They released their debut album, Return in Bloodred, in 2005. Their second album, Lupus Dei, was released in 2007. The band entered the official German charts for the first time in 2009 with their third album, Bible of the Beast. Shortly after its release, their first drummer Stefan Gemballa (stage name Stéfane Funèbre) left the band. He was replaced by Tom Diener, who was replaced in 2011 by Roel van Helden. In the same year, the band released their fourth album, Blood of the Saints. In 2012, Powerwolf signed with Napalm Records and released Preachers of the Night in 2013. It has debuted at No. 1 in Germany. Their sixth album, Blessed & Possessed, released in 2015, was certified gold in the Czech Republic. Their seventh album, The Sacrament of Sin, was released on 20 July 2018. Their eighth album, Call of the Wild, was released on 16 July 2021.
Audience engagement, and pyrotechnics are important parts of Powerwolf's stage show. The vocalist Attila Dorn often speaks directly to the audience and engages them in various activities, such as singing or shouting, before announcing the next song. The band calls their concerts a "heavy metal mass". Their stage setup was designed by Matthew Greywolf.
Moscow After Dark
Powerwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nightmare, hell and thunderstorm
Moscow, Moscow after dark
Damnation, worship and frost
Moscow, Moscow after dark
Hammer, Sichel, Sovietstern
Perestroika ist so fern
Moscow after dark
Metal ist für alle da
Moscow after dark
Breschnew und (kein?) Glasnost
Moscow after dark
Hart und eisig ist der Frost
Moscow after dark
Resist the sign of evil
Resist the underworld
Alive or dead we're leaving
Moscow, Moscow after dark
No halleluja saves you
No cross can help you now
This is your nightmare calling
Moscow, Moscow after dark
Moscow, Moscow after dark
The song Moscow After Dark by Powerwolf is a reflection of the chaos and unrest that rocked Moscow during the Cold War era. The lyrics are a tribute to the resistance of the people against the Soviet oppression which resulted in extreme nightmare, hell, and thunderstorm. Despite this, the people of Moscow continued to fight against their oppressors and refused to surrender to their ideologies. This is echoed in the lines “Resist the sign of evil, Resist the underworld, Alive or dead we're leaving” where the band is motivating the listeners to fight against the regime at any cost.
The lyrics “No halleluja saves you, No cross can help you now” reveal that the band is trying to point out that religion, prayer or any faith would not save people from the horrors of life in Moscow. It also indicates that the religious institutions were also controlled by the government and people were left with no other choice than to fight for themselves.
The song is a reminder of the history of oppression and struggle that the people have endured in Moscow. The dark, foreboding tone of the music adds to the feeling of danger and opposition. Powerwolf has done a great job of conveying the message behind the song through their melody and lyrics. The song has a revolutionary spirit that encourages and motivates the listeners to fight against oppression and stand for their freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Moscow, Moscow after dark
The city of Moscow, when the sun sets and darkness falls over the horizon
Nightmare, hell and thunderstorm
The experiences that are encountered in Moscow after dark are terrible, intense, and full of unrest
Damnation, worship and frost
The overpowering atmosphere in Moscow after dark, created by the hailstorm, coldness, and apparent evil
Hammer, Sichel, Sovietstern
The symbol of communism, represented by the hammer and sickle, and the red star, which looms over Moscow after dark
Perestroika ist so fern
Glasnost and perestroika, which were policies initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, are not feasibly sustainable in a Moscow after dark scenario
Rise of the Eastern star
The inevitable and fierce rise of the Soviet Union as an international power, symbolised by the Eastern star
Metal ist für alle da
Heavy metal music can be enjoyed by anyone in Moscow after dark, regardless of age, gender, or nationality
Breschnew und (kein?) Glasnost
Leonid Brezhnev's era of leadership characterised by days of repression, contrasted with the notion of Glasnost and the restructuring movement advocated by his successors
Hart und eisig ist der Frost
The freezing weather in Moscow after dark is brutally cold and relentless, causing untold hardship to those outside
Resist the sign of evil
One should remain defiant against evil forces that manifest themselves in Moscow after dark
Resist the underworld
People need to challenge and rise above the dark and gloomy underworld scenario that they see in Moscow after dark
Alive or dead we're leaving
No matter the residents' state of being, they must quit from Moscow after dark
No halleluja saves you
Irrespective of any kind of religious beliefs or observations, surviving the utter despair of Moscow after dark is not reliant on seeking divine intervention
No cross can help you now
Even the most powerful religious symbol 'Cross' is powerless in the Moscow after dark situation
This is your nightmare calling
Basically, this is the warning call to anyone venturing to Moscow after dark telling them to expect a nightmare scenario
Moscow, Moscow after dark
The song ends in the same way it began, with a reminder of the sombre aura that characterises Moscow after dark
Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.