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Ina_Dingir_Xul
Metalhead

Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 8:44 am
Posts: 444
Location: Singapore
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 3:12 am 
 

We all know that several musicians use aliases, stage names, nicknames, call it what you like, we all know they are fake titles used to substitute their real name. So what do you guys think is the reason(s) for these?

Hypothesis One: These guys are mostly from non-English oriented countries, hence their names are difficult to pronounce. It is easier to call Zbigniew Robert Prominski simply Inferno, is it not? Or to call Yngve Per Ohlin just Dead. Thus, to make it easier for their fans to address them, they use these stage names.

Hypothesis Two: They hate their real name. Think Varg, Count AntiChristian. He hates Christians, and his real name is Kristian. Sound similar? Identical in fact. Hence, change it to Varg, and no one will ever think your name sounds like the group you hate so much.

Hypothesis Three: Just for fun, or given at the moment and it stuck. Think George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. His former band was called Corpsegrinder, someone mentioned it, and the name stuck.

So what do you guys think? These are my thought-up reasons. Feel free to add more or discuss on these 3.


Last edited by Ina_Dingir_Xul on Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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LouFerrigno
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:47 pm
Posts: 352
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 3:18 am 
 

The monikers just add to the image and concept better.
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CircleovZaphyan
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:10 am
Posts: 326
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 4:05 am 
 

A good amount probably dont want to be known because of lyrics and/or imagery used.

Take Grimnir Wotansvolk, one of Grand Belial's Key's vocalists. I think I read he was related to the Du Pont family.

Judas Iscariot's father was sort of wealthy judge.

Some who use stage names might even be cops.

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Acidgoblin
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:08 am
Posts: 122
Location: Antarctica
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:42 am 
 

Hypothesis Four: simply to create the image that strangely named, evil people are making music? Its not an uncommon thing for people to have a stage name so to speak; with BM in particular, half the charm is the odd aesthetic.

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Nordic_Warhammer
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 10:12 pm
Posts: 292
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:57 am 
 

Depending, it could simply because they don't want who they really are to be known, for any number of reasons (NS bands spring to mind). Aside from that the reasons you put forth are highly plausible.
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NecroSonata
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:24 pm
Posts: 589
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:57 am 
 

I imagine in the vast majority of cases its just for added effect. Usually when a band member has a stage name you can find out their real name within about twenty seconds of looking for it; most wont care if you know the actual name. People use stage names in other genres also, not just metal, because they want to be more memorable and to be honest just have a bit of fun. Scary and evil names often add a bit of humour or entertainment value to a band. Im sure there is the odd case of people wanting to hide their real name but in reality this must be few and far between.

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Rottenrectum
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:41 pm
Posts: 2245
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 8:52 am 
 

I simply cannot take names like Necrobutcher or Nocturno Culto seriously. Same with corpsepaint. But then again, BM isn't meant to be taken all seriously.
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~Guest 178973
Veteran

Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:11 pm
Posts: 3047
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:14 am 
 

Because it sounds cool is probably very plausible (I guess that's a variation of #3). C'mon, if your name is George Fisher, would you rather be called "George" or "Corpsegrinder"?

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hakarl
Metel fraek

Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:41 pm
Posts: 8816
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:28 am 
 

Image, quite obviously. In black metal, the musicians often attempt to appear mysterious or otherwordly, masking their faces with corpsepaint and using names that usually sound evil, dark or just ridiculous. A normal human face with a normal human name would seem out of place when creating such extraordinary music.
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Cyrax666
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:45 pm
Posts: 1519
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:02 pm 
 

Image obviously especially Black Metal.
Seeing corpsepaint and knowing one of the members name is like Greg, Matt, Joshua or something like that is very out of place to me.

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RegularK
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:24 pm
Posts: 543
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:19 pm 
 

Having a stage name removes the human element from them. They aren't normal people who take shits, work a day job and has a wife and kids. They are Corpsegrinder, Infernus, Dead, Euronymous, Cronos...

It completes the aesthetic values of some bands to keep the personal lives of the members separated from the music.


As for why this is more common in metal than elsewhere? Probably because metal doesn't deal with as many personal subjects like love, friends and shit like that. Singing about slaughtering Christians, disemboweling people and such doesn't require that personal element.


Last edited by RegularK on Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Worked
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:54 am
Posts: 5
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:20 pm 
 

TheNiceNightmare wrote:
Because it sounds cool is probably very plausible (I guess that's a variation of #3). C'mon, if your name is George Fisher, would you rather be called "George" or "Corpsegrinder"?


Georgegrinder* ;)

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gestapothrash
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:55 am
Posts: 1287
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:57 am 
 

Worked wrote:
Georgegrinder* ;)


:boo:
that was the most unfunny and useless post i have ever seen.

as for the OP, most of the guys who use aliases tend to have unpronouncable names like Kjetil Vidar Haraldstad (Frost) and Tomas Thormodsaeter Haugen (Samoth).
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theheinouskilling667
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:24 am
Posts: 2260
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:05 am 
 

Rottenrectum wrote:
I simply cannot take names like Necrobutcher or Nocturno Culto seriously. Same with corpsepaint. But then again, BM isn't meant to be taken all seriously.


Alright, I can't take a name like Rottenrectum seriously, from now on I'll disregard all of your posts as idiocy.


That'd be stupid of me to do, right? That's like non-metal people not taking any metal music or metalhead's opinions seriously becuase of long hair and metal clothes. Corpsepaint is a permanent aesthetic of black metal, I'd not expect that to go away, nor would I want it to. With the whole "taking black metal seriously" debate that everyone always talks about, I take black metal seriously to an extent. I don't consider it a joke, nor do I consider it the most serious topic in the world. It's not a joke, but a lot black metallers need to learn to laugh at themselves once in a while.

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Callum_Carcass
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:27 am
Posts: 374
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:50 am 
 

Hypothesis Five: You play in Sodom.

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xJx_Joshua_xJx
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:10 pm
Posts: 109
Location: Korea, South
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:00 am 
 

gestapothrash wrote:
Worked wrote:
Georgegrinder* ;)


:boo:
that was the most unfunny and useless post i have ever seen.


Ah, come on now. Well, it gave me a breif chuckle anyway.

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Rottenrectum
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:41 pm
Posts: 2245
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:43 am 
 

theheinouskilling667 wrote:
Rottenrectum wrote:
I simply cannot take names like Necrobutcher or Nocturno Culto seriously. Same with corpsepaint. But then again, BM isn't meant to be taken all seriously.


Alright, I can't take a name like Rottenrectum seriously, from now on I'll disregard all of your posts as idiocy.


That'd be stupid of me to do, right? That's like non-metal people not taking any metal music or metalhead's opinions seriously because of long hair and metal clothes. Corpsepaint is a permanent aesthetic of black metal, I'd not expect that to go away, nor would I want it to. With the whole "taking black metal seriously" debate that everyone always talks about, I take black metal seriously to an extent. I don't consider it a joke, nor do I consider it the most serious topic in the world. It's not a joke, but a lot black metallers need to learn to laugh at themselves once in a while.

Dude chill out a bit. First of all my name is intentionally a pun on stage names like "corpsegrinder" and secondly I know black metal is serious as an art form but the message and aesthetics around it are supposed to be taken with tongue in cheek. I mean do you take "satan will rule and the world shall burn in eternal hellfire"-thing surrounding black metal seriously? I'm going to assume you don't.

Corpsepaint is a central part of black metal, not because being alive sucks and we all want to be rotten corpses but because it adds effect to the image. I mean what would Immortal be without spiked leather, medieval weapons and evil clown make-up (no pun intended here)? I seriously doubt Abbath have never looked himself in the mirror before a gig and not chuckled at himself.
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theheinouskilling667
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:24 am
Posts: 2260
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:31 pm 
 

Rottenrectum wrote:
theheinouskilling667 wrote:
Rottenrectum wrote:
I simply cannot take names like Necrobutcher or Nocturno Culto seriously. Same with corpsepaint. But then again, BM isn't meant to be taken all seriously.


Alright, I can't take a name like Rottenrectum seriously, from now on I'll disregard all of your posts as idiocy.


That'd be stupid of me to do, right? That's like non-metal people not taking any metal music or metalhead's opinions seriously because of long hair and metal clothes. Corpsepaint is a permanent aesthetic of black metal, I'd not expect that to go away, nor would I want it to. With the whole "taking black metal seriously" debate that everyone always talks about, I take black metal seriously to an extent. I don't consider it a joke, nor do I consider it the most serious topic in the world. It's not a joke, but a lot black metallers need to learn to laugh at themselves once in a while.

Dude chill out a bit. First of all my name is intentionally a pun on stage names like "corpsegrinder" and secondly I know black metal is serious as an art form but the message and aesthetics around it are supposed to be taken with tongue in cheek. I mean do you take "satan will rule and the world shall burn in eternal hellfire"-thing surrounding black metal seriously? I'm going to assume you don't.

Corpsepaint is a central part of black metal, not because being alive sucks and we all want to be rotten corpses but because it adds effect to the image. I mean what would Immortal be without spiked leather, medieval weapons and evil clown make-up (no pun intended here)? I seriously doubt Abbath have never looked himself in the mirror before a gig and not chuckled at himself.


This was pretty much what I was trying to say.

For the tounge-in-cheek point you made, I take things like Immortal, or Sarcofago, or any of those tounge-in-cheek just as I would gore-themed death metal. On the other hand, something like Burzum or Nocturnal Depression is a bit more serious in my eyes.

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Rottenrectum
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:41 pm
Posts: 2245
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:36 pm 
 

Of course there is serious and sophisticated black metal. Same goes with death metal. I seriously doubt anyone takes Cannibal Corpse or Gorgasm lyrics seriously.
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awm
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:13 am
Posts: 1209
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:05 pm 
 

WHEN WAS VARG EVER KNOWN AS COUNT ANTICHRISTIAN?

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hakarl
Metel fraek

Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:41 pm
Posts: 8816
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:20 am 
 

awm wrote:
WHEN WAS VARG EVER KNOWN AS COUNT ANTICHRISTIAN?
:brick:
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The_Beast_in_Black
Metal freak

Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:34 am
Posts: 7455
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:41 am 
 

Obviously most of the stage names in black metal are just for the "evil factor". I think they sound cool, really, and it's kind of fun to think you're listening to riffs played by Nocturno Culto rather than Ted Skjellum.

Worked wrote:
TheNiceNightmare wrote:
Because it sounds cool is probably very plausible (I guess that's a variation of #3). C'mon, if your name is George Fisher, would you rather be called "George" or "Corpsegrinder"?


Georgegrinder* ;)

They call him Fishgrinder 'round these parts.
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Ina_Dingir_Xul
Metalhead

Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 8:44 am
Posts: 444
Location: Singapore
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:34 am 
 

awm wrote:
WHEN WAS VARG EVER KNOWN AS COUNT ANTICHRISTIAN?


No he was not, he was Count Grishnackh, but I read in Wikipedia that he used to take a huge stance against Christianity, and to fit it in the post I had to mention it somehow. So I decided on Count AntiChristian.

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VRR
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:57 am
Posts: 721
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:04 am 
 

The name-change has been common practice in show business and entertainment for decades - Adam Faith, Cliff Richard, Marilyn Monroe, Ringo Starr, Gary Glitter, Alice Cooper...

It's just another way to add mystique, glamour etc, and makes it easier to market a performer than if their name was Donald Sidebottom or something.

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