A question that I get asked quite a bit is, “Don, why don’t you like Death Metal?” For years Death Metal is a genre that totally escaped me. Death Metal, to me, was always just a sheer wall of noise. I know. Before you start calling me a cranky old fuck, give me a moment here. I’m not going to yell at you to get off of my fucking lawn.
From concussive drummers doing blast beats (inhumanly fast playing), guitarists playing chords so fast that I can’t make out a goddamn thing their playing, and lead vocalists that sound like Cookie Monster. I didn’t make up that last comparison, but it’s true. “C is for cooookeeeeeeeeeee!!!!” Death Metal was and still is a mystery to me. Why so mysterious to me? Because I am still trying to figure out the overall appeal of this music.
Anytime I have listened to many Death Metal bands, I feel like there is no melody. The guitars are tuned down so low that it all sounds like one long chord, and because of the vocals, the lyrics are entirely unintelligible. This is the part that seems to really bother me. I always feel like that, for the most part, metal music delivers some sort of lyrical message. Whether it be anti-establishment stand up for your beliefs kind of lyrics or lyrics that tell some sort of story, I feel that the strength of most songs lies in the lyrics.
Yes, I know bands like Ratt, The Scorpions, and the like all have pretty ridiculous lyrics, but you can understand what they are saying, so I, as a listener, can have my thoughts on the song. With Death Metal vocals, I have no fucking clue what they are saying. Except for Carcass’ Heartwork album and Morbid Angel’s Covenant (both of which are killer albums), I have yet to really be able to decipher what these guys are trying to express.
And what about the band logos? I can’t even truly believe that most fans can actually tell these fucking things from one another. Is it that the more illegible a band’s logo is, the more “metal” they are? I mean, isn’t it hard to like a band when you have no fucking clue what their name is?
If I had to guess, I would say that there are bands who have a sort of message they’re trying to convey through this extreme music. I mean, some of these guys sound so fucking mad at the world, and by the way, they’re singing, I just can’t tell, but I wouldn’t mind finding out. So are some of these bands truly expressing something important, or are they just singing shit that is a dumb as any Ratt or Warrant song, and I just can’t hear it?
Normally I would just have a conversation about this with one friend, but I really wanted to take this to a broader audience. So I ask you all a few questions.
What is the appeal of Death Metal to you?
Are you actually able to make out the lyrics that are being sung?
What bands are actually singing something substantial?
What bands are just singing a bunch of stupid garbage?
For someone who doesn’t listen to Death Metal, what one band would you recommend to me and why?
I would love to hear your answers and maybe 2020 will be the year that I discover and learn something new.
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