DT in Swedish

[Defiance]

Wouldn't it be just brilliant if DT sang in Swedish? I'd love that and, well, they're a Swedish band after all.

What do you think?

[Maxim1110]

I'm not sure. In a way I'd say: yes. But on the other hand I doubt if it would really fit their music. It'd really depend on what kind of song it is. But I think if they write a song and feel like "hey, this needs some Swedish vocals!" (just like they currently do with clean vocals) they might just do it. Perhaps it's interesting to know what Niklas and Martin B (or the other band members on the forum) think about this?

[Caotico]

Naaaah…I've never heard a Swedish metal band sing in their native tongue with anything else than disasterous results. Might be exotic and "fun" for non-Swedish speakers, but cringeworthy to those that know the language.

I think that we (I) toyed around with the idea of Swedish lyrics for a song in the very early days, but luckily that never came to fruition. :P

[Maxim1110]

Well, I kind of understand that reaction. As you say: it might be fun for non-Swedish speakers, but not for those who know the language. I really don't like Dutch metal bands to sing in Dutch. Now, Dutch is a different language from Swedish, but still: hearing metal bands sing in your native language seems weird. On the other hand this raises the question: how would this be for native English speakers? I think they're so used to it it doesn't really make a difference anymore.

Exceptions could be folk metal bands. Finntroll (even though they're Finnish) sings mainly in Swedish (correct me if I'm wrong) and Heidevolk sings in Dutch. But DT is not a folk metal band...

[Defiance]

Originally Posted by Caotico

Naaaah…I've never heard a Swedish metal band sing in their native tongue with anything else than disasterous results. Might be exotic and "fun" for non-Swedish speakers, but cringeworthy to those that know the language.

I think that we (I) toyed around with the idea of Swedish lyrics for a song in the very early days, but luckily that never came to fruition. :P

»we(I)« hahaha. Yeah I guess that in the early days Swedish would've been a tad more appropriate because of the themes you dealt with then. And yes, it'd help me with my Svenska haha. Practice makes perfect!

Have you heard Vintersorg? He sings in Swedish with great results .

Mörk Nebulosa

Hänförd av en mörk nebulosa,
Av ljusperceptionens villkor vilseförd
En sällsamhet beskriven i dikt och prosa
Sköljer över oss med förhemligad innebörd

Originally Posted by Maxim1110

Well, I kind of understand that reaction. As you say: it might be fun for non-Swedish speakers, but not for those who know the language. I really don't like Dutch metal bands to sing in Dutch. Now, Dutch is a different language from Swedish, but still: hearing metal bands sing in your native language seems weird. On the other hand this raises the question: how would this be for native English speakers? I think they're so used to it it doesn't really make a difference anymore.

Exceptions could be folk metal bands. Finntroll (even though they're Finnish) sings mainly in Swedish (correct me if I'm wrong) and Heidevolk sings in Dutch. But DT is not a folk metal band...

I think the main problem is that most people make a "non-English language = Folk Genre" type of relation. This, IMO, is wrong; who says that you can't deal with the psychological and social themes (portrayed in current DT albums) in Swedish? I'd be thrilled to read something written by Mikael in Swedish, and not necessarily in a folk song (haha).

Finntroll: »Although they are from Finland, their lyrics are in Swedish as Katla is Fenno-Swedish (a minority in Finland whose primary language is Swedish)« -Metal-archives.

[Maxim1110]

Originally Posted by Defiance

I think the main problem is that most people make a "non-English language = Folk Genre" type of relation. This, IMO, is wrong; who says that you can't deal with the psychological and social themes (portrayed in current DT albums) in Swedish? I'd be thrilled to read something written by Mikael in Swedish, and not necessarily in a folk song (haha).

Finntroll: »Although they are from Finland, their lyrics are in Swedish as Katla is Fenno-Swedish (a minority in Finland whose primary language is Swedish)« -Metal-archives.

Well, not necessarily folk metal, but somehow I feel it just fits better. Didn't In Flames have some Swedish lyrics in their early days btw?

[stizzleomnibus]

"If there were words for this... would I bork, or should I bork?"

I don't think IF did, but there is a German (??) language version of Victorious March by Amon Amarth, and I think Sentenced did something non-English at some point.

I have learned the meanings of songs through translated lyrics in the past, and it is a vastly inferior experience, emotionally and intellectually, than understanding the words as they unfold melodically and rhythmically. Of course, it's partly my fault that I only speak English (because if you're gunna live in Murrica, it's the only language you need). That said, I think most people in countries where English is a second language at least learn enough that they can use translation to fill in the vocabulary, while understanding the language enough to understand what part of the phrase is unfolding in time with the music.

Regarding the folk music thing: I'd actually agree that language can be limiting in this factor. Through centuries of military and cultural imperialism, English has traded it's national identity for status as an international exchange language. By comparison, most other languages are "niche" in a sense, and playing something in a less-international language imbues it with a bit of nationalism and restricts the interest that it will get from outside.

Also, what would we do without English as a Second Language vocalists? Some early and small-time death metal has some awesome word manglings, like when Anders tries to say "architecture" in Jotun. To be fair, the sounds and consonants in that word are (non-obviously to a native speaker) completely fucking backwards.

[Maxim1110]

Indeed, In Flames only have a Swedish-titled track, but it's an instrumental. Doesn't Shining sing in Swedish? And there are quite some Norwegian black metal bands that sing in Norwegian I believe.

[MP-AKK]

Would sound like ass.

But lets bring it on. Here's an other example:

You Tube

[Jolty]

I don't think metal bands who sing in Swedish sound bad, but then again, I want to learn the language, so I may be biased.

Actually, I listen to music in so many languages that it hardly even occurs to me that they're not singing in English. DT could sing in Orcish or Pig Latin, for all I care. Language isn't that important when it comes to music.

[Naglfar]

No way. I want all my bands to speak AMERICAN!!!!

Anyway, English is the common tongue of this planet! And it has one of the biggest vocabularies in the whole world, right? I mean, the word "fuck" alone has like 150 different definitions.

Any road, I'd listen to DT in Swedish all the same.

[Jolty]

Originally Posted by Naglfar

No way. I want all my bands to speak AMERICAN!!!!

Heh, that reminds me of when I was about 13 and I used to chat on Neopets, and some American kid around the same age asked me if my native language was Canadian. It still cracks me right up.

Anyways, DT should sing in trollspråk.

[Defiance]

Originally Posted by Naglfar

No way. I want all my bands to speak AMERICAN!!!!

Anyway, English is the common tongue of this planet! And it has one of the biggest vocabularies in the whole world, right? I mean, the word "fuck" alone has like 150 different definitions.

Any road, I'd listen to DT in Swedish all the same.

Yeah, AMERICA!!! We're all living in America, Coca-Cola, wunder Brand. Sorry, had to say it haha.

Maybe I should make a poll about this….

Originally Posted by Jolty

Heh, that reminds me of when I was about 13 and I used to chat on Neopets, and some American kid around the same age asked me if my native language was Canadian. It still cracks me right up.

Anyways, DT should sing in trollspråk.

Haha yeah the same has happened to me here, 'do they teach Canadian here?' Makes me kind of proud to be honest.

I think they should sing in Yooper. Or, perhaps, some obscure Swedish dialect that only fifty people speak. Oh I remember there was one part in Sweden where people still speak with the old declension system. And yes, it was an island where ca. fifty people live.