The debut album "Through Times Of War" was recorded in Summer 1997 in Brygga Studios, Trondheim, Norway, and presented the band with a crystal-clear yet heavy production on some ear-blasting music which has been often compared to Mayhem's opus "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". A couple of years later, after some pretty successful gigs played around Norway together with Bloodthorn, the quartet returned with "Agnen: A Journey Through The Dark", again recorded in the much-appreciated Brygga Studio. With this second album the band actually distanced themselves from the now-trendy Norwegian black metal style, picking up influences from the thrash metal and death metal genres, thus establishing a rather more Swedish-oriented sound. But the guys did not forget their roots and therefore they took part in the much anticipated Mayhem tribute album released by Avantgarde Music itself. Their superb interpretation of "Buried By Time And Dust" put them right up there with the likes of Emperor, Gorgoroth and Dark Funeral - just to name a few of the top-class bands that also appeared on this ambitious project.
In the year 2000 the line-up split due to personal reasons, but guitarist and songwriter Obsidian C. wouldn't let that stop him. He continued to make Kalessin-style music and developed his own style even more. This ultra-fast, brutal and yet melodic style needed a drummer, but in the small town of Trondheim he was unable to find one that could keep up with his riffing. Almost three years would pass before he was offered the job in Satyricon after he had auditioned and but some 30 other guitarists from all over the world who had applied for the job. As soon as he was a part of Satyricon he was also in contact with one of black metal's fastest and most brutal drummers, Frost.
Frost heard the new Keep Of Kalessin material and immediately said yes when Obsidian C. asked him to do the drumming on his new EP. Touring with Satyricon also made it possible for Obsidian C. to recruit the legendary Attila Csihar who did the vocals on Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The three piece line-up recorded the "Reclaim" EP, released in 2004, and put the band into the elite black metal scene of Norway. However, due to the distance between Frost, Attila and Obsidian C., this line-up couldn't last. Obsidian C. was determined to bring Keep Of Kalessin to the masses and has seen that live performance is a must for doing that. He teamed up with early Kalessin drummer Vyl and found a perfect replacement for Attila as well as a new bass player. Together with the same lyric writer from the Reclaim EP, Torstein Parelius, Obsidian C. spent the next two years working on the new album entitled "Armada".
"Armada" was released in 2006 to much critical acclaim, garnering Kalessin a slot on Norway's prestigious Trondheim Jazz Festival.
In 2013, it was announced that Thebon will no longer be in Keep of Kalessin.
Current Line-up:
Obsidian C. - Guitars, Synth, Vocals
Wizziac - Bass
Vyl - Drums
Discography:
1995 - Skygger Av Sorg (Demo)
1997 - Through Times Of War
1999 - Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark
2003 - Reclaim (EP)
2006 - Armada
2008 - Kolossus
2010 - Reptilian
2015 - Epistemology
2023 - Katharsis
http://www.keepofkalessin.no/
The Awakening
Keep of Kalessin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beyond the lands of man
The beast has awakened
From a deep slumber
For hundreds of years
It has laid dormant
Now again it appears
From the darkest day in time
The era of the future begins
Eras of waiting his return
Now the stars are forming his true name
Made of magic
The language of the making
With ironclad rock as his skin
Through cosmos he breathes
Through the stars he sees
An era will end
Rebirth of our kin
Awaken from centuries of sleep
Returning to the keep
We feel the warmth of fire
Return reptilian kings of kings
Hail!
Dragon!
Majesty!
Grant us power!
Reaching for the stars of Agnen
A journey through the dark
Seen through the eyes of fire
We're drawn into the void
Hail!
Dragon!
Majesty!
Grant us power!
Ancestral mighty being
Of dimensions unknown
Sworn to protect the old oath
He who has crossed the dark land
Shall inherit the throne
An era will end
Revenge is at hand
Awaken from centuries of sleep
Returning to the keep
We feel the warmth of fire
Return reptilian king
Awaken from centuries of sleep
Returning to the keep
We feel the warmth of fire
Return reptilian kings of kings
Reaching for the stars of Agnen
A journey through the dark
Seen through the eyes of fire
We're drawn into the void
To live
The song "The Awakening" by Keep of Kalessin is a story of a mythological beast, the dragon, that has awakened from centuries of slumber. The song talks about its journey through the cosmos, and how it sees through the stars. The dragon is made of magic, and ironclad rocks serve as its skin. According to the song, an era will end and the "rebirth of our kin" is imminent.
The lyrics of the song also talk about the dragon's return and how it will inherit the throne. It is considered an ancestral being of dimensions unknown, and its only purpose is to protect the old oath. The song stresses the vengeance that is at hand due to the return of the reptilian kings of kings.
The song's tone is powerful and epic, with fast-paced guitar riffs and atmospheric sounds throughout. The lyrics are steeped in mythology and fantasy, and the band's use of melody adds to the majestic feel of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
At the rise of dawn
As the sun rises
Beyond the lands of man
Far away from human civilization
The beast has awakened
A powerful and ancient creature has woken up
From a deep slumber
After being asleep for a long time
For hundreds of years
An incredibly long time
It has laid dormant
It was inactive and silent
Now again it appears
It has re-emerged
Into the fires of the mountain
Entering a volcano
From the darkest day in time
From a very grim and gloomy time period
The era of the future begins
A new era is starting
Eras of waiting his return
Many eras have passed while waiting for its return
Now the stars are forming his true name
The stars are aligning to reveal the creature's name
Made of magic
A being created through mystical means
The language of the making
A language used to create the being
With ironclad rock as his skin
Its skin is as tough as iron
Through cosmos he breathes
It exists in the vastness of space
Through the stars he sees
It perceives the universe through the stars
An era will end
This marks the end of an era
Rebirth of our kin
A rejuvenation of our race
Awaken from centuries of sleep
Coming back to life after being dormant for centuries
Returning to the keep
Going back to its ancient dwelling
We feel the warmth of fire
We sense its power and presence
Return reptilian kings of kings
A powerful reptilian ruler has come back
Hail!
A greeting of respect
Dragon!
A reference to the creature
Majesty!
Acknowledging its power and status
Grant us power!
We ask for its power to be bestowed upon us
Reaching for the stars of Agnen
Trying to reach distant and unattainable goals
A journey through the dark
A difficult journey through challenging circumstances
Seen through the eyes of fire
Perceiving the situation with passion and energy
We're drawn into the void
Being pulled towards the unknown
To live
To exist and thrive
Ancestral mighty being
A powerful and ancient creature with a long lineage
Of dimensions unknown
It exists beyond the limits of what we can understand
Sworn to protect the old oath
Committed to preserving an ancient agreement
He who has crossed the dark land
One who has triumphed against great adversity
Shall inherit the throne
Will become the new ruler
Revenge is at hand
Seeking retribution for past wrongs
Contributed by Nolan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.