Why English?

[Jt1535]

So, I’ve been a metal fan, and an American, basically since birth. But what I don’t get, despite some basic understanding that English speakers invented metal, is why like 95% of songs are written in English, especially given so many bands are from non-English speaking countries, like Powerwolf, for instance. Is it ever annoying that you can’t find metal in your native tongue, or is it just part of the scene for you? Please let everyone know your homeland and native tongue (for non-nefarious purposes, of course)

[GoatmasterGeneral]

English of course is the international language. They teach it to kids in schools around the world. Many Europeans speak better English than a lot of Americans do. Because relatively speaking everyone knows our education system sucks dick. Quite a few Nordic black metal bands do write lyrics in their native tongues though, and I'm sure there's more metal from other places that use their native languages as well. But English is prevalent, probably as a holdover from the days when America was the commercial market bands needed to crack to "make it big" and record companies knew that most entitled Americans would not want to accept music with lyrics in a foreign language.

[SurgicalBrute]

I do wonder if the music has something to do with it though. I don't know about anyone else, but specifically speaking about clean vocals, a lot of times I find bands singing in their native tongue to sound somewhat off because the syllables don't always line up with the music beat. On the other hand, I fully acknowledge that may very well be on me, and that it sounds fine to people who speak the language

[FatherAlabaster]

2 minutes ago, SurgicalBrute said:

I do wonder if the music has something to do with it though. I don't know about anyone else, but specifically speaking about clean vocals, a lot of times I find bands singing in their native tongue to sound somewhat off because the syllables don't always line up with the music beat. On the other hand, I fully acknowledge that may very well be on me, and that it sounds fine to people who speak the language

Probably more in the ear of the beholder. Gotta say I've always loved the sound of other languages, myself, I guess not being able understand the words lets me appreciate everything as pure sound. 

[SurgicalBrute]

4 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Probably more in the ear of the beholder. Gotta say I've always loved the sound of other languages, myself, I guess not being able understand the words lets me appreciate everything as pure sound. 

Oh I definitely like other languages...I think there's something very cool about them, especially the ones you don't hear too much here in the U.S....and I think it only adds to things like folk music, which I've always enjoyed. Seems to really only stick out to me in like rock or the heavy/power metal stuff

[AlSymerz]

I know the numbers aren't huge but some bands are releasing music in their native tongue after the English release. Some bands release these as bonus tracks and B sides. I found a lot of folk metal bands release music in their native tongue either as a main or an extra. But there is no doubting were the biggest market is.

[SurgicalBrute]

Hell, I prefer my folk metal to be in the band's native tongue. Biggest mistake Manegarm ever made was switching their vocals/lyrics to English. They've been on a downward slide ever since

[markm]

I enjoy the "world music" aspect of metal and really all music-the universal language and so on. But it's cool to get a little bit of a country's culture whether it may native language or ethnic folk instrumentation...thinking of Romania's Dodreduh/Har off the top of my head as it came out last year. So many others. A lot of BM does that. Come to think of it, I'm aware of little ethnic or non English DM compared to black. 

[AlSymerz]

3 hours ago, SurgicalBrute said:

Hell, I prefer my folk metal to be in the band's native tongue. Biggest mistake Manegarm ever made was switching their vocals/lyrics to English. They've been on a downward slide ever since

I do tend to agree with that, I got into Korpiklaani through songs they did in their native tongue. But where possible I also like to hear some of those songs in English as well.

[SurgicalBrute]

7 minutes ago, KillaKukumba said:

I do tend to agree with that, I got into Korpiklaani through songs they did in their native tongue. But where possible I also like to hear some of those songs in English as well.

Never took to Korpiklaani as much as some others...They always struck me as a goofier Finntroll, which is bad because Finntroll is already goofy (but I like them)

Some bands can pull it off, no doubt...a good singer is a good singer no matter what

 

[AlSymerz]

It was Korpiklanni's goofiness that got me interested, I like goofy!!

[SurgicalBrute]

I think Whitenoise once described their type of folk metal as medieval drinking music, which seems pretty accurate.

I tend to prefer bands like Heidevolk, Suidakra (though they've been really on  a miss streak the last few years) or the previously mentioned Manegarm...as opposed to the bouncy polka sounding stuff that some bands do

[FatherAlabaster]

Gotta say !T.O.O.H! for foreign language goofiness. But I get why they're a hard pass for a lot of people. Never developed a taste for Korpiklaani, somehow it's just too silly for me to latch on to.

[AlSymerz]

I haven't listened Heidevolk or Suidakra for years. I do remember liking them but I think they just fell by the wayside as other bands released stuff.

 

I've never listened to !T.O.O.H!

[FatherAlabaster]

Just now, KillaKukumba said:

I haven't listened Heidevolk or Suidakra for years. I do remember liking them but I think they just fell by the wayside as other bands released stuff.

 

I've never listened to !T.O.O.H!

I strongly doubt you would like them, the vocals sound like a hyena on crack, but here's Rad A Trest, my favorite:

 

[AlSymerz]

Wifey is watching something, I'll have to listen to it later, but I like animal noises.

 

[SurgicalBrute]

Heidevolk has stayed pretty consistent over the years. Some releases are better than others, but nothing they've done i outright dislike. Suidakra hasn't done quite as well...I've got kind of a soft spot for Eternal Defiance, but Book of Dowth was probably the last one I'd consider recommending (and holy shit, that thing is ten years old now!?)

[AlSymerz]

I have Book of Dowth, and Emprise To Avalon and Lays From Afar

 

[SurgicalBrute]

The debut is okay, but I think it was their second album "Auld Lang Syne" that they really started hit their sound. After that, they went on a pretty strong run with almost everything up to Book of Dowth being worth a listen. The one misstep, would probably be Command to Charge (2005). I think they were trying to lean into some of the trends of the time and it has almost a metalcore-ish kind of feel to it.

Personal favorites...I'd say definitely track down Caledonia and Crogacht

[AlSymerz]

Yeah I might have a hunt around and see what else they've done

 

[Dead1]

I remember reading an interview with Dimmu Borgir who occasionally sing in Norwegian (including their first two albums).  They said that singing in English sells better than singing in their own language.

I suspect this is still the case today, what with English being the lingua-franca and the US still being a big market.

Even extreme metal is driven by some market orientated ideals even if the market is extremely niche.

 

[sesselpuppser]

As a native german speaking i can say that for me it doesen't depend on the language itself. I like listening to songs from Feuerschwanz or Saltatio Mortis as they are singing in german and i like listening to songs from Sabaton and Powerwolf. But Sabaton and Powerwolf are sometimes singing in other languages too and i like those songs even when it's swedish.

Alien Weaponry, The Hu and Bloddywood are other Bands i like to hear... And to be honest... i don't understand anything from their native languages. Sometimes i'm listening to metal music from Japan and China... It's all about >>feeling<< music!

[Stormblaast]

I like Rammstein, that's an example of a band that almost exclusively sings in their native language, but are very successful around the globe.

Also I love Dimmu Borgir, both their work in Norwegian and English.