10 Metal Songs That Would Be Too ‘Woke’ Now

Metal songs have covered a wide array of topics throughout the years, including politics, even if they are divisive to some people. However, in the modern political landscape, there are several classics of the genre that would be called too “woke” if they came out today. “Woke”, in this context, would mean political pandering, usually associated with left-wing ideologies. Be that as it may, it has reached the point where a lot of people online refer to anything that treats politics as such.

However, metal songs and the genre, like a lot of things in life, are not that simple. Some of these bands wrote these political tracks not as a way to pander to a certain ideology or crowd, but only to criticize government corruption, war, and similar topics. On the other hand, there is also the fact that musicians, like other artists, are entitled to sing about what they prefer, as seen in these ten songs.

Furthermore, the songs are set in no particular order, and the picks are entirely subjective. Let’s begin.

1. Black Sabbath – “War Pigs”

Black Sabbath is an interesting case because they don’t have as many political metal songs as one may think. However, some of their political tunes have become extremely iconic, such as “Children of the Grave” and this one, “War Pigs“.

Spawning from their second album, 1970’s “Paranoid“, it is a critique of the Vietnam war, with bassist Geezer Butler taking warfare as the ultimate evil. As per his own words during a 2010 interview with Noisecreep, the legendary bassist explained the meaning of the lyrics.

“It wasn’t about politics or government or anything. It was Evil itself. So I was saying ‘generals gathered in the masses / just like witches at black masses’ to make an analogy. But when we brought it to the record company, they thought ‘Walpurgis‘ sounded too Satanic. And that’s when we turned it into ‘War Pigs’. But we didn’t change the lyrics, because they were already finished.”

There is no denying that people would call it too “woke” these days. It would be unfair for the guys of Black Sabbath when considering they have never done political pandering. This is perhaps a perfect example of this discussion.

2. Megadeth – “Countdown to Extinction”

Dave Mustaine has never been ashamed of voicing his political opinions, whether it’s off-stage, on stage, and with his music. And while there are a lot of Megadeth songs that could be a part of this list, there is no denying that the title track of the 1992 album is the best choice. It is not only one of those political songs, but it also has a peculiar focus when compared to others from that catalog.

The title track of “Countdown to Extinction” is a critique of animal cruelty. This is something that Mustaine has rarely done when it comes to his lyrics. Sure, he has spoken time and time again about political corruption, but this is quite unique coming from him. Therefore, it would be quite predictable that some people would deem him as going “woke” because of the topic.

“When I think of ‘Countdown…’, I think of the live room in the Enterprise, where I started to really come into my own with the songwriting and the melody stuff,” Mustaine said to Rolling Stone in 2022. “All had melody in them before, but we weren’t getting any attention from anybody that wasn’t a super thrash/speed-metal fan. With ‘Countdown…’, we reached the fair-weather fans that’ll hear something on the radio, people that are at festivals for somebody else. However they stumble across to us, I like when they discover this music and see that we are a horse of many colors.”

Rage Against the Machine – “Killing in the Name”

It has become a cliché to claim that X thing has always been political, but it definitely applies to this band. Rage Against the Machine became known in the 90s because of Tom Morello‘s unique guitar-playing and their politically-charged lyrics. Their greatest hit song, “Killing in the Name“, is a textbook example of this.

When considering that the song is about the beating of Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which put the cases of racism back on topic in the United States, it is easy to see the political elements. Moreover, it would have definitely been called woke because of the band’s left-leaning ideology.

System of a Down – “B.Y.O.B.”

There is no denying that System of a Down is a highly political band. Much like Rage Against the Machine, they have become known for their politically-charged music. Therefore, it is not surprising to see “B.Y.O.B.” being one of the most notorious metal songs in that regard. The mere fact that it means “Bring Your Own Bombs” says a lot.

This song came out in 2005 and was a critique of the Iraq war and the Bush administration in the United States. The lyrics highly the chaos of war and how the leaders of government never fight the wars they create. It is a clear statement and one that a lot of people would have deemed as woke these days. Even if the nature of war is something that has been propelled by the entire political spectrum.

When it comes to the music, it is one of the band’s most iconic songs. It has a lot of rhythm changes and a strong melodic chorus, making it a modern classic.

Metallica – “Disposable Heroes”

Metallica have always talked about politics in a much more general manner. This means that the band may not reference specific events, but rather make more timeless political commentary. “Disposable Heroes“, from the 1986 “Master of Puppets” record, is a great example since it is a critique of warfare and drafting young men.

It is a fascinating mixture of progressive music and thrash metal, with the song perhaps sidelined in relevance by the legendary title track. Moreover, it tells the story of a young man who joins the military and ends up losing everything along the way, dying for nothing. This is a topic that the band has covered time and time again, but this is one of their best displays of musicianship.

Queensryche – “Empire”

Younger generations don’t know, but Queensryche were considered “a thinking man’s metal” in the 80s. It’s easy to see why. They were one of the several bands that propelled progressive metal in that decade. Furthermore, their lyrics always had some intellectual elements, especially when it comes to social commentary. In that regard, the title track of the “Empire” album is a prime example of what they were doing during their heyday.

A powerful mid-tempo heavy hitter, the song is a critique of the American way of things. This is something they already explored to a degree with “Operation: Mindcrime“, with this track being even clearer. This would be called too “woke” these days, especially with singer Geoff Tate‘s left-leaning politics. Moreover, the track highlights his collaboration with then-guitarist Chris DeGarmo.

“I’d come up with the song ‘Empire‘, and Chris saw it as the best possible title,” Tate said in 2009 when taalking about Chris DeGarmo. “I liked the strong feel it had, and the fact that it reflected an album full of powerful songs. Chris and I always had a trusting relationship. If one of us had an idea, then usually the other would accept it, unless there was a good reason to object. As I had no opposing viewpoint, I gave it my blessing. And it was a great choice.”

Sacred Reich – “Surf Nicaragua”

It’s quite peculiar to see bands speaking of issues from other countries, but Sacred Reich made a habit of it. Some of their most notorious metal songs, such as “Death Squad“, tend to focus on political and social problems from other nations. A good example of that is “Surf Nicaragua“, which is the title track of their 1988 EP. 

An extreme salvo of thrash metal bonazas, the song focuses on the actions of the Sandinistas in Managua, Nicaragua, which is quite a peculiar topic. Moreover, while thrash metal has always had a political focus, there is no denying that this would have been criticized today. That is especially telling if it is considered how Sacred Reich always aimed for these types of lyrics.

“I remember early on, when he would introduce some of the new song lyrics, like ‘Death Squad’ or ‘Surf Nicaragua,'” guitarist Wiley Arnett said in 2007 to the Phoenix New Times about bassist Phil Rind’s lyrics from the early days. “I’d be like ‘Surf Nicaragua? Where is Nicaragua? That’s cool — wasn’t there some war over there? That’s f… funny. Surfing where there’s war? That’s crazy. I like it.’ He’d be like ‘no, dude, this is about the Sandanistas and what’s going on in Managua. And ‘Death Squad‘ is about the the death squads in El Salvador pushing democracy down the throats of people — vote my way or I’ll kill you. Dude, it’s totally fucked up.’ So I was like ‘whooooooa… that’s heavy.’ And then we started to enroll, which was an important part for me, because I’ve always been sincere about it.”

Testament – “Greenhouse Effect”

Testament might be one of the most underrated metal bands of all time. Their catalog has a wide variety of tremendous albums and 1989’s “Practice What You Preach” is one of their best. This record album also has “Greenhouse Effect“, which tackles the topic of climate problems and what this could mean for the world. It is a topic that has been ever-present in political discourse in the United States, so it would have been labeled as woke these days.

“Practice What You Preach” was also an interesting period for Testament. They started to perform much more melodic music and had more commercial success. According to the band, this was by design  since Atlantic Records were pushing them for that.

“At that time, we never had an A&R person and radio people and video people,” vocalist Chuck Billy recalls to Loudwire in 2024. “It was just this big machine that all of a sudden took over us as an independent band. Especially being a metal band, things started changing. They wanted and requested more. They’re radio oriented, the label. We never had an A&R person saying, ‘Okay, what’s the next single? What is the video?’ All these kind of things that they needed from us.”

W.A.S.P. – “The Headless Children”

During most of the 80s, W.A.S.P. were the more politically incorrect and extreme version of the hair metal peak. Their music was closer to 80s heavy metal and were also more intense with their antics on stage. However, by the late 80s, singer and band leader Blackie Lawless decided he wanted to aim for a much more mature direction, thus resulting in the now-legendary 1989 album, “The Headless Children“.

The record is a metal colossus, with a strong production, and Blackie aiming for musicality and lyrics that highlight his evolution as a songwriter. In that regard, the title track is a statement of the world’s decay. The singer writes these lyrics in a very epic manner, although the sociopolitical tone is quite clear, especially when considering the cover of the record.

It is one of those metal songs that have become a classic of the 80s. There is also a strong argument to be made that a lot of people would call them “woke” for doing this song.

Anthrax – “Indians”

Anthrax have always delivered some of the best metal songs of the genre during their time in the business. No matter the context, they tend to be one of metal’s most consistent acts. And when it comes ot thrash, they always stood out because of their uplifting and positive energy as a group. However, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t get serious and even political, with “Indians” being a prime example of that.

One of the band’s signature songs, “Indians” is a strong track from their third album, 1987’s “Among the Living“. While the great riffs and Joey Belladonna‘s vocals are as notorious as ever, drummer Charlie Benante also deserves recognition. It is a wonderful tune that also focuses on exploring the injustices Native Americans went through on their home soil.

The chorus of the song asks the listener to cry Indians, which is a clear statement of intent. When considering the modern political landscape, a lot of people would have called this “too woke”. But as it happens with these bands and many more, every artist is entitled to speak about what they prefer.