Satanic Black Metal VS. Viking/Folk Black Metal Black Metal Discuss Satanic Black Metal VS. Viking/Folk Black Metal in the Metal Genres forums; There is a common misconception that folk metal is always viking/pagan among many people. The bands sing about viking/...

[ashish]

There is a common misconception that folk metal is always viking/pagan among many people. The bands sing about viking/pagan stuff , their music is not based on it.

Same is the case with this topic. Satanic Black Metal ?? There is a band which sings about politics and plays Black Metal . So should i call it Political Black Metal ?

[Surma]

Well NSBM is political black metal in a sense but I don't really believe black metal should be political really as I feel thats the realm of punk but politics is connected to more or less everything. For example many BM bands talk about destroying Christianity. If it were a realistic wish then I will say that it would have to be achieved through the use of politics.

[Necromancer]

...coming from the 5 Best thread in the Viking Metal forum.

Originally Posted by Alfader

Then the lyrics would lead it to be satanic black metal, simple as that.

Yes, but going by that it could have Pagan lyrics and be raw and fast and still be Pagan Black Metal. What if it was raw, fast Black Metal with lyrics about dragons, castles and wizards? Would you call it Power Metal?

[Alfader]

No, since we're talking about black metal and not metal in general.

[Necromancer]

The principle is still the same though. You're changing ideas about styles of music just by lyrics.

[Alfader]

It's not like a rule or anything, just what the majority seems to be like, at least to me. Slower folk-influenced melodies tend to have pagan lyrics, whilst the faster and more raw tend to have satanic lyrics. It doesn't have to be like this, but if it is the other way around I would say the lyrics define what subgenre it is, because the lyrics are important to black metal, and they describe what the music is all about.

[Alfader]

Originally Posted by Necromancer

The principle is still the same though. You're changing ideas about styles of music just by lyrics.

Yes, because the lyrics define what the subject is and thereby the style of the music, which concludes the subgenre.

[Necromancer]

Lyrics don't define the styles of music though. Ok, so what if you had Black Metal with entire symphonic arrangements and satanic lyrics? I know it isn't a 'rule', but 'Satanic Black Metal' is a bit up in the air for me.

[Alfader]

Yeah, they do. By the lyrical themes you can conclude whether it's satanic or pagan. If a symphonic black metal band used satanic lyrics it would be both satanic black metal and symphonic black metal. It's not really that hard.

[ashish]

Originally Posted by Alfader

Yes, because the lyrics define what the subject is and thereby the style of the music, which concludes the subgenre.

How can lyrics define a style of music ? Are you trying to say that a power metal band cannot sing songs about satan? Or a death metal band cannot have songs about paganism?

Genres in METAL are basically characterised on music , not on lyrics . The whole NSBM stuff is a movement. If you study more about NSBM , it is actually a group of bands who have the same ideals and who follow same cultures. You may call it a sub culture of sorts. Thats what they sing about. That doesnt mean NSBM is a specific genre in music.