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 The Night
Dream Evil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blinded by madness in fire and death I dwell
Need to heal. My religion is blood and I need it to live
Need the steel. It's the key to the Gods and I need it to lead
Never kneel. I'm the only king you'll need
IN THE NIGHT. Bounded by leather
IN THE NIGHT. Metal forever
IN THE NIGHT. We rise through the flames
Onwards I move as my enemies spread like the wind
Fight by my side and the bloodletting will begin
As they bleed
We will unleash a hell that will conquer them all
As they scream
We're like brothers in arms and we will make them fall
They will kneel
I'm the only king you'll need
IN THE NIGHT. Bounded by leather
IN THE NIGHT. Surrounded by chains
IN THE NIGHT. Metal forever
IN THE NIGHT. We rise through the flames
We will unite
Hail Metal, we will fight
Lightning will strike
Hail Metal, IN THE NIGHT
Freedom in sight
Metal is why we're alive
When we ride, blood red sky
All dark demons will with hell unite
We will fight
IN THE NIGHT...
The lyrics to Dream Evil's song In The Night are presented as a call to arms; a call to battle. The lyrics describe a warrior, rising up from the ashes, in service to the legions of hell. The singer is driven by madness; a madness fuelled by the need for blood and steel. In their view, blood is their religion and without it, they cannot survive. Steel is the key to the gods and the tool that the singer needs to lead. The singer is not someone who kneels before anyone but rather, sees themselves as the only king that anyone needs.
The chorus of the song is almost an anthem, filled with imagery that is central to the world of metal music. The singer is bounded by leather and surrounded by chains, evoking images of tough warriors in heavy metal gear, ready to take on anyone. Metal is not something to be taken lightly; it is forever and it is through the flames that they rise.
The second half of the lyrics encourage others to join the singer's fight. The singer urges his followers to fight by his side and unleash a hell that will take over all. The singer views all who do not follow him as enemies, who spread like the wind. However, he also sees strength in numbers and promises to form brotherhood with those who join him. The singer makes it known that it is only he that they need- he is the only king they need. The final chorus speaks to the passion and freedom that metal music represents, with the warrior-protagonist declaring that metal is why they are alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Rise through the ashes to fight for the legions of hell
I will emerge from the destruction and fight alongside the armies of hell
Blinded by madness in fire and death I dwell
I am consumed by insanity and surrounded by flames and death
Need to heal. My religion is blood and I need it to live
I require blood as a source of life and sustenance, it is my religion
Need the steel. It's the key to the Gods and I need it to lead
Steel is my weapon and it gives me power, allowing me to lead and access the divine
Never kneel. I'm the only king you'll need
I refuse to submit, I alone am the ruler you require
IN THE NIGHT. Bounded by leather
Under the cover of darkness and surrounded by leather armor
IN THE NIGHT. Surrounded by chains
Under the cover of darkness and surrounded by chains to restrict and punish
IN THE NIGHT. Metal forever
Under the cover of darkness, metal is our way of life and our forever destiny
IN THE NIGHT. We rise through the flames
Under the cover of darkness, we emerge from the flames of destruction to take our place in battle
Onwards I move as my enemies spread like the wind
As my opponents move and spread, I will advance towards them
Fight by my side and the bloodletting will begin
Once you join me in battle, there will be bloodshed
As they bleed
As they suffer and bleed from their wounds
We will unleash a hell that will conquer them all
We will unleash a terrible force that will defeat them all
As they scream
As they cry out in pain and agony
We're like brothers in arms and we will make them fall
We are comrades in arms and together we will defeat them
They will kneel
They will submit to me
I'm the only king you'll need
I am the only ruler you require and to whom you will submit
We will unite
We will come together and fight as one
Hail Metal, we will fight
We will fight in honor of our musical genre
Lightning will strike
A sudden and destructive force will be unleashed upon them
Freedom in sight
Our path to freedom and victory is within sight
Metal is why we're alive
Our passion for and affiliation with metal is the reason we live and breathe
When we ride, blood red sky
As we travel and engage in battle, the sky turns red with the spilled blood of our enemies
All dark demons will with hell unite
The evil forces of the underworld will join together to support us in our mission
We will fight
We will engage in conflict to achieve our goals
IN THE NIGHT...
Under the cover of darkness and with the power of metal, we will succeed
Contributed by Mila M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.