Darken sees himself as a Heathen and Christianity as the worst enemy of white Europeans. He exalts the latter’s return to their ancestors' heritage, and has spoken out against “race mixing”.[2] On the Graveland EP Raise Your Sword!, he declares Heathendom to be the religion of white Europeans.
Darken has been accused of being a neo-Nazi. However, he has made statements to contradict this accusation, even speaking out against the Third Reich and their ideology: "I do not see any point in referring to NS because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and eternal law of evolution"[3] and "If you are White proud of being White and proud of your forefathers faith, if you politically incorrect, if you dare to criticize the politicians and it you point at the existence of a strong powerful Jewish lobby supporting Israel – you are called nazi and anti-Semite. And the special institution start to persecute you. I am called ‘Nazi” but no one has any proof of my nazi background. They just repeat once heard someone else words having no proof of it."[4] And "In Poland many people refer to Slavonic heritage as many refer to German. And I think that those who refer to Slavonic culture are the majority but they do not make big show of it. For me there is no difference between pagan beliefs of Vikings and Slavs. The names are different but the core is the same. Different stories but the same Gods with the same attributes. The ideologist of the Third Reich were responsible for the division between German Aryan world and Slavonic world. They distorted the historical facts in order to separate from Eastern world. Communist did the same but they of course favouritized [sic] Slavs."[5] Yet, in a 2006 interview with Decibel, he stated that "Graveland is regarded as a NSBM band because of my political convictions, [which] most people would call extreme right-wing National Socialist convictions," and "people I played with were Satanists and they were not interested in paganism. Due to these differences, we finally started to walk separate ways and Graveland became [a] one-man band again. I understood that I could not support Satanism [because it] was a part of Judeo-Christian religion. In the Third Reich, Satanists would end [up] in gas chambers."[6] In the same interview, he stated "I do not see any point in referring to [National Socialism] because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and the eternal law of evolution. I think that white men should search for new ideas that would be well adapted for the current reality and the problems of [the] contemporary world."[6]
Hordes of Empire
Graveland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rows of condamned souls
Black riders of abyss
Beast of haired and cruelty
We arrive on the chariots of fire
We sign our way by the fire and death
Sun of Darkness leads us
Everlasting lust of sin
Hands ot the dead beat the kettle-drums
Damned sound of black trumpets
Tramp of horrified horses
and sinister knocking of Devil's hooves
Red, fiery eyes
fangs, claws and fire from the mouth
Mayhemed wings, bleeding in fight
Cobweb in hair and wind...
We kill, crush, burn
We trace the escaping day
and hideous condemned sun
At everlasting war
between light and Darkness
Creators of night-Gods of Darkness
They buried us alive
They killed our feelings
Now we are the same
We come with nocturnal wind
and red, bloody fog
Black banners with effigy of him
Red flags-hues of hell
Hordes of cruelty and chaos
Emperor of unlife's forces
The opening lines of Graveland's song "Hordes of Empire" describe an army of darkness, composed of fallen angels, condemned souls, black riders, and beasts of cruelty. These forces arrive on chariots of fire and sign their way with fire and death, with the sun of darkness leading the way, as they are driven by an everlasting lust for sin. The imagery painted by the lyrics is gruesome, with the drumbeats of the dead, the sound of black trumpets, the tramp of horrified horses and the knocking of the devil's hooves. Red, fiery eyes, fangs, claws, and fire from the mouth, mayhem, wings bleeding in fight, cobwebs in hair and wind further paint a horrific picture. The forces of darkness kill, crush, and burn, tracing the escaping day and hiding the condemned sun in the everlasting war between light and darkness.
The chorus speaks to the source of the darkness as the "creators of night," the "Gods of Darkness." They have been buried alive and had their feelings killed, emerging as a united force that comes with the nocturnal wind and red, bloody fog. The forces of darkness are reflected in the black banners with the effigy of the Emperor of unlife's forces, and the red flags that represent the hues of hell. The hordes of cruelty and chaos abound, as the Emperor of unlife's forces leads them in a conquest of the mortal world, spreading destruction and death wherever they tread.
Line by Line Meaning
Thousand of fallen angels
A vast number of angels who were expelled from heaven for their rebellion against God.
Rows of condamned souls
A large group of people who are doomed to eternal punishment in hell.
Black riders of abyss
Dark, demonic figures who rule the abyss, or the place of eternal punishment.
Beast of haired and cruelty
Savage and brutal creatures that possess a fierce and violent temperament.
We arrive on the chariots of fire
We come with great speed and intensity, as if propelled by a fiery force.
We sign our way by the fire and death
We make a pact or agreement which involves sacrifice, destruction, and annihilation.
Sun of Darkness leads us
We follow a dark, sinister, and malevolent deity that represents the absence of light and goodness.
Everlasting lust of sin
An insatiable desire to commit evil deeds and indulge in immoral and unethical behavior.
Hands ot the dead beat the kettle-drums
The percussion instruments are played by the lifeless, motionless limbs of corpses.
Damned sound of black trumpets
The ominous and dreadful music produced by the horns of damnation.
Tramp of horrified horses
The sound of horses' hooves that are driven by terror, horror, and anxiety.
and sinister knocking of Devil's hooves
The ominous and threatening noise made by the Satanic beast that symbolizes evil and deception.
Red, fiery eyes
Eyes that are filled with intense anger, rage, and malice.
fangs, claws and fire from the mouth
Sharp, dangerous, and lethal weapons that can inflict harm and injury, accompanied by the breath of hell.
Mayhemed wings, bleeding in fight
Wings that are damaged, injured, and covered with blood due to the intense battles and conflicts of war.
Cobweb in hair and wind...
A spider's web that is caught in the hair, and is carried away by the wind, symbolizing the ephemeral nature of existence.
We kill, crush, burn
We take pleasure in causing death, destruction, and annihilation.
We trace the escaping day
We pursue the fleeting moment of light and goodness, and we seek to extinguish it.
and hideous condemned sun
The bright and radiant source of light and warmth that is condemned and cursed by us.
At everlasting war
between light and Darkness
An eternal conflict and struggle between the forces of good and evil, with no end in sight.
Creators of night-Gods of Darkness
Divine beings who have the power to rule the night, and who represent the forces of darkness and negativity.
They buried us alive
They confined us to a state of eternal darkness and misery, and they deprived us of life and vitality.
They killed our feelings
They destroyed our ability to experience emotions, empathy, and compassion.
Now we are the same
We have become like them, consumed by hatred, anger, and despair.
We come with nocturnal wind
We arrive with the dark, chilly, and ominous breeze that signifies our arrival.
and red, bloody fog
A thick and dense cloud of mist that is tainted with blood, symbolizing the violence and brutality of our actions.
Black banners with effigy of him
Dark and ominous flags that display the image or symbol of the Satanic ruler.
Red flags-hues of hell
Bright and vibrant banners that are colored like fire, and which represent the flames of damnation.
Hordes of cruelty and chaos
Masses of violent and ruthless beings who cause destruction, confusion, and unrest wherever they go.
Emperor of unlife's forces
The supreme ruler of beings who are deprived of the gift of life, and who exist in a state of eternal death and decay.
Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DeathsWhoreRotting
I'd have to say this album and Drunemeton are my two favorite albums from Graveland, In The Glare Of Burning Churches has a rawness to it that I have never experienced from any other band.
ProtoN_ H.S.I.
one of the best BM tracks ever done
J. XIII Nekromancer
One year later of the Wrath of the Tyrant!! Two the most Bestial and raw demos on the damn history!! Hail old Graveland
pepsiwodka1
on "The Celtic Winter" this song name "Fall of the Black Forest"
Loup Noir
But yes !!