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)
The Bearded Hustlers
Grand Belial's Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They spit on their own beards
They spit on their own hairy chests
Symbolic of their odium
Towards anything that's non-Hebraic
To ridicule their false messiah
Insurgents cut off their own fingers in protest
The songs of Zion unheard for centuries
Such is the blood lust of these bearded hustlers
The bitter water at Tara where
Thieves with punctured ears did drown
Such is the blood lust of these bearded hustlers
Choking and dying by the stream
In the form of a star the scum surrounded their captive
Spitting and salivating on the floor
Staves beating on his head
Matrilineal hoodlums heckling
Jeering and taunting the prophecies
Written in their own occult books
The song "The Bearded Hustlers" by Grand Belial's Key addresses the hypocrisy and violence of a group of religious zealots. The lyrics describe how these individuals will go to great lengths, even self-harm, to protest anything that they see as non-Hebraic, which includes ridiculing their own beards and chests. The song also mentions an incident where some of these extremists cut off their own fingers in protest, showing their extreme devotion to their cause.
The tone of the lyrics is critical and ironic, suggesting that these bearded hustlers don't truly understand the teachings they claim to follow. The song references the "songs of Zion unheard for centuries", suggesting that these individuals might be missing the true message of their faith.
Overall, "The Bearded Hustlers" is a scathing critique of religious fanaticism, and raises questions about what it truly means to be faithful.
Line by Line Meaning
To ridicule their false messiah
They mock the leader they don't believe in
They spit on their own beards
They show their discontent by self-harm
They spit on their own hairy chests
They show their rejection of their own heritage
Symbolic of their odium
The gesture represents their intense hatred
Towards anything that's non-Hebraic
They despise anything that's not of their own culture and religion
Insurgents cut off their own fingers in protest
Rebels mutilate themselves to make a point
The songs of Zion unheard for centuries
The music of their homeland hasn't been heard in a long time
Such is the blood lust of these bearded hustlers
Their thirst for violence is insatiable
The bitter water at Tara where
The location of a tragic event
Thieves with punctured ears did drown
Criminals with mutilations suffered a grim fate
Choking and dying by the stream
Suffering a slow, painful death
In the form of a star the scum surrounded their captive
The captor was surrounded and outnumbered
Spitting and salivating on the floor
Showing their disgust and contempt
Staves beating on his head
Inflicting violence on their victim
Matrilineal hoodlums heckling
Gangsters with a matriarchal hierarchy taunting their prey
Jeering and taunting the prophecies
Mocking the religious texts they don't believe in
Written in their own occult books
The texts that they follow and interpret in their own way
Contributed by Savannah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.