1. Drakkar (also known… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least five bands named Drakkar.
1. Drakkar (also known as Drakka Band or Thra Kha Band in some Romanized sources) was a Cambodian hard rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their music has been noted as an important late-stage development in Cambodian rock of the 1960s and 70s, a thriving music scene that was abruptly crushed by the Khmer Rouge communists in 1975. Some members of the band did not survive the ensuing Cambodian genocide. The band has gone through multiple lineups, with singer/guitarist Touch Seang Tana the only consistent member.
Drakkar formed in 1967, amid the flourishing Phnom Penh music scene, to perform rock music inspired by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as well as early Cambodian guitar bands like Baksey Cham Krong and Apsara. As with many of their contemporaries like Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Serey Sothea, and Pen Ran, Drakkar was influenced by pop records imported from France and Latin America that had become popular among musicians in the capital.
The band initially comprised singer/rhythm guitarist Touch Seang Tana, singer/lead guitarist Touch Chhatha, singer/bassist Mam Molivan, and singer Tan Phanareth, and changing temporary drummers. This first line-up did not record any original music, and the members, all in their teens or early twenties, disbanded and took military or government jobs.
In 1971, Tana assembled a new lineup with lead guitarist Som Sareth, drummer Ouk Sam Art, and bassist Oer Sam Ol. By this time, the Cambodian music scene was further influenced by Western rock and roll and soul music via U.S. armed forces radio that had been broadcast to troops stationed nearby during the Vietnam War. Drakkar toured U.S. military bases in South Vietnam that year, after which original lead guitarist Touch Chhatha rejoined. This version of the band was heavily influenced by the hard rock sounds of bands like Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad, and regularly performed covers of songs by those and other bands. Their sound at the time has been compared to Led Zeppelin, Santana and Jimi Hendrix.
The band's hippie attire and long hair were noted as symbolic of changing times and American influences in early-1970s Cambodia. Guitarists Touch Chhatha and Touch Seang Tana attracted attention, not all of it good, for their unusually aggressive guitar playing, while drummer Ouk Sam Art caused minor scandals by playing shirtless. Tana noted in the documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten that Cambodia was not yet ready for western-style hard rock at the time.
Drakkar became popular in Phnom Penh during the later stages of the Cambodian Civil War, when the city was under threat from both American bombing campaigns and attacks by Khmer Rouge insurgents. Due to wartime curfews, the band had to play in clubs during the day and often heard nearby gunfire and explosions during their performances. The band recorded a self-titled album with primitive technology in 1972-1973, and released it in early 1974. The album, which was rereleased decades later as Drakkar '74, sold over 20,000 copies, making it the highest-selling full-length album in Cambodian history up to that point.
Plans to further promote the album were halted in April 1975, when the Khmer Rouge defeated the Khmer Republic army and gained control of the country. The members of Drakkar are assumed to be among the two million residents of Phnom Penh who were forced to leave the city and become farm workers to fulfill the Khmer Rouge's visions of agrarian socialism and the eradication of all foreign influences (including music) from Cambodian society. Group members Oer Sam Ol and Som Sareth disappeared during the ensuing Cambodian genocide and their exact fates are unknown. Singer/guitarist Touch Seang Tana was imprisoned in a work camp, and claims that he survived the genocide by singing Santana songs to Khmer Rouge soldiers on demand while passing himself off as a common peasant.
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, drummer Ouk Sam Art and guitarist Touch Chhatha returned to music work for Cambodia's National Radio station, while Tana became an accomplished manager of fisheries and environmental conservation for the post-Khmer Rouge Cambodian government. Conservation work continued to be a theme in Tana's life. As of 2013 he was the Chairman of the Cambodian Government’s Commission for Dolphin Conservation and Development of the Mekong Dolphin Ecotourism Zone (the "Dolphin Commission").
Information about many Cambodian musicians of the 1960s and 1970s, and many of their recordings, were lost during the Khmer Rouge regime. Interest in that scene's musicians was revived, especially among western rock fans, in the late 1990s with the release of compilation albums like Cambodian Rocks (1996). Filmmaker John Pirozzi was introduced to the music while making City of Ghosts, and subsequently featured Drakkar and several of their contemporaries in the 2015 documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten (2015). The Drakkar song "Crazy Loving You" has appeared on several compilations, including the Don't Think I've Forgotten soundtrack in 2015, and the song "Do You No Wrong Again" (credited to Thra Kha Band) has appeared on compilations like the 2011 CD Cambodia Rock Spectacular! from Lion Productions.
Surviving members of Drakkar first regrouped for a reunion concert in Singapore in 2011. They also performed in 2014 and 2015 to commemorate the release of Don't Think I've Forgotten and announced plans to record a new album. The 2014 performance featured a guest appearance by Chhom Nimol of the Cambodian/American band Dengue Fever. Nimol, whose band was inspired by and frequently covers late-60s and early-70s Khmer pop music, proclaimed "I never dreamed I would play with those musicians. They are like my teachers, my masters." A new version of the band led by Touch Seang Tana began performing regularly under the name Drakka Band in 2015.
Master tapes for Drakkar's 1974 album were unearthed during this period, and in 2014 it was released as Drakkar '74 by Metal Postcard Records. Personnel at the label had been inspired by Cambodian Rocks and Don't Think I've Forgotten to track down the master tapes and remaster them for the digital market. Upon its release, one music historian noted the album's historical importance and hailed it as "The Holy Grail of Cambodian Psych."
2. Drakkar is a Belgian Speed/Power metal band that released 1 album: "X-Rated".
3. Drakkar is a Portuguese heavy/power metal band with three demos released so far.
4. Drakkar is an Italian Power Metal band from Milan, Italy, with 5 full-length albums, 1 EP and 2 Demos
5. Drakkar is a German R.A.C. cult band
Soldiers of Death
Drakkar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sparkling in the sun
Armed of steel and leather we are
Our red sign over the shield is symbol of death
Hate in the eyes, riding black horses... ready to strike!
Masters of war, showing no mercy, and no remorse
[Bridge:]
[Chorus:]
Marching soldiers of death, so proud to fight and to die
We will win in the end, and we will conquer this land
Marching soldiers of death, ready to fight and to die
Our glory will shine will light an eternal fire
Drinking the blood of our foes we crucify
An open skull over the banner it's our flag
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
Fires-burning the fires-we'll never die
Marth-the evil god-guarding us all
Blood-running the blood-won't let you goÿ
Die-bow down or die-this is the time
With long black hair covered by a helmet made of bone
Ice in the eyes, fast as a lightning, grey as the sky
Big sword in hand guiding our troops, Slayn is the name
The only one, who never needs the power of Marth
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Drakkar's song "Soldiers of Death" depict a group of soldiers who are ready to fight and die for their cause. The opening lines "Sparkling in the sun, armed of steel and leather we are" give an image of the soldiers' appearance as they ride on black horses. The red sign over the shield is the symbol of death, signifying that the soldiers are not to be taken lightly.
The lyrics then describe the soldiers as masters of war who show no mercy or remorse. Death is a constant companion for them and wherever they go, it follows. The soldiers are proud to fight and die, confident that they will win and conquer the land. They drink the blood of their enemies and crucify them, displaying an open skull over their banner, symbolizing their strength.
The song further describes one particular soldier, Slayn, who guides their troops with a big sword in hand. He is depicted with long black hair and ice in his eyes and is described as fast as lightning and grey as the sky. His name is significant, as he is the only one among them who never needs the power of Marth, the evil god guarding them all.
Overall, the lyrics celebrate the bravery, violence, and death of the soldiers, painting them as unstoppable and unbeatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Sparkling in the sun
Our armor and weapons glisten in the sunlight.
Armed of steel and leather we are
Our weapons and armor are made of steel and leather.
Our red sign over the shield is symbol of death
The red sign on our shields represents death.
Hate in the eyes, riding black horses... ready to strike!
We are full of hate and riding black horses, ready to attack.
Masters of war, showing no mercy, and no remorse
We are experts in warfare and show no mercy or remorse.
Wherever we go, death will follow on
Death will follow us wherever we go.
Marching soldiers of death, so proud to fight and to die
We are proud soldiers of death, willing to fight and die.
We will win in the end, and we will conquer this land
We are confident we will eventually win and conquer this land.
Our glory will shine will light an eternal fire
Our glory will be remembered for eternity.
Drinking the blood of our foes we crucify
We celebrate our victories by drinking the blood of our enemies and crucifying them.
An open skull over the banner it's our flag
Our flag bears an open skull as a symbol.
Fires-burning the fires-we'll never die
We cannot be killed, our fire will continue to burn.
Marth-the evil god-guarding us all
Marth, an evil god, is watching over us.
Blood-running the blood-won't let you go
We spill blood and won't spare our enemies.
Die-bow down or die-this is the time
Surrender or die, there is no other choice.
With long black hair covered by a helmet made of bone
Our leader has long black hair and wears a helmet made of bone.
Ice in the eyes, fast as a lightning, grey as the sky
Our leader is cold and fast, with eyes as blue as ice and the same color as the grey sky.
Big sword in hand guiding our troops, Slayn is the name
Our leader is named Slayn and leads our troops with a big sword in hand.
The only one, who never needs the power of Marth
Our leader, Slayn, does not need the help of Marth.
Our glory will shine will light an eternal fire
Our glory will be remembered for eternity.
Marching soldiers of death, ready to fight and to die
We are ready to fight and die as soldiers of death.
Wherever we go, death will follow on
Death will follow us wherever we go.
Contributed by Thomas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
eloy pablos
lo compre en cassette en mexico hace 15 años tal vez un poco mas y es un album que marco mi musica para siempre exelente banda
Terraflyer
Dang, this is real stuff! Love the refrain ^^
WellOfSadness
muy muy bueno
Nicolas Salazar
i grew up listening drakkar is a fucking amazin viking heavy metal !!!
dustmouse
The album cover totally reminds me of Domine. The music does a little, too.
Luciano Araújo
Eu tenho muito bom
godica333
i enjoy this.
Andy
love
DM Ace
@oshyria Metal and MMOs go very well together..just look at Hammerfall
Nicolas Salazar
where can i find the quest for glory albun? anyone of you can help me? thanks u