Semen Datura Reveal the Origins of Their Deadly Name

What's in a name? Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Would nightshade strike as deadly? Or since we're talking metal, would Dying Fetus slam so hard if they were named something much more digestible? Rather predictably, given the average maturity level of your typical metal fan, German progressive black metallers Semen Datura have gotten plenty of guff about their unusual moniker -- mostly from American fans, and one can only assume, frat boys.

Frontman and guitarist Conrath commented to Noisecreep that the problem began "just as we started to talk with people with a native English tongue. Maybe it's because their opinions are formed by watching porn every day. " He also sneered "and not by studying an ancient European language like lingua Latina."

So what does it mean, then? Inquiring minds want to know! Conrath deigned to shed some light on this shadowy band's shady title.

"Our ambition was to have no typical metal name," he said. "We wanted to found something more mysterious and interpretable. The Latin word 'semen' stands for the essence, the seed you put into the earth. This means the will to create something. Datura are deadly nightshade plants, also known as the plant of the witches. It stand for our dark attitude."

Altogether, the name Semen Datura creates a metaphor for 'origin of the night.' Given the band's avant-garde, post-rock-meets-black metal sound and propensity for spreading darkness and melancholia wherever their riffs may roam, the esoteric name fits their doom 'n' gloom aesthetic like a (velvet) glove.