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Forums > All other metal related talk..

German Metal

bad_american1992
Fri, 12/06/2020 - 20:54

There is an abundance of incredible German metal bands, but it seems the majority of them sing in English, perhaps to reach a broader audience. Can any of you Teutonic headbangers here recommend some German metal sung in the German language? Albums, single songs, it is all good!!

Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQB0mLc8ksQ



MorticiA's picture

Rammstein.

Woot, called it first!

bad_american1992's picture

Never heard of them ;p

MorticiA's picture

Oh... You will... You will...

Check it: these guys are Industrial metal, emphasis on the Industrial, and believe me, they speak loooooooootttts of German. They do a have a few english versions of their songs, but 90+% of the time they sing in German which is pretty much their second hallmark of their shows (aside from being industrial;) frankly, it would be fucking WEIRD if they sung entirely in english at a concert, regardless of what Nation they're at. We listen to Rammstein to hear fukken German lyrics with Industrial Metal ;D. You might remember songs like Du Hast (Du Hast Mich) [EN: You Hate, You Hate Me,] it was in the sondtrack for the first Matrix movie.

Bayernpirat's picture

Another example: Rammstein played the title track in Triple X
"Feuer Frei"

Madison's picture

Till actually sings "you have me", but many people mistake it for "you hate me". I suppose this lyric is a play on words though, much like how the song is a play on wedding vows.

MorticiA's picture

Yup, looks like you're right on that =)

Thanks.

Hammerheart's picture

@MorticiA I venture a guess that you missed a joke here. And it was a good one because Rammstein are definitely, objectively not Metal. They meet most criteria for being Pop, Pop being not a genre but a way of producing and presenting the music (i. e. any musical genre has an original version and a pop version). That's not meant as a depreciation, it's just apples and oranges. Musically, Rammstein aren't much more Metal than Michael Jackson's "Beat it". They may use darker modes/ scales/ imagery, but then they don't have Eddie Van Halen playing guitar solos.

There's not much "Industrial" in their music either because they don't use samples in a central way, theirs are mainly used to support the mood and overall sound. In that aspect it's a bit like Trent Reznor being opposed to the "Industrial" label, which was at best approppriate to his early stuff up to the soundtrack for Quake.

Al Jourgensen claims that Arabian Prince once told him that the early Ministry stuff was an inspiration to Hip Hop artists of the time because of its use of sampling. I find that quite credible considering the sound of N.W.A. or Ultramagnetic MCs at the time. Without creative, prominent sampling, where the samples are statements or a crucial sound canvas instead of just accents, early Ministry would sound like 90s darkwave, Skinny Puppy would just be drums and screams, late 80s Hip Hop was just dried-up Electro Funk, etc.

MorticiA's picture

Alright fair enough =)

Also, the sound track for Quake? The video game? *looks it up* I didn't know Trent did the music for that game, but I know Rob Zombie did help make the title song in Quake 2 ('never realy owned Quake 1.)

Thanks for clarifying a few things for me.

Hammerheart's picture

All music and in-game sound sound in Quake 1 was provided by Nine Inch Nails - Reznor plus at the time still Chris Vrenna and I think a couple others. In untypical modesty, Trent didn't have id software advertise the fact, but the ammo boxes for the nailgun have the NIN logo on them.

Many people even at the time didn't know this because they legally didn't own the game - didn't buy the CD-ROM with the music on it and just copied the game files, which are much smaller than the audio.

To this day I wonder how many of the player and creature voices in the game might actually be Trent's voice.

The music is superb, some of the best they ever made. It's like The Downward Spiral minus the rock and pop layers, just grit and dirt dark synths and eerie samples. And that was decades before "Dungeon Synth" became a thing.

MorticiA's picture

Yea, I recall the issues Trent had with the NIN name and essentially releasing NIN material under different names.

I fukken LOVED that nail gun (I may not have owned the game but HAVE played it several times,) but that's really cool about the ammo boxes.

Yea, I did something similar, I just popped the Quake 2 CD into my CD player and skipped Track 1, after that the music would begin playing, I think back then it was the hardest music I had at the time. Plus I've got nostalgic memories of listening to a few songs of Marylin Mansons' Mechanical Animals when playing Quake 2.

Interesting note relation: Mike Patton (Faith No More/ Fantomas) did all the voices of the common infected for the Left 4 Dead games. Apparently he's an avid gamer.

Metalmate's picture

He wasn't being serious ;)

SolveMyMath's picture

Following.

I guess Tankard's Aufgetankt (1994) and Himbeergeist zum Frühstück (1996) will be too obvious for you, right?

As well as Onkel Tom Angelripper.

bad_american1992's picture

I haven't checked out those Tankard records or Tom's side project, definitely will!

menstrvalmoon's picture

Formel 1 - Der Edelrocker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxC9IGmCSzE

If you like, check the old GDR Bands, they all sung in german...

SolveMyMath's picture

Depressive Age and The Art of the Legendary Tishvaisings are crying somewhere after your words...

invisible-horizons's picture

Depressive Age is amazing and unique! I like “First Depression” the best!

bad_american1992's picture

Very cool stuff! Will have to dig deeper into their catalogue

Hliðskialf's picture

Iron Kobra - Kerker und Drachen (EP)
It's only two tracks, though

Their is also a German version of Sodom's Ausgebombt featuring Bela B. from Die Ärzte.

bad_american1992's picture

A good start haha. Yeah that version of Ausgebombt is fuckin killer, I just heard it recently!

Hárbarðr's picture

And Wut im Bauch, killer song!!

Speed or Bleed's picture

As previously mentioned there is a real tresure chest of bands from.the former GDR which had to sung in german because of the communist regime in this time, they didnt had too, but otherwise they couldnt release records and of course the whole metal scene was watched as enemys and outlaws. watched and harrased by the secret service (stasi) metal albums from western states were hard to get. there was a exceptionell big tape trading scene and fans even get their albums throug neighbor states.

Formel 1 was the biggest of the east german bands https://youtu.be/X-6fCcd3x84

bad_american1992's picture

Interesting... I did not know there was such political motivation behind it in the early days... thanks for the history lesson Nico.
That Biest song is great, really liked it!

MorticiA's picture

I think Grave Digger did a few songs in their native toungue, but, 98% of the time it's English.

bad_american1992's picture

Which songs? You should post a link here!

meaningless's picture

You know, Sodom's - Ausgebombt also exist with german-lyrics? a i see...u know that alrdy..haha...okok...
or
Macbeth - ..everything they sing, is german, here is their new single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3wKsn2otA0
or
Debauchery (German Death Metal band) have a Project called Balgeroth. Same tracks/music but with german lyrics, here is their last album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAt9uGXfAVc
or
Eisregen? In case u like it a bit more with black-metal-like lyrics (but their sound is rly..lets say 'special'...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgU0lKlwBbs
or
Nachtblut? Black-Metalish with a Gothic-Touch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQgnbSg80I
or
In Extremo? Maybe u like ur Metal in Medival-Style with bagpipes etc :) (I rly love this band!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2tc-d4INus
or
..well...Powerwolf just have a few tracks in german, not full albums:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0mIJ5Y86bc
or
Eisbrecher? EBM/Industrial-style? With some Rammstein-riffing? (similiar - NOT a copy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGTXF7cyJ6w

...well...there is more 1 more Death Metal-band i know, who only sings in german..but cant remember their name (and if i recall some reviews: they were not that good. ...anyway..haha..cant remember them)
In case i can recall something else, ill let u know :D

bad_american1992's picture

Wow thanks for the huge music drop meaningless! From top to bottom...
Macbeth: Never heard of these guys! They have a great sound.
Balgeroth: Hmm yes this is what I am seeking, killer stuff! I've only heard of Debauchery, never this group.
Eisregen: Interesting, black metal is not my scene but these guys sound pretty good.
Nachtblud: Sounds a bit like Germany's answer to COF haha
In Extremo: I've heard their version of Stella Splendens before, will give them a deeper dive! Yes I love bagpipes in the music of central Europe, thanks for the recommendation!
Powerwolf: Not my band but good to know they have some German lyrics
Eisbrecher: Haha these guys are totally Rammstein's siamese twin, I rather liked them

meaningless's picture

yw :) hehe...i was not sure which style u would like most..so...just a few examples..hehe...just in case:
2 more which are similiar to Eisbrecher - Megaherz and Stahlmann ;) (also the lyrics of the old Megaherz stuff is pretty nice!)

Unjustifiablexistence's picture

Atrocity released some German songs over the years... Not their best material but these songs come to mind:

Atrocity - Gottes Tod
Atrocity - Willenskraft
Atrocity - Leichenfeier / Parentalia

There are more though!

bad_american1992's picture

Ah cool, I typically listen to Hallucinations, haven't touched on their later (and often shunned) material. Will check these tunes out though, thanks mate!

Hammerheart's picture

It's easy today to underestimate how important speaking and singing in English was in the 80s metal scene. The tape trading underground, from which most bands in the 80s emerged, was highly international but there was no public internet yet, let alone any translation software, and also learning good English in regular school was far more seldom that it is today.

Before Grishnackh, Fenriz and Satyr started using Norwegian, which were expressly isolationist and nationalist moves, not using English would have garnered any serious Metal band a bad reputation in the scene. Which was exactly what the Norwegians wanted. Sodom has been mentioned, but their song "Bombenhagel" hasn't yet. It's just the title and a (musical) quote from the German national anthem, but it was enough to garner them accusations of fascism.

Protector quoted from Beethoven's musical rendering of Friedrich Schiller's "Ode an the Freude" on the "Golem" album, but also non-verbally only.

bad_american1992's picture

Interesting to know. Thanks for the heavy metal history lesson!

neckton's picture

Well, good question.

A few more „modern“ bands come to my mind. In the Black or Pagan Metal department, you find several like Minas Morgul, Finsterforst, Equilibirum or Division Speed (at least some songs from each band).
Also, but i really can‘t tell what kind of Metal that is, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter have several German songs.
A friend of mine also has a Black Metal Projekt called Stillers Tod and he has German lyrics.

Then there is J.B.O.. They are making „funny“ Metal with many German songs.
Another „funny“ band is Excrementory Grindfuckers....as the name says...they make Grindcore :D

Not really Metal, more „medieval“ rock would be In Extremo.

Another a bit older band would be Dimple Minds, but well...they also aren‘t classic metal.

neckton's picture

Ignore this, pressed save twice :D

bad_american1992's picture

Cool recommendations neckton! What songs by Equilibrium / Division Speed are sung in German?
I will give Dimple Minds, JBO and In Extremo a listen. Might have to pass on the grind core group though hahahah I can never understand the lyrics in those bands anyways

neckton's picture

I guess most of the songs from Equilibrium are german, but tbh, i only know their old stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY8IJMTqtYA

Division Speed, here Only the Intro and title (but such a great song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P0iUEFbSYg
And i must confess, i really thought they have german lyrics...but it's always just the intros and some words :D

quixotic's picture

Knorkator are not per se a Heavy Metal Band, but the music is heavy and the guys are way beyond everything else musically. Also the Guitarist Buzz Dee used to played in different rock/metal bands in the former GDR, for example MCB.

Here is some Knorkator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6lncXRRJ7A

quixotic's picture

Knorkator make awesome music videos as well, starring Till Lindemann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bybm2nh02X4

bad_american1992's picture

I'm not trying to ignore you man I will listen to your suggestions soon! \m/

quixotic's picture

Don't worry, I know your feeling, too much music and no time

quixotic's picture

Dornenreich sing in german as well, but they are from Austria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7khezlWjtJA

quixotic's picture
quixotic's picture

What about Laibach, not metal again, but heavy? They are so famous nowadays they even played in North Korea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAD7W3M4zc

quixotic's picture

Nobody mentioned Doro/Warlock so far???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUHrVeKYGfo

sandmanforce's picture

Poison Asp - great underrated german thrash metal

ThomasThrash's picture

Woah, they are very good! Thank you for the recommendation. I definitely am digging it. \m/

Bonesaw's picture

Japanische Kampfhörspiele

KiWi's picture

Looking back it is indeed a little strange to see that all these very capable bands, those who became internationaly famous and those who remained underground, did choose bad English over German. Still they surely hat their reasons and this provided us with timeless quotes like Sodoms War and Pizzas...

One of my current favourites: FullAssault (Thrash from the North East) The Track Hoffnungslose Stadt is the same as City of no hope, I love both of them, maybe the German a little bit more https://youtu.be/JMocKqClRw0

Avatar is actually a Swedish band but since the frontmans mother is from our region he speaks a decent German and gave us (among lot more) this beautiful piece Tsar Bomba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxmYoS7Tan4

Gernotshagen is more for the atmospheric, sometimes calmer way (Thuringian Pagan Black Metal) but absolutely beautiful (if you like the genre). There is so much more relatively unknown paganish Metal hidden somewhere in the forests
Shorter glimpse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5j2Bn6WfhU or full album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3OuW43F3c
Or freshly released https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L7YiQhR2vo

Uhh, did we really miss Stumme Ursel until now?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3K6JKTROq0

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