Crown of the Profane

[Intro — spoken / choral] Incense in the rafters Ash upon the tongue A covenant in scarlet The unholy bell is rung [Verse 1] I was born beneath the steeple’s shadow Raised on fear and fed on holy flame But the saints all whispered through their halos And every prayer returned without my name So I wandered through the moonlit ruins Past the graves of pious men who lied In the valley where the cross lay broken I met the serpent with a crown of eyes [Pre-Chorus] He said, “Kneel, child, and I shall make you more Than flesh that begs behind a bolted door” I felt the heavens close, the embers rise And drank damnation through my open eyes [Chorus] I sold my soul in the midnight fire To the king below, to my dark desire Now I wear the mark, now I bear the flame Heretic born with a cursed new name I sold my soul, let the angels weep No mercy waits and no vows I keep I am the blade and the blasphemy A crown of the profane upon me [Verse 2] Lucifer in gold and mourning velvet Smiled like dawn collapsing into war He touched my chest and carved a sigil Where a faithful heart had beat before Then the choir turned their heads in terror As I walked back through the chapel gates Every hymn became a dirge of thunder Every blessing twisted into hate [Pre-Chorus] I heard The trembling of the temple floor The sound of chains becoming something more The book of grief, the mouth of sin The devil’s breath now moving in my skin [Chorus] I sold my soul in the midnight fire To the king below, to my dark desire Now I wear the mark, now I bear the flame Heretic born with a cursed new name I sold my soul, let the angels weep No mercy waits and no vows I keep I am the blade and the blasphemy A crown of the profane upon me [Breakdown 1 — classic heavy-metal / “normal” breakdown] (Half-time, open toms, gang vocals, ride bell) Bow down To the son of the lie Stand back Watch the sacred die Black mass Under blood-red light I was yours by day Now I am his tonight [Verse 3] The city shook with iron thunder When I raised my hands against the sky I tore the silver from the altars And left the lambs to learn to bite They called me sinner, called me traitor Spat my name into the holy dust But every curse became a sermon And every wound awakened lust [Pre-Chorus] No chain Could bind the thing that I became No prayer could wash away the stain I kissed the void, embraced the flood And sealed my oath in sacrificial blood [Chorus] I sold my soul in the midnight fire To the king below, to my dark desire Now I wear the mark, now I bear the flame Heretic born with a cursed new name I sold my soul, let the angels weep No mercy waits and no vows I keep I am the blade and the blasphemy A crown of the profane upon me [Breakdown 2 — metalcore] (Drop-tuned chugs, syncopated stops, screamed gang shouts) Cut the tongue from the preacher Break the spine of the saint Drag me down to the altar Watch me become what you hate No absolution No sanctuary Just fire in my lungs And death in the choir BLEGH I am the oathbreaker Soul-taker Hell-waker Born from the pit And I will not repent [Bridge — cinematic / melodic] Hear the organ cry Hear the sirens sing Hear the kingdom of the damned Exalt its king If heaven shut its gates on me Then let the abyss swing wide I found a throne in the underworld Where the righteous go to die [Breakdown 3 — metalcore, slow and crushing] (Very half-time, palm-muted low riff, vocal callouts) One life One knife One vow in the dark Sold out Cast down Branded with the mark Heretic Antichrist No god left in my chest Kneel now Face down Let the damned be blessed [Final Chorus — bigger, layered choir] I sold my soul in the midnight fire To the king below, to my dark desire Now I wear the mark, now I bear the flame Heretic born with a cursed new name I sold my soul, let the angels weep No mercy waits and no vows I keep I am the blade and the blasphemy A crown of the profane upon me [Outro — final metalcore breakdown / tag] Profane Profane Profane I rise Soul sold Blood cold No paradise Heretic Heretic Let the bells all toll I gave Lucifer my faith And Lucifer took my soul