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)
Widescreen
Xandria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bringing our lives into one line
Fashion be my guide
Cold sweat, there's something on, I don't know yet
Thoroughly making my mind mad
I'll jump onto this fast train
Ruling my life on the fast lane
I am and I am
Watching it on widescreen all the time
Bringing our lives into one line
Fashion be my guide
Reflections of what they want us to be
Uniformed, we are right what we see
A pressure I can't hide
Downfall of visions and dreams, gotta have all
Like lemmings, we rush for the roll call
Deprived of all we stand for
United, we stand as a main bore
Just numbers, no names on this dead score
We are and we are
Watching it on widescreen all the time
Bringing our lives into one line
Fashion be my guide
Reflections of what they want us to be
Uniformed, we are right what we see
A pressure I can't hide
Watching it on widescreen all the time
Bringing our lives into one line
Fashion be my guide
Reflections of what they want us to be
Uniformed, we are right what we see
A pressure I can't hide
The lyrics of Xandria's song "Widescreen" explore the theme of conformity in the modern society. The singer reflects on how we are constantly exposed to a "widescreen," i.e., a larger-than-life version of reality, through the media and how this influences our lives. The pressure to conform to societal standards of beauty, success, and happiness is overwhelming and constant, reflected in the line, "Fashion be my guide."
The singer then discusses the negative effects of this conformity, leading to a loss of individual identity and the feeling of being just another faceless number in society. They describe this loss of identity as a "vast strain." They also highlight the false sense of success and satisfaction in life through the line "Deprived of all we stand for," suggesting that our true ideals and dreams are being smothered by the pressure to conform.
Overall, Xandria's "Widescreen" provides a commentary on the perils of conformity and the pressure to conform to societal ideals, encouraging individuality and outside-the-box thinking.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching it on widescreen all the time
Constantly watching the world around us like a movie on a big screen
Bringing our lives into one line
Forcing individuals into conformity and sameness
Fashion be my guide
Being influenced by trends and societal expectations
Cold sweat, there's something on, I don't know yet
Feeling uneasy and uncertain about the future
Thoroughly making my mind mad
Causing mental distress and confusion
I'll jump onto this fast train
Choosing to embrace the fast-paced and competitive nature of society
Ruling my life on the fast lane
Allowing the speed of society to dictate one's choices and actions
Being a part is a vast strain
Feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to fit in and conform
I am and I am
Asserting one's identity in the face of societal pressure
Reflections of what they want us to be
Seeing only the version of ourselves that society expects
Uniformed, we are right what we see
Believing that conformity is the only right option
A pressure I can't hide
Feeling weighed down and suffocated by societal expectations
Downfall of visions and dreams, gotta have all
Sacrificing personal goals and aspirations for societal success
Like lemmings, we rush for the roll call
Blindly following the crowd without question
Deprived of all we stand for
Losing sight of our individual beliefs and values
United, we stand as a main bore
Coming together in a monotonous and predictable way
Just numbers, no names on this dead score
Reduced to mere statistics with no individuality
Watching it on widescreen all the time
Repeatedly seeing society from a distance, through a screen
Bringing our lives into one line
Forcing us into a single, homogenous way of living
Fashion be my guide
Being led by the current trends and what is considered fashionable
Reflections of what they want us to be
Seeing ourselves only through the expectations of others
Uniformed, we are right what we see
Believing that conformity is the only way to be right
A pressure I can't hide
Feeling the constant weight of societal pressure and expectations
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind