THE DECEIVERS A film review by Mark R. Leeper Copyright 1988 Mark R. Leeper Capsule review: Fun swashbuckler about a fascinating historical incident. Pierce Brosnan goes undercover in India in 1825 to investigate the Cult of Kali that murdered millions of people in ritual killings. Merchant/Ivory (A ROOM WITH A VIEW) effectively remake the good STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY and do it better. Rating: +3. We have seen quite a number of films about the British in India, films like GANDHI, A PASSAGE TO INDIA, THE FAR PAVILIONS, and JEWEL IN THE CROWN. These films have had absolutely nothing positive to say about the British. As often as not it is the British themselves who are British-bashing over India. That is all well and good--most people agree that Britain's rule was pretty bad--but the question is, was it so unmitigatedly bad? Was there nothing worthwhile that Britain did? I have asked this question of a number of Indians in this country and have gotten two different answers. One answer was that British rule WAS entirely exploitation. The other answer was that the British did two things for India. The two things were that they built railroads and that they suppressed the Cult of the Black Mother. Most people understand the concept of railroads. What was the Cult of the Black Mother? Well, that is the subject of a new film from the Anglo-Indian production company Merchant/Ivory, makers of films such as SHAKESPEARE WALLAH, A ROOM WITH A VIEW, and MAURICE. First of all, do not trust my opinion on this film. I am a big fan of an old film made by Hammer Films called STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY. Not that I trust its historical accuracy but it is a great horror film/swashbuckler. THE DECEIVERS is a virtual remake on a bigger budget. It has more action and more thrills and as one can expect from Merchant/Ivory, it is better acted and scripted. It is a film I wanted to see made. But for one silly deus ex machina scene near the end, it has just the perfect feel for this sort of film, a sort of film that has not been made for several years. The Cult of the Black Mother, also known as the Cult of Kali--whose initiates were called Thuggees (from which we get the word "thug") or Deceivers--was a secret society of adherents to a religion that believed their goddess wanted them to murder. They would pretend to be pilgrims and humbly travel with parties they would meet on the road. In the dark of night, at a given signal, they would whip out cloths and strangle their entire host's party so fast that their victims would never know anything was awry until they felt themselves being strangled. (Incidentally, I was not a fan of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, but I still claim it did not slander Indians. It had as its villains disciples of Kali and I would contend that, like Nazis, they are pretty much unslanderable.) The film claims the Thuggee cult murdered two million Indians and that may well be a low figure. Travelers would just disappear and nobody would know why, so any statistics are just vague guesses. In addition, when a husband disappeared very often the wife would often commit ritual suicide to join her husband. The fate of the children might well be in question and there could well be more deaths. Murdering two million people directly could indirectly cause the death of many, many more. Surprisingly little has been written about this relatively small cult whose toll in human misery is a significant fraction of that caused by the Third Reich. Well, that is mostly background. What is the film itself about? William Savage (played by Pierce Brosnan) is the tax collector of a region in which a woman wishes to commit a suicide of suttee, a ritual in which a widow joins her husband. Savage takes part in a ruse to dissuade the woman's suicide only to happen upon the scene of a Thuggee killing. Investigating the mass murder he has witnessed, he discovers just how big a conspiracy it is a part of. Risking his career, he disguises himself as an Indian and joins a local band. The not very descriptive titles THE DECEIVERS conceals a thumping good adventure yarn that is enjoyable and which is fairly consistent with what (admittedly little) I know about the Cult of the Black Mother. Hey, I had fun with this film. I like films that show me some Asian culture. I like a good film, particularly in the tradition of the swashbucklers. I will give it a +3 on the -4 to +4 scale. But get someone else's opinion. Mark R. Leeper att!mtgzz!leeper leeper%mtgzz@att.arpa Copyright 1988 Mark R. Leeper THE DECEIVERS A film review by Ashok Jethanandani Copyright 1988 Ashok Jethanandani (reprinted by permission from India Currents) [Note the the author of this is not "on the net"; replies should be directed *through* the person listed on the "From: and Reply-To: lines, but not *to* him. -Moderator] Through a Colonial Filter Thugee dealt a severe blow - and Indians are left reeling By Ashok Jethanandani THE DECEIVERS. Director: Nicholas Meyer. Producer: Ismail Merchant. Players: Pierce Brosnan, Saeed Jaffrey, Shashi Kapoor. English. 1988. A sadhu, a maharaja. Colorfully bedecked elephants and a horde of nondescript natives. Within minutes into THE DECEIVERS, director Nicholas Meyer makes his love of stereotypes clear. Shot on location in India, The Deceivers also has gorgeous scenes of ravines, waterfalls, green jungles, and a sparkling jewel bazaar. But in spite of the splendid landscapes, the film gives little insight into what makes the natives tick. This film is a look at India with the colonial filter firmly in place. Technically, THE DECEIVERS is perfect. In this story about thugs, a group of 19th century bandits who strangled and robbed unsuspecting travelers, the filmmaker's polished technique is evident throughout. Thuggee itself is introduced and developed with great finesse. We first see the mysterious massacre of a group of travelers. Later, through the eyes of District Commander William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), we learn that it is one in a series of ritualistic murders. The strangling technique itself is ingenious and awesome, a swift swishing of roomal (silk bandana) around the victim's neck. Each subsequent thugee encounter is gripping, as we witness the deceit and wait for the inevitable killing. The composition of shots, careful choice of visual detail and camera angles, and skillful editing make for a thrilling spectacle. But then one expects no less from the director of a film like Star Trek II. Alas, technical perfection alone does not a good film make. And what this film has to say about India and Indians is insulting and offensive. There is not a single Indian character here who is not stupid, superstitious, dangerous, menacing, or untrustworthy. That includes children. Every major Indian character in the film is a thug, even the maharaja. India, if THE DECEIVERS is to be believed, is a bizarre, brutal country. A long sequence shows the gruesome punishment meted to a petty thief. The hapless fellow is chained to the ground while an elephant is made to walk around him in circles. A crowd gathers around and the circle gets smaller and smaller until the elephant has no place to go but trample on the thief. This incident takes place in the background while two men carry on a conversation, indifferent to the grotesque spectacle. It is scenes like this that give the impression of Indians as barbaric, lawless people, that glorify and romanticize the British Raj as the institution that brought law, order, and civilization to the subcontinent. The thesis is so overdone that it loses all credibility. Only passing references are made to the fact that the laws the British imposed on Indians had more to do with consolidating their stranglehold on power than to better the lot of Indians. In a minor but telling concession to reality, a British District Commander is shown as calmly detaining a band of thugs and grabbing his share of the loot before letting them go. William Savage, the officer with a missionary zeal to improve things, is sternly reminded of the East India Company policy on social change: "Do nothing, and let nothing be done." His missionary zeal is more literal than you would think. In a classic confrontation between Christianity and Hinduism, we get the Christ of the white man pitted against the Kali worshipped by the thug. Depicted as the goddess of death and destruction who demands and receives human sacrifice, Kali doesn't stand a chance. The impression that THE DECEIVERS leaves is that the British helped "civilize" India, that they deserve credit for social reforms that took place under the Raj. The truth of the matter is that social change in India occurred because Indians worked for it. Sati did not go away because of British laws, but because people like Raja Rammohan Roy worked to change social attitudes. Life for Indians under the Raj was little better than that of animals. In a hunting sequence, British officers, armed with rifles, perch safely on elephants, while dozens of unarmed and defenceless villagers are made to encircle and snuff a frightened tiger out of the jungle and in the direction of its imperial hunters. It is hard to believe that after producing films like A ROOM WITH A VIEW and MAURICE, Ismail Merchant would make a thriller with such a nakedly colonial viewpoint. John Masters' story is riddled with bigotry about India. It is hard to say what is more offensive, the uninformed blasphemy about Kali, or the suggestion that sati is some mystical and inevitable offshoot of Hinduism. Fake mysticism such as this can hardly bring about a deeper understanding of life in 19th century India, or in the country that has evolved since. Master of Puppets Battery Lashing out the action, returning the reaction Weak are ripped and torn away Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower Battery is here to stay [chorus:] Smashing through the boundries lunacy has found me cannot stop the Battery Pounding out aggression turns into obsession cannot kill the Battery Cannot kill the family Battery is found in me Battery [End Chorus] Crushing all deceivers, mashing non-believers never ending potency Hungry violence seeker, feeding off the weaker Breeding on insanity [Chorus] Circle of Destruction, Hammer comes crushing Powerhouse of energy Whipping up a fury, Dominating flurry We create the Battery [Chorus]. Master of Puppets End of passion play, crumbling away I'm your source of self-destruction Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear Leading on your death's construction [Chorus:] Taste me you will see more is all you need you're dedicated to how I'm killing you Come crawling faster obey your Master your life burns faster obey your Master Master Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings twisting your mind and smashing your dreams Blinded by me, you can't see a thing Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream Master Master Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream Master Master [End Chorus] Needlework the way, never you betray life of death becoming clearer Pain monopoly, ritual misery chop your breakfast on a mirror [Chorus] Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after? Master, Master, You promised only lies Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries Hell is worth all that, natural habitat just a rhyme without a reason Neverending maze, drift on numbered days now your life is out of season [Chorus] [Fade out with evil laughter]. The Thing that Should Not Be Messenger of Fear in sight Dark deception kills the light Hybred children watch the sea Pray for Father, roaming free fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea great Old One forbidden site He searches Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell Crawling Chaos, underground cult has summoned, twisted sound Out from ruins once possessed fallen city, living death fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea timeless sleep has been upset He awakens Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell Not dead which eternal lie stranger eons Death may die drain you of your sanity face The Thing That Should Not Be fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea great Old One forbidden site He searches Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Welcome to where time stands still no one leaves and no one will Moon is full, never seems to change just labeled mentally deranged Dream the same thing every night I see our freedom in my sight No locked doors, No windows barred No things to make my brain seem scarred Sleep my friend and you will see that dream is my reality They keep me locked up in this cage can't they see it's why my brain says Rage Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Build my fear of what's out there and cannot breathe the open air Whisper things into my brain assuring me that I'm insane They think our heads are in their hands but violent use brings violent plans Keep him tied, it makes him well he's getting better, can't you tell? No more can they keep us in Listen, damn it, we will win They see it right, they see it well but they think this saves us from our Hell Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Sanitarium, just leave me alone Fear of living on natives getting restless now Mutiny in the air got some death to do Mirror stares back hard Kill, it's such a friendly word seems the only way for reaching out again. Disposable Heroes Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend running blind through killing fields, bred to kill them all Victim of what said should be a servant `til I fall [Chorus:] Soldier boy, made of clay now an empty shell twenty one, only son but he served us well Bred to kill, not to care just do as we say finished here, Greeting Death he's yours to take away Back to the front you will do what I say, when I say Back to the front you will die when I say, you must die Back to the front you coward you servant you blindman [End Chorus] Barking of machinegun fire, does nothing to me now sounding of the clock that ticks, get used to it somehow More a man, more stripes you bare, glory seeker trends bodies fill the fields I see the slaughter never ends [Chorus] Why, Am I dying? Kill, have no fear Lie, live off lying Hell, Hell is here I was born for dying Life planned out before my birth, nothing could I say had no chance to see myself, moulded day by day Looking back I realize, nothing have I done left to die with only friend Alone I clench my gun [Chorus] Back to the front. Leper Messiah Spineless from the start, sucked into the part circus comes to town, you play the lead clown Please, please spreading his disease, living by his story Knees, knees falling to your knees, suffer for his glory You will [Chorus] Time for lust, time for lie time to kiss your life goodbye Send me money, send me green Heaven you will meet Make a contribution and you'll get a better seat [End Chorus] Bow to Leper Messiah Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix blind devotion came, rotting your brain Chain, chain Join the endless chain Fame, Fame Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power We see [Chorus] Bow to Leper Messiah Witchery, weakening Sees the sheep are gathering set the trap, hypnotize now you follow [Chorus] Lie. Orion (Instrumental) Damage, Inc. Dealing out the agony within charging hard and no one's gonna give in Living on your knees, conformity or dying on your feet for honesty Inbred, our bodies work as one bloody, but never cry submission Following our instinct not a trend go against the grain until the end [Chorus:] Blood will follow blood Dying time is here Damage Incorporated [End Chorus] Slamming through, don't fuck with razorback stepping out? You'll feel our hell on your back Blood follows blood and we make sure life ain't for you and we're the cure Honesty is my only excuse Try to rob us of it, but it's no use Steamroller action crushing all Victim is your name and you shall fall [Chorus] We chew and spit you out we laugh, you scream and shout All flee, with fear you run You'll know just where we come from Damage Incorporated Damage jackals ripping right through you sight and smell of this, it gets me goin' Know just how to get just what we want tear it from your soul in nightly hunt Fuck it all and fucking no regrets Never happy ending on these dark sets All's fair for Damage Inc. you see step a little closer if you please [Chorus]. Master of Puppets Battery Lashing out the action, returning the reaction Weak are ripped and torn away Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower Battery is here to stay [chorus:] Smashing through the boundries lunacy has found me cannot stop the Battery Pounding out aggression turns into obsession cannot kill the Battery Cannot kill the family Battery is found in me Battery [End Chorus] Crushing all deceivers, mashing non-believers never ending potency Hungry violence seeker, feeding off the weaker Breeding on insanity [Chorus] Circle of Destruction, Hammer comes crushing Powerhouse of energy Whipping up a fury, Dominating flurry We create the Battery [Chorus]. Master of Puppets End of passion play, crumbling away I'm your source of self-destruction Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear Leading on your death's construction [Chorus:] Taste me you will see more is all you need you're dedicated to how I'm killing you Come crawling faster obey your Master your life burns faster obey your Master Master Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings twisting your mind and smashing your dreams Blinded by me, you can't see a thing Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream Master Master Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream Master Master [End Chorus] Needlework the way, never you betray life of death becoming clearer Pain monopoly, ritual misery chop your breakfast on a mirror [Chorus] Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after? Master, Master, You promised only lies Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries Hell is worth all that, natural habitat just a rhyme without a reason Neverending maze, drift on numbered days now your life is out of season [Chorus] [Fade out with evil laughter]. The Thing that Should Not Be Messenger of Fear in sight Dark deception kills the light Hybred children watch the sea Pray for Father, roaming free fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea great Old One forbidden site He searches Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell Crawling Chaos, underground cult has summoned, twisted sound Out from ruins once possessed fallen city, living death fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea timeless sleep has been upset He awakens Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell Not dead which eternal lie stranger eons Death may die drain you of your sanity face The Thing That Should Not Be fearless Wretch insanity He watches lurking beneath the sea great Old One forbidden site He searches Hunter of the Shadows is rising immortal in madness You dwell. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Welcome to where time stands still no one leaves and no one will Moon is full, never seems to change just labeled mentally deranged Dream the same thing every night I see our freedom in my sight No locked doors, No windows barred No things to make my brain seem scarred Sleep my friend and you will see that dream is my reality They keep me locked up in this cage can't they see it's why my brain says Rage Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Build my fear of what's out there and cannot breathe the open air Whisper things into my brain assuring me that I'm insane They think our heads are in their hands but violent use brings violent plans Keep him tied, it makes him well he's getting better, can't you tell? No more can they keep us in Listen, damn it, we will win They see it right, they see it well but they think this saves us from our Hell Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Sanitarium, just leave me alone Fear of living on natives getting restless now Mutiny in the air got some death to do Mirror stares back hard Kill, it's such a friendly word seems the only way for reaching out again. Disposable Heroes Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend running blind through killing fields, bred to kill them all Victim of what said should be a servant `til I fall [Chorus:] Soldier boy, made of clay now an empty shell twenty one, only son but he served us well Bred to kill, not to care just do as we say finished here, Greeting Death he's yours to take away Back to the front you will do what I say, when I say Back to the front you will die when I say, you must die Back to the front you coward you servant you blindman [End Chorus] Barking of machinegun fire, does nothing to me now sounding of the clock that ticks, get used to it somehow More a man, more stripes you bare, glory seeker trends bodies fill the fields I see the slaughter never ends [Chorus] Why, Am I dying? Kill, have no fear Lie, live off lying Hell, Hell is here I was born for dying Life planned out before my birth, nothing could I say had no chance to see myself, moulded day by day Looking back I realize, nothing have I done left to die with only friend Alone I clench my gun [Chorus] Back to the front. Leper Messiah Spineless from the start, sucked into the part circus comes to town, you play the lead clown Please, please spreading his disease, living by his story Knees, knees falling to your knees, suffer for his glory You will [Chorus] Time for lust, time for lie time to kiss your life goodbye Send me money, send me green Heaven you will meet Make a contribution and you'll get a better seat [End Chorus] Bow to Leper Messiah Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix blind devotion came, rotting your brain Chain, chain Join the endless chain Fame, Fame Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power We see [Chorus] Bow to Leper Messiah Witchery, weakening Sees the sheep are gathering set the trap, hypnotize now you follow [Chorus] Lie. Orion (Instrumental) Damage, Inc. Dealing out the agony within charging hard and no one's gonna give in Living on your knees, conformity or dying on your feet for honesty Inbred, our bodies work as one bloody, but never cry submission Following our instinct not a trend go against the grain until the end [Chorus:] Blood will follow blood Dying time is here Damage Incorporated [End Chorus] Slamming through, don't fuck with razorback stepping out? You'll feel our hell on your back Blood follows blood and we make sure life ain't for you and we're the cure Honesty is my only excuse Try to rob us of it, but it's no use Steamroller action crushing all Victim is your name and you shall fall [Chorus] We chew and spit you out we laugh, you scream and shout All flee, with fear you run You'll know just where we come from Damage Incorporated Damage jackals ripping right through you sight and smell of this, it gets me goin' Know just how to get just what we want tear it from your soul in nightly hunt Fuck it all and fucking no regrets Never happy ending on these dark sets All's fair for Damage Inc. you see step a little closer if you please [Chorus]. @ALBUM: doomsday.for.the.deceiver Author: Flotsam & Jetsam Album title: Doomsday for the Deceiver @SONG: Hammerhead Hello, how are you? Ready tonight? I'm here to show you. I know your kind, I like you just fine, Anyway I choose. Hammerhead baby in plainsight, in lace and leather. She wants me to feel just right, Wants to get together. Come on now lady, show me how you rock, I wanna get to know you. I'm hot, so give me what you've got, My turn to go you. Faster than the speed of light, Wham bam! I thank you, or... All night pounding away, with more ways to please me. CHORUS Love for the taking, she talks with her eyes, Wants me to give her a ride. Spellbound she takes me way deep inside, Hammerhead baby tonight...Hold tight! We're all alone, my love has grown, My time to show you. You're on your knees, you're ready to please, Give me the Hammer...Head. REPEAT VERSE I CHORUS @SONG: Iron Tears What is this game we play with broken hearts and tears? Been played by young and old for oh so many years, Can you tell me honestly you've never been a pawn? Someone steals your love away, you turn around...they're gone. PRE-CHORUS It is the game of temptation, it is the play of the heart, Cry out in desperation, Iron Tears take you apart. CHORUS Love to you is lies to me - Iron Tears Love is cruel and lies cut deep - Iron Tears This time reverse the pain that brought upon your fears, This time forget the part about broken hearts and tears, Come on, take command, show no mercy, cruel and cold, Iron eyes see right through and control the soul. PRE-CHORUS CHORUS My love for you is lies you see - Iron Tears Love is cruel and lies cut deep - Iron Tears Iron Tears, the tears you cry, are tears enough for all. Iron Tears, the tears I cry, are tears enough for all. Now you know just how it feels from both sides of the heart, Do you like the tearing, or to be torn apart? What do you feel inside when you bleed a soul? What do you want from love, mercy or control? PRE-CHORUS CHORUS The game of love is made of lies, don't you see? Iron Tears will forever be. Iron Tears... @SONG: Desecrator You can't be first, but you may be next, The next one to betray and chosen to face this test. When you find yourself scorning the trust and Find it simple to lie, Falling easy prey to your lust, giving treachery a try. You'll soon wish you could die...it can be arranged... Go right ahead, go on and play your games, Your time will come my friend, your heart will shred your brain. When it does, you'll know and feel the wickedness of delusion, And the pain selfish pleasures conceal. CHORUS Desecrator - insanity is close at hand, fear and desolation. Violator - your conscience will command, no, it's not a dream. It's a living nightmare - a moment of lust destroys the bond. Desecrator - cursed jezebel, it will never end...rot in hell. You weren't the first and won't be the last, The last one to betray, you have failed this test. Like a helpless plaything, a powerless victim of lust, You gambled honor for pleasure, a wager that cost precious trust. CHORUS @SONG: Fade to Black The night will fall, the axe will drop, The key will turn, the door will lock, The needle will push, the pain will stop, The scene is set, prepare for shock. CHORUS Fade to black Your mind is full of evil thoughts, Your senses dulled as your body rots, You will go down on my command, Your will is gone, fall by my hand. The night will fall, the axe will drop, The key will turn, the door will lock, The needle will push, the pain will stop, The scene is set, prepare for shock. CHORUS @SONG: Doomsday for the Deceiver Play heed this take of the prince of darkness, Whom we're taught to fear from day number one. The beguiling serpent, king of the underworld, Betrayer and mocker of heaven's chosen one. Evil and wicked dreamer, creator of sins, Ultimate deceiver; longing to take you in. He promises earthly glory, if you play his game; "I won't let the firebombs hurt you, just Number your head and take my name." Belial begins his scheming, treacherous plan, Turns brother on brother, toys with the leaders of man. He creates before them illusions of broken truce, A wicked plot of deception, that commanders cannot refuse. In a short time he has control, USA, Russia, chaos from pole to pole. Mankind's worst nightmare, it's too late to pray, Hold tight and take your last breath, The missiles are on their way...DOOMSDAY! All over the earth the horror begins, This time there's no second chance. Firebombs...deathly flash, vapors spread so fast, In a moment the world is ash. There in the midst stands the deceiver Bearing a brooding smile. Surrounded by his marked believers, The masses of unscarred. Evil's reign, called by the prophets, Under a darkened sky, Ghastly sins everywhere, unmarked survivors Sacrificed as demons dance. Suddenly, the hordes are silenced, By the rumbling planed, metalbeast soon to appear, To challenge the enemy, to deal his doom, To write the devil's dirge...Doomsday! The scorched ground opens, the beast of metal appears, Satan and his army show no sign of fear. Across desert plains, through city streets, In the hills evil meets defeat. Covens one by on fall by metal's hand, As the dark forces weaken. The monster rages through the battles, To confront the master of sin. As the night falls, the beasts, they meet And the existing numbered line along the street. The air is charged with power metal, Flotzilla's eyes glow as he feeds. The clash begins, a fight 'til death, Such power never seen before. Thrashing jaws, slashing claws, Dealing the darkside's fate; The deceiver's doom this day...DOOMSDAY! @SONG: Metalshock The end of time has come, the day after. Everything is black, the world is over. There are no trees, all life has crumbled. Cities tumbled down, man's self-destruction. (REPEAT) Screams from deep below, what can they be? Sounds of pounding metal, radiation creation. A creature of strength and power so real. Ascends from beneath, Metalshock to reveal. Atomchild begins to grow, scans the barren zones, Exploring his new home, he's all alone... Through days and nights he roams, Upper streets and catacombs, No life at all, but a megawatt wall. Great wall stacks to the sky, scarred V lays nigh. Reaches out his mighty fist, the power gives a hiss. The louder it gets, the better he feels. His secret unveils, Metalshock is revealed. CHORUS Pounding Metal across the land, Life-giving magic in his hands, The power chords raise the dead, People come alive banging their heads. Mankind now lives for Metal, it's inside of us all. The power from the shock, rise after we fall. The creature of strength and power so real, Returns us to Earth's core until World War Four. CHORUS @SONG: She Took an Axe A young maiden with a demon in her soul, A twisted mind with secrets to unfold. An innocent face, a deceiving smile, Under no suspicion, servant to Belial. The axe came down...Blood all around... She lurks possessed, without a sound, Butchers her Dam when no one is around. The next day her Sire feels her wrath, She has no remorse in her merciless bloodbath. CHORUS She's Miss Lizzy, she feels no pain The axe came down She's Miss Lizzy, she strikes again, The axe came down...Blood all around REFRAIN Lizzy Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks, When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. REPEAT REFRAIN REPEAT REFRAIN Now before the jury with a solemn face, These legendary murders...she left not a trace. Lizzy found it so simple to take their lives, Today she walks free...Axe by her side... CHORUS She took an axe. U.S.L.W. ________ Tonight we take the stage again, To shock you and capture your holes. The victims before us, words can't describe, The kind you seize only in your dreams. Her striking glance tells the story, The lust in her mind is plain to see. She knows that I know what she's thinking. Thinking of poisoning me... CHORUS Poison me - snakes that bite - poison me The time for gashing has come now, The reptile slithers to me. Just one more persuasion, Her cold blood boils from the heat. Penetration, injection is painless, Forked-tongue flicking about. A constrictor in the form of a woman, With such a grip...I barely got out! CHORUS I'll poison you with my venom, Come to me, Viper...and see. The stage smoulders in silence, The pounding and banging is done... For now, only until next time, When for my venom, again you will come. CHORUS @SONG: Der Fuhrer Far away across the sea, early twentieth century, A demon with a man's face. Rose to power in Germany, dictator-monster, deceiving, Emperor of the Third Reich. CHORUS Zeig Heil! All Hail! Zeig Heil! Star of David ripped to shreds, Holocaust, twelve million dead, Der Fuhrer and his master race. Red, white and black flies everywhere, So much power, world beware, Hitler to rule the Earth. Swastika, horrid miscreation, in the camps of concentration, God's chosen in that Nazi hell. CHORUS Allied forces go to war, bloody battles by the score, London, Paris, many more. Air raid sirens screaming loud, Bombers like the reaper's shroud, Deutschland terror marching proud. So much pain and misery, far away across the sea, Hope he never lives again. CHORUS @SONG: Flotzilla Your request matches 1 albums and 10 songs. ...And Justice For All Blackened Blackened is the end Winter it will send Throwing all you see Into obscurity Death of mother earth Never a rebirth Evolution's end Never will it mend Never Fire To begin whipping dance of the dead Blackened is the end To begin whipping dance of the dead Color our world blackened Bustering of earth Terminate its worth Deadly nicotine Kills what might have been Callous frigid chill Nothing left to kill Never seen before Breathing nevermore Never Fire To begin whipping dance of the dead Blackened is the end To begin whipping dance of the dead Color our world blackened Blackened Opposition...contradiction...premonition...compromise Agitation...violation...mutilation...planet dies Darkest color Blistered earth True death of life Termination....expiration...cancellation...human race Expectation...liberation...population...lay to waste See our mother Put to death See our mother die Smouldering decay Take her breath away Millions of our years In minutes disappears Darkening in vain Decadence remains All is said and done Never is the sun Never Fire To begin whipping dance of the dead Blackened is the end To begin whipping dance of the dead Fire Is the outcome of hypocrisy Darkest potency In the exit of humanity Color our world blackened Blackened ...And Justice For All Halls of justice painted green Money talking Power wolves beset your door Hear them stalking Soon you'll please their appetite They devour Hammer of justice crushes you Overpower The ultimate in vanity Exploiting their supremacy I can't believe the things you say I can't believe I can't believe the price you pay Nothing can save you Justice is lost Justice is raped Justice is gone Pulling your strings Justice is done Seeking no truth Winning is all Find it so grim So true So real Apathy their stepping stone So unfeeling Hidden deep animosity So deceiving Through your eyes their light burns Hoping to find Inquisition sinking you With prying minds The ultimate in vanity Exploiting their supremacy I can't believe the things you say I can't believe I can't believe the price you pay Nothing can save you Justice is lost Justice is raped Justice is gone Pulling your strings Justice is done Seeking no truth Winning is all Find it so grim So true So real Lady justice has been raped Truth assassin Rolls of red tape seal your lips Now you're done in Their money tips her scales again Make your deal Just what is truth?i cannot tell Cannot feel The ultimate in vanity Exploiting their supremacy I can't believe the things you say I can't believe I can't believe the price we pay Nothing can save you Justice is lost Justice is raped Justice is gone Pulling your strings Justice is done Seeking no truth Winning is all Find it so grim So true So real Seeking no truth Winning is all Find it so grim So true So real Eye Of The Beholder Do you see what i see? Truth is an offence You silence for your confidence Do you hear what i hear? Doors are slamming shut Limit your imagination, keep you where they must Do you feel what i feel? Bittering distress Who decides what you express Do you take what i take? Endurance is the word Moving back instead of forward seems to me absurd Doesn't matter what you see? Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it's done just how i say Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is mad for you my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom with their exception Do you fear what i fear? Living properly Truths to you are lies to me Do you choose what i choose? More alternives Energy derives from both the plus and negative Do you need what i need? Boundaries overthrown Look inside to each his own Do you trust what i trust? Me, myself and i Penetrate the smoke screen i see through the selfishlie Doesn't matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it's done just how i say Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is mad for you my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom with their exception Do you know what i know? Your money end your wealth Your silence just to hear your self Do you want what i want? Desire not a thing I hunger after independence lengthen freedom's ring Doesn't matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it's done just how i say Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is mad for you my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom with their exception Doesn't matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it's done just how i say One I can't remember anything Can't tell if this is true or dream Deep down inside i feel to scream This terrible silence stops me Now that the war is through with me I'm waking up i can not see That there is not much left of me Nothing is real but pain now Hold my breath as i wish for death Oh please god,wake me Back in the womb its much too real In pumps life that i must feel But can't look forward to reveal Look to the time when i'll live Fed through the tube that sticks in me Just like a wartime novelty Tied to machines that make me be Cut this life off from me Hold my breath as i wish for death Oh please god,wake me Now the world is gone i'm just one Oh god,help me hold my breath as i wish for death Oh please god help me Darkness imprisoning me All that i see Absolute horror I cannot live I cannot die Trapped in myself Body my holding cell Landmine has taken my sight Taken my speech Taken my hearing Taken my arms Taken my legs Taken my soul Left me with life in hell The Shortest Straw Suspicion is your name Your honesty to blame Put dignity to shame Dishonor Witchhunt modern day Determining decay The blattand disarray Disfigure The public eyes' disgrace Defying common place Unending paper chase Unending Deafening Painstaking Reckoning This vertigo it doth bring Shortest straw Challenge liberty Downed by law Live in infamy Rub you raw Witchhunt riding through Shortest straw This shortest straw has been pulled for you Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Shortest straw has been pulled for you The accusations fly Discrimination, why? Your inner self to die Intruding Doubt sunk itself in you It's teeth and talons through Your living catch 22 Deluding A mass hysteria A megalomania Reveal dementia Reveal Secretly Silently Certainly In vertigo you will be Shortest straw Chalenge liberty Downed by law Live in infamy Rub you raw Witchhunt riding through Shortest straw This shortest straw has been pulled for you Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Shortest straw has been pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Pulled for you Shortest straw Shortest straw has been pulled for you Behind you, hands are tied Your being, ostracized Your hell is multiplied Upending The fallaout has begun Oppresive damage done Your many turned to none To nothing You're reaching your nadir Your will has disappeared The lie is crystal clear Defending Channels red One word said Blaclisted With vertigo make you dead Shortest straw Chalenge liberty Downed by law Live in infamy Rub you raw Witchhunt riding through Shortest straw This shortest straw has been pulled for you Pulled for you Harvester Of Sorrow My life suffocates Planting seeds of hate I've loved, turned to hate Trapped far beyond my fate I give You take This life that i forsake Been cheated of my youth You turned this lie to truth Anger Misery You'll suffer unto me Harvester of sorrow Language of the mad Harvester of sorrow Pure black looking clear My work is done soon here Try getting back to me Get back which used to be Drink up Shoot in Let the beatings begin Distributor of pain Your loss becomes my gain Anger Misery You'll suffer unto me Harvester of sorrow Language of the mad Harvester of sorrow All have said their prayers Invade their nightmares See into my eyes You'll find where murder lies Infanticide Harvester of sorrow Language of the mad Harvester of sorrow Language of the mad Harvester of sorrow The Frayed Ends Of Sanity Never hunger Never prosper I have fallen prey to failure Struggle within Triggered again Now the candle burns at both ends Twisting under schizophrenia Falling deep into dementia Old habits reappear Fighting the fear of fear Growing conspiracy Everyone's after me Frayed ends of sanity Hear them calling Hear them calling me Birth of terror Death of much more I'm the slave of fear,my captor Never warnings Spreading its wings As i wait for the horror she brings Loss of interest,question,wonder Waves of fear they pull me under Old habits reappear Fighting the fear of fear Growing conspiracy Everyone's after me Frayed ends of sanity Hear them calling Hear them calling me Into run I am sinking Hostage of this nameless feeling Hell is set free Flooded i'll be Feel the undertow inside me Height, hell, time, haste, terror, tension Life, death, want, waste, mass depression Old habbits reappear Fighting the fear of fear Growing conspiracy Myself is after me Frayed ends of sanity Hear them calling Frayed ends of sanity Hear them calling Hear them calling me @SONG: To Live is to Die When a man lies he murders Some part of the world These are the pale deaths which Men miscall their lives All this i cannot bear To witness any longer Cannot the kingdom of salvation Take me home Dyers Eve Dear mother Dear father What is this hell you have put me through Believer Deceiver Day in day out live my life through you Pushed onto me what's wrong or right Hidden from this thing that they call life Dear mother Dear father Every thought i'd think you'd disapprove Curator Dictator Always cencoring my every move Children are seen bur are not heard Tear out everything inspired Innocence Torn from me without your shelter Barred reality I'm living blindly Dear mother Dear father Time has frozen still what's left to be Hear nothing Say nothing Cannot face the fact i think for me No guarantee,it's life as is But damn you for not giving me my chance Dear mother Dear father You've clipped my wings before i learned to fly Unspoiled Unspoken I've outgrown that fucking lullaby Same thing i've always heard from you Do as i say not as i do Innocence Torn from me without your shelter Barred reality I'm living blindly I'm in hell without you Cannot cope without you two Shocked at the world that i see Innocent victim please rescue me Dear mother Dear father Hidden in your world you've made for me I'm seething I'm bleeding Ripping wounds in me that never heal Undying spite i feel for you Living out this hell you always knew