They were a trio and t… Read Full Bio ↴Holy Martyr formed in the middle of the nineties.
They were a trio and they were led by guitarist Ivano Spiga.
The band started writing songs, which were in the vein of the classic British metal and of the eighties epic metal.
After numerous changes in the line-up, the band finally found stability in 2002, when they released their first demo cd called “Hatred And Warlust”.
With its relentless savage attack, the cd made proselytes all over Europe, and Holy Martyr gained prestige as one of the best undergound Italian Heavy Metal bands of the new century.
Anyway, the band was not too happy of these great results, so after just 5 months they started composing new stuff and they recorded their second Ep called “Hail to Hellas”.
It was based upon the famous battle of Thermopylae, fought by 300 Spartans. The Ep gained prestige among the most famous Italian, German and Greek magazines, and the band became a cult Heavy Metal band in Europe.
For this album, Holy Martyr asked and got funds from more than 200 fans.
This was quite unusual for an underground band, but they managed to create a huge group of faithful fans all over the world in a short time.
Thanks to the numerous good reviews, Holy Martyr were asked to join the German Festival “Keep It True”, along with bands such as Manilla Road, Elixir and Wizard.
The band got an enormous success in this first abroad appearance, and they were asked to join another festival, this time in Greece (Athens) and along with Cloven Hoof.
Here, they received an enthusiastic welcome.
In 2005, after the positive experience of the previous years, the band produced their third Ep, which was put of print within a few months after its release.
It was called “Vis Et Honor”, and it showed another improvement in the style of the band, which anyway stick to their origins: an epic, aggressive and melodic work, this time inspired by the Ancient Rome and Roman Soldiers.
This third chapter gained the interest of DragonHeart Records, which offered the band a contract and the chance to finally record their debut album, in the name of steel and blood!
Vis Et Honor
Holy Martyr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming to destroy in the name of Roma
Deploy all the troops iron discipline
Perfect war machne of flesh blood and iron
Oh... Mighty Mars hear the legionaries pray
Give us the strength, give us courage and pride
Hail to the eagle of power
Ave ave Roma
Legions of the roman empire
Fire of Mars in my heart
Take the blade, kill 'em all, fight for Roma
Blood and guts, everywhere
There's no mercy for the foes of the empire
Vis Vis Et Honor
Conquering with blood and with fire
Duty honour country
Answer to the call of the emperor
In an age of war of violence and hatred
Obey to the law, we're the dominators
Slaughtering the foes, the jews and the christians
Watching as they die by the crucifixion
March! March! For Roma
Vic! Vis! Et Honor!
March! March! For Roma
The song "Vis Et Honor" by Holy Martyr is a tribute to the ancient Roman Empire and its legendary soldiers who were known as the legionaries. The lyrics depict the legionaries as a well-organized, highly disciplined war machine that is deployed to destroy in the name of Roma. They pray to the god of war, Mighty Mars, seeking strength, courage, and pride, as they embark on their conquest. They are the mighty soldiers who are ready to fight for the glory of the Roman Empire, displaying no mercy towards their enemies.
The lyrics also illustrate the legendary battles fought by the Roman Empire against the Jews and Christians. They emphasize the Dominator's power and how the law and order were obeyed without any question during those ages of war, violence, and hatred. The lines "Slaughtering the foes, the Jews and the Christians, Watching as they die by the crucifixion" are a graphic depiction of the Roman Empire's brutal methods of conquest. The veterans of war are glorified in the end, marching for Roma, showing their steadfastness towards their cause, and dying to achieve that ultimate goal.
Overall, the song is a powerful tribute to the Roman Empire and its soldiers who fought fearlessly during times of war and violence to achieve victory.
Line by Line Meaning
Veterans of war we're the legionaries
We are experienced soldiers, trained to the best of our abilities and ready to conquer.
Coming to destroy in the name of Roma
We will invade and eliminate all who stand in opposition to the Roman empire.
Deploy all the troops iron discipline
Our soldiers are ordered with strict discipline, ensuring that they work perfectly in battle.
Perfect war machne of flesh blood and iron
Our soldiers are a perfect blend of human and machine, with strong and resilient bodies to conquer the enemies of Rome.
Oh... Mighty Mars hear the legionaries pray
We call upon the power of the god Mars to grant us strength, courage, and pride in battle.
Give us the strength, give us courage and pride
We pray to Mars for the attributes of strength, courage, and pride necessary to fight and win battles.
Ave ave Roma
Hail to Rome! We will bow before the power and might of the Roman empire.
Hail to the eagle of power
We honor the symbol of the Roman empire, the majestic eagle, for its strength and power.
Legions of the roman empire
We, the soldiers of Rome, will fight with everything we've got in order to strengthen and uphold the Roman empire.
Fire of Mars in my heart
We carry within us the passion and determination to fight and destroy as we pursue the enemy and crush all opposition to Rome.
Take the blade, kill 'em all, fight for Roma
We will use our weapons to kill all of our enemies and to fight for Rome, no matter the cost.
Blood and guts, everywhere
There will be much blood spilled in battle as we give our all to defend Rome and conquer the enemy.
There's no mercy for the foes of the empire
We will show no pity or mercy to those who oppose the Roman empire.
Vis Vis Et Honor
Through violence and bloodshed, we will conquer for Rome and uphold its values and power.
Conquering with blood and with fire
Our mission is to conquer, no matter how destructive or brutal our tactics must be.
Duty honour country
We believe that duty, honor, and country come before all else, and we will protect and uphold these values for the glory of Rome.
Answer to the call of the emperor
We obey the orders of the emperor, who has the power to command us to battle and to call us to serve the Roman empire.
In an age of war of violence and hatred
This is an era of constant warfare, where violent hatred and anger rule the day.
Obey to the law, we're the dominators
We follow the laws of Rome, for we are the powerful conquerors and rulers of our age.
Slaughtering the foes, the jews and the christians
We will kill and destroy our enemies, even those of different religions, for the glory of Rome.
Watching as they die by the crucifixion
We will execute our enemies by crucifixion, a most brutal and painful form of death.
March! March! For Roma
We will march for Rome, even if that means marching into battle and facing death.
Vic! Vis! Et Honor!
We will conquer for Rome and uphold its honor, no matter the cost or sacrifice.
March! March! For Roma
We will tirelessly march forward in the name of Rome, fighting and conquering all who oppose us.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.