What's all this fuss about?

Latin lyrics in Heavy Metal music are a common phenomenon. The darker the music, the more evil the band wanna be. What's better than using an old, mysterious, hardly understandable, cryptic, medieval and therefore almost satanic language? Unfortunately bands seldom know how to use this language properly. So, instead of evoking the demons of the realm of evil, they just evoke a hop-frog. Clatu verata nicto! - The most of you know what happened after this wrongly spoken spell.

Normally, two questions are the result of the fact that you've just read a latin phrase:
- What does it mean? (almost everybody)
- Is it correct? (just a few latin aficionados)

This page doesn't want to make fun of mistakes in latin lyrics. I wanna answer the first question to everybody who is interested. The second question is just for myself or for the two or three weird guys out there or for bands which are thinking about using a latin phrase as well. You can contact me if you want.

Donnerstag, 11. November 2010

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)

Deathspell Omega calls again and for sure it's gonna be a bouquet of sophisticated, philosophic and religious thoughts - written down in english, french, latin and ancient greek. So here is my little help:

~ Paracletus ~
The album's title comes from the ancient greek word "paráklêtos" (literally: "he who was called" or "he who was send for") and means "advocate, helper". The latin form "paracletus" was often used in the Bible and in other religions.

~ Epiklesis I + II ~
the ancient greek word "epíklêsis" means "sobriquet" or , in greek texts of christian times, "invocation". In Epiklesis I and II, there is one latin line: Vestigia nulla retrorsum - no footprints backwards.

~ Wings of Predation ~
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine is the opening line of Psalm 130 an means: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

~ Abscission ~
Implemini Spiritu Sancto - we are filled with the holy Ghost.

~ Dearth ~
Eritis sicut dii - you'll be like (the) Gods.

~ Phosphene ~
Ignis ardens - burning fire

~ Have you beheld the Fevers? ~
Nihil videt et omnia videt - he sees nothing and sees everything.

~ Apokatastasis Pantôn ~
The song's title again is ancient greek: "apokatástasis" means "reconstruction, rebuilding", but in the New Testament the phrase "apokatástasis pantôn" means "recreation of the universe" (literally: recreation of everything).

Finally, I doff my head to Deathspell Omega for using some fine phrases without making any mistake. Tomorrow, I'm surely going to doff my head again - after I'll have listened to their new record.