Get all 7 Vassus releases available on Bandcamp.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Warlike Madness, Fragments of Empires Long Buried (Split), Nortmanni Ambuscader, Alis Frigidis Mortis, In Atria Mortuorum, Eulogy of Blood and Blade, and A Long Night Beneath Broken Battlements.
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2. |
Exile
04:20
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Born of noble blood,
To the Earl of The South
Much wealth and much land to behold
Power and fame,
All will remember the name
Godwinson
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A noble man of Saxon blood.
A warrior of distinction
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Dissension
Between brothers and fathers
Over murderous Sweyn.
A progeny of the earl
He still remains
To the other barons dismay
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A maniac hell bent on destruction
Exile is his fate!
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Sent forth from these lands on pain of death,
Heinous are Sweyn’s deeds.
Earl Godwin begs the king for his sons forgiveness.
The confessor is unmoved
With whispers from foreign clergy, the sovereign agrees
to exile clan Godwin.
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10 months across the sea.
They will return in time.
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Norman advisers and usurpers Fill the courts
of the confessor.
Barons and nobles confer with their king
to cleanse his council
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The king concedes and the Norman patricians are banished
Clan Godwin, returns to their lands once more.
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Godwin Dies and Harold takes up the Earldom,
He is loyal to his lands.
An accomplished warrior, an earl of many estates
The kings right hand man.
Harold marches west, as the Welsh raid along the borders,
A decisive victory, Gruffydd is no more.
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3. |
An Oath Made in Bondage
05:21
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An oath made in bondage
Imprisoned overseas
The Bastard, claims sovereignty
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From the South He sails for Normandy
The wind is strong and the clouds are grey
Blown of course, seeking sanctuary
Wrecked far up the coast at Ponthieu
Captured! Imprisoned!
Dragged across these foreign lands
Given over, to this Bastard
His intentions are unknown
Marching forth, from fortress to fortress,
Showing his wealth and power
Pointless Campaigns, against local Barons
Harold Fights amidst his front lines
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With Honour and Valour, He does Stand,
Against foes he knows not in unfamiliar lands.
A great man and warrior he is proven.
The Bastard Knights him amongst his best men.
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A victorious Campaign,
on behalf of his captor
An honour given to few,
Just a Scheme of the Bastard
Taken forth To Bayeux Cathedral,
Brought before The duke and his court
A forced oath upon sacred relics
A false claim to the English throne
Freed by his captor,
Sent home over seas
He Returns to his earldom,
To contemplate what he’s seen
The plots of the Norman duke,
An oath above his head,
His loyalty to his country
Harold Earl of the South.
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4. |
Harold II
03:46
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A Sovereign, in sickness
Taking his final breaths,
Secession, accession
The kings council discuss this right
The Witan, Decided
On crowning Harold Godwinson
A great man,
of sword and steady hand
His valour and reputation,
Seen across many lands.
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Godwinson!
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The news of, King Harold
Spreads like fire far and wide
across many seas.
The Bastard hears of his crowning,
This usurper is enraged.
The oath was broken.
Harold is weary,
He has not forgotten,
He musters and army
And prepares to march
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King Godwinson!
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Days, weeks, moths passing by
The army laying, waiting along the coast
The bastard waits across the sea
Harvest comes and the army disbands
Weary soldiers march back to their homes
The bastard waits across the sea
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5. |
The Death of Hardrada
03:50
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A strike from the north, the invaders land,
300 ships from across the north sea.
Raping and looting, they take all they can
Honour-less heathens, come to make their demands
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Norse men!
Well strike them all down,
Invaders!
Willl not take the crown.
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Traitor! Tostig! brother of the king,
Who brings the norse men to this land,
To burn it to the ground,
The armies of the sovereign,
Marching north with great speed,
To meet them and purge them from the lands.
An Army of 10,000, Marches north in 4 Days.
King Godwin Approaches York.
The Norse men, unprepared and outnumbered
Sees the Flash of English blades in the sunlight
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A strike from the north, the invaders land,
300 ships from across the north sea.
Raping and looting, they take all they can
Honour-less heathens, come to make their demands
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Norse men!
Well strike them all down,
Invaders! Willl not take the crown.
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At Stamford, the armies form, ready to stand and fight,
King against King, Hardrada rallies his men.
Amidst the cries of war, the battle does begin
The clash with axe and shield, Many men on both sides fall,
Hardrada amidst his lines, is slain in battle.
And the norse lines begin to crumble,
The King of the norse lies dead,
And those two are left flee for their lives
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6. |
Nortmanni Ambuscader
04:28
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They come when our backs are turned,
Sailing from the south
To raid an pillage our coastal towns,
A Norman usurper,
Deluded and determined
To take from Harold the English crown
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Invaders!
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The English army up north
Marches ever southward
To quell this Norman upstart threat.
Miles and Miles
Of Field and dirt roads
Between them and their foes.
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Deceivers!
Desenters!
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The oath in bondage,
Drives the mind
Of the greedy Norman duke
Tricksters and traitors
Backstabbing liars
They have proven their worth in the past.
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Invaders!
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They come when our backs are turned,
Sailing from the south
To raid an pillage our coastal towns,
A Norman usurper,
Deluded and determined
To take from Harold the English crown
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Kings Harolds forces
Draw nearer to the south
Keeping track of the Norman advance,
The stage is set
This war for England
Is almost ready to begin
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7. |
Our Stand Upon the Hill
05:05
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In Shield wall, we face them
Upon a hill near Hastings
Our war cries will haunt them,
with the sound of clashing shields
Norman Forces, like Water
Fall against our solid ranks
King Harold in our front lines
for England we give our lives!
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Upon the hill of battle, the men take up their ranks
Shoulder to shoulder, shield to shield.
Our King in the front lines, gives out his war cry,
The bastard will not take our home!
Arrows fly from both sides, Norman forces begin to advance
The long march up the hill.
They break upon our shields, fall to sword and spear
some turn their backs to flee
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My Sword Held above me,
With my brothers, We stand and fight
For defence of my homeland
Their blood will be spilled,
Our resolve is strong,
Our ranks do not waver,
The tides of our foes
Will break and fall
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In Shield wall, we face them
Upon a hill near Hastings
Our war cries will haunt them,
with the sound of clashing shields
Their Forces, like Water
Fall against our solid ranks
Or Sovereign in our front lines
for England we give our lives!
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Amidst the Chaos, Norman Horses fall,
The Bastard is among them
Norman ranks begin to break, falling back down the hill
This emboldens Harolds troops
Giving chase they break from their ranks, a fatal mistake
The Bastard rises from the fray and rallies his men,
They turn and catch the English off guard.
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My Sword Held above me,
With my brothers, We stand and fight
For defence of my homeland
Their blood will be spilled,
For England we give our lives!
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8. |
Arrow of Fate
04:44
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The flashing of steel, clamour of swords,
lost in a whirlwind of war,
scattered amidst the breaking men,
Arrows flying, country men dying
Hope is last thing we have,
Yet we still fight on!
Fighting until the last,
Surrounded but standing fast,
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The arrows of fate soar higher and higher,
always hitting their mark,
Consequences of actions so dire,
leave blood in their path
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Destiny,
Desire,
A lust for power
Infects the hearts of men,
within it devours
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A turn of the head, Harold falls,
blood pouring from his face,
Blinded and beaten
All Hope is lost, The king is no more,
His body is mutilated,
Hacked apart by his foes
The battle is lost.
The Bastard takes the throne!
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Hidden away, beneath the stones,
of trinity church beside the shore
Harolds remains are taken
His weight in gold is offered
To the duke of foreign lands
But he refuses
The right of Martyrdom taken from him!
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The arrows of fate soar higher and higher,
always hitting their mark,
Consequences of actions so dire,
leave blood in their path
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Destiny,
Desire,
A lust for power
Infects hearts of men,
From within it devours
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9. |
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Vassus UK
Hild
þēowdōm
Hungor
Hryre
Innan Hild ond Innan Āre.
🏴 Angelþēod 🏴
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