THE RITUAL

TESTAMENT
 
 

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
(Music: Skolnick)

Instrumental
 
 
 
Electric Crown
(Lyrics: Billy, Skolnick / Music: Skolnick, Peterson)

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 success you've tasted
Tasted 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 preacher 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 a 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
   When I'll soon be there
   When I'll soon be there
   When I'll soon be there
 
 
 
So Many Lies
(Lyrics: Billy, Peterson, James / Music: Skolnick, Peterson)

I didn't mean to offend you
But you were way out of line
And I can't help this 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 of the world
"Forgive me for so many lies"?

   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
 

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 of the world
"Forgive me for so many lies"?

   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

He who lies
He who lies
 
 
 
Let go of my World
(Lyrics: Billy, James / Music: Peterson)

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
Oppression takes its toll
Hey little man
Who are you
To try to take control of my soul...

   Let go of my world
   Let me 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 of my world
   Let go of my world
   Let it go...

Let go of my world
 
 
 
The Ritual
(Lyrics: Billy, Peterson, Skolnick, James / Music: Peterson, Skolnick)

Say hello again, my friends
I've got to go
The ritual calls to me
Screams twist in harmony
Blinding lights reveal
The thoughts that should not be
The ritual calls 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 you 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 never thought you would never
   Be the one who bleeds
   It's all so clear to me now
   Why they can't 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
 

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 you see?

      Fry away your mind
      Walk behind the blind
      Kill yourself killing time
 
 
 
Deadline
(Lyrics: Skolnick, Billy / Music: Skolnick)

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 bring you down
   The cradle to the grave
   All I give is all I save...

Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
No!

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 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
 

Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
??? the score

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
(Lyrics: Billy, James / Music: Peterson, Skolnick)

Take a look, what do you see
Image in the mirror
Yesterday is yesteryear
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
You 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...

Feels like grey
Feels like grey
Feels like grey
Feels like grey
 
 
 
Agony
(Lyrics: Billy, James / Music: Peterson)

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 everyday
   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 everyday
   Misfortune leads to pain
   Will they ever be saved
   From agony
   Agony
   Agony?

Yeah!
 

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

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

   From agony
   Let them stray
   Agony
   ????????????
   Agony
 
 
 
The Sermon
(Lyrics: Billy, James / Music: Peterson)

Suit up for destruction
Death looks behind many faces
Hatred plants 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
      And 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
      And 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
      And you're going blind
      Now let it flow...
 
 
 
Return to Serenity
(Lyrics: Billy, Peterson, James / Music: Peterson)

I'm gonna take you
To a place far from here
No one will see us
Watch the pain 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
Brings 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 reason
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 our youth

   I'm so alone
   My head's my home
   And I feel
   So alone
   So 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
   So you know
   At last
   I return to serenity
 
 
 
Troubled Dreams
(Lyrics: Billy, Peterson, James / Music: Peterson, Skolnick)

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

   Staring off into the sky
   Down on myself
   Loneliness brings my demise
   Oh, what a nightmare
   Oh, 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 brings my demise
   Oh, what a nightmare
   Yeah, 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
      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 me a peace of mind
 

Forever lost
Severing my thoughts
From the dream that I must seek
It's time to end
This aggravation
The nomad spirit lives in me

   Staring off into the sky
   Down on myself
   Loneliness brings my demise
   Oh, what a nightmare
   Yeah, 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
      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 me a peace of mind