1. Death and the Maiden is a post punk band from Dunedin, New Zealand who released their self titled debut album on independent label Fishrider Records in March 2015. The band comprises of three members: Lucinda, Danny and Hope.
2. After relocating to Berlin from his native Panama, guitarist and composer Ernesto Schnack was looking for a way to filter his composition studies through his metal and progressive rock roots. His experiments led to Death And The Maiden and its debut EP, “A Metal Tribute To String Quartets”, in which he revisits string quartets by the great composers of the past and presents them in a new light; a very loud and aggressive light.
Stylistically taking its cue from prog-metal bands like Dream Theater and Opeth, Death and the Maiden performs these pieces note-for-note on guitar and bass, adding a drum part, and essentially turning the typical hard-rock/metal band into a modern, slightly demented chamber ensemble.
The EP centers on the project’s namesake, Schubert’s “Death And The Maiden” quartet (String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor). There is also a frenetic, blast-beat-heavy arrangement of the Presto movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C# Minor, and two keyboard pieces by J.S. Bach.
Schnack is no stranger to classical music, having studied composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating in 2001 he returned to Panama and released his first solo album “Wood”. He became heavily involved in the local music scene, producing and playing in various rock and jazz bands, as well as composing for short films. Looking to take his music in new directions, he moved to Berlin in early 2008.
Currently, Schnack is looking for musicians to complete the Death And The Maiden line-up and play live before recording the first full-length album.
Visit www.deathandthemaiden.net for more information.
Shadows
Death and the Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Golden is the day
Princes of the Universe
Your burden is the way
So, there is no better time
Who will be born today?
A gypsy child at the day break
A King for a day
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
Dust and dreams in fading daylight
Flicker on the walls
Nothing new your life's adrift
What purpose to it all?
Eyes are closed and death is calling
Reaching out its hand
Call upon the starlight to surround you
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
A man who casts no shadow has no soul
The lyrics to Death and the Maiden's song Shadows are full of deep meaning and insight. The opening lines, "Hold a halo 'round the world /Golden is the day / Princes of the Universe / Your burden is the way," suggest that the world is a sacred place and those who reside in it are burdened with a responsibility to maintain that sacredness. The next lines, "So, there is no better time / Who will be born today? / A gypsy child at the daybreak / A King for a day," invite the listener to contemplate the inevitability of birth, the impermanence of power, and the beauty of different cultures.
The lyrics then turn to a contemplation of life's purpose and meaning, "Dust and dreams in fading daylight / Flicker on the walls / Nothing new your life's adrift / What purpose to it all?" The themes of impermanence and the fleeting nature of life are also explored through the repetition of the phrase "Out of the shadows and into the sun / Dreams of the past as the old ways are done." The lyrics then state that there is beauty and pain in the world, but that we must endure both in order to truly live.
The final line, "A man who casts no shadow has no soul," is a powerful statement about the importance of being present in the world, both physically and spiritually. Overall, these lyrics invite the listener to contemplate the beauty and transience of life, and the importance of being present in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold a halo 'round the world
The world is precious and must be protected at all costs.
Golden is the day
The present moment is filled with hope and possibility.
Princes of the Universe
Your burden is the way
Those who strive for greatness will face challenges, but it is the very pursuit of their dreams that will guide them forward.
So, there is no better time
Who will be born today?
A gypsy child at the day break
A King for a day
Every day is an opportunity to see the possibilities that life has to offer and to welcome new experiences with open arms.
Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Out there is beauty, and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again
It is important to move forward and embrace the unknown, even if it means leaving the past behind and facing the potential difficulties of the future.
Dust and dreams in fading daylight
Flicker on the walls
Nothing new your life's adrift
What purpose to it all?
As we grow older, we begin to see the temporary nature of our existence and question the meaning of our lives.
Eyes are closed and death is calling
Reaching out its hand
Call upon the starlight to surround you
Death is a natural part of life, but we can find comfort in the beauty of the world around us and the infinite universe beyond.
A man who casts no shadow has no soul
Our actions and impact on the world define our character and legacy; those who do nothing have nothing to show for their existence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruce Dickinson, Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amphitera
I have no idea what the artist was thinking with the lyrics, but wow, does it fit DS!
I hold my breath
And I let it out
We're on the way, hardly ready
On the way, slightly shy
(You hide a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
Tomorrow night you'll take me down
To the shed or the basement
In the dark of the house
(You have a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
So take what you have to take from me
My red velvet lining
So take what you have to take from me
My red velvet heart
The skin is thin, so let me in
To swim with your heartbeat
Slowing down to a purr
(You hide a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
So take what you have to take from me
And it hurt
ps. pretty sure the only one hurt in the process was Barns :P
Mariah Jade
My favorite couple from the whole show, lol. I'm in my 20's & just now am watching this. I love it. I'm nearly finished with the whole show. I miss Vicky & Barnabas together so much.
Wednesday Autumn
They're my favorite couple in DS, honestly. I shipped them so hard. I'm only 29 yrs old & I'm in love with this soap opera. I normally HATE soap opera's today. But this one is totally my style. I just adore Barnabas. And with Vicki & him together, he seemed much different & gentle with her. Yes, she was a lot younger than him. But, most women are younger than him. Most PEOPLE are younger than him in general. In the 1970's movie, he said he was around 200 yrs old.
Amphitera
I have no idea what the artist was thinking with the lyrics, but wow, does it fit DS!
I hold my breath
And I let it out
We're on the way, hardly ready
On the way, slightly shy
(You hide a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
Tomorrow night you'll take me down
To the shed or the basement
In the dark of the house
(You have a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
So take what you have to take from me
My red velvet lining
So take what you have to take from me
My red velvet heart
The skin is thin, so let me in
To swim with your heartbeat
Slowing down to a purr
(You hide a vampire grin in your soul)
You sigh and you hold back like a tear
So take what you have to take from me
And it hurt
ps. pretty sure the only one hurt in the process was Barns :P
Michelle Lambert
This is really beautiful!
Eristine Forever
Barnabas truly loves Victoria. I wish they were a couple.
krisj827
I'm on a Dark Shadows kick lately and I keep thinking that Moltke and Frid had the best chemistry. Batman as wanted Vicky for herself and at times had self control instead trying to kill her or make her another Josette.
Amphitera
I agree they had great chemistry, but then JF was pretty much a walking chemistry generator 😂
Kathryn got all the kisses and Nancy all the fangings, so it's easy to overlook Vicky. Especially since she was constantly making out with other guys :P
Jan Zuccher
Very nicely done. I always felt that Victoria and Barnabas were the perfect pair.
Mrs. Optimus Prime
This was soo good! I wish Barnabas and Victoria got together it would have been the best ending ever!
WistfulNostalgic
Ahhh..lovely scenes I kind of miss Vicki. I would have preferred that Jeff had gone for good and that she never got to 1796 as she died there not long after. I think Barnabas could sense that this wasn't the best choice and that danger lurked in 1796 for her.I think if Jeff hadn't come back she'd have fallen in love with Barnabas as they had many things in common (e.g love of history, old books, romance etc)- she was getting closer to Barnabas all the while Burke was dating her. Vicki was good for Barnabas-for a time she freed him of the torment of his Josette memories; she helped him regain his conscience and mellowed him; helped him regain his goodness.He began to value goodness and kindness through his love for her- he truly did love her.