Tag Archives: Frederik Ehmke

Song of the Day: Sacred Worlds (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes from those metal gods who make up the power metal band, Blind Guardian. It’s a song which begins their latest full-length album, At The Edge of Time, and also a reworking of the song the band created for the console rpg title, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. The song I’ve chosen this time around is “Sacred Worlds”.

The song was originally titled “Sacred” and was introduced in the game the band made it for during a quaint sequence where virtual, fantasy versions of the band do headbanging show in your typical fantasy inn populated by orcs, goblins, trolls and other find gentle creatures. While the original song was great on its own when the band reworked it with a brand new orchestral intro and outro the song took on a more epic sound.

It’s a pretty long song at a running time of 9:17 and is one of the better songs in Blind Guardian’s latest album. It’s also one of thew songs in my Skyrim playlist which I listen to nonstop while playing in Bethesda Softworks’ latest epic rpg title.

Sacred Worlds

The realm’s bleeding
It suffers
Old and weak

No further arguing
There is war at hand
The system’s failing
Engines running

Then after all
I sense the end is dawning
These lunatics deny the truth

I know I will not fail
There’ll be

War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
I’m coming home

Coming home

You chase in twilight
And you know
You will be on your own
On your own

The misery shown
I’ll be alone in this hour
I’ll face the unknown
Witness the end

I’m bleeding, I’m fading
Here in my final hour
When long-lost memories return
And a voice keeps calling
“All dead and gone
It’s out of hand
Life is in motion”
I’m wishing, I’m fading
“Time to wake up
Face the truth”

I’m sinking
I’m drowning
There’s no doubt, no regret
“Time to reveal now”
This is no illusion
It is real
Carry on the flame
It’s not over now
Watch me, I will rise
Time to reveal now

I know I will not fail
Anymore

I’ll go on forever
All that really matters
Blessed realm
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)

Yesterday’s gone
There’s no today, no tomorrow
I’m raised from the dead
The ritual failed

There at the gates
I’m left alone in this hour
Driven insane
I am left alone

And now I drown in deepest shadows
While the golden hall is sealed
I’m wishing
I’m fading
And I’m part of the machine

My eyes are the eyes of a dead man
And I feel the unholy stream
The source of my power
T-energy
I’m in control

I will live forever
All that really matters
Find the one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
I’m coming home

I spread my wings
But keep on falling
I should have known
I can see it coming
The war is over
There’s whispering in the wind
Just let me out of here
There is no way
There’s no end
While all the suffering goes on
All that I know
Is that I’m not insane
It’s not over

Song of the Day: Valkyries (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

This pick for song of the day marks the fifth time the “Bards” from Germany has made an appearance. This song marks the third track to be chosen from their latest album, At The Edge of Time. To say that I am a fan of Blind Guardian would be just a tad bit of an understatement.

“Valkyries” is the latest song of the day and it’s Blind Guardian at their most progressive metal. As a band they’ve grown from a German speed and thrash metal band then became one of the progenitors of the power metal subgenre. For the past dozen or so years they’ve evolved their sound to incorporate progressive, melodic, symphonic and orchestral stylings to their basic power metal sound.

This song has lead bard Hansi Kürsch writing about Norse mythology, specifically the concept of the Valkyries who fly and roam above the battlefield to take those worthy slain warriors to Valhalla. Kürsch has been one of the best songwriters in the metal scene that I’ve had the pleasure to listen to. His songs are musical epic poems and if one has been following the previous “song of the day” entries involving this band they would’ve seen just how complex and intricate the lyrics Kürsch as come up with for each and every song. “Valkyries” lyrics are no different and listening to him sing it in his distinct voice conjures up images of glorious battlefields and brave warriors clashing in battle.

Listening to this song definitely would make for a great way to pump one up for the possibility of going into battle with battleaxe and sword in hand.

Valkyries

To the gods of the north, I pray
And raise my cup for the fallen ones
Then I cry
In Valhalla they’ll sing

Rain
Red blood keeps pouring down
Come Valkyries, join me on that final ride

Here I lie bleeding
Odin, I await thee

The battle rages on

New lines they’re weaving
The future, the past and the present
They’re one
They will reveal their mask
To show me a way to survive
This bitter war

Soon it will be over
He will be the one
We’ll weave in

And terror will now rule these lands

When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home
When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home

Destiny
A spinning wheel
The path of glory
Round and round
Come join us
On your final ride to Asgard
Let’s move on fast
Allfather waits
So let’s heed the final call

For now
We leave this world behind
It’s over

All glory to the brave
Still blood will rain
Through storm and fire
Let war winds reign
It’s the feast for the crows

Follow the light
Just follow the light
Or fade away

Soon it will be over
He will be the one
We’ll weave in
and terror will now rule these lands

When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home
When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home

We’ll keep on weaving
We’re crushing through lines
With our battering swords
We’re marching on
Assign the brave
To survive
This bitter war

Soon it will be over
He will be the one
We’ll weave in

And terror will now rule these lands

When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home
When the battle is lost
And the slain ones are chosen
Valkyries will guide us home
We’ll heed the final call
A call to arms
The valkyries will guide us home

Then finally I hear them say
Carry on
For Valhalla awaits you

Song of the Day: War of the Thrones (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Again the power metal lads from Germany, Blind Guardian, appears for the fourth time with one of their newest songs for Song of the Day. The song of which I speak of is the second ballad of two that Blind Guardian composed and produced for their latest album, “War of the Thrones”.

While metal bands have done ballads in the past and will continue to do so, Blind Guardian has shied away from the power ballads of most metal bands and have instead opted for the kind of folksy ballads that troubadours and traveling bards of the Middle Ages and the Age of Renaissance played much in inns and royal courts across the lands. In fact, the band has seen themselves more like traveling bards (but with a power metal kick to their music).

“War of the Thrones” definitely sounds like something a traveling troupe of bards would play at a royal court. Even the subject matter which inspired the song is from a historical fantasy series of novels by fantasy writer George R.R. Martin whose A Song of Fire and Ice many have seen as the American Lord of the Rings. The band never shies away from the fantasy aspects of their songwriting and with this song they embrace this aspect of their band’s sound.

The song’s lyrics has themes and ideas from Martin’s fantasy series. From the raging war for the throne of Westeros which has engulfed the lands south of the Wall to the sinister “Others” beyond the wall whose march will raze the Wall which keeps them from the warring kingdoms in the south. For fans of Martin’s fantasy series the song should be a delight as it brings up imagery from the books. For fans of Blind Guardian it’s a nice addition to their growing folksy ballads which goes hand in hand with their faster and more complex work.

War of the Thrones

Nothing will grow here
Icy fields – blackened sorrow
Legacy of a lost mind
Feed my void
What you’re waiting for

I’m too late
It is more than a game
The river reveals
Now I’m in between these lines
I cannot escape it seems
Sail on, my friend

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Walls they fall
When the march of the Others begins

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones shall begin

While I sit there in silence
Come and talk to me
I can’t free my mind
It is all I’m begging for

While I sit there in silence

Will it ever end?
Will I find what I’m longing for?
Will I ever walk out of shadows so grey?
I’m condemned, I am hallowed
Icy fields they won’t hurt anymore

Will you walk with me?
Any further
There at world’s end
It’s me
I sing

I cannot escape it seems
Sadly I sing

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Walls they fall
When the march of the Others begins

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones shall begin

Away
Watch the river it flows
(Now and ever)
I cannot believe in more
And now my time will come
Carry on

Will I ever learn from the past?
Will I fade away?
Will I ever stay where the shadows will grow?
There is luck at the gallows
I will free my mind
Soon it will show

Let it rain
There’ll be no spring
My dream is a mirror
It reveals a matter of lies

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones will begin

All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones has begun

Leave a fee for the tillerman
And the river behind…

Song of the Day: Control the Divine (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Latest song of the day once again comes courtesy from the German power metal lads of Blind Guardian. This time around the song chosen comes from their latest album which has already seen a European release and set to drop in North America in August 24, 2010. The song I’ve picked from their latest album, “At the Edge of Time”, is the seventh track: “Control the Divine”.

This latest album’s sound harkens back to Blind Guardian’s seventh full-length album, “A Night at the Opera”, which brought the band into the realm of epic power metal and some progressive rock elements which showed the band willing to experiment with their sound to come up with some new hybrid style. “Control the Divine” definitely combines the epic power and proggy sounds evident in ANATO. While it doesn’t have the old-school speed metal riffs of “Tanelorn (Into the Void)” (second track in the new album), the mid-tempo of “Control the Divine” remains consistent throughout the song from André’s lead guitar to Ehmke’s drumming. But it’s the singing of lead vocalist Hansi Kürsch which makes this song my overall favorite in the album.

Kürsch has a distinct singing voice and with his penchant for overdubbing his vocals to create Blind Guardian’s epic sound of having a “huge chorus” singing along (there’s not just Hansi) definitely fits in well with the song’s lyrics. Lyrics which tells within a span of 5mins and 25secs John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. The song tells of Lucifer’s downfall, to the rebellion in Heaven against God, and right up to the Lord of the Morningstar’s bitter brooding and vow to destroy God’s chosen (humans). That sounds  quite a lot to put into a song which is just under five-and-a-half minutes long, but Blind Guardian accomplished it.

Oh yeah, this song also has a very kick-ass melody.

Control the Divine

For what I was
I’m doomed to be
The tempter and the secret foe
Cause I am hell and hell is me
Pure hate will grow

Still I claim to be the chosen one and
Still I claim
This is rebellion rising

[Bridge 1]
First amongst equals
We’re bound to no law
There’s no one before us
Ethereal sons
Now disobey
Awake and arise
You’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I

[Lead: Andre]

Stay silent
Until the end of the world
So just like slaves we may deem him
Dead silence
Until the end of the world
Hence from this moment we’re doomed
I feel
It hurts though
Disburdened spirits we will be
I’ve learned my lesson
Pure and sore
An offer divine

We’re far beneath them
They consider us slaves
They steal our pride
Don’t trust them blindly
Cause truth they conceal
As it seems
I’ll reign
Cause here in my tower
Impassioned, I’ll show you a way

[Bridge 2]
I can feel your hallowed rage
Now enter my realm
Awake and arise, you’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I

[Solo: Andre]

[Bridge 3]
Descend – just keep moving
All things shall proceed
It’s freedom you’re choosing
Preserve our hate
Eternalize
Awake and arise
You’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I