Metal music and mythology go hand in hand way better than one might probably believe, covering a lot of ground from mythological-inspired songs to full albums (case in point: BLACK FATE’s “Ithaca”). Among such vast topics, one of the metal scene’s favorites is the myth of the legendary bird that rises from its own ashes – the Phoenix. While sometimes the name only makes for a cool title, most of the time it actually has to do with the theme of rebirth and resurrection. Here are 15 metal songs that have this common thread:
Enemy Inside – Phoenix
The title track of this German metal band’s debut album draws a lot of inspiration from the idea of rebirth. To quote the band: “For everyone who has suffered from a toxic or an emotional abusive relationship and has wasted one’s time and love to a person who was not worth it. It’s about rising from the ashes and turning pain into strength, finding new faith and love… especially for yourself.”
Turilli/Lione Rhapsody – Phoenix Rising
Acting as a bridge between what was and what will be, this song is a fine example of symphonic power metal that also carries a deeper message. Quoting guitarist/keyboardist Luca Turilli, these lyrics are about “a human being and his dramatic process of self-realization after experiencing an inner quake and the impelling need to move beyond the illusion of duality and the loops related with the material aspects of life in order to reach a higher level of consciousness and find his place in the geometry of existence.”
Evergrey – Escape of the Phoenix
This is a very interesting entry on our list as with this track (and, by extension, the album) EVERGREY deconstructed the myth of the Phoenix. Vocalist and lyricist Tom Englund explained the press release: “When you talk about the resurrection of the Phoenix, that started a mind-game for me. What if the bird doesn’t want to be resurrected? What if it doesn’t want to come back? That sort of resembles things in life; sometimes you get tired of standing up and being strong.”
Satyricon – Phoenix feat. Sivert Høyem
The most poetic description of a Phoenix’s demise and rebirth can be found among these wonderful lyrics. According to the legend, when the bird gets old, it gets burned into ashes by the Sun God only to rise again from those very same ashes. The opening lines set the stage perfectly: “Into the night / My long suffering friend / We’ll be reborn again / Right here where everything ends.” Here, the Phoenix is presented as “Slave to some wretched old imagination of yesteryear” which I think ties in nicely with EVERGREY’s take on the myth, like two sides of the same coin.
Tarja – My little Phoenix
Taken from Tarja’s second solo album, “My Winter Storm,” this song is all about starting from scratch and taking the strength to do so from the mythological bird, as per such evocative lyrics like the second verse: “Robbed of my innocence / Had no more time to play / I sure got my feathers burned / But I’m stronger than the flames.”
Metalite – Rise of the Phoenix
This song from their 2019 album, “Biomechanicals,” shares the same idea of rebirth and transformation as the above entry, with the chorus stating the following: “Like a Phoenix I will rise / From the ashes of my life / And ignite the burning light / That we all have deep inside.” What a beautiful and inspiring message it carries!
Stratovarius – Phoenix
Talking about the need to change one’s ways, this song really translates the myth of the Phoenix into everyday situations (not unlike the above entries) and how sometimes starting over is the best thing one can do for themselves. Such lyrics as “Like the Phoenix I rise / From the ashes of life / I don’t need fortune” really drive the message home.
Crowne – Operation Phoenix
Channeling the notion of revival, the title tracks of this Swedish supergroup’s latest album is quite an uplifting and melodic piece, with a catchy chorus that states: “Out of the ashes the dreams of the past / Come follow the sign in the sky / Be the one to lead them into victory this time / The ashes of Phoenix arise”
Pyramaze – Year of the Phoenix
This song takes a slightly different approach to this topic, as it digs deep into the myth and widens the scope of its message beyond the individual revival connecting it to the cyclic nature of the universe. I particularly like these lyrics: “Out of the old let the new arise / Forged in fire stronger than demise.”
Black Majesty – Phoenix
The lyrics to this track seem to be written from the perspective of the Phoenix itself as the verses detail all the wonders and desolation it has witnessed over the centuries of its existence. Just ponder these lyrics: “I’ve seen nations that are wounded / Let me heel them with my tears / […] / I’m the bringer of serenity / In this land that laid in waste”
Victorious – Heart of the Phoenix
What other genre if not power metal could produce so many songs on this topic? The message goes hand in hand with the fast-paced tempo and the usual fantastical themes, and this track is another shining example of the scene’s fondness for the extraordinary. It even opens up with these lyrics: “Reborn from a dying flame / From the ashes now we will arise / We are standing tall, never fall / The creature comes alive.”
Wardrum – Phoenix
With uplifting lyrics about overcoming obstacles and enjoying each day as a new beginning, this song is (another) personal approach that channels the legend of the flaming bird into such lyrics as: “The times we fail will let us know / That the phoenix must burn to emerge”
Dimmu Borgir – The Empyrean Phoenix
Lyric-wise, this is quite a metaphysical song about the firmament but with some subtle hints of revival and transformation sprinkled throughout the lyrics such as on the bridge, where the text reads as follows: “Risen anew from its humiliation / The fire, the fire has been awoken,” or on the last verse where it says: “Through desert storms, it flew / The spirit of the phoenix wins / Restored and new.”
Annihilator – Phoenix Rising
This acoustic ballad may edge towards the sappy side of music but delivers on melody and emotion with lyrics that have to do with longing and yearning for a lost love and where the memory reigns supreme. Here, the idea of a Phoenix is a metaphor for resilience, hope, and inner strength in the face of adversity, with the overall message of the song being that, even in the darkest of moments, one can find the power to stay strong and prevail.
Before the Dawn – Phoenix Rising
On the surface these lyrics may read like a warrior in search of a worthy opponent that could give their life a sense of purpose but on a deeper level, this song is about the trials and tribulations we face in life and how these make us stronger as failures ultimately lead to success and destruction leads to rebirth… if we use the challenges as a catalyst for growth and transformation. The lyrics of the chorus say it all: “I was storming into my demise / Like Icarus towards the sun / Flames of the empyrium set me on fire / Ashes to ashes and dust to dust / Perpetual circle of life / Behold the golden feathers of phoenix rising”
BONUS: Art of Dying – Phoenix
This track offers a different take on this myth of resurrection and rebirth with more empowering lyrics geared toward a hypothetical ‘you’ which makes it easier for listeners to identify with the lyrics and take the message to heart. The chorus goes like this: “You’re a phoenix rising from the ashes / High above the madness / Spread your wings and fly away.” Ain’t it wonderful when someone else believes in you, even if the message comes in song format?
Written by Andrea Crow
