Controversial opinions on metal

[Nephilim96]

Christian metal sucks because it's total cognitive dissonance between sound and message. You can't have really distorted instrumentation and screamed vocals when the message is all peace and love. It's like bouncy banjo music trying to be dramatic and sinister.

around 3:25

 

[matt schrauben]

Secondly, lyrics aren't a non-factor. Everyone says that, but if that were the case why is Arghoslent controversial? Are you telling me you'd be totally cool with listening to a band made up of totally hateful white supremacists if the music was rockin'? Of course not.

You do realize there a plenty of people on this forum that listen to NSBM, right? Many of which aren't NS themselves. I mean there is thread dedicated to NSBM recommendations here. Lyrics can definitely be a non-factor for many people.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Angry Christians aren't so rare, certainly not "weird", and there's a middle-ground between love and misanthropy. Many power metal (and related) bands have Christian lyrics that are not at odds with the fantasty lyrics that dominate that style. For those that do preach, I only see it as hypocritical if they choose metal solely because they think it's a niche for preaching. If they believe what they say and play with convincing passion, I don't need to agree with the lyrics. Plenty of bands preach about peace and etc from a secular viewpoint as well, and no one complains of any contradiction there.

I don't listen to metal for really any of those reasons, btw. I listen to it primarily for its bombast, passion, and riffs, which is why Burzum is the antithesis of the music that spawned motherfucking Judas Priest.

 

[matt schrauben]

Angry Christians aren't so rare, certainly not "weird", and there's a middle-ground between love and misanthropy. Many power metal (and related) bands have Christian lyrics that are not at odds with the fantasty lyrics that dominate that style. For those that do preach, I only see it as hypocritical if they choose metal solely because they think it's a niche for preaching. If they believe what they say and play with convincing passion, I don't need to agree with the lyrics. Plenty of bands preach about peace and etc from a secular viewpoint as well, and no one complains of any contradiction there.

I don't listen to metal for really any of those reasons, btw. I listen to it primarily for its bombast, passion, and riffs, which is why Burzum is the antithesis of the music that spawned motherfucking Judas Priest.

Good call on that one. I agree with the middle ground between love and misanthropy and I also like to point out that metal doesn't always have to be "misanthropic and angry" either. Plenty of extreme metal bands aren't either of those things.

 

[J.]

it goes the other way as well. tom araya is a devout christian. do some slayer songs come off as fake because of this?

 

[matt schrauben]

^Good call.

 

[Krow]

Christian whinyness ruins Trouble's early albums for me.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

Religious or spiritual themes in general just aren't my cup of tea, Christian, Satanist, Pagan or otherwise, but it won't stop me from enjoying the vocalist's voice as another instrument in an ensemble of sound well-orchestrated. Lyrics tend to be secondary enjoyment for me.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Christian whinyness ruins Trouble's early albums for me.

Because you're a wimp.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Christian metal sucks because it's total cognitive dissonance between sound and message. You can't have really distorted instrumentation and screamed vocals when the message is all peace and love. It's like bouncy banjo music trying to be dramatic and sinister.

Ignoring the try-hard sadness of people thinking they're going to make religion "cool" by wrapping it up in metal, I just can't take any music serious when the message and the sound are at such odds with each other, regardless of what the two elements are.

If you're talking about the Old Testament you can pull it off. There's a lot of epic and violent stories in there. Case in point: Creeping Death.

 

[Kara-Shehr]

Most of the time I don't even give a shit about lyrics. There are plenty of exceptions though. A band having lyrics that don't appeal to me for whatever reason isn't a deal breaker. I don't care what they're about either as long as the music is good generally. I ain't prejudice.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

Well first of all, if it's still angry and misanthropic that's some weird-ass Christian music, IMO, and the kinda thing I'd endorse even less.

Plenty of Christians are angry and misanthropic, believing that everyone else is going to Hell.

However, I make a distinction between Christian metal and metal that happens to be Christian. The former is mostly derivative rubbish that strives to be the "moral" substitute. On the other hand, we have Virgin Black, who have Christian beliefs but don't follow organized religion.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

I don't listen to metal for really any of those reasons, btw. I listen to it primarily for its bombast, passion, and riffs, which is why Burzum is the antithesis of the music that spawned motherfucking Judas Priest.

Burzum has passion and riffs; two out of three ain't bad.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Burzum has passion and riffs; two out of three ain't bad.

Let's limit things to post-debut Burzum.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

I like non-prefixed black metal just fine.

Like Drudkh? Lol.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

M-A is more conservative with genre labeling when it comes to bigger names, especially bands that have changed between different sounds. On RYM, general forum discussions, etc, they're always described as atmospheric black metal and their folk elements played-up.

 

[noisefiend]

Because you're a wimp.

and a poseur. best to leave the hall if you don't like classic Trouble.

 

[Krow]

Saint Vitus > Trouble

 

[CF87]

it goes the other way as well. tom araya is a devout christian. do some slayer songs come off as fake because of this?

Tom Araya did not write any of the Anti-Christian lyrics in Slayer, his writing was more about war and psyche. I do not really think him being a Christian really effects Slayer at all. Ofcourse Slayer sucks now and has for years and Jeff is dead. So...

 

[romanticism]

I never paid much attention to that third Trouble album ("Run To The Light"? Is that it?), but if Psalm 9 comes off as a whiny Christian metal album to you, I reckon you'd have a mental breakdown if you actually had a conversation with someone truly vocal about their faith.

Also, crimsonfloyd makes a good case for potential Christian metal idea. I'd often thrown around "Christian" metal song titles in my head that no one would think twice about. One I thought of was "The Empty Tomb" - like, so metal, amirite?

And yeah, Saint Vitus > Trouble, but Trouble > almost all other trad doom