It depends on the message and its intent. Obviously, I listen to a good deal of Black Metal. However, to me, that message is completely fantasy based and has no impact on our culture.
It seems lyrics have always been more important to me, than they are to the average listener. One of the reasons I love Nevermore, Redemption, Zero Hour, etc. is because I love their lyrics. Conversely, there are bands who I dislike because of their lyrics, either the quality and/or the message.
Agreed on all points. Dane's lyrics are dark, and his delivery darker. So I can completely understand why he wouldn't be everyone's thing. As for Black Metal, I completely agree.
While I would agree that those particular lyrics don't come across as "preachy", I would disagree that they're intelligent or well written. It reads as very steam of conscious, with word choices and phrasing that are mostly uninteresting. That said, many of their songs speak more directly to their faith. Here's a track called "A Gift Beyond Human Reach" where he sings about creationism:
Yes.
A bit of both. I always listen to the lyrics. If the vocals are indiscernible, I'll sometimes look them up. It kind of depends on the band and whether I feel it's worth it.
The vocals are only another instrument for me when it comes to genres that are not built around vocal melodies, like Death or Black. With more melodic genres, the vocals, in and of themselves, are make or break. I don't listen to a band (Power, Prog, etc.) if I don't like the singer.
