The Black Metal band ” Code .” Photo: Shutterstock. Doug Moore’s “Death Metal English” post at Invisible Oranges is the funniest thing I’ve read on the internet in a long time. He performs a linguistic analysis of the lyrics in Death Metal music, notes its use of adjectives and baroquely florid multisyllabic arcaneness, and offers some helpful translations of common English phrases. Normal English: “This bok choy isn’t very good” Death Metal English: “CASTIGATING THE VERDANT ISSUANCE OF THE SOILS OF JIANGNAN” Normal English: “I need to take a nap” Death Metal English: “RIPPED INTO THE UTTER EXHAUSTION OF THE MIDDLE DAY” Normal English: “Thanks for explaining the train schedule” Death Metal English: “PROFFERING GRATITUDE UPON THE CHRONOCRATION OF THE JUGGERNAUTS OF RETICULATED METALS AND FIRE” Normal English: “You have to mow the lawn” Death Metal English: “BRING DOWN THE SCYTHE OF GODS UPON THE NECKS OF THE GREEN-RIBBED LEGIONS AND SWEEP AWAY THEIR WRETCHED BODIES; THOU ART IMPLORED BY ME” Read the whole thing . It’s been making the rounds for a few weeks, but I’m so glad I caught it. Video above: Nile – “Chapter Of Obeisance Before Giving Breath To The Inert One In The Presence Of The Cresent-Shaped Horns”
The linguistics of Death Metal, and how to translate common English phrases into the Dark Lord’s Tongue