For what it's worth, there's also a band called Days of Our Lives.

Thirsty Blood, from Indonesia? I think the idea was to call themselves Bloodthirst, but when you use Google translate "darah haus" and "haus darah" could easily get mixed round.

Not really their fault but the band picture certainly is.

http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Thirsty_Blood/81874

Indonesia is notorious for producing nonsensical Engrish band names.

I think both those names are great. Never heard the bands, they are probably bad. But I really like the ironic names.



Why couldn't they just call themselves Darah Haus, sounds much cooler! I don't get why all bands need to have English lyrics and names. English is a pretty boring sounding language if you ask me. And if you are really bad in the using the language you really shouldn't use it. Just Look at a band like Shining, the Swedish lyrics are a million times better than the English ones.

Great, this couod be a trend. We just need an Angsty nu Metal band called "Father Knows best" and we can have the trilogy of TV Show names.

I found a metalcore band called "Tomorrow comes Today". That is pretty bad. Big then again, by metalcore standards I guess it is 'passable'.

Indonesia and Malaysia both have bad names. I'm patiently awaiting the album release of Symphonic Death Metal band "Jessica".

Couldn't agree more man. Siksa Kubur, for example, named themselves in Bahasa Indonesia and sing in that language too. The name means "torment of the grave', but the Indonesian version is more memorable.

English is an amazing, intricate language with boundless possibilities for expression - however, I do agree that I would like to see more bands using their own language for band names, albums, song titles and so on. Especially those of major metal exporters like Finland, Sweden, Japan, and so on. For example, the bellowing death metal vocals, in Japanese, of Gotsu Totsu Kotsu, just sound fantastic.

But you have to consider, that often, lyrics in a band's native language, that sound great to the foreign listener, may sound pretty awful to the native speaker. Being german, I find that's quite often the case with a lot of bands that use the german language (noteable exceptions are Rammstein and Eisregen, whose lyrics are often chock full of witty wordplay and a certain sardonic glee that wouldn't translate as well in english).

Very true. Depends on the band either way. I think German is an awesome language though, I can listen to any amount of it in metal form. One day I'm going to try and learn it properly so I might have a different response for you then. Still, I do enjoy the way bands like Rage and Tarot say wisions and wirgins instead of visions and virgins XD

There's a difference ?

My best friend is German... he occasionally calls my wife Wanessa, haha.

On topic again, another stupendously bad band name is this recent Czech post-black outfit I reviewed called ██████. Yep, a black strip. They pronounce it as "nic" which is Czech for "nothing/void/null". The demo isn't actually that bad.

I have a theory that it's because most people who listen to metal have an understanding of english. So, if they name their band in their native language, it may sound cooler for either the english speakers and/or those who have the same mother tongue as you, but also, there could be the possibility of getting an unintentionally embarrasing name that a lot of people will understand if they happen to use a word in their native language similar to english.

Witness the band Hat (norwegian for hate) for example. Those who speak norwegian will have no problem with the name, but anybody who doesn't but does know english will read...well, you know.

Also, people from my country who are proud of their heritage but know their english will most likely never name their bands after the Huanca or Wanka culture. British people can see why.

Supposedly, "great king" in mandarin chinese is read something like "da wang".

These could happen between any language. Say, an italian band decides to use the word "pennes" (feathers) to name their band (Phoenix's Feathers or something like that...be imaginative). Trust me when I say that any hispanic guy will read "dicks" (penes) before they realize what the italians were trying to say.

In short, english is definitely not the coolest sounding language, but I'm certain that it's the safest one when naming your band.

Also, people seem to really love that black strip band. It seems they can't help bringing it up every few posts O:

Even better example: "Furze" (which google translate tells me is norwegian for "gorse"... I don't know what that is, never seen that word before) means "fart" in german... not the noun, but the imperative verb. So, yeah, I guess I'm gonna fart along to the music, if the band tells me to do it...

I don't understand how someone wanted to name their band Begging for Incest.


Furze isn't a Norwegian word. It's either a made up word, it's a funny name they learned in German lessons, or it's a word for gorse, as you said. But furze isn't the Norwegian word. Gorse is a flower also known as furze, called gulltorner in Norwegian and Stechginster in German.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorse

Well, that's google translate for ya...

So Stechginster it is... ... ... that's not very metal, is it... ?

Just look in Metal Archive's "Latest Bands" page and you'll see at least one name (if not the whole list on certain days) of groups with names that totally eat mule ass.

There's also a Hats Barn, which just makes me think of some kind of discount hat shop.


Is it some new rule that this band must be mentioned at least once by a different poster on every page of this thread?

Bands that put full stops in their name. This includes "..." who have probably been mentioned already, but for a non-metal example, Portugal. The Man; the name was nonsensical enough to begin with but the full stop just gets on my tits.

Forest Whitaker was just added to the archives as a band.

South America isn't so far behind.

Here's Evil Damn...I'm pretty sure they meant Evil Curse.

This makes me very happy.

I think one of the most retarded I've seen is Goat the Head.

What??? Goat isn't a verb. How do you goat a head? Is it referring to someone named Goat, who is apparently the head of something? Is it supposed to be "go at the head" but there's just a typo for whatever reason? The more I think about it the more it pisses me off.

Metallica's name was a stroke of pure genius. If they had another name they probably would have never made it big. It's catchy, memorable, and immediately evokes the way they (used to) sound.


Good idea: Naming your band after a Gamma Ray song.
Bad idea: Naming your band after one of the worst songs Gamma Ray ever wrote.

But they're a modern thrash band with an actually good singer instead of some guy who walked in off the street so I'll forgive them.



Every time I hear of that Hat guy who used to be in Gorgoroth I think of Mr. Garrison's sock puppet from South Park.

I dont think Space Eater is a bad song...but to me naming your band after someone else's song (unless youre a cover band) is ALWAYS a bad idea, I sure as hell wouldnt do it...it's too easy and unoriginal.

And Metallica still sounds the way their name evokes

Overkill, Mayhem and Enslaved probably disagree.

And those are all great band names.

ok good point on overkill but what songs did mayhem and enslaved name themselves after?

Glad you ask!

Venom - Mayhem With Mercy
Immortal - Enslaved In Rot

Source: MA

Party Cannon, though I know it's intentionally juvenile and anti-scene.

Speaking of bands with terrible names inspired by some other band's song...

Genital Grinder

What's even more shocking is that there are actually 4 bands with that name in the archives O:

Exactly. For the huge part of society that has no interest in metal (and rock/music revelant to it) at all, if they know at least that metal is "loud rock music", if they are to name drop a band, ~99,9% of them can only name Metallica.

Then Kame Silence
http://www.metal-archives.com/band/view/id/48154

Just found another one from the Random Band button:
Scarin' Myself
http://www.metal-archives.com/band/view/id/3540339134

Imagine I have a speed metal band. I want to call it High Speed. But to be "different" and "non-conformist" I stick to Swedish: Hög Fart.

Random band button gave me this:

Let It Flow

*giggle*

Hög Fart, that's pretty catchy.

I'll just leave this here...
http://www.metal-archives.com/band/view/id/30658

a dutch thrash band called magnetron?? Its Microwave in english

http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Magnetron/89897

In English "magnetron" actually refers to the piece of machinery inside a microwave oven that produces the microwaves.

then its even more ridiciolous haha

Magnetron: The Transformer that time forgot.