The demo attracted the attention of Leviathan Records, but activity was put on hold when Gus was hired by Dream Evil and Mystic Prophecy.
After the release of his other bands' debut albums, Gus' attention returned to the Firewind project. Only he remained from the original formation - Leviathan owner David T. Chastain brought in vocalist Stephen Fredrick and drummer Brian Harris (both ex-Kenziner), while Gus enlisted the help of bassist Konstantine, a fellow Greek. this line-up recorded the debut album Between Heaven and Hell.
In 2003, new changes were instituted as Norwegian drummer Stian Kristoffersen and Greek bassist Petros Christo joined the band. Harris and Konstantine had been replaced as Gus was looking for a more permanent rhythm section that was prepared to tour. This line-up recorded Burning Earth and went on a tour of Japan with Rob Rock, but without vocalist Stephen Fredrick, who was not prepared to go on the road (despite prior guarantees to the contrary). His replacement on the Burning the Earth Tour, the Sri Lankan singer Chitral 'Chity' Somapala, was given the job full-time. Fellow touring member Bob Katsionis was also hired permanently to play keyboards. Firewind got a worldwide deal with Century Media by the end of that year.
This line-up recorded the album Forged By Fire, but a few months after the release, Chity left due to personal and musical differences with the rest of the band. When his replacement, Apollo Papathanasio of Time Requiem, was found, it was also announced that Stian Kristoffersen would be leaving, to be replaced with the veteran Mark Cross. The reason for the split was that Gus wanted to have a set of Greek-based musicians willing to make Firewind their number one priority (probably to end the virtual revolving door of members) and Stian's main band was the Norwegian outfit Pagan's Mind. Gus also left his roles in Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy and Nightrage between 2004 and 2006.
This new line-up recorded the album Allegiance, which was released in July 2006.
During November - December 2006, they toured the UK supporting Dragonforce with All That Remains.
In 2009, Gus G. became Ozzy Osbourne's guitar player.
In 2010 Apollo became the new Spiritual Beggars frontman.
In 2010, Michael Ehre replaced drummer Mark Cross.
In 2010, Michael Ehre left and was replaced by Johan Nunez (also Nightrage)
Line-up
* Herbie Langhans - Vocals (also Avantasia and Radiant)
* Gus G. (Kostas Karamitroudis) - Guitars (formerly Keyboards)
* Petros Christo - Bass
* Johan Nunez - Drums (also Nightrage)
Former members
* Brandon Pender - Vocals (1998)
* Stephen Fredrick - Vocals (2001-2003)
* Chitral Somapala - Vocals (2004-2005)
*Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals (2005-2013)
*Henning Basse - Vocals (2015-2020)
* Bob Katsionis - Keyboards, live Guitar (2004-2020)
* Konstantine (Kostas Exarhakis) - Bass (2001-2003)
* Matt Scurfield - Drums (1998)
* Brian Harris - Drums (2001-2003)
* Stian L. Kristoffersen - Drums (2003-2005)
* Mark Cross - Drums (2005 - 2010)
* Michael Ehre - Drums (2010)
Discography
* Nocturnal Symphony (Demo, 1998)
* Between Heaven and Hell (2002)
* Burning Earth (2003)
* Forged By Fire (2005)
* Allegiance (2006)
* The Premonition (2008)
*Days of Defiance (2010)
*Few Against Many (2012)
*Immortals (2017)
*Firewind (2020)
Glorious
Firewind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Overloaded system blood will now freeze
My generators working hard, overheats
Twenty tons of hardware, flooding the streets
You're glorious, you didn't fool me with mysteries
You've lost your pride, but you keep
On singing same old song again, Yeah
Sophisticated people, we're all burning inside
It's time to burn all the bridges and tear down the walls
In the end you are freedom, can you hear the calls?
You could dance the night away
Sons of bitches will betray
Forget tomorrow - today you have to pray
You're glorious, you didn't fool me with mysteries
You've lost your pride
But you keep on singing same old song again, yeah
You're glorious violators of histories
Get off my back
'Cause you still keep singing same old song again, yeah
The lyrics to Firewind's song Glorious seem to be about breaking free from societal norms and expectations, and rejecting the status quo in search of true freedom. The opening lines can be interpreted as a reference to the overwhelm of modern technology and communication, and the need to disconnect in order to truly find oneself. The following lines suggest the idea of carrying around excessive baggage, both physical and emotional, and the desire to shed it all in order to start anew. The chorus repeats the idea of being "glorious" without hiding behind gimmicks or illusions, suggesting the idea of authenticity and the need to be true to oneself.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more passionate and intense. The lines "sophisticated people, we're all burning inside" suggest a sense of hidden desperation among those who appear to have it all together on the surface. The call to "burn all the bridges and tear down the walls" represents a desire for radical transformation and the willingness to let go of anything that stands in the way of true liberation. The final lines are a challenge to those who continue to cling to the past and repeat the same mistakes, urging them to get off the singer's back and listen to the call for change.
Overall, the lyrics to Glorious are a passionate call to reject conformity and embrace individuality, even if it means letting go of what is familiar and comfortable. The song advocates for the pursuit of true freedom and authenticity, rather than hiding behind facades and illusions.
Line by Line Meaning
Communication breakdown, fall on your knees
The system is failing and in turmoil, and you are powerless and struggling to cope with it
Overloaded system blood will now freeze
The overburdened system has come to a point where things can't continue like this and everything is beginning to freeze up
My generators working hard, overheats
Despite my best efforts and resources, my system is strained and breaking down
Twenty tons of hardware, flooding the streets
The amount of resources and technology invested in this system is overwhelming and has now become a physical burden to deal with
You're glorious, you didn't fool me with mysteries
Despite everything going wrong, you still hold value and worth, and you have not created false illusions to hide the truth
You've lost your pride, but you keep on singing same old song again, yeah
You have lost your dignity and self-respect, but continue to repeat the same broken messages and patterns
Don't wanna wait till tomorrow for a reaction of time
We can't procrastinate and hope for the system to magically fix itself as time goes by
Sophisticated people, we're all burning inside
Even the most advanced and knowledgeable people are suffering inside and struggling to function in these adverse conditions
It's time to burn all the bridges and tear down the walls
We need to destroy the things that are constricting our ability to move forward and find solutions
In the end you are freedom, can you hear the calls?
Free will and liberation are essential, can you hear them calling for us?
You could dance the night away
You could be carefree and enjoy yourself without worrying about the problems for a while
Sons of bitches will betray
The system and people in power will always disappoint and deceive for their own benefit
Forget tomorrow - today you have to pray
Stop worrying about the future and focus on the present, and seek a higher power for guidance and hope
You're glorious violators of histories
You may have gone against the grain and broke the norms of history, but you still hold value in your uniqueness
Get off my back
Stop harassing and pestering me about my choices and decisions
'Cause you still keep singing same old song again, yeah
You are still repeating the same broken messages and patterns that got us into this situation in the first place
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.