I'm interested to hear peoples thaughts about bands they listen to with a common lyrical theme or certain aspect of their lyrics that really get to them and make you feel more connected to the music and/or the band and why it makes you feel more connected.

Personally for me i've always really sunken into Morbid Angels ideal of individualism and thinking for yourself. the fact that 'if you dont use your mind on your own, someone else is going to use it for you' - Trey Azagthoth

Other stuff like Burzum i've always also felt connected to cos im very much into fantasy stories and stuff and some of his old lyrics are about it, kind of like fantasy novels in his songs (some of them are about it, i dont mean the songs about norse paganism, folklore, etc.). I also really always agreed with Dio's ideal of 'Heaven and Hell'.

Now let's see yours!

In general you've got Primordials songs about Irish pride. While I have no relation to the Ireland side of things, I think that Namethanga creates a wonderful sense of pride that expands beyond his specific examples.

I find I can generally connect with fantasy based lyrics that have a real-life message. Such is true for some Kamelot lyrics. "Fly on the wings of despair, no one is holding you back." and "Somewhere in time, I will find you and hold you again" are both examples.

Depressive Black lyrics by bands such as Har Shatan I connect with, but the strongest would have to be Twisted Sister. Almost all of their lyrics I can relate to some aspect of my life, and I really love that.
I've always had an interesting connection to the lyrics of "Firesoul" by Mercenary, as well.

When I was with my ex there were certain things I'd say to her, terms I'd never heard before, that I would then hear in a song. That was cool.

It really helps me to connect with a song and band if I feel both me and them have shared thoughts. Sure, depressive lyrics and lyrics from bands like Twisted Sister can be probably be related to by almost everyone, but the point remains. Lyrics are incredibly important to me, so relating to them makes a band all the better.

Images of AETERNUS art are inspired me during 13 years. This band really come straight from the abyss! BEFORE THE DAWN - their metaphors and scripts of human relations doesn't left me indifferent. And, finally, shadows realm of KATATONIA...

I've got a fascination with history and mostly WWII and multiple bands have lyrics about war, history and WWII. Only Warbreed really sings about it in a way I really feel connected to it. It sounds like the band really is interested with WWII in the same way I am and not just chose it because it's a cool subject.

Burzum, because of strong emotions just in the music itself.

Final War.

Behemoth, strong Pagan, anti-Christian values are always good.

Dyng Fetus as well.

Deathspell Omega message has a very strong weight on me.

I enjoy Secrets Of The Moon's as well and Neurosis stands in the group too.

I seem to connect more with the music itself more than the lyrics somehow, especially Morrigan (ger) they create an awesome atmosphere and paint a peaceful picture of nature in your mind. As far as lyrics goes i connect with some of dissection's songs , jon was always a poet. Behemoth, Morbid angel, Electric wizard, Gospel of the horns, I and enslaved all seem to pull me in, probably because i have a great interest in their lyrical concepts.

This might sound totally cheesy but I really dig the medieval stuff. I mean I find the idea of western Europe in a simpler state, closer to nature to be beautiful.
However romanticized it may be, I long for the day where we have current medical advances but we cease using cars and live in simpler homes. Not all this hideous architecture, track housing, and general alienation from your neighbor. I can't think of a band right now but I look up videos on youtube about it, secretly , I find positive music is SO hard to come by...
I also applaud these bands for bringing back the power of mythology and exposing our generation to it, I see it as a re invigoration to our dead culture and provides hopes and ideals to some struggling youth.

But I'm a Luddite and a Heidegger fanatic, so shoot me. I
The second lyrics that always get me are ones from bands like Dropdead, Infest, Assuck, and Electro Hippies about animal rights and racial equality. More specifically having a militant stance on both.

Forefathers Anglo-Saxon pride lyrics

Falkenbach and Bathory certainly come to mind... I'm very interested in paganism and the vikings; the emotional/spiritual ties to nature, the mythology... it's amazing.

The big one for me is Agalloch. Lyrically and musically. I sometimes read the booklet when listening The Mantle (though I know most of the lyrics by now) and it just clicks... I get it, so to speak. What some might consider depressing about their material, I find is more like a shield against it. Very relaxing, uplifting and personal experience. Not really music designed for get-togethers... it's introverts' music.

There are two main themes that I love in lyrics, both of them exact opposites.
One is humorous, story telling-esque lyrics like Impaled and Ghoul have.
Then I like the lyrics about dark, epic, massive battles like Anaal Nathrakh, Stormlord, Bolt Thrower, and Apotheosis.
I do, however, like lyrics that delve into philosophy, but those are few and far between.

The biggest one for me is stuff like Electric Wizard. Paired with the music I love the satanic/occult/weird/Lovecraftian feeling.

Sabaton would be totally up your alley. They take no sides in the war, only glorify soldiers and military pride. They're a good band anyways, figured I'd say something about them.

Lyrics about liberty, freedom and rebellion against society.

So lots of thrash and Running Wild. Especially Running Wild

Real positive and uplifting lyrics like Killswitch Engage is what I like. Their music matches their lyrics and that's what I like most about them. I also get real into a lot of the New thrash/crossover bands lyrics about rebellion and moshing, stuff like that.

I also find it real easy to get into lyrics that tell stories about history, battles, wars, etc. Bands such as Dragonforce, Amon Amarth, and Iron Maiden. When Power Metal/Orchestral Metal bands talk about fantasy and stuff like that, I like the way most of them combine with the atmosphere of the music. It's really good when you have a band that can match their music with their lyrics.

One band that really stands out to me is Metal Church, especially the Human Factor and Hanging in the Balance.

Human Factor talks about "music of these days" and how the "human factor" has diminished. Anyone who avoids the radio or MTV knows what they're talking about, and this was written back in the early 90s.

Another standout track is The Final Word, about people who whine and complain about every minor little thing in a country that gives us a lot of freedom we take for granted.

One last one I'd like to mention is No Friend of Mine from Hanging, your basic equality themed song with ass kicking riffs.

WW1 themed songs / albums / bands. Since I like to study a lot of WW1, any band with songs dedicated to that war really touches me personally.

God Dethroned, for instance, have a whole album in the name of a battle from that particular war. It's a damn good album overall, but reading the lyrics are what really bring it to a whole closer level.

Lyrics to "Poison Fog" bring me down to a more realistic perspective. Reading over tons of articles and seeing so many pictures of the carnage is one thing, but to have music put you into that setting is a whole different experience.

Bands with folk/medievil [sp?] themes are the ones I tend to connect with the most, but only for one reason - nostalgia. When I was a kid I was totally into all that stuff, and I remember my dad being into fantasy medievil books/shows/movies too, which I'd watch with him. I was captivated by them. I'm still fascinated by all this and despite the fact that I don't read the books or watch the movies, this is one of my favorite themes.

I came here to post this. Running Wild especially has something that is very free spirited.

Boyd Rice's lyrics and spoken word pieces have always struck a bit of a chord with me. similarly Sol Invictus, with its pervasive sense of meloncholy and pessimism.

Not many Metal lyricists really do much for me to be honest.

Moonspell, the southern deathstyle

Wormphlegm.

I would choose Forefather as well. Most bands with lyrics about pride, values, traditions, paganism, etc. appeal to me on a personal level.

Also, I would say Endstille. They put quite an interesting spin on the whole "anti-Christianity" angle.

I really like the lyrics off of Immolation's "Close To A World Below". It is just kind of flat out anti-religious and I find myself enjoying what they sing about.

I also think the lyrics to The Ruins of Beverast's song "Summer Decapitation Ritual" are quite interesting and are written/sung in a rather poetic format.

To me, it depend on what mood I'm in that effect what lyrics really have an effect my life. Whenever I'm reading or just kicking back and relaxing, I listen to stuff with really epic and fantasy based (and mythological), such as Fairyland (go ahead and laugh, but those that know of the band know that their music is far from "fairy-ish"), Blind Guardian, Amon Amarth, Ensiferum, etc etc. But whenever I feel angry at society (and really, don't we all) I listen to destructive and evil stuff like Gorgoroth or Children of Bodom. Lately, though, I've been really interested in the mixture of environmentalism and pre/post christain mythology lyrics that Gojira's latest album has. Not sure why, but it makes me think of Zombies...and then i grab my machette and wait for the apocalypse.

I agree on the Burzum comments so far. Ever since age 15, the first album has impacted me greatly, because it brings to mind a better, more spiritual, and less trivial world. It's despairing for what was, and hopeful for what could be, all at once.

Bands like Napalm Death, Terrorizer, and Agathocles (as well as the entire genre of punk) got to me in my late teens as I dabbled in deep ecology, anarchist thought, and veganism, although I've since left all of this behind. The music and it's rejection of society at large still has its impact, though.

Nowadays, I tend to find the Satanic / occult bands more interesting than pagan / fantasy stuff, but either way, I find it fascinating how many metal bands hold the perfection of the self and values such as strength, honor, and honesty as ideals.

I have not heard much of the band but from what I've heard and after reading most of their lyrics... it seems that I would pretty much agree wholeheartedly with The Meads of Asphodel. Anti-religious (taken a few stabs at paganism as well, it seems) but not to the point of childish antagonism with a tint of the ideas found in their country's punk scene. Destroyer 666 is a band that I don't necessarily agree with but their lyrics do invoke great emotions, especially with the epic feel of the music.

Motörhead. Lemmy's lyrics inspire me a lot in life.

I might be alone on this one...but I'm going to say SYL - Far Beyond Metal!

That song just makes me want to scream WE FUCKING OWN YOU right out my car window...but I don't.

Wolves in the Throne Room, mostly.

candlemass. This thread made me turn on "a sorcerors pledge".

Where is the morning?
Where is the sun?
A thousand years of midnight...
the sunrise is gone...

Epic.

Any seriously racist band brings my piss to a boil. Example, Grinded Nig... Like even if you don't like african american people... Do you really need to start a band with a central theme of hating them? Honestly... It's pure American bullshit. And if you look at the picture of the band, they have masks on and are playing in front of a fucking swastika.... Again, I stress... What's the point, exactly? It's cool to believe what you want... But Jesus does it need to go that far? Honestly it's exactly like christian bands, or just christians for that matter... Trying to force opinion/belief on you, and there is a difference between these lyrics and like, horribly gory ones. These ones are real, and are how the author actually feels. It's like, no one wants to hear that except elitist, racist, white supremacists, and I have no idea why you would want that. Fuck man humans are beasts. I'm gonna stop now or I'll start ranting.... Further.

I like Gojira's otherworldly lyrics, like the one's of Oroborus:

Serpent of light
Movement of the soul
Mighty Phoenix
From the ashes, rises

Seriously, WTF?

There's nothing wrong with racism or racial hatred in metal. It is just as valid as hatred for Christianity, or hatred towards the government, or capitalism, or simply hatred in general. They're all just attacking some aspect of the status quo that they feel is vile; they all have their reasons and arguments. Moralizing racial hatred is fucking ridiculous, because then you're forced to make a judgement on every other form of hatred in metal or else you're a hypocrite (and I'm pretty sure no one in their right mind would posit that metal should be completely hate-free.)

Another note... racists in metal are almost always anti-Christian as well (I'm thinking of black metal here, since BM has largely the most racist population in metal.) It only makes sense to be against all Judeo-Christian thought and also hold racist views: the idea that all men are created equal, that the meak shall inherit the earth, etc. comes almost directly from the Judeo-Christian dogma. You can't attack a dogma without attacking its tenets; egalitarianism is one of them. So, you can't blame metal racists at all, and I think any "metalhead" that fights Christianity but holds racism in contempt is only a hypocrite who needs to stop kidding himself.

Besides, Grinded Nig is in no way serious at all, and to my knowledge, in no way respected within the white power/white pride/white nationalist/whateverthefuck community. Metal bands with serious racial lyrics include Arghoslent or Bound For Glory.

Burzum's lyrics really hit me at times. It works very well with his music, too.

It is not possible to be true metal while advocating racism in your lyrics. Metal is about unity, not separation.

A race of human beings aren't usually considered "status quo", nor are they comparable to abstract ideas like capitalism and organized religion. Also, hatred towards capitalism/communism/religion/whatever is far more easily justified than hating someone based on the colour of their skin, or their background. Likewise, hating Christianity and thinking it should burn to the ground is one thing, while hating Christians and thinking they should be burned at the stake is another.

I'll have to agree with heavymetalbackwards. Metal is about unity. Hate the ideas if you have to, not the people. There's always something else you could both agree upon. There's usually more than one idea and belief system in our head at a time.

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