Vivian Franken

This week we’ll focus on the third song and title track of the album, called ‘Avalon’. This
song is the wanderer’s next adventure, after having his first encounter with ‘the darkness’ in
the first two songs.

We clearly hear a clock ticking as the song starts; an indication of a sense of urgency. The
point of view has changed, the lyrics are now written from the wanderer’s perspective. “I
hear it softly humming, the light behind the open door,” he says. His battle with the
darkness seems to have been a dream, as he now finds himself woken up by a strange
sound coming from the hallway. He feels like it pulls him in- almost as if it’s magnetic. The
sound comes from a door that seems to be glowing with light and he cannot keep himself
from entering. The music in the verses support this strange curiosity.

The light reveals a completely new world and as the song goes into the chorus, both the
vocals and music turn from curious to excited. What he has found behind that door is
beautiful, so beautiful the wanderer is not sure if it’s even real. “A kingdom far beyond my
dreams, I don’t want to leave.”

The moment the last words are uttered, the music suddenly seems to have an edge of
danger to it. Is it a bad thing that he does not want to leave? Is it maybe too perfect- like a
trap luring him in?

As the wanderer goes on discovering this newfound land, he describes feeling the magic
around him. “I feel enchanted, calm and free. The magic fills my soul.” Even though the
music seems cautious, the wanderer is still in awe of what he has found. The chorus is back
with that same excitement from before as one can imagine him going deeper and deeper
into the fantasy realm.

“Welcome stranger, to the kingdom of plenty,” a somewhat menacing voice suddenly calls
out from nowhere. “Can you feel the magic in the air? What you see goes beyond reality,
but it appears only to those who believe!” The choir sets in- danger. Something is definitely
not right about this place, but the wanderer is too enchanted by it all to realize.
The song clearly ends on the words “I don’t want to leave…” with the ticking clock slowly
fading away. Is he trapped? His adventure continues in the next song, ‘Escape the Darkness’.
Stay tuned for next week’s ‘behind the lyrics’,

See you then!

“I hear it softly humming
The light behind the open door
I have the strangest feeling
Like it is pulling me in

The moment I step in the light
The sight is blinding me
A whole new world is waiting
And it is full of magic!

Don’t know if what I see is real
A land full of mystery
Colourful creatures, ancient trees
All in harmony

Birds singing to a starry sky
Wolves howling in the moonlight
A kingdom far beyond my dreams
I don’t want to leave

The glimmer of the warm sun
Reflects like diamonds on the leaves
Bright flowers coming to life
As I roam through the forest

I feel enchanted, calm and free
The magic fills my soul
My heart feels likе it’s floating
There’s so much to discover”

Read all the lyrics on Genius!

 

 

It’s time to take you through our second song, ‘Spark of Hope’. This song is a continuation of
the events that happen in the first song.

Spark of Hope starts off with strong guitars, like a reality check after the somewhat
triumphant ending of Black Horizon. The darkness has not yet been faced by the wanderer,
he has only been told he held the power to overcome it. The setting describes a restless sea
in the dark of night and the wanderer alone in his boat.

This is the moment of truth. ‘Face the darkness’. Musically, the song is calm, just like the
lyrics describe: “The darkness is silent, the calm before the storm.” You can imagine the
wanderer quiet in preparation of what’s to come, no longer trying to run from what is
chasing him, but facing it head on. The music grows louder and as it goes towards the
chorus, the synths change to a more menacing sound.

The voice that spoke to the wanderer in Black Horizon is back in this chorus, urging him to
face the fury head on. “Set your sails towards the sun, let the darkness subside and free
your soul!” Musically, this part of the song carries that same feeling of hopefulness, that
‘spark of hope’, that we heard in the first track.

As the song goes back into the second verse, it’s clear by the lyrics that the battle has begun
and the wanderer is now in the midst of it. The only way is through. As he was told in the
chorus, he should seek out the light and follow it to a better place, even if he must battle his
way through the darkness to get there. Thankfully, he has the power to overcome it all.

After the second encouraging chorus, where the wanderer is most definitely fighting his
demons and making his way through that dark storm, the voice suddenly tells him: “Don’t
be afraid, it is part of you.” All of our hearts hold the light and the dark, it’s just a matter of
accepting it’s there and keeping the balance. He steadies himself, re-sets his sails and
follows the advice, “Just follow the light, find your purpose. Land of fantasy, chase it
endlessly.”

He makes it through. The storm is subsiding and the darkness seems to withdraw behind
him. His adventure continues in the next song, ‘Avalon’, which we will talk about next week.

See you then!

“The darkness is silent, the calm before the storm
The thunder is rumbling, the waters cold below

This curse is destructive, it weighs upon your soul
Hides under the surface, until the time has come

The sound of waves crashing will have you down on your knees
Praying for the guidance to make it through the night

You will find the sky ablaze
With the light to guide you home
Set your sails towards the sun
Let the darkness subside and free your soul

It rages bеhind you; the battle has begun
Thе lightning fills the sky with a cold, icy glow

The strong wind is howling, like voices calling for you
The storm will consume you, so you should not look back

If you close your eyes, there is darkness
Don’t you be afraid, it is part of you
Just follow the light, find your purpose
Land of fantasy, chase it endlessly”

Read all the lyrics on Genius!

 

This week we’ll guide you through the first song on the album, called ‘Black Horizon’. The
story will reveal much of the meaning behind both the music and the lyrics.

Black Horizon is the song that kicks off the album full speed, with a grand musical intro. A
fitting start to the journey- one that still seems like a dream.

The wanderer seems alone, in the rush of his own imagination. A storm is raging inside of
him and he must unlock something within himself to escape it. The music has a raw
darkness to it, that makes the raging of that storm all the more impactful.

“There’s no one to guide you through now, so you must trust in your own fate.”

At this point we don’t know what the wanderer’s fate will be, but we’re certain that it’s
something that will save him from the raging storm and the darkness on his heels. It’s
almost like a nightmare is chasing him through a fitful sleep, the ‘voices of death’ trying to
coax him into the nightmare. Their voices resonate through the pre-chorus of the song,
screaming of destruction.

Thankfully there’s a lighter voice in the distance, telling him to look within himself. “Your
heart holds the answers still unfound,” she says. The music changes dramatically as the
chorus sets in, like the sun breaking through the clouds. That feeling continues through that
part of the song, where the voice continues to tell him to let his power ‘come to light’ and
that ‘eternal blaze’ will lead his soul to glory. It’s a hopeful moment- but it’s short.

The music regains the heaviness again and the drastic change in tone is evident. The sun is
gone; the wanderer is alone once again. The story continues with the message: ‘The
darkness is inevitable and there’s no way around it. Face your nightmare and deal with it.’
The wanderer is once again reminded of his dormant power to overcome this darkness; a
power that is most definitely strong enough to counter whatever is on his heels.

Soon, the light is back to encourage him and the wanderer seems to slowly realize his own
potential. He seems doubtful at first, the instrumental part between the last two choruses
sounding like he’s overwhelmed. It doesn’t last long- the voice is back to remind him: “Your
heart holds the answers still unfound, the compass buried deep within your soul!”

‘Black Horizon’ is the first look into the dreamscape of ‘the Other Side’ and the first time we
get to know both the darkness, the light and the potential of the wanderer. His journey will
continue in the second song, ‘Spark of Hope’, which we will talk about next week.

See you soon!

“The darkest of nights has come to fall
The land consumed with its shadows
Storms raging across the open sea
Leaving destruction everywhere

There’s no one to guide you through now
So you must trust in your own fate

Rise
Raze
Strive
Crush

The voices of death have come to call
In search of souls to devour
You want to escape their violent claws
It’s time to fight to save yourself!

Your heart holds the answers still unfound
The compass buried deep within your soul
Arise, let your power come to light
Eternal blaze will lead your soul to glory

All darkness you’ve seen was but a test
The time to reckon has come now
There is no escape from what’s to come
No choice but look fate in the eye

Don’t try to withhold what you possess
Embrace the deepest of powers
The storms raging on within the depths
The trial you seek to overcome”

Read all the lyrics on Genius!

 

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Dream Map’s blog, where you will find the latest music-related news and
stories! We will keep you up to date on Dream Map’s plans and musical journey and we’ll
take you a little further into our dreamscape with behind-the-music stories on all the
album’s songs.

We believe that transparency, interaction and a sense of involvement with fans are
important ingredients to being a successful band in the industry. Transparency is very
important to us in the way we create and promote our music, as we strive to always be
open and honest with each other. Communication is key in a creative process, after all.
We hope to be able to interact with you through our stories, we’d love to hear what else
you’d like us to talk about!

Read all the lyrics on Genius!