Chapter 3: Større enn tid, tyngre enn natt¹ – The Interplay of Language and Cultural Identity in the Lyrics of Norwegian Metal Bands

Lyrics hold a complex status, not only within the world of metal music. They are subject to diverse motivations and backgrounds within groups of individuals and may serve various functions – as poetry, as means of channelling social criticism or feelings. Lyrics may be barely perceptible as produced by human beings, they may be hard to understand and they may not even be printed in CD booklets. While some bands claim their lyrics do not matter, others translate and/or explain underlying concepts and metaphors used in the texts to ensure the listeners' understanding and intended interpretation of the words of a song in other languages than English. Thus, metal lyrics are an interesting subject for analysing various stances of identity, of cultural implications, and of politics, especially when it comes to the use of specific languages within a societal context.

In Norway, bands such as Enslaved, Solefald, and Wardruna already expressed themselves in their native languages in an early phase of their careers, simultaneously engaging in Norse themes, such as the Viking Age and Norse mythology. Based on my work on cultural identity in Norwegian metal music and three sample bands, the author will take a closer look at the interplay of lyrics, language and cultural identity. In this paper, the author will show how the bands engage in Nynorsk, Bokmål or Høgnorsk lyrics and what it means for the bands to deal with the languages' history and meaning.