Ashes in the Root

[Verse 1]
Snow on the cairns
Blood in the grain
Iron in my hands
Old
Aching names
Ravens in circles
Over burned pine
Your oath on your tongue
My knife in your spine
[Chorus]
We are the ashes in the root
Buried deep
Still burning through
Hear the hills
They call your debt
Every wound
I don't forget
We are the ashes in the root
From broken branch to bitter fruit
You can pray
You can beg
But the earth will take its share
[Verse 2]
Fire in the hall
Smoke in our lungs
Ghosts at the table
Salt on our tongues
You sold our winter
For one bright crown
Now frost-bitten children
Drag your banners down
[Chorus]
We are the ashes in the root
Buried deep
Still burning through
Hear the hills
They call your debt
Every wound
I don't forget
We are the ashes in the root
From broken branch to bitter fruit
You can pray
You can beg
But the earth will take its share
[Bridge]
[Drums drop to a slow
Stomping pulse; folk strings enter]
Stone under stone under bone
The past hums low in the loam (hey!)
Your throne is a rotten tree
And my rage is the creeping weed
[Chorus]
We are the ashes in the root
Buried deep
Still burning through
Hear the hills
They call your debt
Every wound
I don't forget
We are the ashes in the root
From broken branch to bitter fruit
You can run
You can tear
But the earth will take its share

folk, Epic folk-infused melodic death metal; tremolo-picked twin guitars over double-kick bursts, with surging minor-key riffs and a singable lead melody. Male growl leads the verses, layered with occasional distant clean backing shouts on the chorus. Folk-tinged breakdown with mandolin or acoustic guitar and war-drum toms in the bridge before a final soaring, harmonized guitar outro., melodic death metal, death metal, folk metal