What bands do you think try to have a positive message in their lyrics?
Hatebreed is one that comes to mind. Who else?

The first thing that comes to mind is Lykathea Aflame's Elvenfris and Skyforest's later work.

tons of power metal, go there

Hatebreed is a metal band? Huh. Never knew.



Yeah, totally. First few that came to mind right away "All Over The Nations" by Helloween, "Faster Than Light" by Unleash The Archers, "Land Of The Miracle" by Edguy.

Some modern Metallica fits the bill. Atlas, Rise! has positive undertones in the lyrics. Most of the songs on the new record face the darkness and offer some hope for the future.

One name, two words: Freedom Call

High Spirits

This. If you ever need some simple (if corny) encouragement after a nasty break-up, check out "Sworn in the Metal Wind" by Lost Horizon. The fact that the song also rips certainly helps. Also, if you enjoy metalcore, Killswitch Engage (Jesse Leach's era) has many lyrics with positive messages about staying true to yourself and facing hardships. Sure, most aren't breathtaking in terms of prose, but they're solid enough.

...and if you're not into power metal, you can always check Samael (newer releases), Gojira, Devin Townsend, Anathema (newer releases)...

Gamma Ray's Lust for Life helped me a lot with its simple message, which in my mind was stronger because it was coming from someone starting over. The solo also rips.

Queensryche has a bunch of "positive songs."

Is Best I Can really Metal?

Darkest Hour's Deliver Us and The Human Romance

This part gives me chills:
"Let us fly away, let us praise the days
When the lust for life is stronger than the fear
Though we shiver and shake
And we sometimes need a break
It's the lust for life that never disappears"

Stratovarius - 'Hold On To Your Dream'

Obvious Helloween worship, but a great song nonetheless.

Shining

Pantera to me is very positive and uplifting it's not about being a tough guy physically it's about being tough mentally and I think that's extremely important and positive

This kind of mental toughness?

Devin Townsend has been doing this for awhile, but his newest album especially is focused mostly around positive messages

You failed with your gotcha thing, that clearly just means there's no point exhausting energy on things that aren't gonna change either way I fail to see how you actually think you countered what I said in any way lol

I know Iron Maiden's The Prisoner is based off of the old television series, but the chorus is so uplifting. Real fist-in-the-air stuff that inspires you to get out there and do something with yourself.

I wasn't trying to counter it. I was asking if you think the kind of mental toughness that follows through on a suicide plan qualifies as positive. I'm not sure myself.

Maybe not very positive in that example I misinterpreted it the first time, but an example like that at the very least is just kind of a realistic message, it's basically like if a person wants to die like actually has a deathwish after a certain point you just can't convince them otherwise they kinda have to figure that one out on their own, I interpret it as at that point if you're the person watching that you kinda just gotta accept you aren't gonna change them

It's not exactly positive it's more so Pantera to me tends to be very Truthful and that kind of dead honesty is harsh as fuck sometimes but blinding yourself to it is just gonna fuck a person up about as much

Some may consider it the exact opposite, but Crowbar fills that role for me. THeir general thing seems to about surviving, even when you're to the point where you really don't want to anymore.

How else can you explain:

"And through all the darkness the knowledge I've gained
Will carry me.
Building the mountain again and again.
Alone in this fight I believe in myself
IT carries me
Buliding the mountain again and again."
--- Crowbar "The Cemetery Angels"

I listen to doom metal and black metal a lot, which means I unfortunately can't think of a lot of examples (especially since most I'm familiar with were already mentioned here).
But I have few:
Black Sabbath - The Wizard
Anthrax - H8 Red
Stratovarius - Find Your Own Voice
Lost Horizon - Perfect Warrior
Running Wild - Rebel at Heart
Gamma Ray - Dethrone Tyranny
Dio - Rainbow in the Dark
Helloween - I'm Alive
Aephanemer has some positive songs too, I can't remember any names though. In general I don't have a lot, since most of what I know (Helloween, Stratovarius, power metal in general, etc) has already been mentioned.

Lordi - "Hard Rock hallelujah"

I haven't the slightest idea what it sings about, but I think it is overtly covered in saccharine positivity since it was enough to win that Eurosong (fest?) garbage.

Gamma Ray!

Lots of heavy and power metal I'm sure.

Still, I never really thought that having a message was somethign to strive for in music. Surely lyrics all mean something to someone, especially the person who wrote them, and even music without words means something to someone and is open to being interpreted by an audience.
The "message", as you put it, is whatever you take away from it. Describing music as being something that has "messages" just makes me think of religious stuff. You know, "Spread the message! God is here! Jesus died for you!" is that a positive or a negative message? I really don't know....what do you think? It probably depends entirely on you. I don't particularly like the idea that someone died for me, personally. I suppose to some out there NSBM has a completely positive message, too, even though to most of us it would be antithetical to our entire way of life.
All I know is that metal always made me feel pretty damn good. I think I like Iron maiden's "message" -- that it's cool to learn about literature and history and such even if you hate school and aren't any good at it. I imagine many people who discovered them as a young person were very inspired by that. Metal has encouraged lots of people to pick up instruments and learn to play them very well; I also think that's a remarkably positive thing.
And also of course, we have to remember how important it is that our swords stay wet, like a...
Oh never mind.

Vulgar and Far Beyond are what Thy Shrine is talking about. Trendkill is another matter. Phil was in the deep depths of drug addiction then.

It doesn't get much more positive than this. And its message also remains realistic and attainable all the way.

Nobody's said Escape? The Metallica song, of course.

Wytch Hazel: Their music is really awesome as well if you enjoy the classic Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant influences. Fantastic band.

Gorefest, especially on False and Erase albums.

Helloween immediately comes to mind.

You guys probably don't listen to this band because their lyrics are in Spanish, but Almafuerte from my country, has very positive lyrics about helping friends in need, loving your country and family, and working hard to be the best version of yourself. Ricardo Iorio, the lead singer and composer of the band, lived a very difficult life, and he created the three most important heavy metal bands in Argentina.

Yeah that is how I interpret that. You can't destroy yourself trying to save someone who refuses to grab the life preserver you keep trying to offer them, or think you are offering them. Eventaully you do have to accept it and hope they find somethign inside themselves to live for. Usually they end up in the ground though. Not letting things you can't control drag you down and all that.

I like the part of Material world paranoia the last lines where he says experience your dreams don't let this prefab culture waste your time, material wealth is yours but the promise of a better future is nothing but a lie, I actually remember reading the lyric sheet once and getting shivers all through my body just cuz I thought, that's extremely uplifting

The chorus of no need to be human by coroner always struck me as a very sweet thing to say to somebody with lots of problems, it always reminds me of my ex girlfriend for some reason.

I think if I got married, doubt it tho, but I'd definitely play destiny by death, I swear to God that must be a love song, the lyrics are way too sweet, and I know a couple girls who would fuckin melt if I said that shit to them.

Why would we not be listening to music in a different language? You are aware that most of the top black metal bands don't exactly sing in english?

Hope you like them, the most important thing about Iorio's bands is the lyrics, they talk to the blue collar worker from the province in a very poetic way, they mix tango with thrash metal too i will give you an example, hope you can enjoy it.

I second this big time. Barely started listening to them a month ago and am not into much religious bands because it's hard to find one, let alone a great one. The only other band I listen to even though I haven't for a long time is Theocracy because they haven't put out new material for years.

Wytch Hazel is now my favorite Christian metal band. Hopefully Theocracy's new album can knock it out of the park when they get it done and is better than their last lackluster one.