Lingua Brutallica

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 46: Kyle Schaefer of Fallujah and Archaeologist (San Francisco, USA)

In this episode, we speak to vocalist Kyle Schaefer about his lyrics written for technical death metal band Fallujah as well as his progressive solo-project, Archaeologist. In our interview, we explore the evolution of Kyle’s lyrical approach, moving from writing the lyrics for the a small portion of Archaeologist’s songs that are non-instrumental, to writing a full album of lyrics for Fallujah’s latest release Empyrean. Kyle describes how, while lyrics he composed for Archaeologist move between fantasy and reality tracing a large range of subject matter, when approaching the writing for Empyrean Kyle made a concerted effort to develop clear and consistent lyrical theming, focusing on death, destruction, and rebirth with the album's lyrics beginning in the dark and moving to the light. The relatability of these themes represents Kyle's view of the fundamental purpose of a song's vocals and lyrics as a source of connection for whoever may be listening.

To connect to Fallujah's work see: https://fallujah.bandcamp.com/ 

And to explore Kyle's expansive solo work see: https://archaeologist.bandcamp.com/

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 45: Garry Brents of Memorrhage (Dallas, USA)

In this episode, we interview Garry Brents about his solo nu-metal project, Memorrhage. Listen as Garry guides us on our journey through 90s/00s nostalgia, combining lyrics about mechs and video games with a distinctly nu-metal sound. Garry explains how his revival and reimagining of nu-metal finds him stepping away from the genre's stalwart themes of violence and interpersonal conflict, but reproducing its archetypal angst. To do so, Garry composes lyrics describing dystopian worlds of cybernetics and time travel, while preserving tropic elements of classic nu-metal lyricism, including present tense first-person narrative as well as a raw and direct language style. 

To experience your own memory haemorrhage, go to: https://memorrhage.bandcamp.com/

And to explore more of Garry's work, go to: https://lilangisla.bandcamp.com/ 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 44: Jason Peppiatt of Psycroptic (Hobart, Australia)

In this episode, we speak with Jason Peppiatt of Australian technical thrash and death metal band, Psycroptic. Looking back over the lyrics he has composed for the band since 2012, Jason discusses how he departed from the prosaic narrative-driven sci-fi fantasy lyrics written by drummer Dave Haley and former vocalist Chalky, instead developing a lyrical style that more directly comments on the current state of our world. Jason’s lyrics have a strongly environmentalist bent, reflective of his reverence for the natural beauty of rural Tasmania. Contrary to suggestions posited in research on Australian extreme metal that environmentalism in metal lyricism encourages further neglect of the natural world, Jason’s lyrics strive to draw attention to the dire consequences of humans shirking our responsibilities as stewards of the land. 

To explore Jason's work with Psycroptic go to: https://www.facebook.com/psycroptic/ and https://psycroptic.bandcamp.com/ 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 43: Alex, Damian, Jamie & Matt of Horrendous (Pennsylvania, USA)

In this episode we speak to not just one or two but four bandmembers - Alex, Damian, Jamie and Matt - about how they collectively write lyrics for progressive death metal project, Horrendous. Although their name might conjure the images of blood and gore that death metal is most known for, the band's lyricism could equally be described as romantic and erudite. Using language more akin to poetry and literature than your favourite American slasher, Horrendous' lyrics not only challenge worn-out images of the dunderheaded metalhead, but embody what the band considers to be metal's quintessential quality. That is, its theatrical and larger-than-life character.

Visit this Horrendous theatre here: https://horrendous.bandcamp.com/ ; https://www.instagram.com/horrendous_official/?hl=en 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 42: Terry Vainoras of Subterranean Disposition (Melbourne, Australia)

In this episode, we talk to Terry Vainoras – the multitalented guitarist, vocalist, lyricist, and saxophonist of doom/death metal outfit, Subterranean Disposition. Terry guides us through the process or writing music that is decidedly experimental, featuring unexpected combinations of recognisably 'metal' lyrical themes, including death and rebirth, with non-traditional musical instrumentation involving saxophone melodies and jazz beats, which challenge metal’s archetypal genre boundaries. While Terry's lyrical composition engages with some of metal's canonical themes, he abstains from engaging with vulgarity, violence, and gore, choosing instead to blend rhyme, alliteration, and literary references to craft lyrics that are more romantic and poetic - capturing a distinctly old-world feel.

We invite you to explore Terry's latest experimentation with the metal genre here: https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/individuation 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 41: Sam Dillon of Lo! (Sydney, Australia)

In this episode, we interview Sam Dillon of Australian sludge-metal project Lo! Sam tells us how he concocts lyrics that pull from his obsession with natural history and animal folklore, weaving together the surrealism of organic evolution and the realism of myths and fables. Sam details how, by exploiting his advanced palate for word-eating, he layers visceral and tactile words with rhymes and alliteration, composing decadent lyrics that seduce and ensnare. When he takes to the stage, Sam is the preacher at the pulpit, delivering the soul of Lo!'s music, captured in its words.

To devour this lyrical banquet, go to https://lookandbehold.net/  

 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 40: Paul Masvidal of Cynic (Miami/LA, USA)

Welcome to the 40th episode of Lingua Brutallica! To celebrate this milestone, we present a very special episode featuring Paul Masvidal of genre-defying Cynic. Paul takes us on a guided tour through the enormous breadth of lyrical material he composed over the span of his 35-year career in the industry. He details how the lyrics that accompanied each of Cynic's albums, whether more earthly or extra-terrestrial, reflected different moments and events his life, as well as the thoughts and feelings they generated. Though we frequently attempt to intellectualise lyrical choices that Paul describes as the unstructured products of creative flow, he graciously takes us through the process of cultivating an increasingly minimalist lyrical style, including writing songs without any lyrics at all. Importantly, whether his lyrics be dense or entirely absent, Paul's lyrics are works of love and truth - both his own and that for and about the wider world.

We invite our listeners to explore Cynic's illustrious lyrical catalogue here: https://listen.cyniconline.com/bio 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 39: Simon Barr of Dawn Ray’d (Liverpool, England)

This episode presents our interview with Simon Barr of Dawn Ray'd - the anti-fascist black metal project looking to strike back against far right provocation in the scene. Though his lyrics engage with fantasy and escapism, Simon's work is also overtly anarchist in the way it explores common struggles of the current time. At the same time, Dawn Ray'd's lyrics remain a sincere representation of his own thoughts and feelings. In this way, Simon aims to inject authenticity that has been lacking in black metal. Ultimately, the central goal of Dawn Ray'd's music is to give anarchism to those who need it most, and remind listeners that the world is worth saving because it is so very beautiful.

If you need this reminder, look up Dawn Ray'd at https://dawnrayd.bandcamp.com/album/to-know-the-light

 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 38: Louis Thierry of Parius (Pennsylvania, USA)

In this episode, we speak with Louis Thierry, vocalist and lyricist of Parius, whose lyrics work to transport their listeners or readers to a place beyond the world they know - most recently, into outer space. Though Louis' lyrics have previously drawn inspiration from various media, including the Ender’s Game novels, Eldritch horror, and Greek mythology, his latest work traverses new ground as his lyrics disseminate a "signal heard throughout space" that is of his own making. Louis' lyrics tell captivating stories of adventure and (occasionally humour-laced) terror, yet he maintains that in his view that the needs of lyrics should always be subordinate to the needs of a song, and what's said is often less important than how it's said. After all, he says "sometimes it's not about what's said, it's how it makes you feel".

Take a look at Parius' lyrics and music here and let us know how it makes you feel :  https://parius.bandcamp.com/album/the-signal-heard-throughout-space ; https://www.facebook.com/pariusofficial/ 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 37: Dan Cooley of Foretoken (Virginia, USA)

Episode 37 features Dan Cooley – vocalist of folk-inspired extreme metal project, Foretoken. In this episode, Dan takes us through the myths and legends, drawn from diverse contexts including Russian, Chinese, Greek, Norse, Irish and Persian cultures, that inspired lyrics composed for Foretoken’s two complementary albums – Ruins and Triumphs. Dan explains that these albums mirror the teachings derived from these folk stories, highlighting humanity’s setbacks and failures in the first instance, and their victories and accomplishments in the second. As a lyricist, Dan represents the origins of diverse folktales through carefully crafted language style. Specifically, Dan’s English-medium lyrics are written in a distinctively old-world style that is reflective of the historical origins of the myths, legends, and folktales he writes about. However, his lyrics are not constrained to English, by contrast, he takes pains to integrate non-English features into his lyrics, referencing the names for mythical figures and supernatural entities to composing entire lines in Spanish and Swedish. Further, his considerations for the language of lyrics extend beyond their sonic quality, as Dan highlights the importance of how the lyrics are presented in their written form in Foretoken’s lyric book. Collectively, Dan views all aspects of his work, including the lyrics, their vocal production, their written form, and even the lyric book they’re printed in, as part of the artwork that is Foretoken’s music. To check out all of Foretoken’s art, go to: https://lnk.to/Foretoken