Prog/Power Metal in other languages?

AngraRULES

AngraRULES

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Aug 1, 2002
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I was just wondering what everyone's opinions are on bands that play power and progressive metal, but happen to sing in other languages. Honestly, it used to bother me for some reason, but I kinda grew into it (and no, I'm not planning to pump up another Brazilian band, :lol: ). What do you guys think? I mean, I know some of you may speak/understand other languages such as French and Spanish. Is it that much of a turn off to you simply because it's not sung in English?

I'm curious to hear your opinions. I just checked this band from Spain named Avalanch. I had heard of them many times before, but knew they only sung in Spanish, so I kinda put them aside. Finally decided to give them a shot, and wow... I'm loving it. Yes, Spanish is one of the 4 languages I speak, but regardless, the music and melodies are awesome.

Here's a sample:


So, does metal really have to be in English?
 
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AngraRULES said:
Yes, Spanish is one of the 4 languages I speak...
Click to expand...
I wasn't aware there were any illegal Mexicans who speak four languages. :loco:

AngraRULES said:
Here's a sample...
Click to expand...
The music is good. I'm not crazy about the song. Honestly, I can't tell if it's the language that's the barrier for me or the song itself.

AngraRULES said:
So, does metal really have to be in English?
Click to expand...
I think for me, melodic Metal may need to be. When it comes to the more extreme genres, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Two of my favorite Black Metal bands are Drudkh and Darkestrah (stangely, neither were considered as a possible replacement for Vanden Plas) and I don't even know what language they're speaking.

Zod
 
I find the french band Manigance pretty awesome. Don't have the slightest clue what they sing about, but it has not bothered me at all.:)

 
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I love a lot of metal in other languages (than English). Been a Baron Rojo fan since the 80's, and a Pentagram fan for as long they been around.
Also like a lot of bands that sing in Swedish (Magnolia, Abramis Brama), Serbo-Croation and Russian.

I'm always more interested in the music and the vocal abilities than the actual lyrics anyway so I really don't care if I understand all of it. To be honest, I find most of the metal lyrics to be tripe anyway...:lol:
 
Doesn't bother me at all...in fact, sometimes I prefer listening to bands who sing in a language I can't understand, because then it's easier to focus on the voice as an instrument. It depends on the language, though....Finnish, for example, sounds awesome. Same with Faroese. Sometimes German, as well...but French and Spanish don't usually do it for me, and end up sounding weird. There are some other bands I listen to that sing in even less-common languages for metal...such as a Hungarian (I think) band called Nevergreen, and that works fine, as well.

I know a lot of people who won't listen to bands who don't have English lyrics...but I've really never understood that, because 95+% of the time, I'm not interested in lyrics at all.
 
Avalanch and WarCry are two of my favorite bands that sing in Spanish. Manigance is another great band that I recently got into. I've studied Spanish in school, but I'm not to the point where I can understand it fluidly (especially when sung). That being said I enjoy being able to pick out words I recognize and putting together the themes of the songs by adding in lyrics so that I can read along. To add to the discussion at hand I don't mind at all when bands sing in languages I don't understand. If I can feel the intensity they put into the music that's enough for me.

Saurom is another band that sings in Spanish that I really enjoy, they're also releasing(have released?) a version of their latest cd Once Romances desde Al-Andalus in English.



Other bands that sing in Spanish

Stravaganzza - http://www.myspace.com/stravaganzzaoficial
Tierra Santa - http://www.myspace.com/tierrasanta1987
Wurdalak - http://www.myspace.com/wurdalakheavymetal
Mago de Oz - http://www.myspace.com/magodeoz1
Saratoga - http://www.myspace.com/agotaras

German

In Extremo - http://www.myspace.com/officialinextremo
Schandmaul - http://www.myspace.com/schandmaulmusic
Subway to Sally - http://www.myspace.com/subwaytosally

Japanese

Sex Machineguns

Also, not sure of the language off hand, but Terasbetoni is awesome.

I highly recommend checking out Tierra Santa and In Extremo to begin with. Schandmaul is more rock than metal, but still worth looking into.
 
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It doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, it was one of the factors that got me to check out Manigance. :)

Falconer does a few songs in Swedish, and Tyr performs about half their songs in faroese. I think it's pretty cool, really.
 
No love here for Aria? Iron Maiden clones from the USSR/Russia, who eventually (over the course of 15 years or so) grew into their own dark power metal sound. Generator of Evil is one of the best dark power metal albums I've ever heard... and Blood For Blood is one of the best Maiden-worship efforts ever.

How about Pentagram (now called Mezarkabul)? Dark power metal a la Tad Morose... their most recent album was performed in Turkish, as were their early albums.
 
AngraRULES said:
I just checked this band from Spain named Avalanch. I had heard of them many times before, but knew they only sung in Spanish, so I kinda put them aside. Finally decided to give them a shot, and wow... I'm loving it.
Click to expand...

I've definitely heard of Avalanch. Andre Matos guests on their album Los Poetas Han Muerto on two songs: Madre Tierra and Del Cielo a la Tierra. I like the album a lot even if I only understand less than half of the words.

Though they did remake a few of their albums in English but I haven't heard them.

http://www.avalanch.net/
 
booB said:
No love here for Aria? Iron Maiden clones from the USSR/Russia, who eventually (over the course of 15 years or so) grew into their own dark power metal sound. Generator of Evil is one of the best dark power metal albums I've ever heard... and Blood For Blood is one of the best Maiden-worship efforts ever.

How about Pentagram (now called Mezarkabul)? Dark power metal a la Tad Morose... their most recent album was performed in Turkish, as were their early albums.
Click to expand...

Just came back to mention Aria (just came over my winamp). I had forgotten about Mezarkabul.. cool band there.
 
Mago de Oz is the first to come to mind. Especially talentwise...l remember having some mp3s of them doing some early DT covers live...they were spot on.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faBK7hBjTP8&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKJr8mRAsIE&feature=related[/ame]
 
Nobody has mentioned Rata Blanca, is a great band from Argentina, they have toured tha US, and I remember somebody has mentioned them in the forum.

This is their latest video, I highly recommend the earlier stuff.



There is also a solo project from the singer Barilari, Jens Johanssen end Emppu Vuorinen collaborated in that project, great disc from beginning to end, not a weak tune in it.

 
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Now here's a topic I can get into! A lot of people think it's strange that I like music with non-English lyrics, but I find it a lot more interesting.

This past weekend, Nathan & I did a segment of non-English power metal on his radio show. Avalanch was one of the highlights - they're great! Some of the others we included are:

EKZISTENCIA from Ukraine


EPINIKION, also from Ukraine.


It's no surprise that I'll add VERSAILLES (a.k.a. "Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet-" as they are known in the U.S.) to this list.


I might as well add the other Japanese bands that would fit here, starting with one already mentioned:
SEX MACHINEGUNS, these guys are legendary:


Speaking of legends, X JAPAN is always good for interesting metal and ballads:


There's CONCERTO MOON who played at Bay Area Rock Fest last year:


ONMYO-ZA (Onmyouza, 陰陽座), female-fronted with elements of ancient Japanese folklore.


And GALNERYUS, who seem to be the most likely to capture the attention of U.S. metalheads:


LUJURIA, who sing in Spanish and rock pretty hard. More like heavy metal than power metal, but still interesting.


WINTERDOME: Epic folk-metal from Germany, complete with growlies:


Spooky stuff from Finland, VERJNUARMU. You gotta watch this!


For a laugh, check out the goofy heavy metal band from Canada, who I think sing in French (?), Mononc' Serge with Anonymus:


Stopping there :)
 
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Mago de Oz, Tierra Santa, Saratoga, Easy Rider...all amazing Spanish metal. I have more foreign language metal in my collection, I just can't think of any others that haven't been mentioned yet. ( I know Mago de Oz was already mentioned, but they are worth mentioning again )

I HIGHLY recommend Tierra Santa.
 
I too, am a big fan of Tierra Santa. Can't believe no one mentioned Finntroll, who sing in Swedish, btw, not Finnish. Also there's a guy, Timo Rautiainen from Finland whose music I enjoy.

Thanks for all the vids, people. There's a lot of good stuff there.
 
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