Extol (Christian)
Style: Progressive/Death/Black Metal

Members: Peter Espevoll—Vocals
Christer Espevoll—Guitar, Background Vocals
David Husvik—Drums, Background Vocals
Ole Borud—Guitar, Clean Vocals, Background Vocals
Tor Magne S. Glidje—Bass

Albums: Burial (owned by Matt)
Mesmerized EP (owned by Jason and Matt)
Undeceived (owned by Jason, Matt, and Paul)
Paralysis EP

Burial: 8 out of 10
Nice lyrics on this debut from the great metal force, although some are in Swedish (I think). The music is definitely not as tight and together as their later works, but it's great...if you enjoy experimental progressive death metal.
Personal favorites:
Matt—Celestial Completion, Reflections Of A Broken Soul
———
Undeceived: 10 out of 10
Perhaps the best lyrics ever, sang to the best metal music on the face of the earth.
Personal favorites:
Jason—Inferno, Undeceived, Ember, A Structure Of Souls
Matt—Inferno, Undeceived, Time Stands Still, Ember, A Structure Of Souls, Of Light And Shade, Renewal, And I Watch

Lyrics to Burial
1. INTO ANOTHER DIMENSION
[instrumental]

2. CELESTIAL COMPLETION
The biological struggle is coming to an end
Tears and sorrow in the eyes of the beloved

Spirit rising
Underneath a carcass
Marked by the signs of time
Floating away
Into another dimension
Travelling with the speed of light

Reaching a wonderful place
Under a deep blue sky

No fear, no pain
Just peace and harmony
Majestic music
Filling the air

Millions of colourful flowers
Covering the ground

A tall companion
In shiny white clothes beside me
A warm dazzling light makes me feel whole
As all my longings are satisfied
By the power that runs through it

I bow down to the source of the light
And I hear a vigorous voice

“Well done good and faithful servant
You have been faithful with a few things
I will put you in charge of many things
Come and share your Master’s happiness”

3. BURIAL
Blessed is he who has got
His transgressions forgiven
And his sins hidden
Blessed is the man whom the Lord
Do not ascribe misdeeds
And is without deceit in his spirit

Buried it deep inside
But soon a sprout came forth
It kept on growing
I couldn’t hide
When I kept it to my self
Slowly my bones corroded
And my vitality vanished
Like in the summer dry

Too many people living this life
Who can take their guilt away?
Their minds are rotting
And causing endless pain
Soon they are demented and put away

I confessed my sins to you
And did not hide my guilt
I said “I want to confess my
misdeeds to you”
And He took away my sin and guilt

He is my sanctuary

4. RENHETENS ELV (lyrics in Norwegian)
***NOTE: Since the lyrics to this song as well as “Innbydelse” are in Norwegian, I used a web-page translator to try to figure out what they are, and they're really awesome so even though you probably won't be able to read them, it's all good.***
Den miktige Fyrste
Vil døpe oss i renhet
Alle onde makter
Må vike for hellighet

Renhetens elv renner gjennom
De helliges liv
For å utruste dem
Mot den mørke hær

De helliges hjem skal merkes
Med offerlammets blod
Herren skal bevare
Sine tjenere fra alt ondt

Herren elsker
Den rene av hjertet
Hans blik er for rent
Til å se på det onde

De helliges lengsel skal rense
Denne jordens ugudelige sinn
Og forvridde sjeler
For tiden er nær for Kongens gjenkomst
Fortapte er de som da
Ikke har søkt etter fred
I sitt innerste kammer

5. SUPERIOR
Behold He comes from the cross
Where He suffered for our souls
Behold the King of Life
Is entering the fields of death

In the dark empire of death
A light is shining through the mist
As the Lord of Life and Death
Enters the gates of pure evil

By the sight of Him
The demons are shaking
And the power of darkness flees
And death for His feet is slain

Predetermined through the ancient prophesies
The incarnation of God and His victory
Over death through purity and holiness
His name is forever to be praised

6. REFLECTIONS OF A BROKEN SOUL
I fooled myself again
Trusting an illusion
Of what I thought to be
Never ceasing love
I burned myself again
Leaving scars that never heal
Becoming cynical
To this thing called love

Look into my mind
Fragments of what I desired
In this state I cry
Father please won’t you show me

Show me how
To stop it now
Cleanse my mind
Help me find
Love

My soul is an open wound
Filled with salt of sadness
Was this my destiny
To be left alone

I nurse my misery
Leave no room for anyone
Still I am cynical
To this thing called love

A pale reflection
Of a broken soul
Slips through these eyes
Full of tears
Emotional blackout

I cannot trust my own feelings
My sorrow eats me up inside

Learn from mistakes
See what it takes
My feelings fail
Your love remains

7. JUSTIFIED
Twisted intention
Lucifer, the highest angel
Wanting to overthrone God
No impurity tolerated in God’s presence
Like a lightning
Falling down to earth
With his angels now appearing
As pathetic demons of hell
Sly and malicious
Filling man with lies
Greed and perversity
He loves to watch you die

Beware of the vicious serpent
Suffocating the world with poisonous hands
Intoxication of twisted views
On Christianity and the Lamb of God

He knows where you’re weak
And tries his best to make you fall
Endless attempts, well aware
That he failed two thousand years ago

I’m washed in the blood of Jesus Christ
I’m holy, justified by the Lamb of God
Mercy was given undeservedly
The blood was shed, the pain endured

The battle is won
But still going on
To complete true justice

8. EMBRACED
Embraced by evil
In this world of hate
Searching for love
That was not there

Nobody gave me
What I was looking for

The shadows fell before my eyes
And all of a sudden
I could only see black

Hate became real
Partaking in evil ceremonies
Worshipping the beast
Mocking God and His Servants

Depression weighs upon me
With its strangling hands
I’m looking for a way out
As suicidal thoughts enter my mind

Surviving in a mysterious way
With demons haunting me
Every time I close my eyes

Embraced by the spirit of life
Accepting the sacrifice
That fills my heart with true love
The only way to be whole

9. INNBYDELSE (Norwegian lyrics, like “Renhetens Elv”)
Jeg kan aldri ta del i livet
Sorte ormer har bundet meg
Sjansen til å bryte ned
De sorger som tynger meg
Vil jeg aldri se, vil jeg aldri finne

Dypets stemme, lever her inne
Og sildrer ut i samvittighetsløse gater
Svarte takter, den eneste glede
Som slipper ut gjennom mine sprunke porter

Sett luken på gløtt
Til ditt innerste kammer
Åpne for meg
La meg fylle hver sprike

Jeg åpner slusen, lar vannet strømme inn
Vann ispedd spirer gror seg fast til min bunn
Tåken skygger for lyset, når skal den lette
Jesu invitasjon
Kan være løsningen til dette

Husk det var ikke jeg
Som stjal det fredfulle, skinnende
Lyset der inne

En fullkommen overgivelse
Lar Herrens hellighet
Fylle mitt indre,
Og Den Hellige Ånds kraft fornye
Min sjel, mitt sinn
Til Herren jeg løftes opp

10. TEARS OF BITTERNESS
Divine security, heartfelt certainty
But my faith was soon turned to doubt
When everything around me fell apart

A broken foundation
No unity remains, I was abandoned
Left alone, put away, God forsaken
The downfall of my faith

The peace and safety fades away
A glance towards the sky
So unreachable without signs
I’m drifting towards the unknown

The solitude surrounds me
And the loneliness drains my strength
Old memories dawns upon me
Your light, Your warmth

My God, my God
Why have You forsaken me
When I need You the most
Where are You to find?

My faith in You has vanished
I’ve tried long enough
You seem further away than ever
Will I ever trust You again?

Tears of bitterness
The broken hope within
Is this what You promised
The day I gave my life to You?
A wish, a longing towards the sky
But still encircled
By Lucifer’s freezing shadow
God if You really exist
Illuminate the path that leads me back
Thoughts penetrate my mind
Words from the past come to life
A light from above melts my callous heart

The Lord is good to those
Who seek and wait for Him

11. WORK OF ART
The whisper of a weak winter breeze
Wakes the trees to life
The sun slowly rises
Behind a mountain
Covered in a cape of snow
My gaze wanders
Past an eternity of blue

The clouds gather and shadows the earth
From them the rain falls
Like torrential streams
Part of a cycle of life and death
The wind rises and invites the waters
To a wild and incomprehensible dance

A crack in the clouds, light from the sun
A huge and beautiful bow
With all it’s colours
Reminding everyone of the promise

The sight of this unique nature
Surprises my soul
With a peaceful joy

The clouds take over
The magnificence of the sun
The contour of the moon far away
And the sparkling of the stars
On a night blue sky
King of the night
And servants of the night
Silence rules the hours of darkness
And lets us rest
Or reflect on this incredible work
In the hands of humanity

12. JESUS KOM TIL JORDEN FOR Å DØ
[lyrics (Norwegian) not given]

Lyrics to Undeceived
1. INFERNO
The result of a failure
Genetic error
A system out of control
Creative energy
Transformed into hatred
A twisted perception of truth

Mankind breeds mortality
Sickness passes on through generations
The effect shows through genocide
Malfunctioning minds

Bite of the fruit
Termination activated

This creation once destined for success
Now violated and raped by one
Given access to the heartland
Evil dominion over their spirits

Divorced from its Creator
Crying out

2. UNDECEIVED
She lies in her bed staring into nowhere
Tears running down her face
An open wound bleeding
Her body turns pale

Recalling the road leading away from right
As the dark had appeared as light
Tricked to cross the line, dragged further in
Then trapped in a swirl of wicked lies

Now, no sign of light, no sign of hope
As a dark shadow enters her room
A freezing chill runs down her spine
The (presence/smell) of death fills the room

The shadow encircles her, pale of fear
Slowly draining the last drops of life
Her last strength she forces through
And cries out to the Lord she used to know

Overwhelming light annihalates the dark
Immediate rest fills her heart

My dear child, come to Me
I will restore you and embrace you with My love

3. TIME STANDS STILL
Temptation
Temptation

Time stands still
The whisper in my ear
The spirit within
A struggle destined to fail

Infested thoughts
Spirit contracts
Lust dominates
Fallen once again

Frustration accumulates
Anger towards the fraud of the world
Anger towards the lack of self control
Condemnation, immediate repentance

How much can You take?
The disappointment of my deceit
Pain
Disobedience to Your will

Of my weaknesses I’m desperately aware
Do I even dare
To repent again?
Why would You endure the pain?

Prisoner of filthy chains
Unclean, unclean

Help me God
Set me free

4. EMBER
There is a fire to light a sleeping heart
A wish to see the spirit take control

Crush the chains that hold you down
And let yourself be filled with fire
Wake up and realize the dream you’ve lived
Was set up by the liar

A broken heart, a kneeling soul
The spirit will set you on fire
To give you strength to reach the ones
Who search the truth with a deep desire

Crucifixion of the ego
Death and burial of the old

Crush the chains that hold you down
And let yourself be filled with fire
A broken heart, a kneeling soul
The spirit will set you on fire

There is no spiritual authority
Outside obedience to God

A broken heart is needed to reach this state
Divine encounter with the living God

5. MEADOWS OF SILENCE
[instrumental]

6. SHELTER
I close my eyes
It’s not the picture of You I see
The impressions, the sights, the thoughts
Are stuck in my mind

My vision is blurred
I can’t see clearly
I can’t hear Your voice
It’s all disturbing my peace of mind

Something inside tearing me apart
Trusting myself to find the way out
Leading me just deeper into
A well of confusion and mourning

There is nothing else for me to do
But to put my hope and trust in You
I know You will lead me through
When my eyes are focused on You

Let me dwell in Your shelter
Let me live in Your shadow
Free me from these destroying plagues
Your faithfulness is my shield and protection

7. A STRUCTURE OF SOULS
A fusion is conceived
Through a synchronizing faith
Exposing forces unseen
This is the embodiment of Love

Growing, the image of a man appears
His limbs are injected with power
The heart of his mission is peace
And deliverance

Stronger, his body increases with strength
Absorbing a Godly nourishment
The members work in one accord
Reaching the fullness of man

A Structure of Souls
Bounded by one Spirit
A union of hearts
Saved by the same Spirit

We are the members of
The body of the Son
We are the Church of Christ

Freedom is to be our destiny
Due to the eternal grace
That comes from the Author of Life
The one and only God

8. OF LIGHT AND SHADE
Indifference surrounds me
Yet my heart is secure
The shadows grow stronger
Yet my spirit is protected
Observing the extreme absurdities
Still my heart can’t be moved

I can rest in the loser’s haunt
For the Victorious has filled the void inside
I can wander by the source of hell
For the Lord of all lives in me
In these circumstances I dwell

Thank God, In Him I am not a part of this
My inspiration, Giver of Life

I want to shine, radiate Your presence
I want to show them the warmth of truth
That You showed me
So they can understand
Who You are and why I worship You

Even if my life should end
In the valley of the shadows
My spirit will exist in a new dimension
Forever with Him, my Father

9. WHERE SLEEP IS REST
[instrumental]

10. RENEWAL
I can hear a signal from the center of my soul
Ignite the impulse of life
Make a change of patterns in the
Landscape of the inner man

Obtaining a new perspective on life
Discovering a new dimension of freedom

Renewal

A penetrating power claims dominion in my being
Leaving the old man to die
The presence of a spirit is reflected
By the wave of change

Recharging power
Receiving strength
Renewal of mind and soul

I have established contact
With a higher form of intelligence
Giving me wisdom and insight
A complete restoration of my spirit

A revelation of the truth
Effects the way I’m thinking
I am a part of Your plan
I will let Your Spirit move inside me
Like a Breath of Life

I send out a message to the souls still searching
Invite the Maker of Life
Let Him be the guidance to
Complete your life in every way

11. ABANDONED
[instrumental]

12. AND I WATCH
And I watch how your big words
Return with an echo of emptiness
Inside your walls of fear
Feeding the insecurity

And I watch as your soul
Swallow the blackest lie
Resurrection rejected
Denial of afterlife
Symptoms of a blind man

To comprehend the insanity
Of this grand illusion
Is unbearable

The spirit that fears the Blood
Can never bring truth
Fallen with the snake
Never to rule

And I watch you return to your folly
As a dog returns to its vomit
The choice has been made
Abandoning the call of freedom