“11 Unapologetically Vulturous Songs About Vultures” features songs by Cattle Decapitation, Haelstorm, Kodak Black & Of Monsters and Men.

“How did they find me here? What do they want from me? / All of these vultures hiding right outside my door.” That’s an excellent question John Mayer – “Vultures” (Continuum, 2006) are definitely ‘something else.’ For Dayseeker, their song, also titled “Vultures,” goes deeper, via Alternative Press;  it’s composed about a friend of the band who was victim of sexual assault. “The vultures came and picked and pulled apart / The hell that’s in her head / From wishing you were dead.” That’s chilling.

Honestly, both of the aforementioned songs could’ve easily appeared on the playlist at hand, 11 UNAPOLOGETICALLY VULTUROUS SONGS ABOUT VULTURES.  There are many more written about those scavenger birds that don’t even get the small recognition John Mayer or Dayseeker do. That said, 11 UNAPOLOGETICALLY VULTUROUS SONGS ABOUT VULTURES features some awesome music courtesy of Cattle Decapitation (“Vulturous”), Haelstorm (“Black Vultures”), Kodak Black (“When Vultures Cry”), and Of Monsters and Men (“Vulture, Vulture”) among others.  Without further ado, let’s dig into this most vulturous playlist!

1. Cattle Decapitation, “Vulturous”

Death Atlas • Metal Blade • 2019

There is one thing is for sure – death/extreme metal band Cattle Decapitation has a distinct, totally unforgettable name.  Maybe the best way to characterize the name is as disturbing. Regardless, Travis Ryan and company back up the name with an intriguing brand of music that certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.  A few of song titles that stand out from the collective: “Gestation of Smegma”, “Carnal Fecophelia Due to Prolonged Exposure to Methane”, and “Colonic Villus Biopsy Performed on the Gastro-Intestinally Incapable”. Following a four-year hiatus, the Cattle Decapitation returns turned-up on their ninth studio album, Death Atlas.

Death Atlas explores the Anthropocene, the most recent geological time period.  This particular period is one is highly influenced by humans. Cattle Decapitation certainly are pessimistic regarding it. The fourth track from the album, “Vulturous,” continues the dark, deadly trajectory of the project.  Expectedly, “Vulturous” references vultures:

“The carcass beckons to the buzzards
Entitled to its pound of flesh.”

Of course, that’s only an excerpt of the damnation Cattle Decapitation unleashes on the listener. If nothing else, Death Atlas is poetic, even if it’s in a dark sort of way.  Case in point: “Present-day predators now electing generations to die / Extermination defined.” Like the tracks that precede it, “Vulturous” is quite compelling, in a twisted sort of way.

2. Of Monsters and Men, “Vulture, Vulture”

FEVER DREAM • Republic • 2019

“He feeds on my ego / He swallows my pain / So, figure it out, figure it out / Stay away.” Fever Dream (2019) marked the third studio album by Icelandic collective, Of Monsters and Men. On the song at hand, “Vulture, Vulture,” Ragnar Pórhallsson and Nana Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir handle vocal duties. Pórhallsson handles the lead vocals on the first verse and pre-chorus, with Hilmarsdóttir playing a supporting role.  The first verse is where the aforementioned lyrics hail.

On the pre-chorus, Pórhallsson sings:

“It’s hard for me to breathe
When all I do is feel so heartless
Am I heartless?”

As for Hilmarsdóttir, she takes on a larger role on the chorus, as well as the second verse.  On the chorus, with Pórhallsson also contributing, she sings:

“Can I keep it up?
Still got that feeling
I don’t know about these heavy hands, well maybe
They can pull me up
Still got that feeling
I don’t know about these heavy hands
‘Cause lately, I feel like a desert island, oh, oh.”

In regard to sound, “Vulture, Vulture” is a sound blend of driving rhythms, energy, and warmth.  The production is incredibly sleek, with pop sensibilities written all over it.  Many others have written about the three-minute gem from Fever Dream. Briana Strader of IINAG (Indie is Not a Genre) wrote, “The song jumps to an energetic start, carrying the album’s central theme of being lost in reality through the beautiful harmonies created by Hilmarsdóttir and Þórhallsson.” In her album review of FEVER DREAM, Hannah Mylrea of NME characterizes the record as “a stonking chunk of festival pop”.  Interesting, vultures are never explicitly mentioned.

3. Northlane, “Vultures”

Alien • UNFD • 2019

“I feel their claws sinking in / As the life spirals out from my inner self / Let the earth where I carved my name burn.” Damn, those are some dark, dramatic lyrics Northlane!  If you are unfamiliar with Northlane, they are a metalcore collective from Down Under – Sydney, Australia.  The band is comprised of Marcus Bridge (vocals), Jonathon Dailey (guitar), Josh Smith (guitar), Nic Pettersen (drums), and Brendon Padjasek (bass). “Vultures,” the song at hand, appears as the penultimate track on the collective’s third studio album, Alien (2019). Given the vulturous nature of this playlist, “Vultures” is a match made in heaven… or hell… yeah, something like that.

The aforementioned lyrics on this dark, energetic cut hail from the bridge.  While vultures aren’t explicitly mentioned there, the chorus, which appears at the onset, references those filthy buzzards explicitly! “Where do I go / If every turn there’s a vulture waiting,” vocalist Bridge sings, continuing, “To pick at my bones / And bury me alive.”  Otherwise, on this heavy, angst-filled joint (just listen to Bridge’s coarse, shouted vocals), the impact of the vultures is more metaphorical. The protagonist clearly has a lot on his mind, capped off with a “Me against the world” mentality.

4. Fangclub, “Vulture Culture”

Vulture Culture • Universal Music Ireland Ltd. • 2019

“We live and die in a vulture culture / We crucify anyone we hunger / Gemini and a broken brother / We live and die, my friend.”  Anything associated with vultures tends to have a negative connotation. Irish garage rock band Fangclub highlight the negative connotation on “Vulture Culture,” the second track off from their 2019 album of the same name. That said, it should also be noted that vulture culture has a couple of different meanings, whether it’s an odd hobby of sorts, or more metaphorical. Before diving into that vulture culture, in the event you’re unfamiliar with the Dublin collective, NME describes them as “A fully formed thrash pop monster; melodic, frenzied, and phenomenal.” Fangclub is comprised of Steven King, Kevin Keane, and Dara Coleman.

Moving beyond the band, let’s get back to vulturous things, shall we? Throughout this bouncy, catchy number, Fangclub highlight just how bad we – humans – are.  We are cruel, greedy, and ultimately, vulturous. “So self-centered, never in vain / Can I be king of the castle if I’m out of the gate?” is a prime example of greed and selfishness the first verse.  One of the best written lyrics arrive on the bridge, a product of being horrible humans:

“Well, I guess I made my bed
Now I gotta lie in it
Like a suicidal kiss
I got a guilty conscience.”

5. Halestorm, “Black Vultures”

Vicious • Atlantic • 2018

“I don’t give in, I don’t give up / I won’t ever let it break me / I’m on fire, I’m a fighter / I’ll forever be the last one standing…” Sigh, maybe vultures are misunderstood.  Then again, maybe they aren’t.  Regardless, I’ll never forget seeing a black vulture arrive at my next-door neighbor’s home – it was unsettling.  If nothing else, the black vulture certainly was a sight to behold – one impossible to go unnoticed.  Surely, if there had been several “Black vultures circling the sky” as Lzzy Hale sings on “Black Vultures” from the 2018 Halestorm album, Vicious, everyone would have taken notice.

As expected, Lzzy Hale gives her all on “Black Vultures,” the high-flying album opener. This is a potent, hard-rocking record, chocked-full of drive and rhythm. Even so, “Black Vultures” is tamer on the verses, and even the pre-chorus, before letting loose on the chorus, partially excerpted above, and continued below:

“Black vultures circling the sky
Pick at the pieces
Scavengers wait for me to die
But I’m not defeated.”

Examine the final half the chorus, and vultures once more get an evil, negative connotation – poor birds.  That said, despite the fact that the buzzards are waiting to feast, according Hale, she’s “not defeated.” There is evidence from throughout the song to support this determined, uplifting spirit.  At the end of the first verse, she asserts, “I’ve been a survivor since I began to crawl.” At the end of the second, she is “The eye of the storm,” and she asserts, “You haven’t seen the last of me just yet.”

6. Kodak Black, “When Vultures Cry”

Heart Break Kodak (HBK) • Atlantic • 2018

“This is what it sound like / Look what it sound like when a vulture cry…” Vultures cry? That’s not a common occurrence, or even a realistic one, right? Right.  Kodak Black characterizes himself as a vulture on “When Vultures Cry,” the penultimate record from his 2018 album, Heart Break Kodak. Of course, Kodak Black is known for the hit “Tunnel Vision,” not to mention being controversial and quite polarizing.  Interestingly, Black doesn’t actually cry – he attempts to, but also has coping mechanisms.

The chorus, excerpted at the jump, continues as follows:

“Booted up, I’m high, booted up out my mind
I’m booted up out my mind
This is what it sound like when a vulture cry…
This is what it sound like when I try to cry
I be tryin’ to cry
When my niggas died, I was tryin’ to cry
When my niggas died, I couldn’t even watch you cry.”

Different perspective, that’s for sure! Beyond the chorus, Kodak Black has even more to add, such as, “These niggas want me in the box like I’m Pacquiao.” Throughout the course of one long verse, Kodak Black offers up his ‘vulture cry.’  This cry is comprised of the rapper’s humble beginnings, hustling, and ultimately, coming up.  Through the adversity, Black often experienced a degree of sadness, especially doing whatever he had to in order to survive.  Essentially, in his role as a vulture, he had to do some bad things in the process.  Despite the fact that vultures are viewed negatively, the rapper attempts to paint a perspective that helps you at least sympathize with such a creature.

7. Lil Durk, “1 (773) Vulture”

Just Cause Y’all Waited • Lil Durk • 2018

Remixes are a common occurrence, particularly when a song is a hit.  Arguably, the Grammy-nominated Logic hit, “1-800-273-8255” didn’t require a remix.  I mean, the original found the Maryland rapper collaborating with Alessia Cara and Khalid, while the message was positive, focusing on suicide prevention.  Adding an meaningful, additional layer, the music video for “1-800-273-8255” tackled a demographic where suicide runs rampant – LGBTQ+ youth. Of course, rapper Lil Durk couldn’t leave well enough alone and he opted to remix “1-800” as “1 (773) Vulture.”  This might not be a problem if Durk had a positive message that complemented suicide prevention – he doesn’t.

“1 (773) Vulture” definitely paints Lil Durk as a vulture, and we know that those are some negative-ass birds! Instead of preaching a sermon of living, Durk asserts, “It’s gon’ be a homicide / It’s gon’ be a homicide / fuck with Durk and they dyin’ today (Facts) / They told me they sick and tired / They don’t want to die today.” Hmm.  Of course, that’s only the chorus.  On the verse, Durk ‘talks to the trenches’ to quote his tweet clarifying the fact that he meant ‘No disrespect to the suicide people.’ I’d say fair enough, but “Kills his ass in the streets, we hope they don’t charge us” is a far cry from “I just wanna be alive.”

8. Lido, “Vultures”

I O U 2 • Because Music • 2018

“I never meant to love you / I never meant to make you feel the same as me / I never meant to love you / But you should know, know that I will be ready / When you call your vultures, yeah.” Interesting Lido, very interesting.  If you are once again unfamiliar with an artist on this playlist, Lido is a Norwegian music producer and singer.  He joins this fine-feathered list of vulture songs with his own “Vultures,” which appears on his 15-minute, 2018 EP, I O U 2.

“Vultures” in the hands of Lido features some of the sleekest, most dynamic production of any of the songs appearing on this vulturous playlist.  The synths pop, the drums anchor, while Lido’s vocals manage to pack a punch with a degree of subtlety – there is no need for gospel histrionics. As intriguing as the sound and vibes of this record are, the lyrics are pretty epic.  Besides the aforementioned chorus, the second verse is quite well-written, as Lido invites the vultures to ravage his body essentially:

“Welcome to my body
My legs tired and my bones itch for some darkness
Feed me ‘till I’m heartless
I will go bad, bad, bad, as I need to be for the garbage
Sweet release of piranhas to the carcass
Oh, stupid artists
Bet you bussing tables or cussing labels out.”

9. Asking Alexandria, “Vultures”

Asking Alexandria • Sumerian • 2017

“Where to turn / Everywhere I look, these vultures burn / The life right outta me, do I run / Or lay down and die? Is it time to close my eyes?”  Hmm, there are some serious considerations there Asking Alexandria, sigh.  Like most of the songs on this list, vultures are absolutely horrible.  On “Vultures,” the eighth track on the band’s 2017, self-titled album, Danny Wosnop plays the role of the scavenged – the carcass if you will: “Kill me numb, I’ll follow direction / A pawn to pass around and be bled until I’m dry.”

Shifting to the music, “Vultures” commences with rhythmic acoustic guitars. Danny Wosnop delivers commanding, expressive lead vocals – perfect for this theme.  Asking Alexandria showcases a strong sense of musicality on “Vultures.” Sure, the record possesses heaviness, yet it is tastefully executed. The second verse becomes more robust, with background vocals joining on the second chorus.  The bridge section is a change of pace, pulling back, growing more enigmatic initially, before the vocals dig in even more.  Guitarist Ben Bruce provided Rock Sound Magazine some insight into the record:

…It spirals from the drugs and the alcohol and the industry constantly telling us to stay relevant and not have time off because there’s a band right behind you… It’s about everyone in suits behind the scenes pulling the strings. It addresses the inner struggle that we faced. It’s a sad song. It’s very raw and it’s very honest and it’s very open.

10. We Came as Romans, “Vultures with Clipped Wings”

Cold Like War • SHARPTONE • 2017

“I’ve caught every vulture / I’ve clipped every wing / I’ve caught every vulture / Starve, you won’t feed on these dreams again.” Ah, there’s so much to unpack here from David Stephens and post-hardcore band We Came as Romans.  Stephens handles most of the vocals on “Vultures with Clipped Wings,” which serves as the opener of the band’s 2017 album, Cold Like War.  Deceased vocalist Kyle Pavone also appears in select parts.  This particular album arrived nearly a year in advance of Pavone’s shocking death from an accidental overdose.  With sufficient background provided, let’s explore the this vulturous song itself.

Following a dark, enigmatic intro, “Vultures with Clipped Wings” arrives as angst-filled and heavy as they come.  The guitar riffs are jagged, the drums pummel, and the vocals exemplify pain. How so? Well, they take on a chanted, shouted approach that eschews melody more often than not.  It’s safe to say, vultures get an even less likable perception, considering those “clipped wings.”

“I never found peace, but now I’m fighting a war
All the vicious and greedy
Left me behind and confused
My illusions so grand
But my reality skewed.”

Honestly, “Vultures with Clipped Wings” checks off the expected, vulturous boxes.  Essentially, as Stephens suffers, the vultures thrive – “They use my effort to feed / They sleep while I bleed.”  That said, there’s an element of rebirth – atonement perhaps? Kyle Pavone sings, “This is an end, so I’m starting again / To return to form /… Reborn.”

11.King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, “People-Vultures”

Nonagon Infinity • Flightless / ATO • 2016

“People-vultures, God approaches / Final hearing / What else have I got left to spew down?” King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard conclude this vulturous playlist with “People-Vultures.” While many of the songs on this list are less focused on literal vultures and being metaphorical, “People-Vultures” is even more direct in its message.  This isn’t about birds, but how utterly terrible people themselves can be.  “People-Vultures” appears as the fourth track on the Australian band’s 2016 album, Nonagon Infinity.

 The energy is lofty throughout this five-minute joint.  It’s a jagged, rhythmic record that doesn’t let-up.  Lyrically, it’s rather spare, with many of the lyrics composed in similar fashion to the aforementioned lyrics from the chorus.  On the second verse, for example, the lyrics read, “People-vultures waiting to begin / Deadly ulcers feeding on my skin.” Skipping to the third verse, the titular lyric remains the catalyst: “People-vultures crowding at my door / Parasites are eating more and more.” Again, using that poor scavenger as its inspiration, the listener gets a clear picture of how bad humans are.  My, my my.

11 UNAPOLOGETICALLY VULTUROUS SONGS ABOUT VULTURES [Photo Credits: Atlantic, ATO, Because Music, Brent Faulkner, Flightless, Lil Durk, Metal Blade, The Musical Hype, Pixabay, Republic, SHARPTONE, Sumerian, UNFD, Universal Music Ireland Ltd.]