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Part II: A Blackthorn Witch

from The Garden Of Abandon by Monastery

/

  • Streaming + Download

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    Purchasable with gift card

      $1 USD  or more

     

  • Buy the Full Digital Album

  • Limited Edition Two Cassette Box Set
    Cassette + Digital Album

    THIS IS A PRE-ORDER. THIS TITLE WILL BEGIN SHIPPING ON MARCH 15.

    Part I: The Summer Queen
    Gold cassette with black ink and double sided 3-panel sleeve in a crystal clear case. Comes with a download code. Limited to 50 copies.

    Part II: The Winter King
    Rhodesian red cassette with black ink and double sided 3-panel sleeve in a crystal clear case. Comes with a download code. Limited to 50 copies.

    Box set (Limited to 50) contains:
    -Natural kraft color jewelry box with band logo sticker
    -Part I: The Summer Queen cassette
    -Part II: The Winter King cassette
    -Art and poetry booklet
    -Incense
    -Hand-numbered note from Monastery

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more

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  • Standard Edition Double Cassette (Pre-Order for 4/15 Release)
    Cassette + Digital Album

    Contains:

    -Two cassettes in one trimpak style case with new cover art. "Part I. The Summer Queen" is a lime green cassette with white ink and "Part II. The Winter King" is a white cassette with forest green ink.

    -Booklet of art/lyrics.

    -Digital download.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Limited Edition Double CD Set
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    This is the 3rd edition of The Garden Of Abandon. It's a 2CD set limited to 50 copies. What's included:

    -Two CDs of Part I: The Summer Queen and Part 2: The Winter King in their own individual mini vinyl jacket sleeves.
    -20 page full color booklet with art, lyrics, and poetry for each song. (Same booklet as the cassette editions).
    -A postcard of art and album explanation.
    -Leaves, acorns, or flower petals from the forest in New England where much of the album was dreamed.
    -All the above comes packaged in a rough, natural, drawstring burlap bag.

    Hail the Summer Sun.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Transparent Green Limited Edition Double Vinyl
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    This is part of the 4th edition of The Garden Of Abandon. It's a double vinyl set limited to 200 copies (80 Transparent Green & 120 Black). Released in collaboration with Night Rhythms Records. The album has been remastered for vinyl and lightly remixed in a couple of places to enhance the vinyl experience. What's included:

    -Two LPs of Part I: The Summer Queen and Part II: The Winter King on 180 gram black or transparent green vinyl in a beautiful gatefold sleeve.
    -A full size 4 panel booklet with art and all poems written for each song.
    -A hand-numbered postcard with a handwritten excerpt from one of the poems in the album. Over the course of 200 postcards, every line in the album has been written chronologically. Postcard #1 has the opening lines of the album while #200 has the closing lines!
    -A randomly inserted green or red envelope with gold foil trim containing a download code and stamped with the NRR logo.

    If the album is sold out here or for better international shipping options, please check out the NRR site: store.nghtrhthms.com/product/monastery-the-garden-of-abandon-2lp

    Hail The Summer Sun!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more

    Sold Out

  • Black Limited Edition Double Vinyl
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    This is part of the 4th edition of The Garden Of Abandon. It's a double vinyl set limited to 200 copies (80 Transparent Green & 120 Black). Released in collaboration with Night Rhythms Records. The album has been remastered for vinyl and lightly remixed in a couple of places to enhance the vinyl experience. What's included:

    -Two LPs of Part I: The Summer Queen and Part II: The Winter King on 180 gram black or transparent green vinyl in a beautiful gatefold sleeve.
    -A full size 4 panel booklet with art and all poems written for each song.
    -A hand-numbered postcard with a handwritten excerpt from one of the poems in the album. Over the course of 200 postcards, every line in the album has been written chronologically. Postcard #1 has the opening lines of the album while #200 has the closing lines!
    -A randomly inserted green or red envelope with gold foil trim containing a download code and stamped with the NRR logo.

    If the album is sold out here or for better international shipping options, please check out the NRR site: store.nghtrhthms.com/product/monastery-the-garden-of-abandon-2lp

    Hail The Summer Sun!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more

    Sold Out

  • UK Edition Double Cassette
    Cassette + Digital Album

    This is the 5th edition of The Garden Of Abandon. It's a double cassette box limited to 50 hand-numbered copies. Released in collaboration with Cosmic Ocean, this is exclusively a UK/EU release of the album. This pressing is the version of the album that was remastered for vinyl and lightly remixed in a couple of places. This is the first time this version has been pressed to tape. What's included:

    Comes in a large, vinyl box package w/ a full colour 16 page booklet including poems and art for each song.

    Once again this is a UK/EU specific release so if you live outside of North America, I encourage you to order directly from Cosmic Ocean: cosmicoceansound.bandcamp.com/album/the-garden-of-abandon

    Hail The Summer Sun!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Garden Of Abandon via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 4 Monastery releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Black Moon Paeans, Dream Weapons (Vol. 1), The Garden Of Abandon, and Peculiar Storms. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $19.20 USD or more (20% OFF)

     

lyrics

Far beyond the Garden, upon a hill,
An archaic Oak’s remaining leaves fall
Hastily to the ground… Time is standing
Still with a seemingly hushed breath… Dancing
Amidst light snow, spinning beneath the moon
Her magical web, is the Blackthorn Witch.

Spinning and spinning and spinning, the Witch
Is circumambulating on the hill,
Forming a vortex on this solstice moon.
Circling the Oak, she lets her black robes fall.
A primordial spell is now dancing
From her lips, cursing all Life left standing…

Many years ago, an Oak was standing
In the Garden… It whispered to the Witch
Of a man in a young couple dancing
In its shadow… “He must enter my hill…
A king must come to us before the Fall
Or we’ll perish before the New Year’s moon…”

And so a king was born before the moon…
Our Old Ways were saved and left standing
For a time… Rites were performed by night’s fall,
Mysteries were sought by Druid and Witch
Alike, untamed feasts took place on the hill,
And Great Pan was seen amongst those dancing.

The two brothers are forever dancing—
One must always prevail under his moon.
When the Holly King mounts his brother’s hill,
The Oak will no longer remain standing…
And the consort of Winter is the Witch,
Eternally omened to sing Oak’s fall…

Spinning her web on the last night of Fall,
Singing her spell, ecstatically dancing
And conjuring Winter, the Blackthorn Witch
Strikes earth with her staff, screaming at the moon,
“Let Winter come to silence life standing!
Let the lightning strike down upon the hill!”

Next Fall, at the dawn of the solstice moon,
Give thanks for all Life dancing and standing—
For the Witch will strike her staff on the hill…

(10.ii.19)

credits

from The Garden Of Abandon, released March 15, 2019
Art by John Collier.

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Monastery Salem, Massachusetts

Dreamscapes For Solitude.

Dungeon Synth For Psychonauts.

Dark New Age For A New Dark Age.

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