The project, originated in the mind of Daniele Mazza, started to materialize in 2006 after Daniele met with bass player Martino Garattoni. The first stable line up was completed in 2007, with Sara Squadrani as singer, Alessandro Carichini as drummer, and Claudio Pietronik and Fabio Balducci as guitarists.
In September 2010, Alessandro left the band, to be replaced by a new drummer Federico Gatti. The latest line-up change occurred in the end of 2013 after recording the third album A New Dawn Ending, when Balducci left the band for personal reasons. Permanent replacement for Fabio has not been announced yet, but for live shows in 2014 the band has been joined by Simone Bertozzi as a guest second guitarist.
Albums
The style and concept of their 2010 debut album, The Alliance of the Kings, has been seen as inspired by fellow Italian band Rhapsody of Fire. The album is the first part of The Black Crystal Sword Saga with each song making up a single "episode"
The Italian and German editions of Metal Hammer commented on the "sophisticated songwriting" in this release. The latter magazine also found similarities to Anette Olzon in singer Sara Squadrani's voice.
The band's second album, Soulless Child, was released in 2011. It continues The Black Crystal Sword Saga introduced in the previous album. The reviewers of Metal Hammer Germany and Rock Hard agreed that the album had a tendency towards kitsch. While Metal Hammer found several positive remarks about individual tracks, Rock Hard criticised a lack of original hooks.
In April 2014, a third album, A New Dawn Ending, was released. This concluded the first part of The Black Crystal Sword Saga, making that section a complete trilogy.
Ancient Bards announced their fourth album in June 2018 entitled Origine - The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2. It is the beginning the second part of The Black Crystal Sword Saga and was released on 25 January 2019. They also announced on their Facebook page that touring guitarist Simone Bartozzi had been made a permanent band member after touring with them since 2014.
Only The Brave
Ancient Bards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making our way through the reign of the elves
We resolutely follow our path
The air is icy and sharp on this holy Blind Mountain
We must reach the dwelling of the oldest elf
We must never give up!
For our souls are bold and we don't know what fear is!
Arrows fly
The sun's hit by
A gold bow
[Rahed]
At my disposal my knowledge and life
To help you defeat this villain
In my heart burns only the red flame of justice
Power of arrows and glory of gods
Lead our way straight to the goal
For the peace of our lands we'll be victorious
[Group]
Arrows fly
From your eyes
The sun's hit by
Your gold bow
Mighty Rahed king of the elves, yes we need your help
That holy black sword must be found for the glory of the lands
This war won't break out
So precious blood won't flow
May courage walk beside us for eternity
Only the brave!
Arrows fly
From your eyes
The sun's hit by
Your gold bow
Mighty Rahed king of the elves, yes we need your help
That holy black sword must be found for the glory of lands
This war won't break out
So precious blood won't flow
May courage walk beside us for eternity
Only the brave
Shoot arrows in the
Sky from their eyes
Mighty Rahed king of the elves, yes we need your help
That holy black sword must be found for the glory of lands
This war won't break out
So precious blood won't flow
May courage walk beside us for eternity
Only the brave!
The lyrics of Ancient Bards' song "Only The Brave" talks about a journey by a group of characters through a difficult and icy terrain to reach the dwelling of the oldest elf. In the journey, they encounter various challenges but they remain resolute and determined to complete their task. The character Rahed, who is referred to as the "king of the elves," offers his knowledge and life to help defeat a villain and find the holy black sword for the glory of the lands. The song emphasizes the importance of courage, bravery, and justice for the success of any mission.
The chorus featuring the repeated line "Arrows fly from your eyes, the sun's hit by your gold bow" suggests that the characters draw their strength from a supernatural source, possibly from Rahed who is perceived as powerful and mighty. The song highlights the importance of having a clear sense of purpose and determination while facing difficult situations. It encourages the listener to remain steadfast in the face of adversity and to be brave in pursuit of their goals.
Overall, "Only The Brave" is a powerful song that uses the imagery of a challenging journey to convey a message of courage, determination, and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Making our way through the reign of the elves
We are progressing through the territory of the elves.
We resolutely follow our path
We are determined to continue in the direction we have chosen.
The air is icy and sharp on this holy Blind Mountain
The mountain we are on is cold and dangerous, as it is sacred and difficult to navigate.
We must reach the dwelling of the oldest elf
Our destination is the abode of the most ancient member of this elf community.
We must never give up!
We must not surrender or abandon our quest.
For our souls are bold and we don't know what fear is!
Our inner selves are fearless and determined to succeed.
Arrows fly
From his eyes
The sun's hit by
A gold bow
The oldest elf we are seeking is a powerful archer whose eyes shoot arrows and whose bow radiates like the sun.
At my disposal my knowledge and life
To help you defeat this villain
In my heart burns only the red flame of justice
Power of arrows and glory of gods
Lead our way straight to the goal
For the peace of our lands we'll be victorious
Rahed, the king of the elves, offers his expertise and will give his life to aid us in defeating the enemy. In his heart, he is guided by the desire for justice, and we are propelled by the power of his arrows and the blessing of the gods. We will triumph and bring peace to our lands.
Mighty Rahed king of the elves, yes we need your help
That holy black sword must be found for the glory of the lands
We require the assistance of the great King Rahed of elves, so that we may discover the holy black sword for the prosperity of our realm.
This war won't break out
So precious blood won't flow
May courage walk beside us for eternity
Only the brave!
We aim to prevent the war and avoid bloodshed. Courage must be a constant companion to us, and only those who are daring and intrepid would truly succeed.
Shoot arrows in the
Sky from their eyes
Mighty Rahed king of the elves, yes we need your help
We envision the image of Rahed shooting arrows into the sky from his eyes as a symbol of his might, and we plead for his assistance.
This war won't break out
So precious blood won't flow
May courage walk beside us for eternity
Only the brave!
Our goals remain unwavering, as we fervently desire to avoid the war and avert loss of life. We seek to be resolute and courageous, as this is the only path to success.
Contributed by Mia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.