ANCIENT FORTRESS (New Zealand)

NOTE: Not to be confused with Ancient Fortress from South Africa.

Also not to be confused with Othniel from South Africa.

BAND NAME: Ancient Fortress

GENRE: Unblack Metal

STATUS: Split-up

LOCATION: New Zealand

Formed under the name Othniel. (From what Drawnsword says, nothing really notable happened under that name, so a different page for it isn't really necessary.) Drawnsword later found a band named Othniel from South Africa. To avoid confusion, he changed the band name to Ancient Fortress, only to find there was also a band in South Africa named Ancient Fortress!

Years active:
1994 - 1997 Othniel
2005 - 2007 Othniel
2007 Ancient Fortress
2010 Ancient Fortress

Lineup:

Drawnsword - Vocals, Guitars
Grimfeirce - Drums

Discography:

2007 Rehearsal Demos

Left: year unknown, Independent, Cassette, limited 4 copies

Right: 26 January, 2013, Revived by Light, Cassette, limited 20 copies

About the independent version:
One copy went to Revived by Light, one went to somebody in the USA, and the band have the other two.
"These demos are compiled & culled from live rehearsals captured via cassette tape recorder in the year of 2007, in Nelson and Motueka, New Zealand. This is live, raw and rough, warts and all unblack metal."

A variation, written on the inside of the Revived by Light version:
"These demos are compiled & culled from live rehearsals captured via cassette tape recorder in the year of 2007, Tasman, New Zealand. This is totally raw, warts and all Unblack Metal. All glory to God!"

SIDE A

1) War of the Winter Dusk
9:26, lyrics:
Omega generation behold the winter's eve
The son of perdition has unleashed his furious wrath
To capture and deceive
Thrust in the sickle
Harvest of the earth is ripe
And is reaped
Thrust in the sickle
Vine of the earth is blood
The wrath of God

Allegiance of holy warriors
With swords of testimony
Saints and martyrs
In spirit of prophecy
With judgment and war
The white horse shall crush
The unholy legacy
Dawn of the apocalyptic war
Putrid flood of iniquity
Rising vial of abominable blasphemy
Clothed in scarlet mother harlot of Babylon
Prepares for her beastly throne
Seven heads ten horns
The satanic rebellion shall be overthrown

Gathered to make war against the saints and the lamb
The beast and his armies shall be crushed and damned

2) Consider the Ravens
6:53, lyrics:
Consider the ravens
They neither sow nor reap
Yet father almighty provides their keep

Worry not
Ye are of more value than
The ravens

Absence of anxiety
Casting all cares upon the Christ
Seek first the kingdom
And his righteousness
And father will provide

3) Thy Throne Is Established from of Old
5:39, lyrics:
The lord reigns
He is clothed with majesty
The lord is clothed
He has girded himself with strength
Surely the world is established
So that it cannot be moved
Your throne is established from of old
You are from everlasting

The floods have lifted up o lord
The floods have lifted up their voice
The floods lift up their waves
The lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters
Than the mighty waves of the sea

Your testimonies are very sure
Holiness adorns your house
O lord forever

Psalm 93

4) Where Their Worm Dieth Not and Their Fire Is Not Quenched
6:59, lyrics:
The dead small and great
Gathered before the great white throne
From whose face the earth and heaven fled away
The books were opened and whoever was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into everlasting punishment on that great and terrible day
The sea gave up its dead and death and Hades delivered up its dead also
Judged according to their works
Separation of the sheep from the goats
Cast into the lake of fire
This is the second death
Dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murders, idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie
Tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone the smoke of their torment shall forever rise
If your hand causes you sin cut it off
Better to enter life maimed than having two hands to go to Gehenna
Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched
If your foot causes you sin cut it off
Better to enter life lame than having two feet to be cast into Gehenna
Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched
If your eye causes you sin pluck it out
Better to enter the kingdom of god with one eye than having two to be cast into hellfire
Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched

5) Ancient Fortress
6:36, lyrics:
O lord you are my strength
My rock and fortress
Thou art my shield and defender
Thou o lord are my refuge
My stronghold and the horn of my salvation
Thou art my high tower and deliverer

Thou o lord art my fortress
My god in whom I will trust
From the snare of the fowler and the perilous pestilence thou shalt deliver
Under thy wings I shall take refuge
Thy truth shall be my shield and buckler
I shall not be afraid of the terror by night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Nor the pestilence that walks in darkness
Nor the destruction that wastes at noon day
A thousand may fall at my side
And ten thousand at my right hand
But it shall not come near
The most high is my habitation and refuge
No evil shall befall nor shall any plague come near

SIDE B

6) Northward
3:33, lyrics:
Northward the holy warhost shall storm
Storming the gates of hell and slaying the demon spawn
As fierce warriors on unseen battlefields of war
Thy sacred clan shall not befall nor fear the evil hordes

Mighty through god
Pulling down strongholds
We wrestle against principalities
Against powers
Against the rulers of the darkness of this age
Against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places

Thy northward warriors
Spiritsword shall cleave unto our hands
Clad in armor of light and with prayer and supplication in the spirit
We shall battle for every black wretched land

Northward we shall ride
Northward we shall storm
Northward wielding the immortal sword

7) Triumphant Mort Resurrectus
8:08, lyrics:
It is finished death to death bowed the head of bloody thorn
It is finished the veil of the temple is torn
It is finished on the third day of resurrection at dawn
It is finished the tomb is empty ceasing the mourn
It is finished ascension to heaven for this cause was born

Christ is made unto us wisdom sanctification redemption and righteousness
Triumphant mort resurrectus

Sitting down at the right hand of god the father of glory
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion
Having stripped the principalities and the powers
He made a show of them openly triumphing over them
Disarming the rulers and authorities

8) Lamentations of a Godly Sorrow
8:54, lyrics:
Woe unto me for I have sinned
Dead in tresspasses and iniquity
As filthy scarlet rags upon the white frozen snow
The exceedingly sinfullness of mine sin hath been shown
The judgment by the standard of men was an obscurement of the holy ordinances
Now I see two tablets of stone broken in pieces
Realisation of the transgression
Guilty unclean
A final nail in my coffin

Whoever falls on the stone will be broken
Whoever the stone falls it shall grind him to powder
Lamentations of a godly sorrow

In fear and trembling
I fall prostrate mournful and weeping
Broken and contrite
I kneel before the foot of the bloodied cross
Have mercy upon me o god according to your loving kindness and tender mercies
Blot out my transgressions wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
Repentance that needeth not to be repented of
I must deny myself and take up my cross

9) Nocturnal Beseechment
8:14, lyrics:
The night hath fallen
The scarlet moon surely wilt rise
A diabolical deluge inflicting depravity
Iniquity mankind's demise
Final dispensation brutal times

On bended knees the holy warriors pray
For hellbound souls to be saved
Fervent intercession
Supplications for souls
Pleading for the mercy
Storming the gates of Sheol
Nocturnal beseechment
Sleepless night of prayer
Nocturnal beseechment
That far fewer souls would have a sleepless night in hell-fire

Rivers of waters run down their eyes
For the souls of those captive to the author of lies
Satan deceiving and deceived
Blinding those who do not believe
Nocturnal beseechment
Travailing prayer
Of the blood atonement
Nocturnal beseechment
Prevailing prayer of the eternal covenant

Ceaseless intercession ascending to the holy throne
With groanings that cannot be uttered too resurrect a valley of dry bones
Strengthen the feeble knees and join the holy warriors in prayer
Seeking to save hellbound souls who are so near

10) The Sun Hath Grown Black
8:13, lyrics:
Consummation of the age signs of the times
Nation against nation rage
Earthquake and famine pestilence and war
Many false Christ’s deceiving hordes

The eve of winter drawing near
The great tribulation three and a half years
Reign of the beast antichrist and the false seer
The beginning of sorrows such as never before
Pray that your flight be not in the winter
For where the carcass is there the eagles will be gathered together

Of that day and hour no man knows not even the angels only the father alone
As it was in the days of Noah so also will the coming of the son of man be
Wicked generation did not enter the ark did not know until the flood came
Watch and pray for the son of man comes at an hour expectantly
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so also will the coming of the son of man be

The sun hath grown black
The moon hath turned to blood
The stars hath fallen the powers shake in his might
The sign of the son of man appears in the heavens
All tribes of the earth shall mourn
When they see him coming with power and great glory

____________________________
IncompletePage, NeedsScriptureReferences, ArtistConfirmed
Stuff the page still needs: A bit of info about the independent version of the tape.