Because it's superficial, unpoetical, thoughtless, ect. Just because you write about death and whatnot doesn't make it profound. I apply the same criticism to emo/goth poetry that always involves some combination of the words "death" "sorrow" and "darkness".

I used the term "juvenile" also because it's very childish to act boorishly aggressive. Metal projects this pseudo-angry front that just begs to be mocked. I suppose metalheads believe it's really cool to tackle people and "go crazy" at a show, but really they're just lacking the mature part of their brain that allows adults to sit in one place for a few hours without recess. Not to mention, many many kids LOVE metal.

No doubt I'm going to attract more flames with this post as well. Let's see how many of them are directed at my post or at me personally. I'm sure there are several people now who know me better than I know myself and are prepared to say so!

is towel some new insult or something?

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I don't really care about the actual lyrics to a vocal most of the time but bands who take themselves too seriously piss me off (system of a down sucks and they take themselves too seriously, it's like a twofer of shit). My favorite 2 songs by Korpiklaani aren't even in english. I just see the voice as another instrument in the song, you could sing gibberish but as long as the syllables flow with the rhythm and the voice is melodic and/or strong I'll dig it. This is why I hate weak vocals and really put a lot of stock in backup vocals by other band members (AC/DC) or redubbed backgrounds from the main singer (Sonata Arctica, Garbage). Terrific vocals/strong use of backup vocals (imo) are one main reason I like the bands I like.

This is If You Want Blood, You've Got it from Highway to Hell. It's a very lively song about nothing but it has great vocals and backups. Whole thing is good imo but if you want just the big finish skip to 3:40 >.>
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=XWIrseDnbic[/youtube]

There's only one song I can think of where I like it all the more for the actual lyrics (My Selene by Sonata Arctica), but even then I can say "it's a song about longing by a dude who's probably happily married" lol. In the end any song is just a collection of vibrations in the air that tickle our ears in a pleasing way.

I like metal and I don't walk around in studded gauntlets looking to fistfight people. I'm sure whisp doesn't go around headbutting babies and drinking their blood either.

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Some stories can't be told with words, some legends are meant to die

I don't know what metal you guys listen to, but most serious metal bands are at the forefront of political issues and modern current events. Here's a Megadeth song called Blackmail the Universe. It contains political commentary on the Middle East conflict, and war in general. Many of Dave Mustaine's lyrics center around the theme of war and politics.



Lots of metal bands take up the mantle of political commentary in their material.

here's a Dream Theater song that discusses the issue of stem-cell research, called The Great Debate.



If you think these lyrics are distasteful or childish, I'd like to see some examples of what you think is sophisticated and important (i.e. says something relevant).

I wasn't trying to disrespect lyrics that try to say something. I just live a gray and slow life of shrugs, and I don't give a crap about most stuff. Songs with too heavy a message can put me off sometimes. I have my own crap to deal with, I don't need someone else's lol. As a sidenote the bit I know of Dave Mustaine is that he's one musician who can make songs I like even if the vocal rhythm is off and the lyrics are supposed to be listened to.

All of those lyrics are absolutely terrible. Jesus Christ. The Great Debate is easily the worst Dream Theater song. It's worse than "Burning My Soul" and "Sacrificed Sons". and:

Appeasement only makes the aggressor more aggressive
He understands only one language – action!
And he respects only one word – force!
No sign of them stopping, no time for back channel communiqués
We need all the help we can get, air strikes and invasions!
Retaliate, I say!


WOW JESUS I BET HE SAT THERE OVER A DESK DELIBERATNG AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE WAY TO PUT THIS AMAZING FEELING INTO WORDS WOW "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" (YOU SEE THIS TIES IN TO THE IRAQ WAR MR MUSTAINE I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A NEW SONG CALL IT "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" BUT REALLY IT'S ABOUT ANARCHO SOCIALISM OR SOMETHING)

The stage is set for global conflict,
The great world leaders assemble at the U.N. to discuss international security,
Meanwhile a group of Scottish rebels quietly lock all of the leaders in the UN conference room,
And they hijack the entire United States military!

Now while the leaders sit in boredom playing twenty questions and scrabble,
The Scottish rebels ironically hang a "Mission Accomplished" banner on a carrier,
"We will now carry out our grand world solution" the rebel leader says
The Age of Government is gone!

Chorus:
What if Anarcho-Socialists took power?
Wouldn't that be a fucking laugh?
We'd all be shipped off to subsistence farms,
But the term is in itself contradictory anyways

All religions in the land were abolished
And instead replaced by "The Church of Noam Chomsky"
M.I.T was renamed "Jerusalem The Sequel"
And the people were forced to take pilgrimages there twice a year

But even Anarchy can have its problems, you see
Without police Penn Jillete formed a radical resistance group
and within days proclaimed himself supreme dictator of earth
and now policemen walk the streets, and the children they do weep
and to think, all of this wouldn't have happened if we'd all just STOP THE WAR!


Now just imagine LOTS of arpeggios in and out and some unison solo with vocal growling and lots of red lights during the concert. How socially relevent!

But generally speaking I like listening to music that doesn't really have a point. (Although I'm sure a lot of the music I listen to does have a message, but I probably ignore it, haha) I don't want a history lesson or feel embittered or feel anything besides an experience of sounds so awesome, or strange, or fantastic that it makes me rethink the kinds of beauty I find in life. I like to think the music I listen to isn't forced or too calculated or too over-the-top with lame messages or emo. So basically I don't like most rap, heavy metal, or dream theatre apparently, haha Because talking about stem cell research in a song is just.. well, cheesy, haha

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Retired 8/21/06
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They don't just TALK about it. THEY PRESENT BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUES SO YOU CAN DECIDE. I WISH YOU COULD UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT.

Anyways I used "contrived" where I should have used "formulaic". To me contrived holds a negative connotation but I suppose it's true of all music.

I don't like some of the metal you are talking about, i don't care about songs about death or that sort.

As for the tackleing, no i can sit at a concert and singalong and enjoy it, and when i goto stand concerts i stiff arm the fags who think moshing is cool.

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75THF 75RDM 75BRD 70BLM
LS: SPQR


WoW
70 Druid Night elf Boulderfist

Ponuh:



well?

pwnuh if you have a problem with stem cell research, try telling that to the millions of people like my brother with type 1 diabetes. parkinson's. alzheimers. soon i will begin grad school and devote my life to finding a cure for diabetes. stem cell research is at the core of not only that but many many new biological advancements. when bush is finally overthrown, we just might be able to make advancements. and here you are trying to tell people that song is unimportant or unintelligent or what? you try so hard to take sides in discussions, but do you have a side of your own? or are you just antagonistic to the bone?

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya

What in the hell are you talking about, Whisp? I know you have a profound interest in this topic, and sometimes when someone has an interest they seek to debate, but honestly I have no fucking clue where you're possibly discerning my stance on stem cell research from this thread. What in the hell are you talking about...

Despite good lyrics not needing to be topical and relevant, I'll post a song or two that first popped into my mind. I actually first thought about posting Bob Dylan or something but decided that's obviously too easy and then I thought about posting Cannibal Corpse ahaha

Here's something topical:

Porcupine Tree--Sound of Musik


I also like the lyrical style of The Decemberists. The music is simple but arranged nicely and it actually has some artistic merit, rather than:

"Terror and ugliness reveal what death really means
And in hatred you see men as they really are "

Which is terrible. That's prose, basically



I'll just post these two for now. Honestly there are much better Dream Theater songs to have posted. Voices has pretty decent lyrics.

Somewhere along the lines, metal fans got it in their mind that metal was the revitalization of classical music, or something. This whole "virtuostic, neo-classical, you wouldn't get the complexity" mindset is really obnoxious.

the first would make a decent poem, seems to have good flow. the topic is so-so. but i dont like that second one.

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya

well, considering that the electric guitar is a lot like the modern day violin, and metal music is a celebration of the electric guitar, it's not hard to see the connection.

and those lyrics you posted are kinda meh. nothing too inspired, but it's hard to judge not having heard the music. Lyrics and music are a team, sometimes one doesn't work well without the other.



what's your point?

btw Ponuh I wouldn't be afraid to associate "contrived" with something negative as music that is obviously calculated or forces something on its audience fails (for me) in its delivery. Part of how a song is supposed to sound, for me anyway, is natural and how it moves within the theory of music. But I'm moving into territory that I know absolutely nothing about: music theory, yay, so I'll shut the hell up. But I know enough to have an opinion about what I like.

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Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

Porcupine Tree--The Sound of Muzak

The Decemberists--Los Angeles, I'm Your's

Click "Download" to get a stream.

Get them now while the getting's hot. I'm breaking Tindeck's rule on no copyrighted material. I tried pairing it with a frapsed video of itunes playing the music but youtube wouldn't take it because apparently fraps doesn't record video for itunes or something lol.

As for Porcupine Tree: they're actually progressive rock (deemed by some to be the new Pink Floyd) though they're leaning towards a harder sound. They're absolutely adored by old Dream Theater fans because they've got progressive elements (more traditional progressive elements than DT) but with more sensible music. They don't lose sight of the "song". This song isn't a good example of their later sound, despite being on a later album.

Supreme Pizza is by far the best pizza, everyone should like supreme pizza, but they don't because they don't get it and they're too stupid to.

I FUCKING AGREE AND IF YOU DISAGREE YOU"RE A TOWEL.

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Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

I am a pizza hipster. Because Supreme pizza is clearly the best pizza and is beloved by all, I will denounce it and instead support a lesser known, and surely lower quality pizza, "Icecubes and Parsley Hipster's Pizza"

just listened to that Porcupine Tree song. It's ok, not really into the vocal style though. Nothing about his voice really jumps out at me, and the vocals sound overproduced at times. The drummer is good, reminds me of the drummer for dave matthews band. Good use of the hi-hat and snare.

Porcupine Tree = Dream Theater minus all agressiveness and a vocalist that sounds like more a pansy than LaBrie. Which is hard to do.

Thanks a lot guys, now I'm hungry.

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Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

porcupine tree - do you have or know of any heavier stuff of theirs? my brain looks for a good balance of heavy and soft before it can truly judge either.

december los angeles whatever - almost exactly what i dont like lol.

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya