1. A German Power Metal ban… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Wizard.
1. A German Power Metal band, formed in 1989
2. A Producer / DJ / Beatmaker from Hastings, Britain
3. A Japanese visual-kei band. See Ｗｉｚａｒｄ for more info.
1. Wizard is a German Power Metal band, formed in 1989 by the drummer Sören van Heek. The band was often called "Germany's answer to Manowar". On some albums the lyrics are about battles, metal, war and steel. The exception were the albums Odin, which is a concept album about Norse mythology, Goochan which is a fantasy story about a witch (written by Volker Leson and author William B. Nuke), Thor which is also about north mythology and ... of wariwulfs and bluotvarwes which is about vampires and werewolfs (written by Wizard and Andre Wiesler, German author).
Wizard played at Wacken Open Air 2002, Bang Your Head!!! 2002, Keep It True 2004, Dokk'em Open Air 2006, Magic Circle Festival 2009 and is in the 2012 line-up of Hammerfest IV. In 2003 longtime guitarist Michael Maass quit the band because of health problems. In 2006 the band left the label Limb Music after four albums and joined the somewhat bigger label Massacre Records with a new album in mind to be released in January 27, 2007, titled Goochan. On may 18th, 2007, Michael Maass returned to the band after a three-year break. The band's 2009 album Thor received a positive review from The Pit reviewer Frank Heise, who praised "The Visitor" as the best track on it.
The band's 2011 album ...Of Wariwulfs and Bluotvarwes received a positive review from SLUG Magazine reviewer Dylan Chadwick noting that "well trodden, and admittedly formulaic, it's a resoundingly competent platter of steel-willed, fist pounding heavy metal that'll satisfy the most voracious headbanger's hunger."
Utgard
Wizard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is there no harder quest you give?
If this beast is bound by spells around
No one of you will live!"
The cat he grabbed and lifted high
But long and longer it now got
He was struggling with the loudest cry
Until a foot was lifted, not a lot
Thjalfi ran against a thought
No one ever lift the serpent higher
Against the ages all draw short
[Refrain:]
Utgard, Utgard, Utgard
The rage filled Thor and he did claim
To get another task to see
He danced with Elli and for his own shame
Was forced down to his knee
Now dirty tricks where all revealed
By magic they where fooled
Now as they leave the playing field
They know the way this games where ruled
The lyrics of the Wizard's song "Utgard" describe the tale of Thor visiting the fortress of Utgard, a stronghold of the giants, where he is challenged to perform a series of tasks. The first task he is given is to lift a cat off the ground, but the cat grows increasingly larger making it more difficult for Thor to lift. The lyrics then shift to describing the challenges faced by other members of Thor's party.
The lines "Loki fought against the fire/Thjalfi ran against a thought/No one ever lift the serpent higher/Against the ages all draw short" refer to two of the other tasks given to Thor's companions: Loki is challenged to eat as much as he can, but finds that the food keeps disappearing due to illusion magic, and Thjalfi is challenged to outrun one of the giants, but finds that his opponent was in fact the personification of Thought, and therefore impossible to outrun.
The final verse reveals that the challenges were all a ruse, a lesson in humility, and that Thor and his companions were never meant to succeed. The song overall serves as a reminder that even the most powerful of gods can be weakened by arrogance and that there is always someone or something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
This cat I will lift up from the ground
The singer is accepting a challenge to lift a cat from the ground.
Is there no harder quest you give?
The singer is questioning if there is a harder challenge available.
If this beast is bound by spells around
The singer believes the cat may be under a spell or some sort of enchantment.
No one of you will live!
The artist is threatening the group, implying they will all suffer if they interfere.
The cat he grabbed and lifted high
The artist successfully lifts the cat up from the ground.
But long and longer it now got
The cat continues to grow longer and heavier.
He was struggling with the loudest cry
The singer is struggling to hold the cat, making loud noises in the process.
Until a foot was lifted, not a lot
The cat lifts one of its feet, making it slightly easier for the artist to hold.
Loki fought against the fire
Loki is facing a challenge involving fire.
Thjalfi ran against a thought
Thjalfi is facing a mental challenge.
No one ever lift the serpent higher
The group has encountered an insurmountable challenge involving a serpent.
Against the ages all draw short
No matter how much time passes, the challenge will remain impossible to overcome.
Utgard, Utgard, Utgard
The singer is invoking the name of Utgard, the mythical city where the challenges take place.
The rage filled Thor and he did claim
Thor is angered by the challenges and demands another task.
To get another task to see
Thor wants to see if he can complete another task.
He danced with Elli and for his own shame
Thor is defeated in a dance by an elderly woman named Elli, causing him humiliation.
Was forced down to his knee
Thor is physically brought down to his knees in defeat.
Now dirty tricks where all revealed
The true nature of the challenges, involving trickery and illusions, is now known.
By magic they where fooled
The group was deceived by illusions created by magic.
Now as they leave the playing field
The group is leaving the location where the challenges took place.
They know the way this games where ruled
The group understands that the challenges were designed to be impossible to complete, using deceit and illusions to ensure their failure.
Writer(s): Wizard
Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.