1. American heavy metal band … Read Full Bio ↴Various bands with the name Overlorde:
1. American heavy metal band from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Formed in 1985 and were originally active until 1988. The band has reformed as of 2000.
2. Heavy Metal band from Fayetteville, North Carolina, US. Changed name to Overlord SR in 2015.
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1. OVERLORDE was formed in 1985 by John "Kong" Bunucci (Bass / & Lead Vocals) and Mark "M.E." Edwards (Guitar & Backing Vocals). Dave Wrenn (Drums & Backing Vocals) joined shortly thereafter, and this "power metal" band played its first show at the SHOWPLACE in Dover, NJ that November.
At this time in central New Jersey, the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) was reaching a peak with bands such as IRON MAIDEN, SAXON , and DEF LEPPARD continuing their invasion from Britain. These and other bands, such as Germany's SCORPIONS, ACCEPT , and America's QUEENSRYCHE heavily influenced OVERLORDE. Additionally, the Old Bridge Metal Militia (local New Jersey metal fans) was thriving, Megaforce Records/ Rock and Roll Heaven had moved from their Route -1 Flea Market Store and Seton Hall's WSOU-FM was about to switch to an all-metal format that would have a major impact on the popularity of metal. METALLICA, one of Megaforce Record's first artists, was about to release Master of Puppets, so the form of "thrash metal" they made so popular was really just beginning.
The band concentrated on originals from the start, with John handling the Lead Vocals along with Bass guitar. The band was joined by vocalist Pat O'Donnell in early 1986, who then took over the Lead Vocal role from John. The pace of live shows continued with the band playing in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Venues included the STONE PONY, PARK VILLA II, ONSTAGE, BILLY O'S, ZAFFY'S, STREETS, SPOTSWOOD LAKE, the DIRT CLUB, the HIGH TIDE CAFE, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, and the SHOWPLACE.
OVERLORDE recorded and released a 5 -song vinyl EP in 1987 on their own label, STRIKE ZONE RECORDS. Recorded at Fox Studios in East Rutherford, NJ (the same studio where HADES recorded its first album), the EP borrowed QUEEN's concept from their Queen II album. It featured a SIDE BLACK and SIDE WHITE. Three studio songs were on SIDE BLACK : Snow Giant, The Masque of the Red Death (based on the Edgar Allen Poe story), and Overlorde. SIDE WHITE included two live cuts, The Longest Day (based on the Cornelius Ryan novel about D-Day) and Time Machine (based on the novel by H.G. Wells). Note: All songs copyright 1985/86/87
The EP received praise overall in publications like VARIETY, KERRANG!!!, METAL RENDEZVOUS, POWERLINE, the AQUARIAN, and the EAST COAST ROCKER, and received airplay on metal radio such as WSOU and WDHA . However, Pat and the band parted ways around the end of 1987, and Rod Tyler Loiza took over the vocal duties in 1988.
A new demo was begun, and members of the band attended the 1988 CMJ convention in NYC. While at the event, OVERLORDE was interviewed for West German TV. But the group disbanded late that year after only a few shows with Rod and before the demo could be fully completed.
The 1990's saw each of the original members continue music in one form or another. John reformed his previous band FINAL PLEA, and was involved with other local projects. Mark formed BREAKER M.E. , then went the solo instrumental route up until he developed his voice to the point of singing lead. Dave went on to various original and cover bands including PERSIA and ICHABOD CRANE. John, Mark, and Dave remained in touch, and both John and Dave have worked with Mark on musical projects in one form or another.
OVERLORDE experienced a revival of sorts in Europe, specifically in Greece and Germany. This was brought to the band's attention in December 1999. The EP appeared on collector "want lists", and the band was contacted about releasing more material. While some confusion existed with similarly named bands, this OVERLORDE acquired the U.S. trademark and it was clear that the demand was for the EP released on Strike Zone Records.
M.E., Kong, and Dave (the original three founding members) met in February 2000 to discuss a possible reunion. It was decided to launch www.overlorde.com and start FORCE RECON (a metal community/fan club) to see if there was interest in an Overlorde reunion.
There certainly was, so the band reunited in July 2000. After recruiting former SEVEN WITCHES vocalist Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas, they recorded and released the album "Return of the Snow Giant" in 2004. It received great reviews in magazines and websistes from all over the world. In the summer of 2015, Germany's DEAF FOREVER magazine named it one of its "Top 100 U.S. Metal Albums of all time".
As of March 2017, the band had some member changes and now consists of:
Mark "M.E." Edwards - Guitar
John "Kong" Bunucci - Bass
George Janeira - Drums
George Tsalikis - Vocals
Starcastle
Overlorde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There lived a King, whose realm was good and all was well
His castle was among the star of the Parthenon
His Queen and princess were all he did pride
Come to Starcastle, the people said
The King is Jude, his rule is good
Starcastle [3x]
Jude's guard of knights, all pure at heart
Helped Jude keep his kingdom right
The King's adviser, who helped Jude rule
The faithful Wizard, who's name was Saraphin
Come to Starcastle, the people said
The King is Jude, his rule is good
Where all is just, and truth is right
Starcastle [3x]
But in the world, there is a force
That tries to undo good
And many men, though good at heart
Let evil enter their minds...
Come to Starcastle, the people say
The King is Jude, his rule is good
But something's wrong in the wizard's mind
Starcastle [x3]
The lyrics in Overlorde's song Starcastle take the listeners to a distant and mythical land, where a wise and just King Jude governs his realm from a castle among the stars in the Parthenon. The opening lines of the song set the scene of a peaceful and prosperous kingdom, where the skies are as beautiful as gold and the King's subjects live contentedly. The castle is a symbol of power, but also of exclusivity as it is located among the stars, and only the chosen few can have access to it.
The song then mentions the King's advisers, including his guard of knights and the Wizard Saraphin, who help him rule the kingdom justly. However, there is a warning that even the most virtuous people can be tempted to let darkness into their hearts, but King Jude remains firm and steadfast in his principles. The people trust him and view him as a beacon of hope and goodness in a world that is often filled with evil.
The chorus line "Come to Starcastle, the people said" is a call to people to join the kingdom and also an indication that the King Jude's popularity extends beyond borders. The song ends on a cryptic note, as there is a subtle suggestion that something may be wrong in the Wizard's mind, which leaves the listeners guessing about the fate of the kingdom and the people living under King Jude's rule.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago, where clouds are lined with gold
A long time ago in a land with magnificent golden clouds
There lived a King, whose realm was good and all was well
A king ruled with honesty and the land prospered
His castle was among the star of the Parthenon
The castle was located at the topmost point and was shining like a star
His Queen and princess were all he did pride
The King cherished his Queen and Princess
Come to Starcastle, the people said
People were invited to visit the beautiful castle
The King is Jude, his rule is good
The King's name is Jude and he ruled justly
Where all is just, and truth is right
The land was governed with fairness and honesty
Jude's guard of knights, all pure at heart
The King had pure-hearted knights serving as his guards
Helped Jude keep his kingdom right
They assisted in maintaining the righteousness of the kingdom
The King's adviser, who helped Jude rule
An advisor named Saraphin assisted the King in ruling the kingdom
The faithful Wizard, who's name was Saraphin
Saraphin was not only an adviser but also a faithful wizard
But in the world, there is a force
However, there exists an opposing force in the world
That tries to undo good
This force aims to destroy any good deeds or intentions
And many men, though good at heart
Even some good people can be influenced by this force
Let evil enter their minds...
As a result, they may become vulnerable to corrupt thoughts
But something's wrong in the wizard's mind
There seems to be something amiss with Saraphin's thoughts
Contributed by Madelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Epic!