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.
In Flames You Burn
Dream Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see my knights falling one by one
so here I am, in this fight I'm alone
I'm stuck here in this hellhole on my own
Taste the blood, tears of pain
Memories from the past strike through my mind
My royal blood, begins to boil
I just can't die!!!
Surrender is no option for me now
Bless those souls I send to hell
If you dare just look into my eyes
My steel is warm my face is stained with blood
One by one I hit them to the ground
One by one I see their heads roll
Anyone against me taste my sword
Anyone who'll challenge me will die!
You, killed my men, raped my land & you ruined our lives
Still I stand in command in flames you burn!!!!
You will die by my hand forever you're condemned
Cause I am in command in flames you burn
No it's no use for you to beg, I will send you down to hell
I can't die my faith is far too strong
In flames of hell is where you belong
One by one I hit them to the ground
One by one I see their heads roll
Anyone against me taste my sword
Anyone who'll challenge me will die
The lyrics to Dream Evil's song "In Flames You Burn" tell the story of a medieval war in which the singer finds himself fighting alone, as his knights fall one by one. He is undeterred, however, and his "royal blood begins to boil" with a fierce determination. He is willing to send even the souls of his enemies to hell, and he states that surrender is not an option for him.
The lyrics paint a picture of a brutal fight, with blood, tears, and deadly wounds, but the singer refuses to die. He sees memories of the past and is filled with a deep sense of strength and purpose. He hits his enemies to the ground one by one, seeing their heads roll. He warns anyone who challenges him that they will die.
The lyrics convey a sense of both courage and brutality, as the singer faces his enemies alone, refusing to surrender or be defeated. He is a powerful figure, willing to send his enemies to hell and overcome any obstacle that stands in his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh God forbid this bloody war
The singer expresses a desire to stop the war.
I see my knights falling one by one
The singer is witnessing his men dying in the war.
so here I am, in this fight I'm alone
The singer is fighting alone in the war.
I'm stuck here in this hellhole on my own
The singer is feeling trapped and helpless in the war.
Taste the blood, tears of pain
The singer is experiencing the gruesome reality of war.
Memories from the past strike through my mind
The singer is struggling with memories of his past that are triggered by his experiences in the war.
My royal blood, begins to boil
The singer is becoming enraged at the thought of his people being killed and his kingdom being destroyed.
Deadly wounds can't stop me now, I still stand strong
The singer is determined to keep fighting despite being injured.
I just can't die!!!
The singer is expressing his belief that he is invincible.
Surrender is no option for me now
The singer is not considering giving up the fight.
Bless those souls I send to hell
The singer is taking satisfaction in killing his enemies.
If you dare just look into my eyes
The singer is challenging his enemies to face him directly.
My steel is warm my face is stained with blood
The singer's sword is covered in blood from his enemies.
One by one I hit them to the ground
The singer is killing his enemies one at a time.
One by one I see their heads roll
The singer is beheading his enemies after killing them.
Anyone against me taste my sword
The singer is warning his enemies that they will be killed if they try to fight him.
Anyone who'll challenge me will die!
The singer is confident that he will win any fight against his enemies.
You, killed my men, raped my land & you ruined our lives
The singer is accusing his enemies of causing destruction and chaos in his kingdom.
Still I stand in command in flames you burn!!!!
The singer is declaring his authority and vowing to see his enemies destroyed.
You will die by my hand forever you're condemned
The singer is declaring that his enemies will be killed by him and will never be forgiven.
Cause I am in command in flames you burn
The singer is establishing his power over his enemies and promising that they will be destroyed.
No it's no use for you to beg, I will send you down to hell
The singer is not willing to show mercy to his enemies.
I can't die my faith is far too strong
The singer's faith is keeping him alive and giving him strength to fight.
In flames of hell is where you belong
The singer believes that his enemies deserve to be punished in the afterlife for their actions.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
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