September 1996 saw the beginning for Antichrisis' first studio session for their debut album "Cantara Anachoreta". Sid - by this time still known by his nom de plume Moonshadow - recorded the album within only 14 days with Willowcat's vocal support. At this time Sid was in a very desolate situation concerning his private life - and the best way to express his feelings and to deal with an utterly fucked up relationship was to play that gloomy, melancholic but also furious and pushing kind of music. And that is exactly what Antichrisis is all about: to reflect Sid's feelings and emotions in the best possible way without any restrictions or musical limitations.
"Cantara Anachoreta", the band's striking debut, hit the audience by January '97 and was enthusiastically received by the press: Only once in a blue moon had a newcomer's first album indicated such well-defined and incisive style aligned with an amazingly vast number of different musical influences with enormous implicitness and distinction.
Although Antichrisis' music always beared lots of folk influences, they weren't that apparent due to the band's conventional instrumentation hitherto - until Naex joined the project in 1997 adding a completely new timbre to Antichrisis' sound with his Irish bagpipes.
Also, many of Sid's songs are arranged like stage plays dealing with love and loss, thus requiring different voices for different male and female leading parts - hence a female voice was always of great importance for Antichrisis' dramaturgic concept.
Meanwhile Antichrisis had signed to Napalm Records, and in Spring 1998 it was high time to record the debut's successor "A Legacy of Love" with new singer Lisa. Though this album did bear a few Metal references again, it primarily became a wonderful and brilliant Folk-Pop-album, containing songs that could have easily entered the charts like "Nightswan", "Our Last Show" or the smashing "Forever I Ride".
A year later the band was hitting the stage for the first time during an European tour with Tristania, The Sins Of Thy Beloved, Siebenbuergen and Trail of Tears. On this tour Antichrisis' new female vocalist Dragonfly, who had replaced Lisa, received her baptism of fire. She had joined the band just a couple of weeks before, and not only did Antichrisis promote "A Legacy of Love" live on stage, but they also took the chance of introducing some new dancefloor-influenced stuff from their forthcoming album "Perfume" to a flabbergasted audience.
Antichrisis entered the studio again in Summer 2000, this time reinforced by keyboarder Tilo Rockstroh, drummer Jens-Nils Kuge and guitarist Jens Bachmann, to forge their third album "Perfume", which contained for the very first time in the history of the band a cover version, namely Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love".
Though songs like "Like The Stars", "Goodbye to Jane", "Hole in My Head", "Carry Me Down" or "Wasteland" proved once more Antichrisis' claim for the charts, this venturous album lacked support by Antichrisis' former label Napalm Records, who weren't too happy about the band's increasing pop-appeal due to being afraid of losing their Metal credibility.
But why that long period of silence after the release of "Perfume"? Some fans received the impression that Antichrisis hadn't survived their daring musical experiment. But after a new studio session in Spring 2003, Sid suffered from some unexpected and serious emotional and physical drawbacks, hence Antichrisis was put on the back burner for quite a long time until Sid reformed the band in 2005.
So Antichrisis was ready for recording a new album called "The Legacy Remains", which is supposed to continue the story that had begun on "A Legacy of Love" - and to make both albums sound as if they were two chapters of one book, Sid decided to re-record "A Legacy of Love" before finishing the production of "The Legacy Remains".
This revised version of "A Legacy of Love" saw its release on Reartone Records in early 2006 as a digipack-edition titled "A Legacy of Love Mark II", and it definitely didn't sound at all like a simple re-issue. But once you listen to "A Legacy of Love Mark II" you will easily realise that this expenditure was worth while. The new versions of those already stirring songs develop an almost irresistible maelstrom - they seem like aural environments waiting for the listener to enter: "How Can I Live on Top of The Mountain?" is simply one of the most beautiful soundtracks never used for a movie score; R.E.M. would take themselves to the cleaners for a Folk-Pop-jewel like "Nightswan", "Our Last Show" couldn't have been done better by the Doors in their heydays and someone not being close to tears after listening to "Dancing in The Midnight Sun" has probably never fallen in and out of love. "Baleias Bailando" and "Planet Kyrah" are evidence of Sid's capability of creating magnificent pop songs with rather unorthodox sounds and arrangements, whereas "End of December" seems like a brilliant outtake of a late midnight session that The Jam, The Pogues and Bruce Springsteen could have had in a Galway pub. "Forever I Ride" proves that blending Knopflerian guitar riffs with McKennittish romanticism and Sabbath's abrasiveness doesn't necessarily have to be a mission impossible, and the raw guitar power of "The Sea" and "Trying Not to Breathe" should as well raise hell in every moshpit of this planet without attenuating dead catchy qualitites while at last "The Farewell" is the successful romantic conclusion of an album that is simply the most emotional roller coaster ride one could ever experience. Basically each song on "A Legacy of Love Mark II" could make easily a smashing hit single!
And if mastermind Sid should manage to avoid further detachments, breakdowns and strokes of fate that blocked the band's succession in the past, Antichrisis' future should look bright enough to make him wear shades: He sure has more than enough ideas and visions for many years to come, and "The Legacy Remains" will surely become Antichrisis' well-deserved smash hit.
Current line-up:
Sid - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Bass
Steffi Vreiting - Vocals
Alexander "Naex" May: Uilleann Pipes, Flutes & Whistles
Jens "Gnu" Bachmann: E-Guitars, Bass
Tilo "Waran" Rockstroh: Keyboards & Loops
Jens-Nils "Kugator" Kuge: Drums
Frank J. Hennig: Baritone Vocals
The Endless Dance
Antichrisis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Read in my book of lies
Of atrocities, blood and sacrifice!
My temples erected in gold and bone
The stupid sheep turn their head to the blind!
Priestress:
And comes the winter of your life
The king of kings - left of your own device
Will freeze to death in the endless night!
The angels:
The Goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their songs in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the wordes, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
Jehovah:
Your senseless prayers I never hear
The sign of the cross in praise of your fear!
Your little belief ist just a crap
On the rotten body of your so-called "Christ"!
Priestress:
The blind, the crippled and the lame
Still keep the faith in a god of disgrace
But a songless bird will never sing
To the dying glory of a bogous king!
The angels:
The goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their song in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the words, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
"You cut me down and I'll leap high
I am the Life that never dies
So dance where ever you may be
The ruler of the dance
Is she!"
The Fool:
And my elder sister takes me by the hand
And we spiral sideways to a far away land
In the Tempest she sings with the Ocean's roar
Glowing in the Storm that the Mermaid bore!
Them witches calling
Up from the shore
They walk behind me
Through the door!
Oh, my youngest sister, oh where have you been?
Behind the moon on the other side of dream?
Oh, she guides me back as the raven cries
But we'll meet again for to dance in the skies!
Jehovah:
I am the scum of this dark age
I'm the beginning and the end!
Oblivion takes my place
The frame holds just another face of death!
Priestress:
And who will count the slaughtered lifes?
The Burned? The Tortured? The Demised?
The Blood of the Innocent?
The Decline of the stolen Trinity?
The angels:
The goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their song in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the words, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
"You cut me down and I'll leap high
I am the Life that never dies
So dance where ever you may be
The ruler of the dance
Is she!"
The Endless Dance
The lyrics of Antichrisis's "The Endless Dance" tackle themes of religion, power, and oppression. The song starts off with Jehovah, who is the God of Christianity, being called out for the violence and atrocities that have been committed in his name. The Priestess then warns that those who blindly follow religion will be left to freeze in the eternal darkness. The Angels declare that the Goddess of the Night is coming, and those in power will face three curses on their throne. The Witch speaks of the sisters who were murdered long ago for their beliefs, yet their songs still call out through time.
The Fool is then introduced, and he speaks of his journey with his sisters. They traverse to faraway lands and dance with the ruler of the dance, who is the Goddess of the Night. Jehovah resigns himself to oblivion and recognises his place as the scum of the dark age. The Priestess questions who will be accountable for the countless lives lost due to the stolen Trinity, while the Angels once again warn of the coming of the Goddess of the Night.
Overall, "The Endless Dance" speaks to the power of organised religion, its failure to protect the innocent, and the ultimately futile nature of attempting to suppress alternative beliefs or ways of life. Through the characters of the Witch and the Fool, who represent those who were persecuted throughout history, the song highlights the resilience of the human spirit
Line by Line Meaning
Jehovah:
Read in my book of lies
Of atrocities, blood and sacrifice!
My temples erected in gold and bone
The stupid sheep turn their head to the blind!
Jehovah is bragging about the atrocities, bloodshed, and sacrifices depicted in his book of lies, building his temples with materials like gold and bone. He believes that the masses who follow him like sheep are blind and do not recognize his deception.
Priestress:
And comes the winter of your life
The king of kings - left of your own device
The ones who thought to walk in light
Will freeze to death in the endless night!
The Priestress prophesies that as people reach the end of their lives, they will realize that they were responsible for their own actions, not the king of kings (Jehovah). Those who thought they were walking towards the light in their lives will eventually freeze to death in the never-ending night.
The angels:
The Goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The angels warn that the Goddess of the night is coming, and with her are three curses for the holy throne (Jehovah's power). They assert that it's too late for regrets, and the Goddess will demand an explanation from the father, holy ghost, and son for their actions, with no possibility of appeal.
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their songs in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the words, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
The Witch recounts how the sisters killed in the past still live on in her heart, their songs still ringing in her ears and calling out to her across the ages.
Jehovah:
Your senseless prayers I never hear
The sign of the cross in praise of your fear!
Your little belief ist just a crap
On the rotten body of your so-called "Christ"!
Jehovah mocks the prayers of those who look up to him as a savior, dismissing their belief in Christ as insignificant, and the sign of the cross as a mark of their fear.
Priestress:
The blind, the crippled and the lame
Still keep the faith in a god of disgrace
But a songless bird will never sing
To the dying glory of a bogous king!
The Priestress notes how the blind, crippled, and lame still have faith in Jehovah despite his wickedness. She likens the faith to a songless bird, incapable of singing out for its dying king (Jehovah).
The angels:
The goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The angels repeat their warning about the impending arrival of the Goddess of the night, with three curses laid upon the holy throne. They reiterate that it's too late for regrets and that the father, holy ghost, and son will be held accountable for their actions, with no chance of appeal.
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their song in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the words, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
The Witch again reflects on how the long-dead sisters still live on in her heart, with their songs continuing to echo through her mind and call her forward through time.
"You cut me down and I'll leap high
I am the Life that never dies
So dance where ever you may be
The ruler of the dance
Is she!"
This chorus acknowledges that even if you cut someone down, they will rise again as life that never dies. They encourage dancing wherever you are in life, with the ruler of the dance being a female figure of authority and power.
The Fool:
And my elder sister takes me by the hand
And we spiral sideways to a far away land
In the Tempest she sings with the Ocean's roar
Glowing in the Storm that the Mermaid bore!
The Fool describes a scene where his elder sister leads him to a distant land in defiance of the tempest setting in. The sister sings along with the ocean's roar, her spirit shining bright against the storm created by the Mermaid.
Them witches calling
Up from the shore
They walk behind me
Through the door!
Oh, my youngest sister, oh where have you been?
Behind the moon on the other side of dream?
Oh, she guides me back as the raven cries
But we'll meet again for to dance in the skies!
The witches call to the Fool from the shore and follow him through a door. He asks about his youngest sister, wondering if she's behind the moon on the other side of a dream. She then guides him back as the raven caws, and they look forward to dancing together in the skies.
Jehovah:
I am the scum of this dark age
I'm the beginning and the end!
Oblivion takes my place
The frame holds just another face of death!
Jehovah speaks of himself as the worst part of the dark age, claiming the beginning and end. In his view, oblivion takes his place, and the frame only holds another face of death.
Priestress:
And who will count the slaughtered lifes?
The Burned? The Tortured? The Demised?
The Blood of the Innocent?
The Decline of the stolen Trinity?
The Priestess questions who will be responsible for counting all of the lives lost to Jehovah's wicked rule, and which groups specifically will be counted (such as those who were burned, tortured or executed). She also mentions the blood of the innocent and the decline of the stolen Trinity (presumably referring to the father, holy ghost, and son of the Christian trinity).
The angels:
The goddess of the night comes!
3 curses to the holy throne!
No regrets!
It's too late!
The Goddess of the night comes!
Will ask for what have you done!
The father, holy ghost and son!
No remand...
The angels repeat their previous warnings about the arrival of the Goddess of the night, with three curses against the holy throne. They emphasize the point that it's too late for regrets, and accountability will be held, with no opportunity for appeal.
The Witch:
The sisters murdered long ago
Still sing their song in my heart
The tunes, the pipes, the words, the rhymes
Still call me through the times!
The Witch once again reflects on how the sisters continue to live on in her heart, their music filling her with inspiration and opening her to powerful new experiences throughout time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Metamorphosia
This Band is excellent!