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.
Immortal
Dream Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inferior contender, your men will not survive
You better tell your mortals, to step aside
Or be the last man standing to watch them die
Immortal, forever we stand in line
Battlefield burning, arrows shadow the sky
Too late to beg for mercy, to step aside
This is your termination just say goodbye
Immortal, forever, we just can't die
I am immortal, I cannot die, you better run and hide
We are immortal, we rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
Immortal, forever, we stand in line
Immortal, forever, we just can't die
Immortal, forever, we stand in line
I am immortal, I cannot die, you better run and hide
We are immortal, we rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
We are immortal, we show no fear, you better step aside
We are immortal, we rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
We are immortal, we show no fear, you better step aside
I am immortal, I rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
The lyrics to Dream Evil's song Immortal convey the idea of an invincible army that feels no fear and cannot be defeated. The first verse sets the tone of the song with the declaration that they feel no fear and are superior to any opposing force. The chorus reinforces this idea by repeating the word "immortal," emphasizing their invincibility. The second verse describes a battlefield where the sky is shadowed by arrows, and the army is yearning to see their enemies' "skin fry." The third verse is a call to action, warning their opponents to step aside or face the consequences of their termination. The repetition of "we are immortal" and "I am immortal" in the final lines of the song hammers home the mythical nature of this army, suggesting that they are beyond human limitations of mortality.
Overall, the song speaks to the fantasy of a powerful, unbeatable force. The lyrics distill this idea into the repeated mantra of "immortal," emphasizing the army's invincibility over any other contextual detail. The song conveys a sense of brutality and aggression, with a focus on violent imagery that emphasizes the army's strength and ultimate victory.
Line by Line Meaning
It's time to surrender, you know we feel no fear
We're confident in our ability and not afraid to face our enemies. It's time for them to give up.
Inferior contender, your men will not survive
We're more powerful and skilled, so their army won't make it out alive.
You better tell your mortals, to step aside
Advise your troops to evacuate because they can't contest our power.
Or be the last man standing to watch them die
Your squad will face their demise and you'll be the last one to see them go.
Immortal, forever we stand in line
Our power is eternal and we'll always stand tall.
Battlefield burning, arrows shadow the sky
The battlefield is in chaos, and arrows are falling from the sky.
I feel the yearning, longing to see their skin fry
I'm eager to see them burn and suffer.
Too late to beg for mercy, to step aside
It's too late for them to surrender and avoid their fate.
This is your termination just say goodbye
They're facing certain death, so they should say their goodbyes.
Immortal, forever, we just can't die
Our power is never-ending, and we can't be killed.
I am immortal, I cannot die, you better run and hide
I'm invulnerable, and anyone who opposes me should be afraid.
We are immortal, we rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
As a group, we're unstoppable and command the battlefield.
We show no fear, you better step aside
We're not afraid to face any challenge, and our enemies should stay out of our way.
I am immortal, I rule the slaughter, and side by side we ride
I'm invincible and lead the charge alongside my comrades.
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.