Founded in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann, the band has endured several line-up changes, with Bornemann being the only consistent member of the group. In the 1980s, after a series of major splits (like in 1984 although reformed in 1988) in the group, Bornemann pursued a more commercial direction. Despite attracting a large following, the band never gained popularity in the United States.
However, in later years, former members of the band re-joined, and in 1998 fans delighted in hearing Ocean 2, a return to the classic symphonic progressive genre that the band was so well known for. A sequel to the 1977's original, it is commonly thought among fans that it successfully recaptures the spirit of the band, and is a worthy follow-up to the much beloved classic.
Of the band's numerous records, fans generally consider Inside, Floating, Dawn, Ocean, Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes, Planets and Ocean 2 to be the superior albums.
Despite their nationality, the band is not generally considered krautrock due to their sound which has much more in common with English progressive groups such as Pink Floyd and Yes.
In 2009 after a decade of hiatus Frank Bornemann released a DVD celebrating their 40th anniversary and a new album called Visionairy.
In the following period he worked on a concept double album about the life of the Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. The album The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 1 was released in 2017, followed by The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 2 in 2019.
Current Line-up:
Frank Bornemann
Klaus-Peter Matziol
Hannes Arkona
Hannes Folberth
Bodo Schopf
Atlantis' Agony At June 5th 8498 13 P.M. Gregorian Earthtime
Eloy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Great is the fear for you,
When your eye takes the field against those
Who tried to raise against you.
Make your eye go down
And strike the mutineers with disaster.
The eye shouldn't rest in your forehead,
Now it has to go down as »Hat-Hor«...
From his divine brow - down there on Earth
And strikes them with disaster...
Spirits darken the sky!
The divine guided missile is on it's way,
And it's especially directed by:
»Emnasut« - first genius of the Sun-sphere
»Gomah« - first genius of the Venus-sphere
»Ebvap« - first genius of the Moon-sphere
»Aschmunadai« - first genius of the Earth-sphere
We do not know, but they do, and they remember:
A liquid fire appears in the sky
The flash of life is radiating
The flash of death - we're surrendered
It's light shines! Shine on!
It's light shines! Shine on!
Mind power made the rocks sink,
And by this power the mass of stones will surface again!
Legends kept the secret of their wisdom
And soon it will all be revealed,
Soon it all will be revealed
1983,84,85,86,87,88
We are a particle in the ocean
Lost and safe like a tear,
We are born and lost in the ocean
Where is mercy with our fear?!
The song "Atlantis Agony at June 5th" by Eloy is a complex song that tells a story of gods and their wrath over mutineers. The opening lyrics talk about how the gods were afraid and decided to take action against those who tried to rise against them. The concept of the eye of RE or Hat-Hor is introduced, which symbolizes the divine missile that is directed towards the mutineers. The geniuses of various spheres, including the Sun-sphere, Venus-sphere, Moon-sphere, and Earth-sphere, are mentioned as the missile is on its way.
The song then moves to talk about the liquid fire that appears in the sky, which is a flash of life and death. The spirits darken the sky as the missile strikes the mutineers with disaster. The power of the mind made the rocks sink, and the legends kept the secret of their wisdom. The final lines talk about how we, as a particle in the ocean, are lost and safe like a tear, and how we are born and lost in the ocean, where mercy is needed to overcome our fears.
The song has a lot of symbolism and metaphorical references to ancient mythology and history. The concept of the eye of RE or Hat-Hor comes from ancient Egyptian mythology, where RE was associated with the sun, and Hat-Hor was a goddess of love, beauty, and music. The geniuses mentioned in the song are also from ancient mythology, where each of them ruled a specific sphere in the cosmos.
Line by Line Meaning
And so the gods decided:
The gods have made a decision regarding what will become of those who have rebelled against the singer.
Great is the fear for you,
The traitors should be afraid of what is to come.
When your eye takes the field against those
The singer will seek vengeance against those who opposed them.
Who tried to raise against you.
The traitors have raised up against the artist.
Make your eye go down
The artist should lower their gaze.
And strike the mutineers with disaster.
The traitors will be met with a disastrous fate.
The eye shouldn't rest in your forehead,
The singer must move their focus away from their mind.
Now it has to go down as »Hat-Hor«...
The artist's gaze must take on a new form and become »Hat-Hor«.
... And the eye of »RE« mounts down
The gaze of »RE« descends.
From his divine brow - down there on Earth
The divine gaze looks down upon the Earth from above.
And strikes them with disaster...
The traitors will be met with utter disaster.
Spirits darken the sky!
The presence of supernatural beings is felt as the atmosphere becomes darker.
The divine guided missile is on it's way,
Divine intervention is coming in the form of a missile.
And it's especially directed by:
The missile is guided by specific individuals.
»Emnasut« - first genius of the Sun-sphere
The first genius of the Sun-sphere has a hand in directing the missile.
»Gomah« - first genius of the Venus-sphere
The first genius of the Venus-sphere also has a hand in directing the missile.
»Ebvap« - first genius of the Moon-sphere
The first genius of the Moon-sphere is also involved in directing the missile.
»Aschmunadai« - first genius of the Earth-sphere
The first genius of the Earth-sphere is likewise involved in directing the missile.
We do not know, but they do, and they remember:
There is knowledge of what is happening and has happened, but it is only known by specific individuals.
A liquid fire appears in the sky
A fiery substance appears in the sky.
The flash of life is radiating
The flash of life is emanating.
The flash of death - We're surrendered
The flash of death has caused us to submit and give up.
It's light shines! Shine on!
The light continues to shine.
It's light shines! Shine on!
The light continues to shine.
Mind power made the rocks sink,
The power of the mind has caused rocks to sink.
And by this power the mass of stones will surface again!
The same power will cause the sunken rocks to rise again.
Legends kept the secret of their wisdom
Ancient stories have kept the secrets of their powerful knowledge.
And soon it will all be revealed,
The secrets will be uncovered soon.
Soon it all will be revealed
Everything will be exposed shortly.
1983,84,85,86,87,88
A series of years that may be significant in some way.
We are a particle in the ocean
We are a small part of a much larger entity--the ocean.
Lost and safe like a tear,
We are both vulnerable and protected, like a tear that is caught and cradled.
We are born and lost in the ocean
We are born into and eventually consumed by the vastness of the ocean.
Where is mercy with our fear?!
Is there any hope for us to find relief from our fears? Are we ever granted mercy?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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