1994 - 1997
A predecessor of the band was formed by Marco Heubaum (guitars, keyboards), drawing inspiration from Bands like Tiamat and Paradise Lost. This band was already named Xandria, but due to musical dissension between the members, they parted ways in 1997.
1999 - 2009
In 1999 Marco Heubaum started Xandria again with new musicians. A demo was recorded in 2000, and they presented the five songs on the internet. After great success on different MP3 portals, they released their first album Kill the Sun in 2003, which reached #98 on the German music charts. The sophomore Ravenheart (2004), stayed on the charts for 7 weeks, reaching #36. In 2005 they released their third album India, which is more oriented to the symphonic metal. Their fourth album Salomé - The Seventh Veil, released in 2007, was a step away from the bombastic sound of the two predecessors and at least in Germany not such a big success as "Ravenheart" or "India".
2009
As of April 30th, 2008 the band announced that vocalist Lisa Middelhauve left the band due to personal reasons and that the band is searching for a new singer. On February 8th, 2009 an announcement on their website introduced the new singer, 28-year old Kerstin Bischof, but on February 18th 2010 the band announced that Kerstin will no longer be the bands vocalist because she decided to pursue her career outside the music business.
2010
In December 2010 it was announced on Xandrias web site that Manuela Kraller will be the new singer for the band.
The new album "Neverworld´s End" was released on February 24th 2012 (Europe) / March 6th 2012 (USA).
2013 - present
On the 25th of October 2013 the band announced Manuela's departure, who regrettably decided to continue a different musical path. Dutch singer Dianne van Giersbergen (also known from Ex Libris) was announced to become the new lead singer. In January 2014 the band announced the title for their upcoming album with Dianne called 'Sacrificium', which is set to be released on May the 2nd, 2014.
On 24 May 2022, the band posted a music video of their new song "Reborn", where []Ambre Vourvahis[] was announced as the new vocalist. Furthermore, Tim Schwarz was announced as the new bassist, and drummer Dimitros Gatsios and guitarist Rob Klawonn replacing departing longtime members Gerit Lamm and Philip Restemeier, respectively. On 7 September 2022, the band released another song, "You Will Never Be Our God"
Current members
Marco Heubaum – rhythm guitar (1994–present), keyboards (1997–present), vocals (1994–2001)
Ambre Vourvahis – vocals (2022–present)
Rob Klawonn – lead guitar (2022–present)
Tim Schwarz – bass (2022–present)
Dimitros Gatsios – drums (2022–present)
Salome
Xandria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance of The Seven Veils.
I have no choice,
I'm nothing if I fail.
Lonely Salomé,
Dancing Salomé.
Veil for veil away,
The first veil falls - Illusion,
The second one - Innocence.
The third one follows - Pride,
And four was my way back.
Lonely Salomé,
Dancing Salomé.
Veil for veil away,
Villain and prey.
Losing my dignity,
With every move I make;
I'm losing it.
The veil falls.
Freedom was long ago,
With every step I take;
I walk away.
From this veil.
Lonely Salomé,
Dancing Salomé,
Singing Salomé,
Naked Salomé.
Veil for veil away,
Villain and prey.
If there's one thing left to see,
That's of interest;
Then it's in my chest,
The seventh veil is me.
In Xandria's song Salomé, the lyrics tell the story of the infamous biblical character, Salomé, who is summoned to dance for King Herod in exchange for anything she desires. The lyrics particularly highlight the Dance of The Seven Veils, where Salomé dances seductively, removing one veil at a time until she is finally naked, thus fulfilling Herod's request. Throughout the song, Salomé relays her emotions and struggles as she dances, mentioning that she has no choice but to perform and that she would be nothing if she failed. As she removes each veil, she realizes that she is losing her dignity and becoming a villain and prey, and that she walked away from freedom and towards this veil. Finally, when the seventh veil falls, there's still one thing left to see, which is the real Salomé herself.
The lyrics of Salomé are rich with symbolism and metaphors. The Dance of the Seven Veils is not only a sensual performance but also represents Salomé's vulnerability and her willingness to reveal her true self. The veils themselves represent different aspects of her character, with the first veil being an illusion, the second representing innocence, the third representing pride, and the fourth being a way back for her. By the end of the dance, Salomé realizes that the seventh veil, which is herself, is what's left to see, symbolizing her newfound self-awareness and acceptance. The song also touches upon themes of power dynamics, freedom, and the sacrifices one is willing to make to obtain what they want.
Line by Line Meaning
They call for me,
The people call for Salomé to perform the Dance of the Seven Veils.
Dance of The Seven Veils.
The dance that Salomé must perform which involves the removal of seven veils one at a time.
I have no choice,
Salomé has no choice but to perform the dance because she is nothing if she fails.
I'm nothing if I fail.
If Salomé fails the dance, she will lose her reputation and become worthless.
Lonely Salomé,
Salomé is lonely in this performance.
Dancing Salomé.
Salomé is dancing in the performance.
Veil for veil away,
Salomé removes her veils one at a time, in sequence.
Villain and prey.
Salomé is perceived as a villain or a prey, depending on the audience's perspective.
The first veil falls - Illusion,
The first veil that Salomé removes represents the illusion that hides her true nature.
The second one - Innocence.
The second veil that Salomé removes represents her innocence, which she loses by performing the dance.
The third one follows - Pride,
The third veil that Salomé removes represents her pride, which she removes with the veil.
And four was my way back.
The fourth veil that Salomé removes represents her final chance to go back, but she chooses to continue the performance.
Losing my dignity,
Salomé feels like she is losing her dignity with each veil she removes.
With every move I make;
Salomé feels like she is losing her dignity with every move she makes during the dance.
I'm losing it.
Salomé is losing her dignity, bit by bit.
The veil falls.
Another veil falls, representing another part of Salomé's identity.
Freedom was long ago,
Salomé feels like she lost her freedom a long time ago.
With every step I take;
With every step Salomé takes during the dance, she feels more and more trapped.
I walk away.
Although Salomé cannot physically walk away from the performance, she creates a mental distance from it.
From this veil.
Salomé wishes to escape from the dance and the audience's perception of her.
Singing Salomé,
Salomé is singing during the performance.
Naked Salomé.
Salomé is becoming more vulnerable as she removes more veils.
If there's one thing left to see,
If there is anything worth seeing about Salomé, it lies hidden beneath the last veil.
That's of interest;
If there is something that the audience finds interesting, it must be behind the last veil.
Then it's in my chest,
The last veil that Salomé will remove is inside her and represents the last part of her identity.
The seventh veil is me.
The final veil that Salomé removes represents the truest version of herself.
Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Juan espinal espinal
Para mi de las mejores cantantes para xandria ademas la cancion es preciosa
J Russell
WOW! Where have I been since 1999? Missed this group entirely. Great stuff!
marcio de souza
Ótimo!! Ta aí um som muito bom, melodia excelente, instrumentos muito bem tocados, enfim, faltam palavras para descrever... RECOMENDO, é muito bom.
Misaki Mei
Lisa foi a melhor vocalista do Xandria! Sinto falta dela... Álbum maravilhoso apenas <3
Data Privasi
Damn her voice so beautiful
Thom de Oliveira
one of the most cool rock albums
Diego E. Sacchi
Lisa Middelhauve.. <3 and this is the best Xandria album or at least the one I'm most fond of. Thanks for uploading!
T T
Precioso disco. Lisa la mejor.
DM SYSTEM RECOVERY
Belas músicas
Marco Antonio Garcia
la mejor vocalista de Xandria, a mi gusto claro