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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We Animals
Elvenking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As soon at home we beat our kids
Out there our sons are rioting
Our confidence is trembling
We ruin our life to reach a scope
And when we win we crash the hopes
We dance between rise and fall
We fight to stay alive
Trying to survive
We're hunting high and low
As our dark secrets come to light
We love the way we are
We hate the way they look
And for a single beat of heart
Yeah, we're just fucking animals
We struggle hard so find the Love
Just to regret the way we were
We love, we hate - no compromise
We cheat on as they close their eyes
We're ego thinking for ourselves
Selfish till the end
We pretend to be someone
Oh yes, you're just an animal!
We cry just for what is right
We left what we would need to fight
Against all immorality
We are ready for rioting
Whenever we're crying
Someone will keep on sighing
It pains us to see that
Our beloved sons stand surviving
We fight to stay alive
Trying to survive
We're hunting high and low
As our dark secrets come to light
We love the way we are
We hate the way they look
And for a single beat of heart
Yeah, we're just fucking animals
Elvenking's song "We Animals" speaks about the hypocrisy and contradictions that exist in humanity. The first verse begins with being outraged by the world's injustice but shows how at home, we are violent towards our children. This contradicts our desire for a just world. The following lines compare the rioting of our sons outside to the trembling of our confidence inside, highlighting our inability to control our environment. The second verse describes how we continuously strive for success and when we attain it, we ruin our hopes. We dance between rise and fall, making mistakes that we should learn from, but we refuse to acknowledge them. The chorus of the song repeats that despite everything, we cannot escape the primal nature of our existence, our animalistic tendencies.
The bridge explores the concept of love, hate, and compromise, which is ever-present in the human experience. We struggle to find love and realize too late that our actions will lead to regret. We love ourselves more than others and are entirely selfish until the end. We pretend to be someone we are not, and that someone is an animal. The final chorus affirms that whenever we cry for something, someone will keep sighing. Despite how much it pains us, our sons continue to survive, as they too are animals.
Line by Line Meaning
Outraged by world's injustice
We are angry about the cruelty that exists in the world
As soon at home we beat our kids
However, we turn around and hurt those closest to us
Out there our sons are rioting
While our children are fighting against the world
Our confidence is trembling
We lack the confidence to make a change
We ruin our life to reach a scope
We sacrifice everything to achieve our goals
And when we win we crash the hopes
But when we attain our goals, it often results in disappointment
We dance between rise and fall
Our lives are a constant cycle of ups and downs
No, we're not fucking animals
Despite our flaws, we refuse to believe that we are merely animals
We fight to stay alive
We struggle to survive and thrive
Trying to survive
Desperately fighting to stay alive
We're hunting high and low
We search relentlessly for what we desire
As our dark secrets come to light
Our hidden truths are revealed for all to see
We love the way we are
We embrace our flaws and quirks
We hate the way they look
But we judge and dislike others based on their appearance
And for a single beat of heart
In the grand scheme of things, we are all the same
Yeah, we're just fucking animals
Despite our attempts to elevate ourselves, we are no different from other animals
We struggle hard so find the Love
We fight to find love and affection
Just to regret the way we were
But often we regret who we are and what we have done
We love, we hate - no compromise
We have extreme emotions that leave no room for compromise
We cheat on as they close their eyes
We betray those closest to us while they remain oblivious
We're ego thinking for ourselves
Our excessive self-interest leads us to make selfish decisions
Selfish till the end
We are self-centered until the very end
We pretend to be someone
We put on a facade and pretend to be someone we're not
Oh yes, you're just an animal!
In reality, we are just animals like any other
We cry just for what is right
We weep for justice and fairness
We left what we would need to fight
But we often abandon what is necessary to win the fight
Against all immorality
We fight against all that is immoral and unethical
We are ready for rioting
We are prepared to fight and protest for what we believe in
Whenever we're crying
When we face struggles and adversity
Someone will keep on sighing
Others will continue to show disappointment and disapproval
It pains us to see that
We are hurt when we witness suffering around us
Our beloved sons stand surviving
Despite the hardships, our children continue to persevere
Writer(s): Aydan
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.