C O L U M N S

Tales from the Jugular

Escaping the Extreme: The Non-Metal Moments

By: Eric Compton
Published: Friday, June 3, 2016
We've all experienced it...that moment where metal no longer is a reason to rise and exist each day. Granted those moments are few and far between, but at some point our brains need that wine and dine, all-inclusive resort for some rest and relaxation. Mine? Folk music for a few weeks, maybe some actual Country and Western music or-- my favorite-- horror movie scores.

"Horror movie soundtracks are typically connected in some way to heavy metal at its deepest core."

Horror movie soundtracks are typically connected in some way to heavy metal at its deepest core. While Beethoven himself would probably worship some neo-classical shred king out of Finland right now, I think that he might equally admire a lot of the retro wave bands that are doing 70s and 80s styled synth. There's a whole host of them out there from GosT to Lazerhawk to Cluster Buster that are enamored with the slasher films of the 80s and those Italian zombie movies that you tape traded for back in the day. As we've seen more and more extreme bands go electronic (i.e. Ulver), it is this type of synth heavy music that bridges the two worlds and accommodates fans that might need a little melancholy with their metal.

Here's a few bands and albums to check out with some emphasis on key songs that best represent their catalog:

BAND: GosT
SONG: Night Crawler
ALBUM: Behemoth

BAND: Cluster Buster
SONG: Regiment of the Undead
ALBUM: Knee Deep in the Dead



BAND: Anders Manga
SONG: Hexed
ALBUM: Hexed
BAND: Anima Morte
SONG: Illusion is the Catalyst
ALBUM: Upon Darkened Stains


BAND: Slasher Dave
SONG: Graves
ALBUM: Tomb of Horror
BAND: Gavino Morretti
SONG: The Living Dead (II)
ALBUM: Assault of the Living Dead


BAND: Lazerhawk
SONG: Visitors
ALBUM: Visitors
BAND: Umberto
SONG: Night Stalking
ALBUM: Prophecy of the Black Widow


BAND: Videogram
SONG: Walpurgisnacht
ALBUM: Videogram
BAND: VHS Glitch
SONG: Run for your Life
ALBUM: Night on the Dark Hill



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RANDOM ACTS OF METAL
. Anvil. Demons and Wizards
. Leng Tch'e. Vicious Mary
. Grave Digger. Kataklysm
. Norma Jean. Commit Suicide
. Dirty Power. Celestial Ode
. Warhorse. Queensryche
. Nazareth. Majesty
. Mark Boals. Usurper
. Godflesh. Lamb of God
. Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Firewind
. Angel Dust. Carnal Forge
. Conquest. Hammerwhore
. The Chainsaw. Ion Vein
. Exawatt. Nicta
. Shakra. Biomechanical
. Dragonforce. Chainsnap
. Victory. Duke
. Savatage. Tad Morose
. Silent Scythe. Halloween
. Pharaoh. Lacuna Coil
. Brides of Destruction. Royal Anguish
. Neverland. Node
. Ebony Ark. Freakhouse
. Deep Purple. Outworld
. David Shankle Group. Ministry
. Judas Priest. Hatework
. Spiral Madness. Devil In The Kitchen
. Vox Tempus. After Forever
. Eternal Flight. Age Of Silence
. Z02. Internal Bleeding
. Witchburner. Arch Enemy
. Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Seventh One
. Karmakanic. Of Infinity
. Code Black. Crowbar
. Scenteria. Ligeia
. The Apocalyptic Riders. The Mighty Nimbus
. Entombed. Impaled
. Quiet Riot. Yyrkoon
. Backyard Babies. Marduk
. Freedom Call. Derek Sherinian
. Pure Inc. Omegalord
. Bruce Dickinson. Debris Inc.
. Kinrick. Rudra
. Python. Brand New Sin
. Monolithe. Horna
. Supagroup. Resurrecturis
. Sheavy. Flotsam & Jetsam
. Warchild. Painmuseum
. Future is Tomorrow. Peccatum
. The Atomic Bitchwax. Dragonia
. Before The Dawn. Penetrator
. Bolt Thrower. Savage Circus
. Avenged Sevenfold. Paths Of Possession
. Even X. Akercocke
. Ram-Zet. Vile
. Mastermind. The Classic Struggle
. The Tenth Circle. Dogs Of Winter
. Torture Killer. Nocturnal Rites
. Nobody's Fool. End My Sorrow
. Scum. Ampast
. Elvenking. Speed/Kill/Hate
. TK-421. Upon Infliction
. Unsilent Phenomenon. Destruction
. She Said Destroy. From the Grave
. Shadows Within. Death Breath
. The Abominable Iron Sloth. Amputated
. Mastodon. Biolich
. Darkness Eternal. Middian
. Battered. Mindgrinder
. Necrophobic. Old Man's Child
. Textures. Five Finger Death Punch
. The Prophecy. Pentacle
. Rob Zombie. Blut Aus Nord
. Lipstick Magazine. Malevolent Creation
. Nation Beyond. Depressed Mode
. Keep of Kalessin. Mass Extinction
. Alkemyst. Demonic Symphony
. Trivium. Pop Evil
. To-Mera. Embalming Theatre
. Souls Of We. Virgin Black
. Trinacria. The More I See
. Ihsahn. Dark Castle