The Ritual - Lyrics

Produced and engineered by Tony Platt
Mixed by Nigel Green
Recorded at One On One Recording, LA
Assistant engineer: Ulrich Wild
Mixed at Battery Studios, London
Mastered at Sterling Sound by George Marino
Front cover design by William Benson
Front cover illustration by Don Brautigan
Front cover concept by Eric Peterson
All photos by Mark Leialoha
Art direction: Bob Defrin
Design by Larry Freemantle

1992 - ATLANTIC RECORDINGS

ERIC PETERSON - guitar
ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar
GREG CHRISTIAN - bass
LOUIE CLEMENTE - drums
CHUCK BILLY - vocals

1. Signs Of Chaos
2. Electric Crown
3. So Many Lies
4. Let Go Of My World
5. The Ritual
6. Deadline
7. As The Seasons Grey
8. Agony
9. The Sermon
10. Return To Serenity
11. Troubled Dreams

Signs Of Chaos

Electric Crown

Here we go
The people show
Victims of tomorrow
The way it goes
It never shows
Emptiness or sorrow
There is nothing left inside
Nothing left to cry for
So I justify my crimes
Things that I must die for

So alone
Away it goes
The life that you have wasted
You never know
Where it might go
The sweet sucess you´ve tasted
Tested by a bitter frown
Knowing I must die for
Can´t confide, to all the lies
No one to inquire

As I wander, change of seasons
As I realize
That I´ll soon be there

I´ll let you know
The reapers show
Makes you beg or borrow
He comes to see
The tragedy
His fate he will not follow
Wearing your electric crown
The preachers starts to pray
Shiver as the lights go down
Heed these words I say

As I wander
Change of seasons
I can´t ponder
I got my reasons
As I realize
I don´t care
All I know is
That I´ll soon be there

Now it´s done
The time has come
The people stand in silence
Another dawn
Has come and gone
His fate has been decided
There is no one left inside
A brain without mind
Traces of a bitter man
Are all that you will find

As I wander
Change of seasons
I can´t ponder
I got my reasons
As I realize
I don´t care
All I know is
That I´ll soon be there

So Many Lies

I didn´t mean to offend you
But you were way out of the line
And I can´t help the way I feel
Who said I feel fine?
I´ll only give you one warning
Then you must realize
The day of judgement is
closing in
Your selfish ways bring
your demise
He who lies
Evil pays
Who are you?

Who made you anyway?
Wrong or right
Who´s to say
I wanna know
Who made you God today

Slave to the ways of the system
Soon to be crucified
I´ve seen into your darkest fears
The ones you cannot hide
I know where you go when
Your fears start showing
You run
You cannot hide
Will they respect you when
You ask for the world
"Forgive me for so many lies?"

Is there a need to pretend
To be a man, so divine
And even if I offended you
My truth you can´t deny
I know where you go when
Your fears start showing
You run
You cannot hide
Will they respect you when
You ask for the world
"Forgive me for so many lies?"

Let Go Of My World

Listen now to my sordid tale
My words they speak to you
They testify
You can´t deny
You see it´s oh so true
I dwell in thoughts
Of the universe
What´s immortality?
It´s said to be
The lies they breed
The pages start to bleed
How can this be?

Let go of my world
Let it go...

Touch my soul
With subliminal sin
Deceptions they induce
Ingest the lies
Dissect the mind
You can´t control the youth
Enslave the free
With conformity
Opression takes its toll
Hey little man
Who are you
To try to take control
Of my soul...

Let go of my world
Let it go...

Bleed me dry
Read between the lies
Filter out the truth
Pick at my brain
Brand me insane
I know what I must do
Take my life into my
own hands
My sins I will atone
If I don´t try
I will reside
Inside a mental home
Home sweet home...

Let go of my world
Let it go...

The Ritual

Say hello again, my friends
I´ve got to go
The ritual calls to me
Screams twist in harmony

Blinding lights reveal
Thoughts that should not be
The ritual call to me
Silent insanity

You really thought you´d never
Be the one who bleeds
It´s all so clear to me now
Why can´t they see?

Revelations breaking through
The truth distorts
Untimely accident
Your precious mind is lost

Try to regain again my friend
Your sanity
The ritual calls to me
Melodic agony

You really thought you
would never
Be the one who bleeds
It´s all so clear to me now
Why can´t they see?

Fry away your mind
Walk behind the blind
Kill yourself killing time

Oooh, what´cha gonna do
When your life is sold
To a world so cold?

Hey, what´cha gonna say
When you´re on your way
On your darkest day?

Hey!
Darkest day

Say goodbye again, my friends
I´m coming home
The ritual calls to me
Distant reality

Unseen images expose
What I can´t see
The ritual calls to me
Won´t ever set me free

You really thought you´d never
Be the one who bleeds
It´s all so clear to me now
Why can´t they see?
Fry away your mind
Walk behind the blind
Kill yourself killing time

Deadline

Take a look away
Think about the things you say
The day awaits your soul
in chains

Ya got to make it today
Or there will be hell to pay
And there is no other way

Look at how you´re living now
Life can always bring you down
The cradle to the grave
All I give is all I save...

Every day´s the same
Can you still feel the pain
You lose your mind then
go insane
I can´t talk to you
You can´t tell me what to do
What I need is up to you

Look at how you´re living now
Life can always bring me down
The cradle to the grave
All I give is all I save...

And I wonder how they live
Always taking what they give
Never far, always near, lose
your mind
Gripping you with... fear...
What´s done is done

Hey slave, take it to the grave
Walk in someone else´s shoes
That´s the path you paved
Live, die, take off that disguise
Find your own reflection now
In the pool it lies

Now you know the score
You can´t take this
hell anymore
You feel like you never
did before
Go and find the way
You´re closer to it everyday
Yes, this is the price you pay

And I wonder how they live
Always taking what they give
Never far, always near, lose
your mind
Gripping you with... fear...
When the fist comes down...

As The Seasons Grey

Take a look, what do you see
Image in the mirror
Yesterday is yesterday
You´ll meet your maker
I know that time grows old
Can´t stop the seasons
Shifting sands slip through
your hands
Time is gone before
it´s begun...

Die
A little more
A little more for every day
Lord why
Oh tell me why
Do the seasons slowly grey?

Days of blue just turn to grey
The picture slowly aging
Nothing left of the memory
Death will not forsake them
God-fearing people say
They are not afraid of dying
So why do they turn to faith
When faith has no meaning in life?

Time worn
Worn time
Say good-bye to yesterday
After life
Life after
It´s all the same

The Golden years bring out
the pain
Death rolls in like the
seasons change
You´ve lost all hope but still
you pray...

Aging eyes that fail to see
The mirror has been shattered
Death´s knocking on their door
A vision filled with laughter
I know that time grows old
Can´t stop the seasons
And as the end draws near
The story´s over before
it´s begun

Time worn
Worn time
Say good-bye to yesterday
After life
Life after
It´s all the same

The Golden years bring out
the pain
Death rolls in like the
seasons change
You´ve lost all hope but still
you pray...

Agony

Trapped in a nightmare
Prisoners of warfare
Days gone become years
Of suffering...

Fight on but what´s to gain
Misfortune leads to pain

Fearless they won´t die
Caged in they ask why

Cry out but don´t cry
In agony...

Live on but, what´s to gain?
Die slowly every day
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved

From agony
Agony
Agony?

In silent suffering
It´s never ending
They pray to end their
Misery...

Fight on but what´s to gain?
Die slowly every day
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved
From agony
Agony
Agony
Agony?

Missing in action
Never forgotten
America the mighty
Set them free...

Fight on but what´s to gain?
Die slowly every day
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved
From agony
Agony
Agony
Agony?

The Sermon

Suit up for destruction
Death looks behind many faces
Hatred plans its deepest seed
In the most obvious places

Symbols of allegiance
Chaos spells devotion
Evil is their sanction
The master plan is set
in motion

Oh Yeah!!
What the hell are you proud of?
Heads held low
Self respect must be earned

Evil poisons taste just like wine
Swallow the lies until you
are blind
You´re going blind
Now let it flow...

Waiting to deliver
Imposing martial laws of pain
KKK or CIA
They are one and all the same

Oh Yeah!!
What the hell are you proud of?
Heads held low
Self respect must be earned

Evil poisons taste just like wine
Swallow the lies until you
are blind
You´re going blind

Can´t get to me
Or abuse me
Your racist tears will amuse me
And then you´ll bleed...
Now let it flow...
Charismatic leaders
Preach their sermons
of ignorance
Please take heed soon
my friends
Promises won´t cleanse the sins

Oh Yeah!!
What the hell are you proud of?
Heads held low
Self respect must be earned

Evil poisons taste just like wine
Swallow the lies until you
are blind
You´re going blind
Now let it flow...

Return To Serenity

I´m gonna take you
To a place far from here
No one will see us
Watch the pains as it disappears

No time for anger
No time for despair
Won´t you come with me
There´s room for us there

This innocent beauty
My words can´t describe
This rebirth to purity
Bring a sullen tear right to
your eyes

No time for anger
No time for despair
Please let me take you
´Cause I´m already there

I´m so alone
My head´s my home
I´ll return to serenity

Rhyme without reasons
Is why children cry
They see through the system
That´s breeding them just so
they die

So please let me take you
And I´ll show you the truth
Inside my reality
We shared in my youth

I´m so alone
My head´s my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I return to serenity

Now that I´ve taken you
To a place far from here
I really must go back
Close your eyes and
we´ll disappear
Won´t you come with me
Salvation we´ll share
Inside of my head now
There´s room for us there

I´m so alone
My head´s my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I return to serenity

Troubled Dreams

Troubled dreams
Of a wandering nomad
Damned to be all by myself
I travelled far
Following bright starts
Through the endless desert sands

Staring off into the sky
Down on myself
Loneliness bring me demise
Oh, what a nightmare
Here we go

Leave me be
Why must I please them
When I can´t even please myself?
Deep in thoughts
But I still feel so
Lost in endless despair

Staring off into the sky
Down on myself
Loneliness bring me demise
Oh, what a nightmare
Here we go

As you soon realize
The night´s so black I feel blind
Should I keep wandering on
On and on and on?
There´s just one thing you
should know
No I can´t take it no more
Two wrongs don´t make it right
Right or wrong I can´t take it
And in the end you will find
Find me a peace of mind

Forever lost
Severing my thoughts
From the dream I must seek
Time to end
This aggravation
The nomad spirit lives in me

Staring off into the sky
Down on myself
Loneliness bring me demise
Oh, what a nightmare
Here we go

As you soon realize
The night´s so black I feel blind
Should I keep wandering on
On and on and on?
There´s just one thing you
should know
No I can´t take it no more
Two wrongs don´t make it right
Right or wrong I can´t take it
And in the end you will find
Find me a peace of mind