1.) The story of Heimdall st… Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 bands by the name Heimdall.
1.) The story of Heimdall starts in 1994 when Fabio Calluori (guitars) and Nicolas Calluori (drums) decide to form a heavy metal band. After some changes of line-up, the bass player Giovanni Canu, the guitarist Carmelo Claps and the singer Claudio Gallo join Heimdall which start an intense live activity. With this line-up, the band records the homonymous demo in 1997 that receives great reviews by the specialized press and gives it the opportunity to sign a record-deal with Elevate Records. In May 1998 "Lord of the Sky", the first cd of the band, is released. It is a concept-album based on the story of the Nordic god Heimdall, Lord of the sky and Guardian of the mighty bridge Bifrost which links the world of the mortals with the one of the gods. "Lord of the Sky" has immediately a great success from the public and from the press - it is Top-album on many magazines. Besides, it is licensed and published by Dreamchaser in Japan. In the meanwhile, Sergio Duccilli (keyboards) joins the band, giving a more symphonic and majestic aspect to Heimdall sound. The great success of "Lord of the Sky" takes Heimdall to start an intense live activity, playing many gigs and taking part in many festivals with bands like Sentenced, Labyrinth, 69 Eyes and so on. At the beginning of '99, Nicolas leaves the band for personal problems and Ottavio Amato becomes the new drummer. With him, Heimdall go on tour together with Labyrinth, having a great success. After the acclaimed debut album "Lord of the Sky", Heimdall record the follow-up "The Temple of Theil", published by Elevate Records in September 1999. The Japanese edition, released always by Dreamchaser on August 25, 1999, contains two bonus tracks: "Breaking the Law", cover of the Judas Priest classic-song and the unplugged version of "The Challenge" from the debut cd. The album shows a great improvement in the song writing and, although still based on flashy guitars, epic tunes, glorious vocals and choruses, presents a really more personal and 'rich' touch than on the debut album. The cover is painted by Eric Philippe already known for his artworks for Riot, Stratovarious and Rhapsody. "The Temple of Theil" receives very good responses but after four months from its publication Claudio Gallo leaves the band. So Heimdall begin searching for a new singer and, in 2001, they meet Giacomo Mercaldo. With him, the band completes the composition of the songs for the new album After three years from "The Temple of Theil", Heimdall are out with the 3rd album, titled 'The Almighty', with a new record deal (Scarlet Records) and a new, vital & inspired song-writing. 'The Almighty' shows once more the great potential of this band that is able to catch the true power of metal-guitar riffs and mix it with refined keyboards arrangements, epic choirs and intense vocal lines. Recorded at the beginning of 2002, "The Almighty" sees the return of Nicolas on drums and is published in July in Japan and in September in the rest of the world. After a tour and some concerts with bands like Shaman, Vicious Rumors and Destruction, Heimdall start the composition of the new tracks. Before entering the studio to give life the fourth album, Nicolas leaves and Enrico, Giovanni's brother, joins the band. Between December and February, Heimdall record the new album. The title chosen for it is "Hard As Iron". Heimdall style with this new album turns to be even more compact and new songs are more aggressive if compared with previous ones, with lots of heavy riffs added to the classic epic surrounding. "Hard As Iron" is out on 10 May 04 for Scarlet Records and in April 04 in Japan for Soundholic Records.
2.) A swedish nationell/viking-rock band from the town of Gävle who was most active in the middle of the 90s. Allthough the band is no more, since one of the members died in a carcrash in 2003. The recordlabel Sniper Records released the Norrlands Befrielsearmé compilation in memory of the two people who died in the crash.
The challenge
Heimdall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A Violent snowstorm began in the eternal winter night
Darkness reigned over the field of battle
War cries rang out throughout the worlds
Thunder and lightening announced the challenge
While a crystal wind howled over the plain
...HEIMDALL was before his mortal foe
(chorus)
In the duel his sword swung with power
The Defender of the gods
In the duel his bright blade sparkled in the dark
He was HEIMDALL Storm of Steel
Chaos and order, they faced each other
Blades quick like lightening, their burning eyes
The ring and the clash of dark revenge
Against the shield of the White God
...the earth was quaking with their mortal strokes
(repeat chorus)
Fury and anger in their eyes and their swords quick like arrows of fire
And their bloody armour, their bloody blades
They fell on the knees, mortally mounded, the one before the other till the end
(repeat chorus)
The lyrics to Heimdall's song, The Challenge, describe a battlefield of epic proportions. The cries of dying gods create a haunting atmosphere over the ruins of a black castle, while a violent snowstorm rages on in the eternal winter night. Darkness reigns over the field of battle, with war cries ringing out throughout the worlds. Thunder and lightning announce the challenge that is about to take place. Heimdall, the Defender of the gods, stands before his mortal foe. As chaos and order face each other, their blades quick like lightning and burning eyes locked in a fierce duel. The earth shakes with their mortal strokes, as Heimdall's sword swings with power and his bright blade sparkles in the dark. He is known as HEIMDALL Storm of Steel.
The song creates vivid imagery of a battle between the forces of good and evil, with Heimdall as the hero of the moment. The lyrics suggest that in the end, Heimdall emerged victorious, having defeated his foe through sheer strength and fighting prowess. The use of powerful language and metaphorical imagery helps to create a sense of drama and urgency.
Line by Line Meaning
The cries of the dying gods rose like a sad song over black castle ruins
The sound of the dying gods was sorrowful and melancholic as it echoed over the ruins of a once-great fortification.
A Violent snowstorm began in the eternal winter night
The battle was marked by a furious snowstorm that raged on in the never-ending winter darkness.
Darkness reigned over the field of battle
The battlefield was shrouded in darkness that dominated everything else.
War cries rang out throughout the worlds
Instinctive battle cries spread far and wide, piercing the fabric of multiple reality planes.
Thunder and lightening announced the challenge
The challenge was announced by a display of thunder and lightning that shook the earth itself.
While a crystal wind howled over the plain
The battlefield was accompanied by the distinct howl of an icy wind that rang through the area.
...HEIMDALL was before his mortal foe
In the midst of all this chaos, HEIMDALL faced off against his ultimate opponent.
In the duel his sword swung with power
During their ferocious engagement, HEIMDALL's sword cut through the air with incredible strength.
The Defender of the gods
HEIMDALL was the defender of the pantheon, tasked with protecting them at all costs.
In the duel his bright blade sparkled in the dark
In the midst of darkness, HEIMDALL's sword gleamed with an otherworldly light.
He was HEIMDALL Storm of Steel
HEIMDALL was known as the 'Storm of Steel,' a sign of his remarkable fighting abilities.
Chaos and order, they faced each other
Two opposing forces battled against each other in a fight between disorder and organization.
Blades quick like lightening, their burning eyes
Both fighters were highly skilled, with swords as fast as lightning and eyes filled with determination and fiery passion.
The ring and the clash of dark revenge
Both warriors were out for revenge and they battled each other with ferocious intensity.
Against the shield of the White God
HEIMDALL was the defender of the gods and used his shield to fend off his mortal foe.
...the earth was quaking with their mortal strokes
The intensity of their blows was felt throughout the land, so strong that even the very earth shook under their feet.
Fury and anger in their eyes and their swords quick like arrows of fire
Both fighters were filled with rage and a burning fury, their swords moving with such speed that they seemed to be on fire.
And their bloody armour, their bloody blades
Both fighters were wounded and covered in their own blood, their armor and weapons testimony to the ferocity of the battle.
They fell on the knees, mortally mounded, the one before the other till the end
In the end, both mortal foes fell to the ground, their energy completely spent as they knelt before each other.
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.