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.
Struggle For Life
Ancient Bards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel the beat of my heart getting weaker
A tightness that makes it hard for me to move my body
Iʼm tired
I can feel the wind through my hair, the beating of his wings
All around itʼs dark
But I can see a light far from the distance
You canʼt die now
The song "Struggle For Life" by Ancient Bards talks about the singer Daltor's fight with death. The lyrics "Only darkness, I can feel the beat of my heart getting weaker, a tightness that makes it hard for me to move my body. I'm tired" signify his weakened state as he battles against the inevitable. The mention of the wind and the beating of wings suggests a supernatural presence, possibly the personification of death itself. However, in the midst of all the darkness, he sees a light in the distance which gives him hope. The lyrics "You can't die now, find your strength Daltor" signify a sense of urgency and the need for him to muster every ounce of strength left to fight for his life.
The song's powerful lyrics communicate a message of hope, courage, and resilience in the face of adversity. Daltor's struggle is a metaphor for the trials and tribulations of life. It speaks to the human condition and the universal truth that no matter how dark things may seem, there is always a glimmer of hope. In times of trials, it is essential to find the strength to fight on, to never give up and to believe that things can get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Only darkness
I am lost in complete darkness and cannot see anything around me.
I can feel the beat of my heart getting weaker
I am struggling to stay alive, as my heart beats slower and weaker with each passing moment.
A tightness that makes it hard for me to move my body
I feel a constriction in my body, making it difficult for me to move and function normally.
I'm tired
I am exhausted and drained of energy, making it even more difficult to keep going.
I can feel the wind through my hair, the beating of his wings
Despite my struggles, I am still aware of the world around me, feeling the wind and hearing the sound of wings nearby.
All around it's dark
I am surrounded by darkness on all sides, with no clear path forward.
But I can see a light far from the distance
Despite the darkness, there is a glimmer of hope visible in the distance, giving me reason to keep fighting and moving forward.
You can't die now
Despite the overwhelming odds against me, there is still important work to be done and I cannot give up now.
Find your strength Daltor!
I must dig deep and find the inner strength needed to overcome my struggles and continue on, no matter how difficult it may be.
Contributed by Jonathan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.