Best lyrics in death metal?

[Perdition's Light]

By "the best", I mean the most artistic and meaningful...not just the goriest or sickest. Imagery of death can be used artistically but honestly a lot of death metal bands (though BM is by far the worst) have horrible lyrics.

I'm already anticipating the "lyrics don't matter" responses, but since this is a thread specifically about lyrics, they do matter in this thread.

To start things off I think Death, Atheist, Psycroptic, Psychotogen, Gorguts, Zyklon, and Cryptopsy all have really good lyrics.

 

[Nico]

I'll agree on most of those bands... Psycroptic have amazing lyrics, Death and Zyklon also have interesting and meaningfull lyrics... maybe Vehemence too, but to a much lesser extent.

 

[Funeral Portrait]

Definitely Death, that was the first band to come to my mind. I've never really paid much notice to Psycroptic's lyrics but I'll have to check 'em out now. Nile has some amazing lyrics as well. I'm a huge fan of Egyptian history so I always enjoy reading their songs.

 

[Perdition's Light]

I'll agree on most of those bands... Psycroptic have amazing lyrics, Death and Zyklon also have interesting and meaningfull lyrics... maybe Vehemence too, but to a much lesser extent.

Within the concept of the album, the lyrics on God Was Created are pretty good I'd say.

 

[Christie_fell]

Definitely Death, that was the first band to come to my mind. I've never really paid much notice to Psycroptic's lyrics but I'll have to check 'em out now. Nile has some amazing lyrics as well. I'm a huge fan of Egyptian history so I always enjoy reading their songs.

yep same here. Egyptian history is very interesting, indeed.

 

[polarity]

Cynic. (Early) Mayhem deals with some interesting concepts in places too, even if the delivery is rather retarded.

 

[Episteme]

Zyklon does have very good lyrics, as does Psycroptic. Touching on the subject of ancient history, Morbid Angel and Nile do great jobs. I think the lyrics by Arghoslent are good as well even if they seem abit racist.

 

[Life Sucks]

Immolation, Arghoslent, Gorguts, Decapitated, The Chasm.....

 

[SlaughterofSoul]

Arghoslent

 

[Under a Stone]

Atheist

 

[Hammer of Might]

I would debate Decapitated. I think at various times they have some good lines, but I get the feeling they're a bit mashed in to fit the riffs, just adopting the genral themes of nihilism or whatever else.

I myself do like them, but I would question the suggestion that they are deeply meaningful a lot of the time, at least viewing them on their own.

Of course, as is the case with many musicians, poets, writers, artists, and every other art form, often the message the artist is trying to get across or thinking about while creating the work is not easy to get out of it for someone who isn't informed.

 

[polarity]

Shit, forgot Agalloch. Some of the best lyrics in any genre ever, in my opinion.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Note to people who mentioned stuff: We're talking death metal here.

Psycroptic, Suffocation, Disavowed supposedly, though I can't find their lyrics anywhere.

 

[Erik]

At the Gates, especially "With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness"

 

[Dusk]

i hate psycroptic's lyrics. The band however, i do like.

For me, i like the lyrics to 'by your bedside' - vehemence, i think that is very well written from a lyrical standpoint.

Death are good some of the time, other times they come off as a bit clumsy, to me anyway. My favourite death lyrics would easily be 'secret face'.

 

[MasterOLightning]

What about the lyrics to Leprosy, the most informative/educational song lyrics ever? Those are great.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

Arghoslent
Nile

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Insision

 

[Nico]

i hate psycroptic's lyrics. The band however, i do like.

What is it about them you dont like? I rekon they're bloody well done.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

Morbid Angel