Metal Heads Assemble!!

[BoneSnapDeez]

On the topic of lyrics.... I prefer it when European bands write lyrics in their native tongue instead of singing in English. Seems more genuine that way. Yes, I prefer it even though I can't make any sense of the lyrics.

[Forlorn Drifter]

Besides the first letters of verses spelling things out on certain songs, there's nothing I have an issue with. That doesn't bother me that much.

I listen to Amon Amarth, and they have lyrics in a certain song about burning Christians inside a church. But then again, they aren't singing "Kill the Christians, I hate God, grr, fear me" (Over exaggeration here, but pointing out its not nearly as blatant or as in your face.)

Part of the reason I have such an issue with lyrics is shit like this. I like Viking Metal a lot, but I can listen to very few bands because I can't abide the lyrics. Its a bit of a bitch.

[AppleQueso]

Besides the first letters of verses spelling things out on certain songs, there's nothing I have an issue with. That doesn't bother me that much.

It's a lot less subtle than "first letters of verses". Just look at the lyrics to The Golden Walls of Heaven or even Twilight of the Gods.

I'm being a bit of an ass right now, I know. I was about to let it go, but the Bathory thing was just too much.

I mean if that stuff is fine with you, what's wrong with, I dunno, Morbid Angel? Sure, they're well known for the satanism stuff, but most of their material is actually about mysticism, Lovecraft, and the occult. What about King Diamond? His whole image is based around the whole satanic thing, but most of his songs are actually short horror stories.

Just so you know, for the most part I'm just teasing you about this. Poking and prodding you to see just how flexible some of your lyrical tastes are, might help with future recommendations anyway.

Anyway holy crap I'm up late and I'm way too tired. Sorry for dragging this whole thing out. It's just that this whole idea of placing so much importance in lyrics is just outright alien to me.

[Forlorn Drifter]

No, its cool, I'm frowned upon in pretty much all of metaldom for my lyric importance and religion.

Again, like I pointed out before, a Country/Bluegrass based background leads to an importance on lyrics. Huge importance in fact. In Country and Bluegrass that's the majority of what is important, especially on older country and honky tonk based stuff, where music is ripped off constantly and blatantly. Honky tonk and most older country has a focus on a dancing style tune or melody, thus leading to a lot of similarity musically. Thus, lyrics become a defining factor, where your singer is pretty much all that's important.

I have too much of an influence there. If I was raised on Classical or something like that, I would care much less about lyrics.

[Sasha_Blue]

I can definitely see it in Viking Metal that the bands sing about killing christians and such without being blunt about it. I can understand why they sing about that stuff. Mostly because it's a historical thing. The christians did invade the northern lands and forced the natives and basically gave them a choice, convert or die. This also goes back to the 1980's when black metal was rising in Norway and all those church burnings happened. The said it was a war on Christianity. That they were taking back their land. I learned this from Lords of Chaos, good book by the way.

On a side note, many bands in Mexico sing about killing christians as well. Due to the same reason. Like Viking Metal, Mexico and many South American countries have Aztec/Mayan metal. Some of these bands sing in Spanish of course but many sing in the ancient language of the Mexicans, Nahuatl. There are some places in Mexico were this language is still spoken today.

[aaron]

metal lyrics are pretty fickle. they don't seem important until they are noticeably bad.

anyway, just listen to stuff about satan and shit, it's cool.

[Ack]

You know, I'm actually enjoying that prehispanic stuff you linked, Sasha. It reminds me of some of the Native American metal or some of the sub-Saharan African metal I've heard.

Forlorn, if you're ok with listening to parts of a group's discography based on their lyrics, are you ok with things like Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God and Surtur Rising? And what do you think of Slayer?

Also, fuck it. Go listen to GWAR.

[Forlorn Drifter]

GWAR is obviously tongue in cheek.

I listen to all of Amon Amarth, like I said, they never had anything overly offensive to me. The only stuff one might consider offensive is in a war sense, so it sits with a different mindset.

Slayer is kind of a special case, as it was the first band I ever heard with "Satanic" lyrics. I always thought it was a joke, I don't really know though. I didn't really like the last couple albums just because they seemed so straightforward for me. Nothing new, and the riffs didn't grab me.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Slayer hasn't released a good album in 23 years.

[BurningDoom]

Slayer hasn't released a good album in 23 years.

It hasn't been 23 years since "God Hates Us All".