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Post by sonofnun on Jun 28, 2020 21:19:39 GMT -6
Are there any fans of Empyrium here? They are a German band from the secular scene. They started off playing folk/doom/black and now play a more progressive, doomy, neofolk.
They are one of my all-time favorite bands (one that I continued to listen to even during a long hiatus from metal). All of their albums are special in their own way. My two favorites for a long time have been "Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays" and "Weiland." The latter is deeply influenced by classical sensibilities and contains a lot of acoustic material. It's always been something I can turn to to feel civilized in an uncivilized age. Their most recent album "The Turn of the Tides" is a bit of a departure from their earlier work, but I can't stop listening to it.
I don't know of any band in the Christian scene that sounds like Empyrium, especially on the albums mentioned above, but I'd love a recommendation if anyone has one.
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Post by anfauglith on Jun 30, 2020 10:12:19 GMT -6
Here! Here! *waves* As a german and friend of all kinds of imaginery from the age of romanticism I like Empyrium quite a lot, even if I only own "Weiland". Listened to "The Turn..." but I did not like it that much. It's just something very differnt from their "old" stuff. Had to laugh when I realized that I have a very old Empyrium-track from their original Black Metal phase on some old giveaway CD that was included in some magazine I used to read back in the end-90s. I do not know anything christian that sounds like them, though. Maybe that can't be because their sound and also the lyrics are strongly influenced by some kind of "heathen" (not in a religious sense) perception of nature... there's like this stuff with nature spirits... getting lost in the woods... I don't know. For me personal this is no problem because that is stuff no different to regional folk tales here and it always comes as a wild blend of old pagan imaginery and fears but also christian elements. But given the fact that (maybe that is a prejudice, though) quite a few guys from the christian metal scene are somehow very very protestant in a certain way, they would never touch such. And (I think) you can't make this mysterious kind of music with lyrics that are all down to earth protestantism. Just doesn't fit I guess. Maybe you want to check out "walden"? They (or better: he, because it is just one guy) are also not christian, but Danijel is a nice guy and the music is at least "safe" (no lyrics of no kind). Discovered his music when I was looking for something to listen to as a kind of "background music" for prayer.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jul 2, 2020 10:50:52 GMT -6
Here as well! I thought their doom metal stuff was ok, but I gave their Weiland album so... many... spins... when it was first released.
Are for the lyrics or themes, I paid no mind to them. For one, I don't expect secular music to conform to Christian values so I see no sense in digging around for something wrong... for two, at least Weiland wasn't in English, so I'm not interested in translating it, again, just to find something wrong.
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Post by anfauglith on Jul 3, 2020 8:06:32 GMT -6
for two, at least Weiland wasn't in English, so I'm not interested in translating it, again, just to find something wrong. You would have found none. If someone is not like an extreme righteous protestant, nothing is wrong with those lyrics. They are dark, yes, of course they are. Stuff like getting lost in the woods, fog, evening sceneries over moor and fen, ghosts, autumn. This kind of stuff. I take no offensive in those kind of things, as a matter of fact I love them. But there are people around who shun everything that is not about Jesus or has no downright positive and light approach to things because they fear that otherwise the devil may find an entrance to their mind. (Like a friend of mine who, after becoming a born-again christian, threw away his large collection of comics because he saw it as incompatible with his renewed faith). While this is certainly a honorable approach, I feel unable to share it and it would not help my faith. To make it short: if you have no problem with gloomy fairy- and folk tales and if you do not fear that such and dark romanticism my hurt your sould, Empyrium should be fine for you.
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Post by sonofnun on Jul 3, 2020 11:57:51 GMT -6
Here! Here! *waves* As a german and friend of all kinds of imaginery from the age of romanticism I like Empyrium quite a lot, even if I only own "Weiland". Listened to "The Turn..." but I did not like it that much. It's just something very differnt from their "old" stuff. Had to laugh when I realized that I have a very old Empyrium-track from their original Black Metal phase on some old giveaway CD that was included in some magazine I used to read back in the end-90s. I do not know anything christian that sounds like them, though. Maybe that can't be because their sound and also the lyrics are strongly influenced by some kind of "heathen" (not in a religious sense) perception of nature... there's like this stuff with nature spirits... getting lost in the woods... I don't know. For me personal this is no problem because that is stuff no different to regional folk tales here and it always comes as a wild blend of old pagan imaginery and fears but also christian elements. But given the fact that (maybe that is a prejudice, though) quite a few guys from the christian metal scene are somehow very very protestant in a certain way, they would never touch such. And (I think) you can't make this mysterious kind of music with lyrics that are all down to earth protestantism. Just doesn't fit I guess. Maybe you want to check out "walden"? They (or better: he, because it is just one guy) are also not christian, but Danijel is a nice guy and the music is at least "safe" (no lyrics of no kind). Discovered his music when I was looking for something to listen to as a kind of "background music" for prayer. I have all of their albums on CD and vinyl but I'm OCD like that lol.
I find zero that is objectionable in their lyrics and I can be fairly strict about lyrics as I do try to stay vigilant about anything potentially blasphemous. I'm no puritan though and I think it's quite obvious that Christians have always enjoyed art that didn't originate within the faith - from the Church Fathers reading Aristotle and Plato to us listening to metal.
I think you are right that the influence of Protestantism does have an effect. A lot of this folk inspired music has a certain mysticism and sacramentality to it which is built in to Orthodox Christian spirituality and Catholic as well (although I get the feeling it isn't engaged as often as it once was). The sense that God's grace is conveyed through physical elements such as wine, bread, oil, and water is significant in developing that connection between the physical and spiritual that is often present in the manner in which these bands appreciate nature. This mysticism and sacramental theology is less common in Protestantism (although not totally absent) and since most of the people in the scene are Protestants it can't but make an impact. We do certainly have some very good atmospheric Black Metal, a smattering of Viking/Folk, and we, of course, have Vials of Wrath. But, the Christian scene seems far behind on folk/viking/"pagan"/whatever sub-genres have that nature-inspired, romantic sound. I haven't encountered anything like Empyrium or Alcest, but I guess they are rare even in the secular scene.
I'll check out Walden, thanks.
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