Knee-deep in blood
The Legion Lyrics


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Shadows crawl the earth
On fields decrepit with death, I stand
Blackened rotting flesh
Enchanted with fire ...purified

So beautifully bloody
Bodies dangle from broken trees
This putrid killing field
Barren wastelands fertile with your blood
...To give birth anew monstrosity

A rancid breeze, murmurs in the distance
Incantations, chants and drones. It's closing in

Now I see the raging fire, consuming them alive
I see apocalypses rise

A clear black sea is high above me
As the flames grow tall,
I witness a peer to pestilence
It's eyes shine through the surface, frozen...
Many they are. Like a million specks
Of sand on it's floor

Now halt your minds and listen to their roar
The beast give evensong of sacrifice

Shadows crawl the earth
On fields decrepit with death, I stand




Blackened rotting flesh
Enchanted with fire ...purified

Overall Meaning

The Legion's song, "Knee-deep in blood," is one that paints a vivid picture of a landscape that is barren - a field of death. The persona stands in the middle of it all, surrounded by shadows that seem to be crawling on the ground. Amidst the morbid scene is blackened, rotting flesh that has been enchanted with fire and has been purified. The violence that occurred in this field is so terrible that it has even given birth to a new monstrosity. The lyrics are powerfully written and filled with imagery that gives the listener a glimpse of what it might have been like to be present in this scene.


The second verse describes how the persona observes the scene: there are bodies hanging from broken trees, and the killing field is so putrid that it's hard to believe anything can grow there. Yet, somehow, it does. The barren wasteland is fertile with blood, and new monstrosities are born from the violence that has taken place there. The persona describes a "rancid breeze" that carries "incantations, chants, and drones" in the distance, and they know that something wicked is coming.


In the final verse, the persona sees a "clear black sea" above them, and they witness an apocalyptic event unraveling before their eyes. There is a beast that gives an "evensong of sacrifice," and it's as though the entire world is about to come to an end. The shadows continue to crawl the earth, and the field remains decrepit with death. The blackened rotting flesh is still enchanted with fire, only now it has been purified as well. The haunting last lines of the chorus remind us that sometimes the things that are the most beautiful are also the bloodiest.


Line by Line Meaning

Shadows crawl the earth
Things that are dark and mysterious surround me


On fields decrepit with death, I stand
I am on a field that is ruined and filled with dead bodies


Blackened rotting flesh
Dead bodies that are decaying and turning black


Enchanted with fire ...purified
The bodies are being set on fire as a way to cleanse them


So beautifully bloody
The scene of carnage is gruesome yet beautiful


Bodies dangle from broken trees
The bodies of the deceased are hanging from damaged trees


This putrid killing field
The location where people were killed is filled with rot and decay


Barren wastelands fertile with your blood
The barren area is being nourished with the blood of those killed


...To give birth anew monstrosity
This death and destruction will give life to something monstrous


A rancid breeze, murmurs in the distance
A foul-smelling wind is blowing from far away


Incantations, chants and drones. It's closing in
I can hear eerie sounds nearby that indicate something is approaching


Now I see the raging fire, consuming them alive
I am now witnessing the fire burning people alive


I see apocalypses rise
I see the end of the world beginning to take shape


A clear black sea is high above me
The sky is dark and looming above me


As the flames grow tall,
As the fire gets bigger and stronger


I witness a peer to pestilence
I see something that is similar to a plague or disease


It's eyes shine through the surface, frozen...
Its eyes are gleaming through the cold surface


Many they are. Like a million specks
There are many of these things, like a million tiny dots


Of sand on it's floor
Like grains of sand on the ground


Now halt your minds and listen to their roar
Pay attention to the noise that these beings are making


The beast give evensong of sacrifice
The creatures are offering a song of death and sacrifice


Shadows crawl the earth
The darkness is still present around me


On fields decrepit with death, I stand
I am still standing among the bodies on the ruined field


Blackened rotting flesh
The dead bodies are still decaying


Enchanted with fire ...purified
The fire is still burning and cleansing the area




Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Mikael Karlsson

Great band and they kick ass live, Emil Dragutinovic from Marduk does an awesome work behind the drums.

Jeremiah Sanchez

If someone can upload the entire album that would be awesome.

Grindethics

Yes this seems to be the only track on youtube from this cd, which is their best! I lost my copy of this vd! can you upload more tracks please!!

Dominik Sitnicki

Pure hell

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