Lingua Brutallica

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

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 36: Chaney Crabb of Entheos (California, USA)

In this episode, we speak to progressive death metal vocalist Chaney Crabb about her work with Entheos. We begin by unpacking how Chaney's continual self-auditing has produced style shifts in her writing over time, starting with the staccato format of their first release (The Infinite Nothing) and moving to the more cohesive approach adopted for their latest release (Time will take us all). Chaney explains this transition to a more accessible lyrical style, combined with repetition of lines across songs and inclusion of clean vocals, are part of a coordinated effort to render her lyrics more coherent. The resulting enhanced visibility (and audibility) of Chaney's lyrics caused her to feel "more naked", with songs referencing her personal experiences and thoughts fully on display. And yet, Chaney does not feel a strong sense of ownership over her lyrics, elaborating that once the music is released, the interpretation and meaning derived from Entheos' work belongs to the listeners who create it.

To form your own interpretation of Entheos' forthcoming album, go to https://www.metalblade.com/entheos/ and follow them on https://www.facebook.com/entheosband/ and https://www.instagram.com/entheosofficial/?hl=en 

Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 35: Stan Liszewski of Terminal Nation (Arkansas, USA)

This episode features vocalist Stan Liszewski of death-metal-leaning hardcore project Terminal Nation. Tackling capitalism, fascism, organised religion, and human destruction of the planet, Stan's lyrics focus on confronting real-world issues in our current society. Turning away from common metal themes of high fantasy and violent gore, Stan explains that he's more concerned with making his lyrics relatable to the listener. This aim is complemented by his minimalist and down-to-earth lyrical style, utilising a small selection of simple but striking vocabulary to convey ideas that are accessible to broad audiences. Moreover, Stan's use of repetition of key lines, peppered with the occasional swear word, create strong social and political messages that feel both authentic and genuine. 

To keep up with Terminal Nation, follow them on socials: https://www.instagram.com/terminalnation/?hl=en ; https://twitter.com/terminalnation ; https://www.facebook.com/terminalnation/