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.
The Last Resort
Ancient Bards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems like the end is drawing near,
Everyone's on the ground
And Sendor can't decide
On who he should drop the sickle first.
Rahed is not ready to give up yet,
He's not willing to let go
[Rahed]
We need to s tep up and do something,
I know we're weak and paralyzed,
But if we don't do everything in our power
Then tomorrow will never come.
We are the custodians of wisdom,
Of millennial magic arts,
So there must be something we can do
To prevent a dreadful end!
[Sendor]
In your death throes...
[Storyteller]
Dipped in the blood, the dust and the dirt,
The kings crawl to the floor, exhausted and hurt,
Reaching for their weapons,
Summoning strength for their last resort,
The only hope
To survive.
[Storyteller]
The rod is summoning the force
Of the magic elements,
The bow attracts the ring
And then they start floating in mid-air
And as the weapons come in contact
They create a beam of light
That suddenly goes into Daltor's sword.
[Rahed]
Oh look at the silver sword shining!
It's a dazzling blinding glow
And what we are witnessing is
The eternal fight between light and the dark.
We are the custodians of wisdom,
Of millennial magic arts,
I knew there'd be something we could do
To prevent a dreadful end!
[Sendor]
In your death throes...
[Storyteller]
Dipped in the blood, the dust and the dirt,
The kings crawl to the floor, exhausted and hurt,
Reaching for their weapons,
Summoning strength for their last resort,
The only hope
To survive.
The lyrics of Ancient Bards's song The Last Resort depict the final battle between the kings of Ys and the villainous Daltor. The story has reached its climax as the kings are lying exhausted and defeated, trying to summon their last bit of energy to fight back. Sendor, one of the kings, is unable to decide on whom he should drop the sickle, while Rahed encourages his brethren to step up and not give up yet. He reminds the others that they are the custodians of wisdom and magic and that there must be something they can do to prevent a deadly end.
In the next part of the song, the kings recognize that the only hope they have left is to use their magical weapons. As they summon the force of the magic elements and use their weapons to create a beam of light, Daltor's sword begins to shine brightly. Rahed comments on this occurrence, stating that it is the eternal fight between light and dark. There is a glimmer of hope for the kings as they realize that they can still prevent their fate from being sealed.
The lyrics of The Last Resort show resilience in the face of defeat and a commitment to not giving up easily. The use of magic and the symbolism of light and darkness in the song add to the overall message of hope and triumph over adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like the end is drawing near,
The situation appears dire and suggests that the end is near.
Everyone's on the ground
All individuals involved in this situation are lying on the ground, perhaps exhausted or defeated.
And Sendor can't decide
Sendor is facing a difficult decision, perhaps hesitant or unsure about who to target first.
On who he should drop the sickle first.
Sendor is conflicted about which action to take and who to target first, adding to the tension of the situation.
Rahed is not ready to give up yet,
Despite the difficult circumstances, Rahed is determined not to give up just yet.
He's not willing to let go
Rahed is not willing to succumb to despair or defeat in this difficult moment.
And with firm voice incite the other kings:
Rahed uses his voice and leadership skills to motivate and encourage the other kings to take action.
We need to step up and do something,
Rahed calls for the other kings to take responsibility and act in order to change the situation.
I know we're weak and paralyzed,
Although everyone feels weak and powerless, Rahed acknowledges the situation but doesn't let it discourage him.
But if we don't do everything in our power
If they don't give it their all, the situation is unlikely to improve.
Then tomorrow will never come.
If they fail to act, there may not be a future worth living for.
We are the custodians of wisdom,
The kings are responsible for maintaining ancient knowledge and traditions, giving them a sense of purpose and duty.
Of millennial magic arts,
Their knowledge of magic and spells sets them apart from others and gives them a unique advantage in combat.
So there must be something we can do
Rahed believes that, with their unique knowledge and skills, they can figure out a way to overcome this difficult circumstance.
To prevent a dreadful end!
The kings are motivated to act, hoping to prevent a catastrophic outcome.
In your death throes...
Sendor's words indicate that he is aware of his mortal coil and may be ready to give his all in this final confrontation.
Dipped in the blood, the dust and the dirt,
The scene is chaotic and violent, with all parties exhausted and covered in debris and blood.
The kings crawl to the floor, exhausted and hurt,
Despite their best efforts, the kings are worn out and in pain.
Reaching for their weapons,
The kings are not ready to give up and still have their weapons within reach.
Summoning strength for their last resort,
The kings are gathering their energy and willpower, preparing for a last-ditch effort.
The only hope
This final action is their last hope for survival.
The rod is summoning the force
One of the kings is using a rod to gather mystical energy from the environment.
Of the magic elements,
The energy being channeled is derived from the natural elements, adding to the mystical nature of the moment.
The bow attracts the ring
Another king is using a bow to focus energy towards a ring.
And then they start floating in mid-air
The weapons and ring are now hovering in the air, defying gravity and adding to the magical atmosphere.
And as the weapons come in contact
The two groups of weapons meet, leading to a collision between the mystical energies they carry.
They create a beam of light
The forces of their weapons create a bright and intense beam of light.
That suddenly goes into Daltor's sword.
The light beam converges into Daltor's sword, signifying his weapon as the point of focus for the final confrontation.
Oh look at the silver sword shining!
One of the kings expresses awe and amazement at the sight of Daltor's shining sword.
It's a dazzling blinding glow
The sword is emanating a bright and intense light, almost overwhelming in its radiance.
And what we are witnessing is
The situation is now rife with symbolism and mysticism, leading to a revelation about the nature of the confrontation.
The eternal fight between light and the dark.
The confrontation between the kings and their enemies represents a larger struggle between good and evil, with the kings representing the forces of light.
Contributed by Asher M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
King Eddie of Eddington
Epic