u/deDoohd

It's something that I started asking myself when I couldn't sleep; an internal discussion that turned out really fun and interesting so I figured I might as well ask others too. Might also be a good way to find some new bands while browsing the comments, assuming they end up lively.

Personally, my ranking goes as follows:

1.) Lyrics

2.) Instrumentals

3.) Vocals

My favourite band is Gaerea, and to no surprise after I thought about how I'd rank these criteria, because their songs are about the beauty of things, but also about despair and hopelessness. More often than not I think of them as poets rather than just a mere metal band, and lyrics make me feel the most in music. A prime example would be their song "World Ablaze". An excerpt:

The colors of life, vibrant and bright

For a single moment, he's part of the light

The wind whispers stories, caressing his face

The sun's gentle warmth, a long-lost embrace

He walks through fields, untouched and wild

The Nature's symphony, melodies compiled

I chose instrumentals as my second highest criteria in music, because i realised that I'm fairly picky about them. I love a certain degree of dissonance, an ebbing and flowing of intensity, and a good amount of instrumental parts without chanting.

And last but not least, vocals. Yes, they're a powerful tool in music and naturally, a band lives and dies with their lead singer, but based on my favourite bands I can confidently say that I apparently don't care too much about how an artist sounds as long as I'm digging the Instrumentals and their lyrics make me feel strong feelings. Having a rough voice however is something I prefer. Marilyn Manson would be a prime example of this and also fits my personal ranking.

All of these are incredibly important in a band's success and I'm not saying that I don't care how a vocalist sounds.

I'm excited to hear about your rankings. :)