Fredrik had the ambition of creating a band of his own for a long time, but was yet to find somebody with musical ideals similar to his. However, while on holiday on the Greek islands during the year of 1999, he met guitarist Gus G (from Firewind and Mystic Prophecy). The two musicians got along quite well, despite their age difference of over a decade. Plans for Dream Evil commenced, and shortly, Gus boarded a plane to Gothenburg, on which he and Fredrik began writing material for the band.
In order for Dream Evil to become the band that they were idealizing, it would need to have musicians of exceptional talent. The person who first came to their minds was Snowy Shaw (from King Diamond, Mercyful Fate and Notre Dame), but the drummer initially refused their invitation. Later on he changed his mind and agreed to play on the band's debut album.
Vocalist Niklas Isfeldt had done backing vocals for some of HammerFall's songs produced by Fredrik, and since Isfeldt was not involved in any major project at the time, it was decided that he was a good choice for Dream Evil. Niklas had shown a lot of promise in his test, and it was soon decided that he would become a definitive part of the band. He also brought along his friend Peter Stålfors, who assumed the bass.
The fact remains that, up until the moment the promotional photos were shot, the whole of the band had not been in the same place at the same time even once. Some members did not even know each other.
The band soon got a deal with Century Media Records, and intended to name themselves Dragonslayer due to the themes of the songs which had been written by Gus and Fredrik, which had a strong focus on medieval and fantastical themes. However, their label did not find the name original enough, and thus the band settled with the name Dream Evil, inspired by the title of Dio's album Dream Evil.
Dream Evil's debut album was released on April of 2002 and received positive feedback from the specialized press. At one point, the album — entitled Dragonslayer — reached number one on the Japanese import charts. The band proceeded to play a series of festivals and also supported Blind Guardian during part of their world tour.
The members of Dream Evil got along well despite the seemingly random manner by which they had been brought together. Snowy Shaw then joined the band permanently and Dream Evil went on their first Japanese tour. During their stay in Japan the band was invited by HammerFall to support their 2003 European tour. Their label manager hinted that it would be a good idea to have a new album out by then.
With little time on their hands, the band wrote the basis of most songs on the flight to Europe and on the day of their arrival entered the studio in order to record a new album. They took two weeks in total to record Evilised and most songs were recorded as they were written. It was released on the 20th of January, and one week later Dream Evil proceeded to tour Europe with HammerFall and the less known Masterplan.
In June of the same year the band returned for a second Japanese tour and Gus G was featured on the cover of Young Guitar Magazine, a magazine well respected by musicians from around the globe. During the promotional tour of their next single, Gus was already committed to playing with Mystic Prophecy. Thus, Snowy Shawn took upon his hands the task of playing the lead guitar sections of the Dream Evil songs.
For their third album the band actually took time to write the songs and fine-tune them in the studio. The Book of Heavy Metal took two months to be recorded and was released in May of 2004.
Guitarist Gus G left the band in late 2004 in order to dedicate more time to Firewind, being replaced by Markus Black (also known as Mark U Black).
Niklas Isfeldt and Peter Stålfors briefly left in 2005 to be replaced by Jake E. Berg (aka Jake Steel, of Dreamland) and Tommy Larsson, but returned before recordings or live shows were done. At the start of 2006, Snowy Shaw abruptly quit Dream Evil.
After a half year of silence, Dream Evil published a statement on their homepage and announced that they had a new drummer, whose name was Pat Power (aka Patrik Jerksten) and that they had recorded 18 new songs. The 18 said songs where released on the album United on October 13, 2006.
On August 13, 2007, the band posted news on their official website concerning an upcoming release, titled Gold Medal in Metal, which would contain some tracks previously released only in Japan as bonus tracks and some new recordings, as well as a DVD containing a live performance from November 25, 2006 in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is tentatively set to be released in November or December of 2007.
Falling
Dream Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to leave this painful life
Yesterday's evening it was glorious
The king of the dancefloor
The man with the irresistible eyes
They could not deny it, I was glorious
But if they saw those eyes today
Probably called 911
I am falling into the darkness
Once again I'm the joke, I am the clown
I am falling
And now I pay for my sins again
Friday evening
I'm out to take back the throne again
I warmed up my engine I am glorious
The queen of the dancefloor
She aims and shoots straight for my heart
I could not deny her, she was glorious
But if you saw her face today
You'd probably screamed and run away
I surely called 911
I am falling into the darkness
Once again I'm the joke, I am the clown
I am falling
And now I pay for my sins again
Though I'm awake I'm still dreaming
Everything's fake all around
When should I learn to not crash and burn
Though I'm awake I'm still dreaming
I am falling into the darkness
Once again I'm the joke, I am the clown
I am falling and now I pay for my sins again
I pay for my sins again
The song "Falling" by the Swedish power metal band Dream Evil talks about the struggles of falling from glory and being consumed by darkness. The lyrics describe a character who experiences a cycle of rising to fame and then falling into the darkness due to addiction and sin. The song is written in the first person, giving the listener the sense that they are experiencing the character's journey along with them.
The first verse describes the character's struggle to escape their "painful life" on a Sunday morning after experiencing brief moments of glory on the dance floor. The character reminisces about their irresistible eyes that captivated the attention of everyone on the dance floor. However, the lyrics suggest that these same eyes have now become a warning sign for people to "scream and walk away" and "call 911." This indicates that the character has developed an addiction or a dangerous behavior that has turned them into a liability.
In the second verse, the character is determined to reclaim their throne on a Friday evening as the "king of the dancefloor," but falls again due to the influence of the queen of the dancefloor, who they cannot resist. The lyrics suggest that the character is aware of their cycle of falling and rising to glory, but is unable to break free from it. The chorus repeats the line "I am falling into the darkness" emphasizing the character's struggle with addiction and sin.
The bridge of the song introduces a dreamlike quality stating that the character is awake but still dreaming, which could signify their inability to deal with their problems in reality. The final chorus repeats the same line, solidifying the sense of hopelessness and despair in the character's journey.
Overall, "Falling" by Dream Evil is a powerful portrayal of the struggles of addiction and the cost of constantly chasing glory. It provides a cautionary tale to its listeners to be aware of the downward spiral that can come with addiction and serves as a reminder that the price of fame and glory can often lead to a dark, self-destructive path.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday morning
The start of a new day and the desire to leave behind a difficult life.
I want to leave this painful life
A longing to escape from a life that is filled with pain and suffering.
Yesterday's evening it was glorious
The memories of a fantastic evening filled with joy and success.
The king of the dancefloor
A position of power and control on the dancefloor.
The man with the irresistible eyes
Having a hypnotic look that is impossible to resist.
They could not deny it, I was glorious
Others recognizing one's success and greatness.
But if they saw those eyes today
The realization that the captivating eyes that were once celebrated have changed.
They should have screamed and walked away
The change in the eyes being so disturbing that it prompts a need to flee.
Probably called 911
The severity of the change prompting a need for emergency assistance.
I am falling into the darkness
A sense of spiraling downward into despair and depression.
Once again I'm the joke, I am the clown
A pattern of repeating past mistakes and constantly being made fun of.
And now I pay for my sins again
The consequences of past actions catching up and causing suffering.
Friday evening
The start of another weekend where another attempt is made at seizing control.
I'm out to take back the throne again
The desire to regain the position of power on the dancefloor.
I warmed up my engine I am glorious
Feeling confident and powerful, ready to take on the competition.
The queen of the dancefloor
A formidable opponent with great skill on the dancefloor.
She aims and shoots straight for my heart
A fierce competition and attack on one's confidence.
I could not deny her, she was glorious
Despite the competition, recognizing and respecting the skill and power of the opponent.
But if you saw her face today
The realization that the once formidable opponent has changed.
You'd probably screamed and run away
The severity of the change prompting a need to flee.
I surely called 911
The change being alarming enough to require emergency assistance.
Though I'm awake I'm still dreaming
A sense of confusion and uncertainty despite being conscious.
Everything's fake all around
A sense that nothing is real and that everything is a facade.
When should I learn to not crash and burn
A questioning of when one will learn from past mistakes and avoid negative consequences.
And now I pay for my sins again
The realization that the consequences of past actions will continue to cause pain and suffering.
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GeoBlackPro
@Schrodinger "The queen of the dancefloor
She aims and shoots straight for my heart
I could not deny her, she was glorious
But if you saw her face today
You probably screamed and run away
I surely called 911"
It's the so called beer effect with women....
DMoney13331
Epic song, took me a minute to realize that it's about a hangover.
Josh Brightwell
Dream Evil is one of those power metal bands that has thrown out hundreds of badass instant classics. Right up there with HammerFall (I have about 50 songs from HammerFall, nearly 40 from Dream Evil). Out of those 40 I have, those are simply my personal favorites. Gus G has so much amazing metal under his belt, he should have some kind of trophy or medal for his accomplishments. He is in so many bands it is amazing he still has time for a personal life. And yet he does. He's one of my heroes!
Paco Perez
One of Best power metal songs.
Joshua Reyes
@Iris J Actually, Dream Evil is one of the OG's of power metal... A significant portion of their work fits into that subgenre. See the entire Dragonslayer Album, Crusader's Anthem, etc.
NotMyRealName
+Iris J Power metal
Paco Perez
OK but this song is power
Iris J
+Paco Perez The band is heavy metal
moody66666
every heavy metal head should know this band because they are awesome
Eden Rae
Love this song!
Pedrinho Bart
tomo junto seus roqueiros <3