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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I Am the Monster
Elvenking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel like I've fallen from grace
The outsider for a lifetime hiding from their vicious eyes
The lights are out but I am in
The ice is melting on my skin
The cold winds blow dep into my dreams freezing all that's left of me
I've always felt this misery
I guess something is broken deep inside of me
I'm afraid I will never find my healing
I've lost my way
I've lost my light
I've lost the stars inside my night
I've lost the things that I've been dreamin' - dreamin' of
Oh here they come with forks and fire
My destruction they desire
Monster! Monster!" they are screaming like they've finally found their cure
They take me, torture and beat me
All they wanna do is bury me
And get rid of what they fear, 'cause I am the monster!
I've always felt this misery
I guess something is broken deep inside of me
And I am feeling all alone
I'm afraid I will never find my healing
I've lost my way
I've lost my light
I've lost the stars inside my night
I've lost the things that I've been dreamin' - dreamin' of
Just a single day - one more single day
Inside this cage and I'll fade away
I've lost my way
I've lost my light
I've lost the stars inside my night
(Je vis parce que je réve // Je suis le monstre)
I've lost my way
I've lost my light
I've lost the stars inside my night
I've lost the things that I've been dreamin' - dreamin' of
Just a single day - one more single day
Inside this cage and I'll fade away
I've lost my way
I've lost my light
I've lost the stars inside my night
The lyrics of Elvenking's song "I Am the Monster" narrate a story of an individual living in isolation, feeling like an outsider, who has lost his way and lost himself in the process. The song touches upon the idea of being judged and misunderstood by society, as the singer is hunted and punished for being different from the others. The lyrics convey a sense of despair and hopelessness as he struggles to find healing and wishes for just one more day before fading away.
The first two lines of the song, "In this dark and lonely place, I feel like I've fallen from grace" set the tone for the following lyrics that express the singer's lonely existence. The phrase "I'm afraid I will never find my healing" shows that he feels disconnected from others and that he doubts if he will ever be able to recover. The chorus repeatedly mentions that the singer has lost his way, his light, and his stars, which represents the loss of direction, hope, and dreams.
The last lines of the song, "I've lost my way, I've lost my light, I've lost the stars inside my night (Je vis parce que je réve // Je suis le monstre)" translate to "I live because I dream // I am the monster" and add a final layer to the lyrics. It suggests that despite being demonized by society, the singer sees his "monstrosity" as a part of himself he cannot escape.
Line by Line Meaning
In this dark and lonely place
I feel lost and alone in a bleak environment
I feel like I've fallen from grace
I feel like I have lost my former goodness and redemption
The outsider for a lifetime hiding from their vicious eyes
I have always been an outsider, hiding from the judging eyes of others
The lights are out but I am in
The world may seem dark and hopeless, but I am still alive
The ice is melting on my skin
I am feeling the pain of my environment, slowly thawing my cold exterior
The cold winds blow deep into my dreams freezing all that's left of me
The harshness of reality seeps into my subconscious, numbing my emotions and thoughts
I've always felt this misery
My sorrow is a constant in my life
I guess something is broken deep inside of me
I suspect that there is a fundamental flaw in my being
And I am feeling so alone
I am overwhelmed with feelings of isolation
I'm afraid I will never find my healing
I fear that I will never be able to recover and find peace
I've lost my way
I have no clear direction or purpose in my life
I've lost my light
The hope and positivity that once guided me are gone
I've lost the stars inside my night
The things that once gave meaning to my darkness have faded away
I've lost the things that I've been dreamin' - dreamin' of
The goals and aspirations that once fueled me are no longer within reach
Oh here they come with forks and fire
Others are attacking me with dangerous weapons
My destruction they desire
They want to destroy me completely
"Monster! Monster!" they are screaming like they've finally found their cure
They label me as a monster and treat me like a disease that needs to be cured
They take me, torture and beat me
They inflict physical pain and suffering upon me
All they wanna do is bury me
Their ultimate goal is to silence and dispose of me
And get rid of what they fear, 'cause I am the monster!
They fear me and what I represent, so they want to eliminate me
Just a single day - one more single day inside this cage and I'll fade away
If I am trapped in this cycle of pain and isolation for even one more day, I will lose myself completely
(Je vis parce que je réve // Je suis le monstre)
(I live because I dream // I am the monster)
Contributed by Alex D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.