Still, there were some practical problems to be solved with these young Swedes being quite far away. However, the Internet came to the rescue. The possibility of having access to Piet's studio during the songwriting sessions made this quite an easy mission. Sending mp3 files back and forth and discussing song structures and sounds through e-mails and phone conversations became a natural way to work for Savage Circus. Then, as soon as everybody was available, they met up in Hamburg at Piet's studio to record stuff and have a beer or two, iced tea if you happen to be Thomen. After this get-together two songs were finished, "Evil Eyes" and "IT - The Gathering". Excited by the fast progress everybody returned home and continued their songwriting and mp3-sending until there was nine Savage Circus original songs finished.
In February 2005, Thomen began laying down the final drum tracks for the debut album at Hammer studios (formerly known as Karo Studios) with Piet. Following the drum recordings Piet recorded the final rhythm guitars and bass tracks. Shortly after, Emil and Jens headed to Hamburg again to record their respective guitar and vocal parts. Just before mixing the album, Thomen made the decision to leave Blind Guardian due to reasons only he and his band know. This made Savage Circus his main band. As this was only meant to be a side project from the beginning it suddenly became significantly more serious. Piet, together with Rolf Köhler (also from Blind Guardian), delivered the backing vocals for the album, and after this an extensive mixing and finalizing session took place.
On August 29th, 2005, their debut album Dreamland Manor was released.
In August 2006, the band decided to release founding member Thomen Stauch from all duties due to personal problems. While touring in 2006 and 2007 Thomas Nack of Iron Savior fame played live, replacing the original drummer.
With Mike Terrana joining the band in September 2007 the open drum position was filled with a drummer being able to measure up with his predecessor. Also Yenz Leonhardt became a full member. With the new line-up the band began to write songs again and created the 2nd studio album. All members contributed to the songwriting sending back and forth bits and pieces, parts and lyrics via the internet. During 2008/2009 the material grew more and more and in spring 2009 the band was ready to jump into the studio and produce .
Savage Circus is more than ready to return to the scene. The long awaited new album "Of Doom And Death” shows all trademarks of “Dreamland Manor”. Progressive and powerful songwriting combined with elaborate arrangements, lots of melodies and harmonies, raging guitars rounded up with the vocals towering on the music.
Soulfood Lyric wise Savage Circus are picking up on Stephen King’s “Dark Tower”, Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and other fantasy and dark tales. From speed monsters such as the title track “Of Doom And Death” to the majestic “Ballad Of Susan” Savage Circus created an album with all the varieties one would expect . Savage Circus are definitely back and ready to deliver another banging album.
In 2011 Piet Sielck left the band. A year later Mike Terrana and Yenz Leonhardt made the same move. The original drummer Thomen Stauch returned to the band after 6 years of absence. Mi Schüren, who plays keyboards during the Blind Guardian shows, joined the band as the keyboardist and Thorsten "Toto" Hain joined the band as a guitarist.
The Ordeal
Savage Circus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are gleaming in white
The sun is rising
And painting the peaks
In peaceful morning light
Touched by the beauty
The horrors I saw
Seem to be so unreal
In the halls and caverns
Evil has broken the seal
Oh, it's for real
Below the rock
In the deepest night
Dreadful hordes
Are gathering to strike
I must restore the seal
I have to return
To do what must be done
How can I be the chosen one
My ordeal has already begun
Lost in the dark
Deep down below
In the dungeons of Neverland
No turning back
Seems as if this odyssey
Will never end
While I'm stumbling
Into the abyss
I keep asking me why
The hands of fate
Have made me the one
Uh, I'm ready to die
Though I could break down and cry
How can it be me
To defeat the Evil
How can I be the hero
How can I win
Crawling shadows
And nameless creatures
Inhabitants of the night
Demons rising from down below
Left with no choice
No way out than to fight
Lost in the dark
All alone in this labyrinth
Of nightmare and pain
Away from all in another world
Another life in another time
Oh, how I wish
To turn away
To give in my fears and
Just walk away
I am damned to walk
The night all-alone
I crawling straight to the center
Of Hell
The lyrics of Savage Circus' song "The Ordeal" describe a protagonist who is faced with a difficult task. In the distance, there are beautiful, majestic mountains painted by the morning light, but down below, underneath the rocks, in the halls, and caverns, evil has been unleashed and the singer is the chosen one to restore the seal and fight the evil hordes gathering to strike. Thus, he has to undertake a difficult and dangerous journey, lost in the dark down below, in the dungeons of Neverland, where nameless creatures and crawling shadows dwell, and where he must fight demons rising from down below.
The singer is questioning his ability to fulfill this task, asking why he must be the hero to defeat the evil, left with no choice but to fight. In his odyssey, he encounters pain, fear, and faces Hell's center to fulfill his ordeal. The lyrics convey a vivid image of the struggle between good and evil, and the burden of being the chosen hero. The beauty of the majestic mountains offers a sharp contrast to the chaos and danger in the dungeon, making the situation even more poignant. Ultimately, the singer faces his fears and accepts his task, showing courage and determination in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
In the distance majestic mountains
The singer sees beautiful mountains in the distance.
Are gleaming in white
The mountains are shining brightly.
The sun is rising
The sun is starting to come up.
And painting the peaks
The sun is shining on the top of the mountains.
In peaceful morning light
The artist is observing the mountains in the calm light of morning.
Touched by the beauty
The singer is moved by the beauty of the surroundings.
The horrors I saw
The singer has seen terrifying things.
Seem to be so unreal
The artist finds it hard to believe what they have seen.
But down below
Despite the lovely view, there is something sinister happening below the surface.
In the halls and caverns
The frightening things the artist experienced happened in tunnels and caves.
Evil has broken the seal
Something evil has been unleashed.
Oh, it's for real
The artist acknowledges that the evil is real and not just in their imagination.
Below the rock
The evil is hiding and waiting to emerge.
In the deepest night
The singer is venturing into a dark and dangerous place.
Dreadful hordes
There are large groups of terrible creatures.
Are gathering to strike
The artist knows that danger is imminent.
I must restore the seal
The artist has a mission to prevent the evil from doing any further harm by repairing the seal that keeps it at bay.
I have to return
The singer knows they must go back to the dangerous place.
To do what must be done
The singer has a sense of duty and responsibility to take action.
How can I be the chosen one
The artist doesn't understand why they were chosen for this task.
My ordeal has already begun
The artist is already in the midst of their challenging and difficult journey.
Lost in the dark
The artist is disoriented and unsure of where they are.
Deep down below
The singer is venturing deeper into a dangerous and scary place.
In the dungeons of Neverland
The artist describes the place they are journeying through as a place of nightmares.
No turning back
The singer acknowledges that they cannot go back and must continue on their journey.
Seems as if this odyssey
The singer is on a long and challenging journey.
Will never end
The singer is feeling hopeless and unsure if they will ever complete their mission.
While I'm stumbling
The artist is struggling and finding it hard to move forward.
Into the abyss
The artist is entering a dangerous and seemingly never-ending chasm.
I keep asking me why
The singer is questioning why they were chosen for this mission.
The hands of fate
The singer believes that some power beyond their control has chosen them.
Have made me the one
The artist feels singled out and chosen for this task.
Uh, I'm ready to die
The artist is brave but feels that they might not survive the journey.
Though I could break down and cry
The artist is showing vulnerability and acknowledging that they may be overwhelmed with emotion.
How can it be me
The singer is still bewildered that they were chosen for this mission.
To defeat the Evil
The artist knows that it is their mission to confront and stop the evil.
How can I be the hero
The singer is questioning whether they have what it takes be a hero.
How can I win
The singer is unsure if they can ultimately come out victorious
Crawling shadows
The singer sees that there are dark and looming dangers lurking in the shadows.
And nameless creatures
The artist doesn't even know what dangers they will be facing.
Inhabitants of the night
The artist sees that the darkness has its own world and life.
Demons rising from down below
Evil is rising up and making itself known.
Left with no choice
The singer knows that they have to fight.
No way out than to fight
The artist has no other options but to face the evil and fight against it.
All alone in this labyrinth
The artist feels isolated and abandoned in a maze of dark challenges.
Of nightmare and pain
The artist is going through a terrible ordeal.
Away from all in another world
The singer is physically distant from their ordinary life and held captive in another realm.
Another life in another time
The artist has been transported to another world where none of their usual skills or abilities are useful.
Oh, how I wish
The singer is bemoaning their situation.
To turn away
The singer wishes they had the option to turn and run away from this mission.
To give in my fears and
The singer wishes they could succumb to their fears and give up.
Just walk away
The artist wishes they could just leave this danger and go back to their ordinary life.
I am damned to walk
The artist feels like they are in a hopeless and impossible situation.
The night all-alone
The singer is in the darkness by themselves and without any help.
I crawling straight to the center
The singer is making their way to the heart of this challenge.
Of Hell
The artist feels like they are in the middle of a terrible and nightmarish situation.
Contributed by Carter K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.