Metal Reviews

I was wondering why bands like Strapping Young Lad get away with their albums not be labeled parental advisory when one or more of the songs has the F word as the title and through out the song? I mean, how can you miss that? And their are albums with alot less swearing then any Strapping Young Lad album, but they get the parental advisory warning. Can someone help explain this? I am just using Strapping Young Lad as an example, I know this has happened with many other bands as well.

The record labels put them on because otherwise Wal-Mart or whatever will refuse to carry the album. Bands like Strapping young lad don't have it on their album covers because theres no chance of them getting onto the shelves of walmart anyways.

I think that's what it is...

Do you ever use your brain? You're suggesting that Walmart is the determining factor in whether or not an album has a parental advisory sticker?

I think the Wal-Mart thing has something to do with it for some albums, such as there being an edited St. Anger specifically for stores like Wal-Mart, but it's more likely overall that each label chooses to label or not label each album for different reasons. Some types of music actually sell better with those labels. There are just too many factors to put down one specific reason this happens. I mean, why have essentially curse-free Slayer albums been labeled due to violent themes when Edguy's Rocket Ride can get away with "F**king with Fire"? Who knows

The reason is that it's 2006, not 1986. Why do you hear "b**ch" and "*ss" on daytime/primetime TV now? Why can they show bare-*ss on TV shows now? How come Comedy Central is completely uncensored after 10pm? Times have changed. That is the reason. What was once a generally accepted profanity is not anymore.

An Edguy album may have the work "f**k" on one song a few times, but it's viewed as harmless. A Three 6 Mafia album will have the word "f**k" and a hundred other profanities laced countless throughout the entire album. That is not viewed as harmless.

I understand about the times changing, but Strapping Young Lads "The New Black" has a ton of F words on it. I mean Godsmacks 2nd CD was parental advisory but said f**k like 6 times. That just doesnt make sense to me. I saw a 6 feet under album with no PA sticker on it, and we all know that 6 feet under talk about graphic violence. Its not like they are hiding anything.

I agree with ken in that times have changed, and the parental advisories aren't used like they used to be, but when one is used, it's more a label decision than anything else, and every album is treated individually depending on what the intent of the label is for them - whether it's sales, distribution issues, a moral decision (yeah, right), or whatever.

Who gives a f**k? Some of my Cannibal Corpse CDs don't have PA stickers.

I think the whole issue of mainstream vs. underground music also has a lot to do with it. Often, the more mainstream albums are the ones that will get Parental Advisory stickers since the people who slap those on figure those are the albums all the kids/teenagers will be buying. And, of course, twelve/thirteen year olds will see these albums with their "Parental Advisories" and rebelliously be like, "Awesome!!! I must buy this!!!"

For example, there are quite a few black metal bands not getting Parental Advisory stickers. But Marilyn Manson is getting them. Despite the fact that these BM bands have far more offensive lyrics.

yeah, I think it's mainly an attention grabber. "S**t, slipknot must be evil and heavy man, it says parental advisory!"

also, there are 'explicit lyrics' labels and 'explicit content' labels. I always *ssume the latter meant disturbing artwork.

I heard once that it's really the context that the profanities are used in. For instance, a "parental advisory" is much more likely on an album that repeatedly says "f**k" in a sexual way rather than saying something like "f**k off".

Thats a good point.

Most death and some black metal album covers serve as parental advisory warnings themselves. Did they really need to put a parental advisory sticker on a cover of a woman coming out of a vagania with worms coming out of hers? (CC's Worm Infested EP) I mean is there really any question to what kind of lyrical content you are gonna get with that? It is insulting to the intelligence of people who have the ability to see.

Durrr, have you ever even been to a Wal-Mart? They don't carry albums that have curse words, and if they do it's edited out with a very loud and annoying *BEEP*.

It depends on the label basically. If the label is big enough to be on the PMRC's radar, then the album will have to be submitted to them for a pre-listen, and then they determine if the album gets the sticker or not. Much the same way movies get rated. If it's a relatively small label then the PMRC probably doesn't even know it exists anyways. If it's an offshore label like Sanctuary Records, then the album doesn't fall under their jurisdiction, and legally they can't require a sticker.

That makes alot of sense, and is probably the majority of the reason why some and some dont. I still saw deftones albums that had alot of curse words on it, but no sticker. I guess its cause the lyrics never made sense (I enjoy the deftones alot, but I dont understand most of the lyrics).

i've seen cd's with those Parental Advisory labels on them and black metal cd's without in the same store. So it's probably something crappy rap- and crappy "metalbands" use to sell more cd's because that makes them cool. And u want to be cool, right?

... else it just a matter of being mainstream or not, and i partly agree with both Noodlehead and Seinfield. So i think there's a truth in the "Wal-mart theory", Wal-mart as in mainstream stores as such.



One thing is for sure... if it sais Parental Advisory on the cd's, then i'm not going to buy it!

Then you'll be sooo uncool man! lol

The Wal-Mart theory has a point, but I don't think it's the real truth. And someone said about the offshore labels not getting a sticker. That's quite true. I'm not really sure how it works here in Malaysia, cos most of our metal CD's are imported. So we do have CD's with the PA label and they're all from the US.

Which is why I'm asking this question. Which lable was Cradle of Filth under for their Midian album? It had a PA sticker on it.

KOCH Records, but my copy doesn't have the sticker on it.

I bought the new Tenacious D today, which has a parental advisory sticker on it. But an awesome album anyway.

indeed ... cuz as i said, there's a high probability that i don't like the music, and i don't need those Parantal Advisory stickers to look cool, cuz nobody i know are interested in my music. Besides, i don't buy cd's, i buy LP's