Stereotypes

What comes to mind when someone says the word 'metal'? Is it a chunk of steel (for the realists)? Is it a short blonde boy alchemist and a silver suit brother? Is it pale men wearing eyeliner, long black hair, and unusually long tongues?

 

(Kiss isn't even metal, they're hard rock.)

Let's narrow it down even more.

Death metal.

Black metal.

Heavy metal.

All of the above are hard on the ears genres of music. (Or "music" as some people say rather sarcastically). With their aggressive growling vocals, high-pitched screaming, distorted, soaring, electric guitars, staccato, driving, double bass drums, and deafening, wild, crazed performances, it's no wonder.

But aside from the teeth grating vocals and generally loud sounds, the lyrics usually consist of poetic and sometimes deep lyrics about everything from love to politics to animals. I would suggest that you, if you have not already, try to listen to a metal or even a lighter genre such as post-hardcore. Even then, sometimes the lyrics are totally unintelligible. For example Suicide Silence's single "You Only Live Once":

"AAAARRRGGHHHHHRSSSSSRAAVVHHHGRAAHGRAAMEEEERRREEMMMMVVVVVIIIIIGGGWWWAAAHHHRAAMMB"

can be translated into

"If we only had one chance we'd breathe

Let's take the chance right now and scream

You only live one life

For a very short time

So make every second divine."

Just a disclaimer though, as with any genre, there are of course some very crass, vulgar, disrespectful metal bands who's lyrics are horrendous. They bash religion a whole lot, degrade women, endorse selfishness, promote not caring about anything, and praise drug and alcohol abuse.

But then there's the polar opposite. Christian metalcore band August Burns Red defies stereotypes. Their take on being Christians in a scene where that is relatively unusual is note worthy. Brent Rambler says that, "It is important to us that people know that we are indeed Christians... without having us stand up there and ram it down people's throats." Other guitarist JB Brubaker concurs with he would, "rather just let the music speak for itself."

Another great band is As I Lay Dying, despite the morbid name. While they have not called their band Christian, they all have said that they are practising Christians. Reason being, they're songs are not as direct as a self-proclaimed Christian band. Maybe to keep a more open audience. Anyway, I'd say that it's still pretty obvious. Here's an excerpt from their song "This Is Who We Are":

"Without the burden that's in our hearts

None of us would have ever found You

For You are faithful when we are not

You began a work

That only You can complete

Now this is who we are

I'll never know the answers

And I'll always wonder why

...Why we're given grace we'll never deserve

And a second chance that we will never earn

For there is nothing I can do to save myself

But You have let me start again

I'd rather be called weak

Than die thinking I was strong."

These are beautiful lyrics. Just as God-praising as the songs sung in church. Vocally praising God doesn't

always have to be in the form of tinkling pianos, major chords, and melodious voices. That can get dull after

awhile. Throw in some crashing drums, wailing guitars, and sweaty tattooed men screaming about how much they love God and see how well that goes over.

A side note, Suicide Silence's vocalist Mitch Lucker died in a motorcycle accident on November 1st, 2012. Here's a photograph of him with his wife and daughter.

See, these crazy delinquents who aren't actually crazy delinquents are human beings too. That's another point for another time though.