Elis began their musical career under the name Erben der Schöpfung in 2000. In 2001, they released their first single Elis as well as their debut album Twilight. The band has appeared live at the Wave Gotik Festival in Leipzig, among others, has held on to favorable positioning on the DAC-Charts, and has remained well represented in the scene's press. Germany's Orkus Magazine, for example, featured Erben der Schöpfung as their top newcomer act of the month. This choice was later more than confirmed by the publications readership, who extended the honor by choosing the band as their Newcomer of 2001.
Following their split with Oliver Falk, the band re-emerged in 2003 under the new alias Elis. Produced at Mastersound Studio by Alexander Krull (Atrocity, Leaves' Eyes), "God's Silence, Devil's Temptation" was simultaneously released on Napalm Records with the re-release of Erben der Schöpfung's 2001 debut Twilight.
Soon after the release of their debut album, Elis focused their energy on writing new material for their second offering. Between their song writing and recording duties, they found time to tour in a headlining capacity with label mates Eisheilig and The Vision Bleak. The tour took them to Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium.
In March 2004 they returned to the studio, under the guidance of band manager and producer Alexander Krull once more, to record the twelve new tracks featured on their second album. Released in October 2004, Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky, showed a maturation of the band's sound. A video clip for the album's opener, Der letzte Tag, was included with the release as well.
The Dark Clouds tour took place in April 2005. Elis played in Germany, Austria, and Belgium, and were supported by Visions of Atlantis and Lyriel. The band offered a preview of the new material during festival performances at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen and M'era Luna Festival. Further opportunities for the fans to experience the new album live were planned for October, as the band embarked on a European Tour with Atrocity, Leaves' Eyes, and Battlelore. This tour ended with a performance at the Metal Female Voices Fest 3. This concert wasn't just the last of this little tour, it also was the last concert with guitarist Jürgen Broger, who left the band amicably soon after.
The third release from Elis, a concept album titled Griefshire was planned for release in late 2006 or early 2007. The band wanted to complete a tour with Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity, but unfortunately on July 8, 2006 Sabine died of a cerebral hemorrhage. An announcement on the band's official website has stated that the album would be released in Sabine's memory. A further announcement in September stated that the band would continue with a new singer.
Griefshire was released in Europe on November 24, 2006 on Napalm Records. The North American release date was January 16, 2007. On December 28, 2006 it was finally announced that the new female singer is the Austrian metal singer Sandra Schleret, former vocalist of Dreams of Sanity and Siegfried, and guest singer on some Samael's albums.
After that, they started a tour that took them for the first time to Mexico (as guest stars for the Festival Oscuro event in August of 2007).
In order to show how Sandra's voice would appear on the next studio album, the band released the Maxi-CD Show Me The Way on November 2, 2007 in Europe and on November 6, 2007 in the United States, that features Sandra Schleret on the two new versions of the song Show Me The Way as well as three non-album tracks from Griefshire recording sessions, still with Sabine Dünser's voice.
Latest album Catharsis was released on November 27, 2009 by Napalm Records.
Sandra Schleret left the band in summer 2011.
Her replacement was Simone Chrisinat.
In late February 2012, Simone Christinat announced to the rest of the band that she would would be departing from the band, due to increased stress. A few days later, the band opted to call it quits.
Official site: www.elis.li
Firefly
Elis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I long for holy lands
Wings of dragons
And unicorns that guide my way
I've always believed that magic lies within our minds
(Fairies whisper in the trees, waiting for the night!)
I just close my eyes
(My soul dances with the swarm of the fireflies)
I'm alive, breathe in the light
(The fire flies!)
Let life's lightning hit my sleep
(The fire flies!)
Gimme hope, gimme dreams
Tears, love and fears
All my life I longed to see the fireflies
I've always believed that what we are
Is more than we can see
(Unseen bounds are weaved between all the living wights!)
The mystery worlds surround us
There's so much more to be
(My soul dances with the swarm of the fireflies!)
I'm alive, breathe in the light
(The fire flies!)
Let life's lightning hit my sleep
(The fire flies!)
Gimme hope, gimme dreams
Tears, love and fears
All my life I longed to see the fireflies
I'm alive, breathe in the light
(The fire flies!)
Let life's lightning hit my sleep
(The fire flies!)
Gimme hope, gimme dreams
Tears, love and fears
All my life I longed to see the fireflies
In Elis's song Firefly, the singer expresses her longing for a world beyond the everyday reality - a world of wonder, magic and mythical creatures. The first stanza portrays her as a dreamer, someone who seeks holy lands and is guided by the wings of dragons and unicorns. She believes that magic lies within our minds and that fairies whisper in the trees, waiting for the night to come alive. When she closes her eyes, she embraces the power of life and dances with the swarm of fireflies, which represents the spark of life that illuminates our existence.
The second stanza reinforces her belief that there's more to us than what meets the eye. She sees the world as interconnected by unseen bounds woven between all living creatures. She encourages us to embrace the mystery worlds that surround us and to recognize that there's so much more to be discovered. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm alive, breathe in the light," as if urging us to awaken to the beauty of our existence. She asks life to hit her sleep with its lightning, to awaken her to its power and potential. She wants it all - hope, dreams, tears, love, and fears - to experience the full spectrum of human emotion. She longs to see the fireflies, to witness the magic of life that surrounds us every day.
Overall, Elis's Firefly is a song about the power of imagination, of dreaming beyond the mundane, and of cherishing the beauty of life. It speaks to the part of us that longs for something more than what we see and offers a glimpse into the mysteries that surround us if only we open ourselves to them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a dreamer
I have an imaginative mind that dreams of big things.
I long for holy lands
I yearn for sacred places beyond this world.
Wings of dragons
I seek mythical creatures and their extraordinary features.
And unicorns that guide my way
I desire magical beings to lead me through life's journey.
I've always believed that magic lies within our minds
I am convinced that enchantment resides in our thoughts.
(Fairies whisper in the trees, waiting for the night!)
I sense that mystical beings dwell in nature, eager to appear when darkness descends.
I just close my eyes
I shut out the physical world to open myself up to my imagination.
Embracing the power of life
I accept the energy and vitality that course through existence.
(My soul dances with the swarm of the fireflies)
I feel a spiritual connection to the glowing insects that surround me.
I'm alive, breathe in the light
I revel in being alive and absorbing the radiance of the universe.
(The fire flies!)
The fireflies represent vitality, energy, and natural beauty.
Let life's lightning hit my sleep
I am willing to experience whatever life has in store for me.
Gimme hope, gimme dreams
I crave aspiration and imagination to propel me forward in life.
Tears, love and fears
I acknowledge that life has both joys and sorrows, and I am open to experiencing all of them.
All my life I longed to see the fireflies
I have always had a deep desire to experience the natural beauty and magic of fireflies.
I've always believed that what we are
I am convinced that human existence is more than just a physical body.
Is more than we can see
There is a deeper meaning and purpose to our existence beyond what science can explain.
(Unseen bounds are weaved between all the living wights!)
There are invisible connections that weave together all living things.
The mystery worlds surround us
There are many unknown and mysterious elements of the world around us.
There's so much more to be
Life is full of limitless possibilities and opportunities.
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.