As opposed to the aggressive Satanism of many black metal bands, GBK's lyrics take a literate, satirical view of biblical lore. The band is known for incorporating melodic, traditional heavy metal influences while retaining the more unorthodox aspects of black metal songwriting. GBK are one of America's first black metal bands and are true fathers of USBM.
Following the death of Richard Mills (singer on Kosherat) in August of 2006, the band split up, but later reformed to play gigs in 2009-10. The band has been sporadically active and playing gigs ever since with Unhold (Absurd, Luror, Helduntum) taking over as live vocalist. New studio material has been recorded Kohanic Charmers (2022)
Releases
* Goat Of A Thousand Young (1992; demo)
* Triumph of the Hordes (1994; demo)
* A Witness to the Regicide (1996; EP)
* Mocking the Philanthropist (1997)
* The Tricifixion of Swine (2000; EP)
* Judeobeast Assassination (2001)
* Satan is Metal's Master/Sperm of the Antichrist (2001; split)
* Castrate the Redeemer (2001)
* Hobo of Aramaic Tongues/Le Royaume Maudit (2003; split)
* On a Mule Rides the Swindler (2005; EP)
* Kosherat (2005)
* Weltenfeind (2008; split)
* Goat of a Thousand Young / Triumph of the Hordes (2017; compilation)
* Kohanic Charmers (2022)
Goat of a Thousand Young
Grand Belial's Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Old trees look menacing arching above
Bastard feet have since traveled these horrid grounds
A flock of mourners will kneel in his honour
The churchyard holds a most suspicious past
Guests were readily overcome with odd symptoms
In a number of days they'd he consumed by fevers
The Nazarene now crawls to Bethanv
To feed his lying mouth and lepers
Delicate paintings hang beside the once saviour
Lately a certain howling can be heard
The contour of Christ appears to shiver violently
And hordes ride freely into the vineyards
Conspicuous...
Conspicuous imagery adorns the nunery
Secrets of the Key are rooted beneath the garden
When dogs pass above it they foam at the mouth
And blind nuns play with their own feces
The Nazarene now crawls to Bethany
To feed his lying mouth and lepers
Conspicuous...
The lyrics of Grand Belial's Key's song Conspicuous Imagery Adorns the Nunnery vividly paint a picture of a dark and sinister environment. The song starts with describing a path made of human flesh leading to the cemetery, and old trees creating a threatening atmosphere above. The feet that have walked these grounds are described as "bastard," suggesting that the environment itself is corrupt and tainted. The mention of mourners kneeling in "his" honor adds to the mystery and malevolence of the scene, making one wonder who is being worshipped.
As the song progresses, it becomes evident that the environment being described is a churchyard with a disturbing history. Guests who came to the churchyard became ill with odd symptoms, and soon after, were consumed by fevers. The graves were dug in secret during the stillness of the night, insinuating foul play. The mention of the "Nazarene" crawling to Bethany to feed his lying mouth and lepers adds to the eerie feeling of the song. The once-savior's portrayal as a liar and crawling figure is a stark contrast to his traditional depiction.
Conspicuous Imagery Adorns the Nunnery leads the listener through a dark environment where even the paintings and the contour of Christ shiver and howling can be heard. Blind nuns are playing with their own feces, and dogs foaming at the mouth when they pass by the garden. The secrets of the Key are rooted underneath the garden, further contributing to the song's mysterious and haunting ambiance.
Line by Line Meaning
Strips of flesh form a path to the cemetery
The ground leading to the cemetery is stained with blood and body parts.
Old trees look menacing arching above
The trees above the path to the cemetery look ominous and threatening.
Bastard feet have since traveled these horrid grounds
Unholy beings have walked upon this cursed land.
A flock of mourners will kneel in his honour
People will pay their respects at the graves of those who have died on this land.
The churchyard holds a most suspicious past
The graveyard surrounding the church has a history of unusual occurrences.
Guests were readily overcome with odd symptoms
Visitors to the church became seriously ill from unknown causes.
In a number of days they'd he consumed by fevers
Within a few days, the visitors would succumb to deadly illnesses.
And graves were dug during the stillness of the night
Burials were done secretly and under the cover of darkness.
The Nazarene now crawls to Bethanv
Jesus, called the Nazarene, is said to be making his way to Bethany.
To feed his lying mouth and lepers
Jesus is accused of being dishonest with his teachings and consorting with diseased beggars.
Delicate paintings hang beside the once saviour
Artistic depictions of Jesus hang next to the altar in the church.
Lately a certain howling can be heard
Strange animal sounds can be heard coming from the nearby forests.
The contour of Christ appears to shiver violently
The image of Jesus in the paintings seems to be shaking and trembling.
And hordes ride freely into the vineyards
Groups of unknown people are gaining access to the vineyards nearby.
Conspicuous imagery adorns the nunery
The nunnery is decorated with strange and noticeable decorations.
Secrets of the Key are rooted beneath the garden
The Key, a secret society, has hidden secrets beneath the garden of the nunnery.
When dogs pass above it they foam at the mouth
Dogs become agitated and sick when they pass over the hidden secrets.
And blind nuns play with their own feces
The nuns in the nunnery exhibit disturbing and unsanitary behavior.
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Raimo Huttunen
Fresh but rotten sounds, like it a lot
selvageria em foco
Great noise