Vanden Plas is a German progressive metal band, based in Kaiserslautern and… Read Full Bio ↴Vanden Plas is a German progressive metal band, based in Kaiserslautern and founded in 1986. The band surrounding vocalist Andreas Kuntz have succeeded in making a name for themselves on an international level, enjoy almost cult status in France, have been touring all over Europe with established acts like Dream Theater, Savatage or Angra and can point to a number of impressive releases, among them seven studio albums, a live cut, an unplugged recording, and several EPs.

Since the late Eighties, when the band first got together, Vanden Plas never lost sight of their ambitious goal: expressive music with emotional depth and a melancholy prog metal corset. Starting off with their debut album Colour Temple (1994), the band continued to gather an ever-increasing following with their versatile, intuitive and always unbridled lust for playing. Two years later, in 1997, Vanden Plas brought out their epic bombast successor The God Thing, which was praised by renowned magazines like Metal Hammer, Rock Hard, Burrn!, Aardschock and Flash. A six week tour with Dream Theater followed, like a sort of knighthood conferred on the highest level. The group went on to bring out the unplugged EP AcCult, on which the fascinating aspects of their compositions came to fruition in all their purity. Each Vanden Plas release shows the great musical diversity of the five band members, who have all repeatedly been involved in theatre projects and rock musicals like 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', 'Little Shop of Horrors' or 'Evita'. In September 1999, Vanden Plas returned to the limelight with Far Off Grace, which had been recorded by Pink Cream 69 bassist/producer Dennis Ward at the House Of Audio. The band presented themselves in an even more compact and determined style, remaining melodic and innovative at the same time.

Spring 2000 saw Vanden Plas recording a concert in front of enthusiastic fans at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris, releasing the cuts on their Spirit of Live album, which also featured a duet by vocalist Andy Kuntz and Don Dokken on the Dokken cover 'Kiss Of Death', and a breathtaking duel between guitarist Stephan Lill and his French colleague Patrick Rondat - over 73 minutes of intense live atmosphere which speak of the band's unbridled enthusiasm for their music. The same enthusiasm comes across on Beyond Daylight, combined with a determination to link past, present and future.

They have since released three more albums (Christ 0, The Seraphic Clockwork and Chronicles of the Immortals - Netherworld (Path 1)).

The band's line-up is formed by Andy Kuntz (vocals), Stephan Lill (guitars), Andreas Lill (drums), Günter Werno (keyboards) and Torsten Reichert (bass).

Side-projects include:

Abydos, a rock opera by Andy Kuntz and Andreas Lill among others.

Missa Mercuria, a metal opera by Stephan Lill, Günter Werno and DC Cooper (DC Cooper, Silent Force among others), among others, released in 2003.

Consortium Project III - Terra Incognita (The Undiscovered World). Featuring Stephan Lill on guitar, this project of Elegy vocalist Ian Parry was released in 2003.

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Note that "Vanden Plas" are different to "The Vanden Plas" which is a British electronic act.

Cold Wind
Vanden Plas Lyrics

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I'm the keeper of the flame
I'm reliquiae of ancient times
I was banished in the heat
In a candle near "the perfect Shrine"
Patiently waiting here inside my world

And a cold wind is blowing
As the fever is rising again

And the old river sighing
Here something mysterious
Shines in your life

All your wishes may come true
I'm the master of al thousand dreams
I'm a liar but your slave
Can be anything
but I'm not what I seem to be
Patiently waiting here inside my world

And a cold wind is blowing
As the fever is rising again
And the old river sighing
Here something mysterious
Shines in your life

And zephyr touches my flame
Patiently waiting here in my world

And a cold wind is blowing
As the fever is rising again
And the old river sighing
Here something mysterious

Shines in your life
I will shine!

Overall Meaning

The song "Cold Wind" by Vanden Plas is a mesmerizing and enigmatic track with lyrics that are open to interpretation. The verse has a mystical tone, with the singer claiming to be the "keeper of the flame" and the "reliquiae of ancient times," implying a long and storied past. The singer also claims to have been banished in the heat, suggesting a fall from grace or expulsion from a former position of power. They describe themselves as patiently waiting within their own world, creating a sense of isolation and otherness.

The chorus builds on this sense of mystery, with the singer describing a cold wind blowing and a fever rising, creating a sense of tension and foreboding. The old river sighs, adding to the somber ambiance. The singer then implies that they hold the power to make wishes come true and are the master of a thousand dreams, but they also confess to being a liar and a slave. The final lines of the song, "And zephyr touches my flame / Patiently waiting here in my world // And I will shine!" suggest a more positive outlook, implying that though the singer is in waiting, they will eventually shine.

Overall, the lyrics of "Cold Wind" leave much to the imagination and interpretation. The song creates a sense of intrigue with its use of mystical and poetic language, drawing the listener into the singer's world.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm the keeper of the flame
I hold the responsibility of guarding something valuable

I'm reliquiae of ancient times
I am a relic from a time long gone

I was banished in the heat
I was sent away due to intense heat or passion

In a candle near 'the perfect Shrine'
I was placed in a candle next to a sacred object

Patiently waiting here inside my world
I am waiting patiently in my own existence

And a cold wind is blowing
A chilling wind is passing through

As the fever is rising again
As intense excitement or passion is growing once more

And the old river sighing
And an ancient river is releasing a long breath

Here something mysterious
Something unknown or strange

Shines in your life
Is present in your existence

All your wishes may come true
Your desires can be fulfilled