secular music

[Eric]

Lyrical content doesn't matter to me. I listen to what I like.

btw Cradle of Filth isn't Satanic, and only Emperor's early material was Satanic.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Cradle of Filth aren't Satanic but they give the vibe that they are and their name isn't the most positive of band names. lol

[Steeltemplar]

Cradle of Filth may not be Satanic, but last I checked they were anti-Christian.

EDIT: I checked. They are VERY anti-Christian.

[Eric]

Note that I consider Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir to be terrible examples of black metal. However, Emperor is widely considered the best black metal band to have ever existed.

[Steeltemplar]

I listened to DB briefly until I read the lyrics to one of their songs that talked about killing Christians. Musically, they seemed alright. But I wouldn't really get into it all that much even without the distasteful lyrics.

I might look into Emperor, then. Hard to find good, relatively non-offensive (to Christianity) black and death metal bands. I've done pretty well with Children of Bodom, Soilwork, Bathory, and In Flames. But they're really melodic death.

[Eric]

There are pretty good amount of good Christian black metal bands out there, but unfortunately there aren't nearly as many good Christian death metal bands.

For secular black metal, I know Enslaved has clean lyrics, and Ephel Duath: Rephormula is clean too; these other ones are good, I don't think these are satanic but I'm not 100% sure:

1349
Blut Aus Nord
Anaal Nathrakh
Xasthur
Leviathan
Anorexia Nervosa

For straight up old school death metal, I recommend Bolt Thrower (again, not 100% sure if they are clean).

[Steeltemplar]

Thanks! I'll look into some of those.

[Fireproof]

I've kind of got a thing for a few secular bands, but I always look at lyrics first. Dragonforce is a good example. Their songs do speak of chaos and fire, but in a hopeless or depressing way. System of a Down seems to have a good heart under the somewhat thuick layer of grime, even if they aren't the biggest fans of the U.S. Other than that, all my secular music is lyrically neutral or positive, but such music is surprisingly easy to find today. (Megadeth's newest album is clean, and has some Christian leanings, Audioslave is very good too, and even All-American Rejects has some positive tendencies.)

[Eric]

Thanks! I'll look into some of those.

In case you haven't seen this list I posted in the "Amazing bands that seemingly noone knows." thread, here it is again. These are, for the most part, secular bands]Ephel Duath[/url]
Coprofago
Necrophagist
Psycroptic
Dark Tranquillity
Aletheian
Tourniquet
Augury
Pig Destroyer
Kekal
Altera Enigma
Cult of Luna
Katatonia
Ram-Zet
Into Eternity
...And Oceans
The Haunted
Pelican
Dysrhythmia
Behold...The Arctopus
Peccatum
Zyklon
Emperor
Death/Control Denied
Liquid Tension Experiment
Sympathy
Royal Anguish
Bolt Thrower
Subterranean Masquerade
Novembers Doom
Monolithe
Ashes to Ashes
Neuraxis
Into the Moat
Insomnium
Opeth
Mors Principium Est
Psyopus
Between the Buried and Me
Behemoth
Virgin Black
Omnium Gatherum
Arsis
Cynic
Gorguts
Capharnaum
Morphia
Harakiri
Illogicist
Anata
Arcturus
Winds
Textures
Sirenia
Draconian
Tristania
Atrocity
Leaves' Eyes
Midnattsol
My Dying Bride
Whispering Gallery
Dis
Dis Pater
Tvangeste
Imperanon
Within Temptation
How Like a Winter
Moonlyght
Kamelot
Nevermore
Suffocation
Holy Blood
Stormlord
Anathema
Paradise Lost
Antimatter
Coalesce
Mnemic
Epica
Mercenary
Amorphis
Atrophia Red Sun
Virulence
Quo Vadis
Municipal Waste
The Esoteric
Obsidian
Esoteric
Stream of Passion
Ayreon
After Forever
Porcupine Tree
Symbyosis
Fates Warning
Spastic Ink
Dream Theater
Andromeda
Time Requiem/Space Odyssey/Majestic
Angtoria
Non Human Level
Mr. Bungle
Wintersun
Norther
Skyfire
Vintersorg
Borknagar
Spiral Architect
Vehemence
Abigail Williams
Blind Guardian
Dragonforce
Rob Rock
Divinefire
Crimson Moonlight
Slechtvalk
Corphagy
Job for a Cowboy
co_conspirator
Alarum
Sceptic
Frantic Bleep
Isis
Kalmah
Sceptic

[Arnobius]

I'm a Power metal guy myself, the whole fantasy trip thing. What I don't like are the groups that attack Christianity as a whole for the abuses of a few, as if the abuse was the practice. Bands like Edguy, Avantasia and Dionysius do that

[Eric]

I'm a Power metal guy myself, the whole fantasy trip thing.

Blind Guardian: Nightfall in Middle-Earth is a must-have for any power metal fan. Also check out Kamelot and Symphony X.

[Arnobius]

Symphony X is kind of disappointing. I Do enjoy Blind Guardian and think A Night at the Opera is their best album (especially "And then there was Silence").

Personally I think Rhapsody seems to have the best talent of the male vocalist power bands. Haven't tried Kamelot yet. With female lead power metal, I think Within Temptation is my favorite, followed by Epica

Space Metal is an obscure favorite of mine by Arjen Luccassen's Star One

[Eric]

hmm...if you like Epica, you'd probably also like Angtoria and Therion.

oh and Queensryche is awesome too.

[Arnobius]

Actually meant to say Nightwish, but Epica is good too. I tried Elis but that was a bit underpowered.

[Eric]

Into Eternity and Mercenary are mixes of power metal and death metal. Moonlyght is a mix of power metal, black metal, and folk music. You might like them.

[Stephen]

(Ignore this folks) Last post bump. (troll related)

[righteous_slave]

So where are the pop metal fans? Skid Row, Motley Crue, Warrant, Ratt, KISS, Cinderella, Twisted Sister ect. I still break out those old tapes on occasion. Definatley have to watch lyrics though, with the heavy innuendo and foul mouths.

Can't forget the classic rockers as well. The Doors, Alice Cooper, CCR, Skynard, Thin Lizzy, Clapton, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd.

[EricTheFred]

"The classic rockers as well?" Everything you listed was what I thought of when you said "the pop metal fans." Well, not The Doors. I think of them as Psychedelic era. Getting old is a pain, folks.

For those that concern themselves with whether they should listen to "secular" music, just remember this: the Bible mentions Angels singing and playing trumpets, and it mentions King David playing a stringed instrument, but it never mentions the Devil playing a violin.

Music is one of the languages of Heaven, even if an occasional misquided musician tries to make it otherwise. So,avoid the misquided few, but don't cast away the many, who, while seeking beauty, happened to learn the language of Angels.