Christian lyrical themes: Turn or burn vs. Metaphorical

If you listen to christian metal, the lyrics can be one of two styles. Turn or burn is the aproach that bands like Vengeance Rising, Believer, Deliverance, and Mortfication used, while bands like Extol, Becoming the archetype, Veni Domine, and Eterna tend to use a not as straight forward metaphorical style. I like Turn or burn because it has "take no prisoners", dont care attitude. Some would say this defeats the purpose of "reaching out" but I say its just getting peoples attention.

What do you guys think?

To use your terminology, I prefer the turn and burn. People are generally stupid and need to be beat over the head to get it.

I like both but i'm more familiar with turn or burn.

Both have their places. IMO, metaphoracal is best for power, progressive, goth, and other less extreme metal forms while the more extreme ones (black, thrash, death, and doom) is best for the turn or burn. In the end whichever one they feel like using, the imortant thing is getting the message out there.

spectrefate wrote:

People are generally stupid and need to be beat over the head to get it.

Turn or Burn for me.People need to hear it like it is.Vengeance said it best in the song "Beheaded"-"And then you will Fry!!!"

The eclectic pragmatic approach is best.

i'm not a christian, so therefore it didn't matter what they sang about. it all came out as gibberish to me. it's the music that matters to me.

Personally I prefer methaphorical by far!! Makes it a lot more interresting and challenging, and will also reach out to more people i think, maybe light a spark and make them look further into christianity.
Turn or burn lyrics really makes me feel uncomfortable, speaking as a very liberal christian. And imo will only make non christians listeners feel the artist is underrating them, and push them further away instead of scaring them into listening.
But I may be wrong, maybe most people are as stupid as Spectrfate, and needs to get the message shoved down their throates

mc666 wrote:

i'm not a christian, so therefore it didn't matter what they sang about. it all came out as gibberish to me. it's the music that matters to me.

Me two.

Although, the really aggressive preaching lyrics annoy me sometimes. The brutal approach "people are stupid and need to be told in what to believe" doesnt click well with me.

stormspell wrote:

mc666 wrote:

i'm not a christian, so therefore it didn't matter what they sang about. it all came out as gibberish to me. it's the music that matters to me.

Me two.

Although, the really aggressive preaching lyrics annoy me sometimes. The brutal approach "people are stupid and need to be told in what to believe" doesnt click well with me.

Dude, that is the STUP....oh sorry

I like 'em both. I like the brutality of turn or burn, but metaphorical makes for far more deep and intersting lyrics. I think Olafsto has some good points. I myself, usually require a good whack upside the head with a 2x4 however.

TURN OR BURN!!!!

Turn or Burn doesn't neccessarily bother me, except for the fact that alot of the Turn or Burn bands usually have somekind of fundamentalist-style message behind them, and can also have some rather insipid lyrical themes to go along with them.

I personally prefer the allegorical lyrics alot more. They make for more intresting lyrics, and frankly show better songwriting skills.

Though to be perfectly honest, I much prefer a christian song that is just genereally positive and uplifting, like a Stryper or Narnia song.

Whether one believes this are not ? We are accountable for everything we say. Even if you are a person who doesn't buy into Christianity, this principal still applies. Try going up to someone and say something derogatory or offensive, the odds of getting chin-checked are pretty high. You can have a whole cd full of tunes that have no metaphor or allegory type lyrica and still stray far from any turn or burn content. The true message of Christ is love and you can use that to convey lots of biblical and / or spiritual principals.

I really dig allegory as opposed to either metaphor and turn or burn. Though you can approach a topic quite nice with any of them.

I like both styles, as long as they're well-written lyrics.

I don't mind either style, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably say metaphorical. When the band leaves things open to interpretation, it makes for a more interesting song, I guess. Sometimes the "turn or burn" stuff can come off a little too heavy handed or cliched (sp?).

Overall if the music/vocals are good enough, the lyrics are secondary, so it really doesn't matter all that much to me.

I mostly prefer allegory but if it's something straight out of say, Revelation, turn or burn seems to fit more. I notice that Christ spent most of his ministry being about love though he had fits of just being straight up in your face.
I wonder if those that are turned off by the turn or burn message are as turned off by the uber satanic message of many black/death bands?

emptytomb1 wrote:

I mostly prefer allegory but if it's something straight out of say, Revelation, turn or burn seems to fit more. I notice that Christ spent most of his ministry being about love though he had fits of just being straight up in your face.
I wonder if those that are turned off by the turn or burn message are as turned off by the uber satanic message of many black/death bands?

Thats what I always wonder. As the old saying goes, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

If the music is good, it don't matter. I won't pay attention anyways.

You can express "turn or burn" as a metaphor too.

As long as the lyrics are intelligent dont mind either. there is room for more explicit lyrics and those that are more allegorical in nature. As long as they dont get cheesy they are ok with me!

Alex

Oh, please not another thread about christian metal. Not a week goes by without someone trying to start a thread about christian metal.

I have always believed that it is the music that counts, particularly with the more extreme metal music as the lyrics will be unheard with a lot of vocal styles. I don't care what a band sings about.

On a christian metal note the only artist I have ever listened to that could be called christian metal is Rob Rock, man can that guy sing.

UltraMagnus007 wrote:

Oh, please not another thread about christian metal. Not a week goes by without someone trying to start a thread about christian metal.

this forum serves as the main forum for the christian metal band Ultimatum, it is also run by christian guys. therefore, you better get used to seeing threads concerning christian metal. you always have the option of not opening those specific threads, if you have nothing to offer to them.

mc666 wrote:

UltraMagnus007 wrote:

Oh, please not another thread about christian metal. Not a week goes by without someone trying to start a thread about christian metal.

this forum serves as the main forum for the christian metal band Ultimatum, it is also run by christian guys. therefore, you better get used to seeing threads concerning christian metal. you always have the option of not opening those specific threads, if you have nothing to offer to them.

Well, seems I've been told.

indeed