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
. Cave In. Leng Tch'e
. Scanner. Opeth
. BloodDuster. Tiamat
. Perzonal War. Celestial Ode
. Queensryche. Rawhead Rexx
. Lamb of God. Valley's Eve
. Black Label Society. Led Zeppelin
. Evolution. Agony Divine
. Shakra. SelfInflicted
. Paragon. Godiva
. Curriculum Mortis. Lanfear
. Crystal Eyes. Beautiful Creatures
. Eidolon. Silent Scythe
. Stalker. Probot
. Royal Anguish. Volbeat
. TNA. Shiva
. Black Stone Cherry. Silver Mountain
. Killik. Gothic Knights
. Construcdead. Skyfire
. Disarmonia Mundi. Van Helsing’s Curse
. Metalium. Iron Angel
. Insomnium. Dream Evil
. Psychotron. Dio
. Beaten Back To Pure. Lullacry
. Katagory V. Arch Enemy
. Silent Force. The Last Act
. Acheron. Mirror of Deception
. Tsjuder. Twisted Sister
. Tristania. Bloody Sign
. The New Breed. Divine Fire
. Miles Beyond. Belef
. Crionics. Requiem Aeternam
. Impaled. Tarot
. Mechanical Poet. Suidakra
. Mystic Prophecy. Diecast
. Omegalord. Kinrick
. Swallow The Sun. Raintime
. Grand Magus. Voyager
. Nuse. Evemaster
. Gemini 5. Killing Spree
. Fates Warning. Devil Lee Rot
. Havochate. Edenbridge
. Scar Symmetry. Octavia Sperati
. To The Bone. Future is Tomorrow
. Lake Of Tears. Black Majesty
. Crystal Fate. Winterfell
. Ignarus. The Firstborn
. Barcode. Third Degree
. Shattersphere. Paths Of Possession
. Even X. Akercocke
. Doomfoxx. Chain Collector
. Torture Killer. Absolution
. Vader. Taunusheim
. From This Day. Totalisti
. Sepultura. Across Tundras
. Powerglove. Cardinale
. Poison. Wolves in the Throne Room
. The Ocean. The Smackdown
. Speed/Kill/Hate. The Strongest Proof
. Black Crucifixion. Gorgoroth
. Destruction. Psycroptic
. Mouth of the Architect. Burialmound
. Skyforger. Hurt
. Wastefall. Isis
. Rotting Christ. Satyricon
. Venom. Demise
. Extium. Starkweather
. Celtic Frost. Quest of Aidance
. Handful of Hate. Phazm
. Onslaught. Manticore
. Satariel. Hacride
. Spit Like This. Glorior Belli
. JR Ewing. Nation Beyond
. Echoes of Eternity. Keldian
. Mongrel. Dantesco
. Averse Sefira. Orthodox
. Bilocate. The Obsessed
. Last Stone Cast. Manilla Road
. SOS. Virgin Black
. The Lamp of Thoth. Mustasch
. My Dying Bride. Sotajumala
. DC4