Right from the beginning, Elvenking set themselves the objective of finding a formula which can combine power metal, folk music and extreme sounds in a unique mixture. The one and only demo To Oak Woods Bestowed that was recorded in 2000 led the band to sign directly a contract with German leading label AFM-Records.
Meanwhile, Elvenking enriched their sound with the entry of new bass player Gorlan. He first appeared in the band as a session player, but soon he joined Elvenking permanently as a member at all events.
The first official album Heathenreel was released on July 23rd 2001 and received flattering reviews all over the metal world, becoming “album of the month” in many magazines and webzines.
Due to various reasons, singer Damnagoras was forced to leave the band in August 2002. With the new singer Kleid and the addition of the violin/keyboard player Elyghen, Elvenking records Wyrd, which was officially released on April 19th 2004.
A difficult period that followed the release of the second album led to a drastic line-up change that saw the return of the former vocalist Damnagoras and the split with Kleid and guitarist Jarpen.
On the live activity side, the band has always carried on hitting the stages around Europe, also playing at festivals such as Sziget (Hungary), Bloodstock (UK), Agglutination (Italy), Tradate Iron Fest (Italy), D:O:A (Germany) and several other venues.
Strengthened by the renewed spirit within the five piece line-up, Elvenking set themselves the goal to create the best and strongest material they’d ever written.
The new album The Winter Wake was released on January 2006 and showed once again the main features that made Elvenking a unique band in the current metal scene: fresh and original sound that mixes enchanting melodies, heavy metal groove, catchy choruses and acoustic elements.
After the cheerfully folky third album the band decided to write their first concept album. They choose a darker tone revolving around death, stating they would incorporate some of their heavier influences with the theme. On September 14th 2007 Elvenking's fourth album The Scythe was released. While the media gave it generally favourable reviews, a large portion of the fan base criticized the new direction for not including as many folk elements as the previous albums.
Possibly due in part to this negative fan feedback, the band announced two more albums. The first would be an acoustical album, something the band had been wanting to do. They didn't want to advertise it as a new full-length Elvenking album rather than an intermission with many older songs re-recorded as well as new material mixed in. They stated the second one would be a "normal electric album".
Two Tragedy Poets (...And a Caravan of Weird Figures) was released on November 14th, 2008. The album was instantly recognized by fans to be true to the spirit of the band's earlier years. Soon after, the band announced that their session guitarist Rafahel had been chosen to be a full-time band member.
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Chronicle of a Frozen Era
Elvenking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mother of this bad child
Father of these wayward sons
What did you do so wrong?
Angels
Fallen from divine anger
We're vultures with black spread wings
Bestowed to the grand and blue open sky
My lullaby
Served and sung between these lies
For the Allies
When an oldie read my runes
Realized my life's a boon
A deadly gift form the divine skies
Open wide
And my life must have a scope
Until I breathe at least I hope
It's time to plan ahead
A way to find
Words to speak to show your frozen era
As the fortuneteller reveals your secret aims
Ecstasy, fanned by Her erotic fantasies
You're a dweller in the demons' flames
And your name will be proclaimed
These lands
Raped by your own bloody hands
Used to be clad with golden cloaks
And honest folks
I'll be the storm for your evil deeds
For all your breed
I'll be deluge for your mistakes
It is going to ache
And my life now has a scope
Until I seethe at least I hope
The masterplan begins, begins...it is gonna begin!
A way to find
Words to speak to show your frozen era
As the fortuneteller reveals your secret aims
Ecstasy, fanned by Her erotic fantasies
You're a dweller in the demons' flames
And your name will be proclaimed
A way to find
Words to speak to show your frozen era
As the fortuneteller reveals your secret aims
Ecstasy, fanned by Her erotic fantasies
You're a dweller in the demons' flames
And your name will be proclaimed
The lyrics of Elvenking's song "Chronicle of a Frozen Era" begin with an existential question, "Mankind, mother of this bad child, father of these wayward sons, what did you do so wrong?" The band seems to imply that human beings are responsible for a great deal of chaos and destruction in the world. The lines that follow condemn the wickedness of angels who have fallen from divine grace, describing them as "vultures with black spread wings".
The second stanza introduces the idea of the singer as a kind of mythical figure, bestowing a lullaby upon the world even as it is torn by lies and deception. The singer has apparently received a deadly gift from the divine skies and seeks to use it for noble purposes, hoping to cleanse the world of evil and renew it. The third stanza returns to the theme of finding a way to communicate the singer's message to the world, suggesting that the words he chooses will reveal the secrets of a "frozen era" and his own identity as a "dweller in the demons' flames". The lyrics end by stating that the singer's name will be proclaimed.
Overall, "Chronicle of a Frozen Era" seems to be a meditation on the human condition and the problems that afflict humanity. The band's lyrics suggest that human beings are capable of great destruction, but that there is also the potential for redemption and renewal. The singer of the song appears to represent a kind of divine figure who seeks to heal the world, but who may be misunderstood or rejected by some.
Line by Line Meaning
Mankind
Addressing humanity as a whole
Mother of this bad child
Referring to humanity as a 'bad child' and questioning its motherly figure
Father of these wayward sons
Referring to humanity as 'wayward sons' and questioning its fatherly figure
What did you do so wrong?
Questioning the mistakes made by humanity that led to its current state
Angels
Referencing fallen angels
Fallen from divine anger
Describing the reason for the angels' fall
We're vultures with black spread wings
Comparing the fallen angels to vultures with black wings
We're the wickedest weaks
Stating that the fallen angels are the weakest of the wicked
Bestowed to the grand and blue open sky
Referring to a gift given to the open sky
My lullaby
Describing the gift as a lullaby
Served and sung between these lies
Describing the gift as serving a purpose in the midst of lies
For the Allies
Referring to the gift's role in aiding the Allies
When an oldie read my runes
Recalling an event in which an older individual read the gift's runes
Realized my life's a boon
The older individual discovers that the gift is a blessing
A deadly gift form the divine skies
Describing the gift as being deadly and from the divine skies
Open wide
Inviting the recipient to open themselves up to the gift
And my life must have a scope
Expressing the need for a purposeful life
Until I breathe at least I hope
Expressing the hope to achieve that purpose before death
It's time to plan ahead
Acknowledging the need to plan for the future
A way to find
Seeking a path
Words to speak to show your frozen era
Searching for the words to articulate the current state of the frozen era
As the fortuneteller reveals your secret aims
Referencing a fortuneteller who reveals hidden intentions
Ecstasy, fanned by Her erotic fantasies
Describing the ecstasy of the revelatory experience
You're a dweller in the demons' flames
Affirming that humanity is currently living in hellish circumstances
And your name will be proclaimed
Stating that humanity's notoriety will be widespread
These lands
Referring to the current state of the world
Raped by your own bloody hands
Asserting that the world has been destroyed by humanity's own actions
Used to be clad with golden cloaks
Remembering a time when the world was rich and beautiful
And honest folks
Noting the now non-existent honest people
I'll be the storm for your evil deeds
Swearing to act as a force against humanity's wickedness
For all your breed
Acting on this principle for all of humanity
I'll be deluge for your mistakes
Bringing a flood of accountability for humanity's errors
It is going to ache
Acknowledging that this process will be painful
And my life now has a scope
Confident that this mission will give purpose to the artist's life
Until I seethe at least I hope
Relentlessly pushing to achieve this mission before death
The masterplan begins, begins...it is gonna begin!
Announcing the start of the mission
Contributed by Jayden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.