in the beggining I intended to read opinions about the lyricists of all genres, but then, according to your opinions, I decided to delimit the topic to Metal & Rock lyricists. ----------------------------------------------------- Well, I've heard so many good singers being totally lousy when writing lyrics that I couldn't say for sure who's the worst to me, but I surely know who's one of the best, Henry Rollins James hetfield Anthony kiedis Surely the best lyricist I've ever heard is Dave Mustaine. I'll write more later, i gotta go. Cheers.
Lol, take James Hetfield out of there, he's just another metal lyricist and if you throw him in there you have to toss in a few thousand more names to be fair. And I dont want to see such a wall of text. So yea, metal's pretty much out because it's a no brainer. So um...the lyrics on Fear of a Blank Planet were pretty dreadful as we already discussed.
worst: John Anderson from Yes. Since he wrote most of the lyrics based on how they sound rather than what they mean, they are completely incoherent.
Hmmm okay, rock is pretty broad, but I think I know what you mean. Ummm metal first I guess Just my personal thought... metal doesn't tend to rely on lyrics as heavily as other genres of music, so faulting a metal band for bad lyrics shouldn't really play a big part in your opinion on the band, at least not for me. Best: Jake Bannon (Converge) - I used to listen to Converge and not understand what the fuck this guy was saying, but I opened up the lyric booklet and read along with his incoherent screaming and it all made sense. His lyrics are like poetry about everything and anything this guy can think of. His outlook on love in Jane Doe is perfect. Brent Hinds/Troy Sanders/Brann Dailor (Mastodon) - Who else could write lyrics based around Steven Hawkings black hole theories and czarist Russia? Toby Driver (maudlin of the Well/solo projects) - I don't really like the guys bands, but theres no doubt he writes some good lyrics. Michael Akerfeldt - Of course... this being an Opeth forum... but I really do enjoy most of his lyrics. I like the cryptic lyrics on Watershed, the concept driven lyrics on Still Life and Ghost Reveries, and certain songs with lyrics that are obviously deeply connected to the main himself (ie Burden, TNATSW, etc) Worst: James Hetfield (Metallica) - Later stuff of course. Pretty much goes without saying his lyrics are just dull and boring nowadays. Chris Barnes (Cannibal Corpse) - Refer to: "I Cum Blood" nuff said. Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) - Ugh. Rock: Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) - Always intelligible yet cryptic lyrics that always get me thinking. I love trying to pick apart what he is trying to say. Jesse Lacey (Brand New) - This dude sings from the soul. All of his lyrics are filled with emotion, and thats how it should be. Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In) - The craziest lyrics I have ever heard. I was playing "Vermicide" for one of my coworkers, when the lyric "We are sacrosanct" came up. He commented what a good word that was, and how its hard to use in normal conversation, and somehow he worked it into a song. His lyrics make no sense, but they are great somehow, at least to me. Marilyn Manson - His lyrics are always clever and witty. The way he works his lyrics in the trypich is incredible. Staying with an overarching concept across three separate albums, while still getting all of his thoughts out into the lyrics is unbelievable. Worst: Maynard James Keenan (Puscifer) - Cuntry Boner There are far too many bad lyricists in rock music to mention.
off the top of my head... the best: maynard james keenan mikael akerfeldt john lennon paul mccartney roger waters bruce dickinson jim morrison van morrison nick drake michael stipe lemmy kilmister dani filth worst: too many to mention.
Agreed, C.O.B lyrics are so bad, it's unbelievable. I mentioned this already on another thread, but when it comes to metal, I'm a fan of Devin Townsend's lyrics.
as nice as it can be to read the lyrics from the lyrics sheet, what really matters for me is what they sound like when sung in context in the song. if I want to read a good text ill just read a novel or, heck, even poetry. some favs: metallicas rtl - mop - ajfa opeths still life - deliverance - damnation - ghost reveries edge of sanitys crimson all i can think of atm in metal. when i think of rock i automatically think of prog rock and when i think of prog rock i automatically think of cool music + nonesense lyrics (though usually sung in a cool way that fits the psychedelic atmosphere)
well...I mentioned Dave Mustaine, in spites of being a metal lyricist, along with Bruce dickinson they can write very inspiring and "poetic" lyrics. Lemmy Kilmister sucks at writing lyrics, but he's funny as hell. Amorphis lyrics are somewhat incoherent, but I presume that's because of the translation In flames lyrics just sucks, but I love the way he structures the phrases Anneke's lyrics are sometimes lousy and some others are pretty much inspiring.
Best lyricists: Dan Swano Mikael Akerfeldt Carl Mccoy - Fields of the Nephilim Robert Lowe - Solitude Aeturnus Byron - Bal Sagoth Worst: Alexi Laiho newer In Flames
It's amazing how the guy who wrote the lyrics for AJFA and the Black Album (no matter what you think of the music, that one has amazing lyrics) has gone to "my lifestyle determines my deathstyle"-type drivel. Or should I say "deathstyle-CHA!"
^ That lyric is actually Kirk Hammett's. James Hetfield has written some incredible lyrics throughout his career, and there are some great ones on Death Magnetic: Say is that rain or are they tears that stained your crying face for years Crying, weeping, shedding strife Year after year, life after life A narrow, freshly-broken ground the concrete angel laid right down Upon the grave which swallows fast It's peace at last, oh peace at last ^ I mean, that's not bad lyrics at all.
BEST: 1. Micke "Ulke" Johansson - Dia Psalma (there's just no doubt about it, he's the fuckin best) 2. Trent Reznor 3. Jonas Renkse WORST: 1. any self destuctive fantasy goth-crap 2. Danko Jones 3. Corey Taylor
