For decades the Austro-Hungarian empire had been a
powerful influence in the heart of Europe
Resting on a legacy, their house kept stability, order and peace
But not everyone bowed to this power

In the summer of 1914 the archduke Franz Ferdinand of the empire
is visiting Sarajevo, unaware of the assassins awaiting him, and what will come

Two shots are fired and the archduke is dead

The empire cannot let this go unpunished,
and the first declaration of war is made.

From a shot that would change the world
Tensions rise and a war is unfurled
Nothing like what had come before
It’s the war that will end all war!

Chaos and shockwaves spread from the Balkans across the globe
Alliances are put to the test, threats exchanged and armies are put on high alert
In the east the Russian Tsar is trying to calm the situation with his cousin
the Kaiser of Germany

But it is all in vain, the situation is out of control

War is unavoidable

The Battle of the Frontiers starts in August as soldiers cross borders and bullets are fired in rage

War begins

Now there’s a standstill in the war, repeating what’s been done before
It must come to an end, a few will transcend
They were under twenty five, and under fire they would thrive
The Sturmmann is born, their enemies scorn

A glimpse of the future, new tactics in war
New doctrine in combat explored
As fast as lightning, there’s no time to mourn
A glimpse of the future and Blitzkrieg is born

Strike at zero hour
With overwhelming firepower
They’re fueled by the fear in their enemies’ eyes
It’s a Shock Troop infiltration
A fast and violent escalation
Out of the trenches the stormtroopers rise

Jägers led the way, the pioneers would join the fray
Initiative gained, advancement sustained
Lead through direct command, as they’re advancing through the land
Encircling their flanks, and ravage their ranks

Expose their reinforcements, destroying their lines
New doctrine in combat aligns
Infantry attacks, exposing the cracks
New combat ideals, on the Kaiserschlacht’s fields

A shadow moves across the water in pursuit
It splits the waves, commands the sea and defies the wind
Instilling fear among its prey, feels nought for itself
Ahead the sea lies calm awaiting the storm

Displace the water in its path
Reveal the cannons, align the guns, unleash their wrath

Unopposed under crimson skies
Immortalized, over time their legend will rise
And their foes can’t believe their eyes, believe their size, as they fall
And the Dreadnoughts dread nothing at all

A hull of steel and all big guns to serve the fleet
Unrivalled firepower riding the waves to war
A devastating blow will send their foes down below
Fearless armada now bombarding their shore

Light up the night when cannons roar
In fear of nothing, they lead the navy into war

The North Sea has drawn them near
The Fleet of the High Seas approach
A contest of titans commence
These days will dictate their fate
The Grand Fleet prepares their guns
Unleashed as the Dreadnoughts clash at last

Into the fire through trenches and mud
Son of Belgium and Ireland with war in his blood
Leading the charge into hostile barrage
By design, he was made for the frontline

Studied law, with a thirst for war
Fought in Africa, wanted more
Back in Europe then straight to France
He’s joining the allied advance

Through the Somme and the Devil’s Wood
All the battles that he withstood
Born a soldier enjoyed the war
He always kept coming for more

Never die, shot through the eye
Never surrender however they try
How they try, shot through the eye
He’ll never die

At the edge of madness, in a time of sadness
An immortal soldier, finds his home
Proven under fire, over trench and wire
No fear of death he’s unshakeable

In the battles, when he was shot
Kept on fighting, and never stopped
In Arras, Cambrai, Passchendaele
Ignoring his wounds he prevailed

Save the day, he’ll never stray
Facing the foes that are coming his way
Come his way, he’ll never stray
Saving the day

At the edge of madness, in a time of sadness
An immortal soldier, finds his home
Proven under fire, over trench and wire
Forged for the war he’s unbreakable
At the edge of madness, he will show no sadness
Never broken, he’ll be back for more
Proven under fire, over trench and wire
No fear of death he’s unshakeable

Edge of madness!

No fear of death, he is forged for the war,
he will always be coming for more

I won’t be coming home
I won’t be going anywhere
I will guard this post forever
Here on the alpine slope where I did my final stand I shall remain
Among the ice and snow that binds me to this mountain

A force of nature too strong, sent from above
Where spirits lead the way, the winds will never fade

White Friday, I’ll take the
Stairway to heaven
I’m sky high, when I die
I’ll be immortal
Forever, I never
I won´t return to
Blood Mountain, I am the
Soldier of heaven

I saw the end of war
I watched the soldiers come and go
And I kept my watch forever
So many brave men fell in the battles that were raging down below
I have seen it all but none will hear my story

All of these years I have been frozen in time
I cried for spring to come but here, winter remain

I always dreamed that I would, serve high above
Where spirits lead the way, the winds will never fade

From a land across the ocean, to the western front where they served
Fought with courage and devotion, preconceptions turned
As the spring offensive kept churning, where the men would earn their name
See the tides of battle turning, and their foes ignite their flame

Hear the toll of the bell, kept fighting for six months in hell
As the war rages on, they fight at the edge of the Argonne

Hear the toll of the bell, over six months in hell
Out of the trenches they came
As the war rages on, at the edge of the Argonne
Hellfighters earning their name

They would have no prisoners taken, and they never lost any ground
Earned the cross of war unshaken, never turned around
As the armistice is drawing closer, the 369th
Kept on fighting until it was over, and they were first to reach the Rhine

We’re keeping the kingdom free

As an archduke falls and the battle horn calls
our lives would never be the same
We were looking down the barrel of a gun
Now the war has come and the battle has begun
we are desperate and overrun
To the war drum we’ll be marching until it’s done

Lead the way, we will follow into the fray
We will hold the line we will not be led astray

For king and for country we, are flooding the river
Our stand at Yser will be, the end of the race to the sea
The last piece of Belgium is free, we’re keeping a sliver
A cog in the war machine, October of 1914

As our foe draws forth we are moving on north
we will never let them have it all
There’s a price for freedom paid by Belgium’s sons
They may take our towns, they may conquer our grounds
we’ll defend the nation and the crown
We’ll uphold our independence with our guns

All the way, on to triumph or to judgement day
We will follow and we will not be led astray

See a king and a soldier, fighting shoulder to shoulder
See a king and a soldier, fighting shoulder to shoulder
He overruled his commanders, he made a last stand in Flanders
We see our king and a soldier,
they’re fighting shoulder to shoulder
To keep the last piece of Belgium free

All the way, on to triumph or to judgement day
We will follow and we will not be led astray

For king and for country we are flooding the river
Our stand at Yser will be, the end of the race to the sea
We’re free
For king and for country we are flooding the river
No more of our country lost, the line will be held at all cost

Who shall be remembered, In the ancient House of war?
All the medals, all those stories, In the Alley of the greats
Celebrated hero, who has wandered through the dark
She stand before you, all that metal shining bright

Lost in time, returning to the light
Bow before, this lady fights for life
So sister

Raise your hand, For the lady of the dark
Soldier with no will to kill, with a philanthropic heart
Forever break the norm, She’s the girl in uniform
Fighting side by side with men, she will fight until the end

Lied to be respected, and to change her brother’s fate
Took a bullet, earned her freedom, and a place among the stars
Served the Iron squadron, served the toughest of them all
No fear of dying, for the frontline she was born

Sacrifice, she took her brother’s place
War to war, a place where she belongs
So brother

Don’t fear the reaper, don’t fear the war
She spared the life of brothers

She’ll fight for honour
She’ll fight for life
A lady goes to war

Dug in deep, equipped for attack
Outnumbered, determined to win
Double trench lines that won’t give in
They’re prepared let the battle begin

Here again they’ve done this before
A lesson that they should have learned by now
Reinforced with new men and guns
Who are ready for death when it comes

United they’re strong, united they’re holding the line
The Valley of Death, awaiting the British as they come their way

Their attack is coming fight them back
Bulgarians holding the line
Facing wave after wave, will never surrender
Again, again, again, again
They attack, Bulgaria held them back
Unleash their counter barrage
Let it rain artillery pounding the trenches
No surrender, fight them till the end

Fortified, and made to defy
Protected by wires and guns
Troops as far as the eye can see
They advance under Vazov’s command

Row on row, as they come from below
Twice they attack, twice they’re beaten back
Every time they try, they will die
Their line of defence is still intact

For white, green and red
for the nation they’re fighting for
The British are done
three times the defence of Doiran has been won

Silence
Oh, I remember the silence
On a cold winter day
After many months on the battlefield
And we were used to the violence
Then all the cannons went silent
And the snow fell
Voices sang to me from no man’s land

We are all, we are all, we are all, we are all friends

And today we’re all brothers
Tonight we’re all friends
A moment of peace in a war that never ends
Today we’re all brothers
We drink and unite
Now Christmas has arrived and the snow turns the ground white
Hear carols from the trenches, we sing O holy night
Our guns laid to rest among snowflakes
A Christmas in the trenches, a Christmas on the front far from home

Madness
Oh I remember the sadness
We were hiding our tears
In a foreign land where we faced our fears
We were soldiers
Carried the war on our shoulders
For our nations
Is that why we bury our friends?

We were all, we were all, we were all, we were all friends

A Christmas on the frontline, we walk among our friends, we don’t think about tomorrow, the battle will commence
When we celebrated Christmas, we thought about our friends, those who never made it home, when the battle had commenced

The war had been raging and ravaging for 4 years,
leaving millions of casualties from all sides
In the trenches of the frontlines people have asked the question,
what is the price of peace?
how many more must die?

Exactly five years after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand,
Germany is forced to sign an unconditional surrender
For the signing of this historical document
the French city of Versailles is chosen

Signed a treaty to change the world
Tensions fall and a peace is unfurled
Nothing like what had come before
It’s the deal, it’s the treaty that will end the war!

A fragile but hopeful peace falls upon the European continent
America returns to their shores, Russia tend to their own matters
and the British empire disbands their colonial forces

Parades are being held in victorious countries
The war that would end all wars is over

But not everyone agrees
In the underground. something is growing in the dark
Because for some the war never ended
War will never entirely die
it will evolve, it will change
and War will return, sooner than we think

From a shot that would change the world
Tensions rise and a war is unfurled
Nothing like what had come before
It’s the war that will end all war!

Will this war really end all wars?
Can a war really end all war?
Will this war bring another war?
It’s the war that will end all wars!