It's called The Relic (Part 1), so it's probably gonna have a sequel, but thus far this is my interpretation:
A man goes on travels around the world, and eventually gets called into a shaman's "secret place", which may be a temple or a place where only the shaman is permitted to go, by a strange force. This force comes from a relic which is stored there. The relic tempts him into picking it up and stealing it.
When he comes home, he gives the relic to his son while under its influence. The son apparently felt the power of the relic drawing near when his father came home.
The chorus I found harder to interpret, but I think it means the relic is feeding on the boy's innocence and slowly corrupting him. "As the tears fall from the shaman's eyes" could probably mean that the Shaman saw that the relic was gone, and had great pity for the one who took it.
The next verse was also hard for me to interpret. I think it means that the boy eventually becomes incredibly possessive of the relic. "Ancient being spews and fills him with its hate" shows that the relic may be a prison for some kind of demon/spirit which slowly possesses the child.
The moment I heard the outro, it haunted me- a lot. "As he looks in his fathers eyes, life drains from him" may mean that his father confronts him about his weird behaviour. "Blood spills, painting the earth beneath his feet" seems quite unclear, but I think it means he killed his father under the relic's influence. "Anointed by death, his path engrained" means, if you ask me, that he has been chosen as the relic's host and that there is no turning back. Then there's "the relic sleeps no more" which is a very haunting line, may mean that the relic possessed him for good.
That's just my interpretation, though. This is probably my favourite "new" Iced Earth song- maybe even my favourite along with When the Night Falls, Creator Failure, and The Hunter.
Also, am I the only one who thinks this sounds like Iron Maiden's "Still Life"?
It's called The Relic (Part 1), so it's probably gonna have a sequel, but thus far this is my interpretation:
A man goes on travels around the world, and eventually gets called into a shaman's "secret place", which may be a temple or a place where only the shaman is permitted to go, by a strange force. This force comes from a relic which is stored there. The relic tempts him into picking it up and stealing it.
When he comes home, he gives the relic to his son while under its influence. The son apparently felt the power of the relic drawing near when his father came home.
The chorus I found harder to interpret, but I think it means the relic is feeding on the boy's innocence and slowly corrupting him. "As the tears fall from the shaman's eyes" could probably mean that the Shaman saw that the relic was gone, and had great pity for the one who took it.
The next verse was also hard for me to interpret. I think it means that the boy eventually becomes incredibly possessive of the relic. "Ancient being spews and fills him with its hate" shows that the relic may be a prison for some kind of demon/spirit which slowly possesses the child.
The moment I heard the outro, it haunted me- a lot. "As he looks in his fathers eyes, life drains from him" may mean that his father confronts him about his weird behaviour. "Blood spills, painting the earth beneath his feet" seems quite unclear, but I think it means he killed his father under the relic's influence. "Anointed by death, his path engrained" means, if you ask me, that he has been chosen as the relic's host and that there is no turning back. Then there's "the relic sleeps no more" which is a very haunting line, may mean that the relic possessed him for good.
That's just my interpretation, though. This is probably my favourite "new" Iced Earth song- maybe even my favourite along with When the Night Falls, Creator Failure, and The Hunter.
Also, am I the only one who thinks this sounds like Iron Maiden's "Still Life"?