"Day of Wrath" by Pantokrator

I first met Karl Baltazar when I was preparing to do a special 2-year anniversary video review for SKALD - in veum's "Stridslysten" album. I found out that Karl was sort of like the firewall between SKALD and the world. We began talking after that. At some point (don't know when) I found out Pantokrator was going to come out with a new album. Naturally, as I now had a report with Karl, I decided I'd ask him some questions so I could review the new Pantokrator album as Karl is the lead vocalist for the band. It has turned out to be a great album.

When the album "Marching Out of Babylon" was first released, there were a few songs I wasn't really thrilled with. One of them was the first track on the album titled "Day of Wrath". Something about how the band decided to start the album I didn't like. This, to some small degree, kept me from listening to the album as much as I would otherwise. There was a lot, I mean, a lot of gusto and dare I say, machoness from that first track off the album that in some way put me off. But as I started listing to the album for the later tracks on the album, I finally saw something in the first track I liked. It was perhaps at about the 3/5 way through the song. It just jumped out to me and I was like, "This is actually really good!" So I still didn't like how the song started, but I could now appreciate the later half of the song like I wasn't able to before. Fast forward about a year later, and I realize that this song that I had once not really liked at all has become one of my favorite tracks that Pantokrator has ever come out with. Of course, I still think the title track for this album is a perfect 10/10 and is probably my favorite song Pantokrator has ever produced, but now after spending a good deal of time listening to the whole album, it has really grown on me. It's really an amazing album - it just took me a while to appreciate how good this album really is.

As I dwelt on the lyrics of the song "Day of Wrath" I am enamored with the writing in the lyrics. They are powerful and strike a strong chord in what is happening in our society today. So without further ado, I would like to share the lyrics to this song, which I think is really a remarkable piece of art at this point:

"Awake O Zion!

Put on thy strength.

The day of wrath has passed

into the land of ago.

Those who told your soul to bow.

Waiting for you to be trampled:

They will taste bitterness,

they will drink bitterness.

I will pass them the chalice,

and not the one of life.

I will make them drink and lick it dry

to the last burning drop.

Awake O Zion!

Put on thy veil of grace.

You were sold for naught.

No more!

Go shake the dust and arise.

Tyrants spit on the Name daily.

This will not stand!

You will know my name is The Lord.

You will know my heart is fire

I will pass them...

I AM the one that speaks, behold it is I

You will hear salvation call.

I will pass you the chalice

that is a well of grace.

I will bid you drink

and quench your thirst

to your last mortal day."

Lyrics by Karl Baltazar of Pantokrator. I take no credit for these amazing lyrics.