlelight Banquet in Victorian Halls enflamed my Love for Her
A dinner party in a grand old house fanned the flames of my love for her
Even Poet's passionate Verses were unable to evoke
a true Description of such tremendous Fierceness
Despite the attempts of poets, no words could truly describe her great power and fierceness
Though appearing as sweet Woman
such a Beauty could not be human
Although she looked like a lovely woman, her beauty seemed otherworldly and inhuman
"Art Thou my Destiny?"
Whilst we embraced Moonlight touched Thy soft Lips
As we kissed under the moonlight, I wondered if she was meant to be my ultimate fate
Such pale Skin, as white as purest Snow
Wind curled Thy ebony Hair like Vipers on Medusa's Head
Her skin was as white as snow, and the wind whipped her dark hair around like snakes on Medusa's head
Less the Horror than the Grace turned me almost into Stone
Her grace was so stunningly beautiful that it nearly petrified me
Infected with such idolatrous Shape my deepest Dreams came true
I was consumed by her beauty, and all of my wildest dreams seemed to finally come true
These red magic Eyes, like bleeding Flowers
made me Slave to Her
Her mesmerizing red eyes, like bleeding flowers, enslaved me to her will
Erotic Kisses under whispering Trees
were my Foretaste of Eden
Our passionate kisses beneath the trees were like a foretaste of paradise
Melancholia's Fire burnt in highest Flames
when She told me to leave
I was consumed by sadness when she told me to go
"Will Thou be mine again, most sinful of all Demons?"
I begged her to take me back, even if it made me the most sinful of demons
"Encrimsoned Fullmoon is the Sign
when my Spirit shall cover Thine
At the eldest Oak of the Midnight Forest
I'll teach Thee Secrets buried in Stone
and by a Force to Man unknown
I shall never be alone!"
She promised to return to me under a red full moon at the old oak tree in the midnight forest, where she would teach me ancient secrets that were unknown to man
With blind Thirst for that doomy Hour
I wandered through my Days like (in) Trances
I was consumed with a desperate longing for that fateful night and wandered through my days in a dazed state
Tears of Blood stole from Moon's Eyes and were Omen to me
Bats haunted deep nightly Woods
Even the moon seemed to weep blood, and the woods were filled with ominous bats
whilst we kissed again in fierce Nocturnal Embrace
Love-drunken Slumber led me away from Mortal's sighing World
We shared another passionate kiss under the cover of night, and I fell asleep in a love-drunk slumber that took me away from the mortal world
"Awake now to face my real Countenance!"
Thus to me spake Azrael in the Robe of godlike Beauty
Azrael, the angel of death, spoke to me in his true form, which was stunningly divine
"Hades sent His loveliest Angel
to grant Thee Expiration divine!"
Azrael told me that Hades had sent him to give me a divine release from life
Death came in Desire's Masquerade
In the end, Death came to me in the guise of my deepest desires
Contributed by Hudson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.