Ben Richter - Vocals
Maxe Raith - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Tobias Herz… Read Full Bio ↴Ben Richter - Vocals
Maxe Raith - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Tobias Herzfeld - Fiddle
Pit "The Cyberpiper" Vinandy - Digi-Pipes, Whistles and Flutes
Simon Rippin - Schlagzeug
Daniel Lechner – Bass

Founded in early 2001 by Ben Richter, Thanateros released its debut album “The First Rite” by September of 2001. After the CD-release Thanateros toured successfully with In Extremo and played lots of concerts and festival-shows.

In 2003 the second album “Circle of Life” was released, on which Thanateros found its own unique style by combining modern rock/metal-music with traditional Celtic-folk, using original instruments like the Fiddle, Uilleann Pipes, Bodhran and Whistle.
In April of 2003 Thanateros made its first successful headliner tour throughout Germany and Austria followed by lots of festival-shows with acts like „Subway to Sally“, „Letzte Instanz“, „Tanzwut“ and „L’ame Immortelle“.

In 2005 Thanateros released its first single “Dirty Old Town” and its third CD “Into the Otherworld” on which the union of modern metal and Celtic folk reached a new level.
After numerous concerts, a successful tour with “Umbra et Imago” and another one with “NFD” (ex-Fields of the Nephilim) Thanateros took a break. During this extended timeout, lasting more than two years the line-up was completely changed and new songs were written.

Then between March and May 2008 Thanateros entered the RedHouseStudio to produce fourth CD entitled “Liber Lux”. The release of the CD is planned for the beginning of April 2009 and will be followed by concerts and festival-shows.

Dirty Old Town
Thanateros Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I...
Met...
My...
Love...

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Now clouds a drifting across the moon
Cats a prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl in the street at night

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I'm going to make me a good sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
Will chop you down like an old dead tree

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Dirty Old Town" by Thanateros describe a love story in the backdrop of an industrial city. The singer describes the places and events where he met and spent time with his lover. He first met her by the gas works wall, which is indicative of the city's industrial nature. He then dreams of her by the old canal, and kisses her by the factory wall. The repetition of the phrase "dirty old town" throughout the song emphasizes the grimy and polluted setting of their love story.

The second verse describes the atmosphere of the city at night. The imagery of clouds drifting across the moon, cats prowling, and spring being a girl in the street creates a mysterious, almost ominous atmosphere. The singer then hears a siren from the docks and sees a train set the night on fire. These events are again reminiscent of the industrial setting and show the harshness of the city. However, he still smells the spring, again suggesting his love's presence.

The final verse has a darker tone as the singer decides to make himself a "good sharp axe" that will chop down anyone who crosses him like an old dead tree. This change in tone could suggest a realization that the love he found in the dirty old town is not enough, and he must be ready to fight the harshness of his environment.

Line by Line Meaning

I met my love by the gas works wall
I encountered my significant other near a structure used for gas production

Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a hopeful vision near a narrow waterway that was once used for transport

I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
I shared a tender moment with my girlfriend near a structure used for manufacturing

Now clouds a drifting across the moon
Currently, fluffy masses of water vapor are passing through the sky and obscuring the moon

Cats a prowling on their beat
Felines are patrolling their territory

Spring's a girl in the street at night
The season of spring is being personified as a female figure walking along the road during nighttime

I heard a siren from the docks
The sound of an alarm emanated from the area where ships are loaded and unloaded

Saw a train set the night on fire
I witnessed a locomotive that appeared to be ablaze, illuminating the darkness

I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
The fragrance of spring was carried by the air polluted by smoke

I'm going to make me a good sharp axe
I intend to create a high-quality and razor-sharp tool primarily used for cutting and chopping

Shining steel tempered in the fire
This tool's surface has a bright and reflective appearance, having been hardened and strengthened through heating and cooling

Will chop you down like an old dead tree
I will use this tool, with great force and ease, to cut you down like an aged and withered plant

Dirty old town
The town being described is unsanitary, run-down and in poor condition

Dirty old town
Repeated for emphasis

Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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