First of all, let me warn you that this article is written purely for entertainment purposes, it is very subjective and not everyone may agree. Now let’s get to the subject: Metal Music is one of the most philosophical music genres in my opinion. Each sub-genre has its own philosophy. The things the sub-genres want to tell, the lyrics, the spirit of the music allow us to look at life from a completely different perspective.
In this article, we will first match some metal music sub-genres with philosophical thoughts, then we will guess the possible favourite songs of some philosophers.
Have a pleasant reading.
Black Metal- Nihilism
Nihilism, especially in the works of philosophers such as Nietzsche and Cioran, is associated with the idea that life has no inherent meaning, value or purpose.
It rejects absolute truths, morality, and religious or philosophical meaning in the universe.
In nihilism, religious and social values, moral standards completely lose their meaning.
It harbours a deep melancholy. Many philosophers created new philosophical movements to object nihilism.
Black metal is generally known for its anti-religious, rebellious and dark themes. This overlaps with nihilism’s view that God and relevant norms are dead. The wild vocals, cold atmosphere and chaotic structures in black metal symbolize the existential emptiness and meaninglessness of nihilism.
The music of bands such as Mayhem, Gorgoroth and Darkthrone reflects a hopeless and rebellious stance against the world order. A nihilistic questioning is perceived in these tunes: What is the meaning of life? Does anything have a meaning? These questions are asked over and over again.
Let’s analyze some songs that support our point:
Mayhem-Life Eternal
“A dream of another existence
you wish to die
a dream of another world
you pray for death to release the soul.
One must die to find peace inside, you must get eternal”
This song by Norwegian black metal legend Mayhem focuses on the meaninglessness of life and the inevitable nature of death.
This song elaborates on the inevitable emptiness of existence and the salvation of death. Nihilistic thought centres on the idea that human existence is meaningless and that death can be our true freedom.
The phrases ‘you wish to die’ and ‘pray for death to release the soul’ indicate a desire for the agony of life.
Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger
“Transilvanian Hunger…cold..soul
Your hands are cruel…to haunt..to haunt
the mountains are cold…soul…soul…
careful..pale…forever at Night
Take me…can’t you feel the Call
Embrace Me Eternally in your daylight slumber”
This song depicts a cold, cruel world and refers to the dull and empty nature of existence. Darkthrone’s nihilism is based on accepting the harsh and cruel nature of life and presenting it as bare as it is.
Mgla-Age of Excuse VI
Empires get wrecked
Principles get crushed
Saviours get crucified
History gets what?
History fucking gets over it all
Mgla band talks about historical events of the past and explains that these events no longer have any significance and that history has crushed them all.
In nihilism, historical events and heroic stories are meaningless, and it is argued that these norms and standards are irrelevant in today’s world.
(Friedrich Nietzche)
Death Metal- Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual freedom, choice, and the search for meaning in a world that lacks inherent purpose. It argues that l life has no predefined meaning and that we must create our own. Freedom comes with responsibility, that is we shape our existence through choices. Anxiety (angst) and absurdity arise from confronting an indifferent universe.
Philosophers such as Sartre, Kierkegaard and Camus argue that man is in a struggle between ‘existence’ and ‘essence’. Death metal has a strong connection with this philosophical approach by focusing on the relationship between human life and death and human existential fears.
“Existence precedes essence” (Sartre)
Death metal’s extreme vocal techniques and harsh guitar riffs express the meaning of life and human helplessness facing death. Like existentialism, death metal encourages people to face death and question the meaning of their existence.
Death metal bands such as Death, Morbid Angel and Obituary question the inevitability of death and how to deal with it. This echoes Camus’s ideas in ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ about how to cope in an absurd world. Let’s take a look at some death metal songs that question existence.
“I told you once but I will say it again
When you live the flesh it’s the beginning of the end
It will take you in, it will spit you out
Behold the flesh and the power it holds”
This track by Death describes the weakness and the inevitable decay of the human body. The lyrics, written by Chuck Schuldiner, express that life is limited to bodily desires and physical existence, and that this temporary existence consumes the human being. Parallel to the nihilist thought, this song questions the meaning of existence, and explains that the body and material existence takes over the human being and eventually leads to its destruction.
Obituary-Cause of Death
“Rot in hell religious one
Cold fate, the chosen son
Find the darkness kill the day
You said you’d never cease saying”
This track from Obituary deals with the idea that man has no control over his life and that death and decay are inevitable. Offering a critical perspective on the fragility of existence and the inevitable end, this song represents a rebellion against the consolation offered by religion and a worldview in which death is absolute. It emphasises that the meaning of existence is void and that death is the ultimate truth.
(Albert Camus)
Doom Metal- Pessimism
Pessimism, especially in the philosophies of thinkers such as Schopenhauer and Cioran, emphasises that life is full of pain, suffering and inevitable defeat.
Doom metal is very much binded to a pessimistic worldview with its heavy and slow tempos, dark atmosphere and melancholic themes. Doom metal is often associated with themes such as depression, despair and existential pain.
By exploring the darkest corners of the human soul, doom metal musically expresses Schopenhauer’s understanding of ‘life is an ordeal’.
With music that emphasises that the world is bleak, meaningless and painful, doom metal explores the philosophical themes of pessimism.
Bands such as Candlemass, My Dying Bride, and Paradise Lost, for example, use in-depth musical narratives to express the bleakness of life and the inner collapse of the individual. This corresponds exactly to the pessimistic understanding that ‘life is an ordeal’.
Let’s take a look at some doom metal songs about pessimism:
Candlemass-Solitude
I’m sitting here alone in darkness
Waiting to be free,
Lonely and forlorn I am crying
I long for my time to come
This track from Candlemass is based on loneliness and pessimism. The song reflects the meaninglessness of existence and the inevitable desire for death. The narrator deeply feels the emptiness and loneliness of life and waits for death, which he sees as a ‘liberation’. This reflects on a typical doom metal pessimistic theme: the idea that life is unbearable and death is salvation.
My Dying Bride – The Cry of Mankind
You can’t expect to see him and survive
You’ll swallow his tongue of thorns
His mouth, dripping with flies
In his glorious kingdom of fire
But I believe he wept
I will make them all lie down
Down where hope lies dying
With lust, you’re kicking mankind to death
We live and die without hope
You trample us down in a river of death
As I stand here now, my heart is black
I don’t want to die a lonely man
This is a weary hour
This song by My Dying Bride reveals the despair of humanity and the emptiness of life. There is a horrific and morbid portrayal of the divine people rely upon. Everything about the divine is rotten and disgusting. This coincides with the theme that life is more terrible than expected and that hope is an illusion. The song is based on a general thought of pessimism and the horrors of life.
Next: Metal Music and Philosophy Part Two.
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