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



[Other Maximum Metal Columns]

<< back >>





RANDOM ACTS OF METAL
. Cave In. Hate Eternal
. In Flames. Leng Tch'e
. Vehemence. Chaingunn
. Carpathian Forest. Immolation
. Cradle of Filth. December
. Ring of Fire. Godflesh
. Vaginal Carnage. Steel Attack
. Lamb of God. Liege Lord
. Abigor. Black Label Society
. Carnal Forge. Pyn Siren
. The Chainsaw. Tungsten
. Exawatt. Fireball Ministry
. Steel Preacher. Guardians Of Time
. Halloween. Wicked Sensation
. Doro. Neverland
. Fear Factory. Force Of Evil
. Riot. downBleed
. Freakhouse. Amityville Whore
. Donnerkopf. Highlord
. Jorn. Gary Moore
. Lonewolf. Dimmu Borgir
. Schenker/ Pattison Summit. Ungodly
. Metal Church. Images of Eden
. Shadows Fall. Beaten Back To Pure
. Eternal Flight. Megadeth
. Valume Nob. Slowlife
. Karmakanic. Rush
. Betrayer. Napalm Death
. Mercenary. Fifth Cross
. Crowbar. Emerald Sun
. Belef. Kamelot
. Veni Domine. Heartcry
. Hellfire. Icarus Witch
. Apocalyptica. Freedom Call
. Lord Gore. Kryoburn
. Neil Turbin. Slumber
. Pro-Pain. Astarte
. Agents Of Man. Mirador
. Communic. Ektomorf
. Subterranean Masquerade. Alice Cooper
. Nightvision. Devil Lee Rot
. Sheavy. Warchild
. Illuminatus. Monster Magnet
. Violent Storm. Blood Thirsty Demons
. Winterfell. Sun O)))
. Algol3. Vinterriket
. Dechrist. Mistress
. Cryogen. Urizen
. The Tenth Circle. Detonation
. Hate. Beecher
. Insense. Ephel Duath
. Nightmare. Dissection
. Elvenking. Vreid
. Bludgeon. Dawn of Azazel
. Theater of Tragedy. Before Silence
. Jotunspor. Unsilent Phenomenon
. Space Odyssey. She Said Destroy
. Swashbuckle. Skid Row
. Burialmound. Hurt
. Wednesday 13. Death Breath
. Jeff Walker und Die Fluffers. Anata
. Enochian Crescent. Battle Bratt
. Oblomov. Thy Majestie
. Zoroaster. Biolich
. Celtic Frost. Lecherous Nocturne
. The Gathering. Melechesh
. Diagnose: Lebensgefahr. Threat Signal
. Omnium Gatherum. Old Man's Child
. Grenouer. Blood of the Black Owl
. Cattle Decapitation. White Willow
. White Wizzard. Trouble
. Gotthard. Lipstick Magazine
. Nation Beyond. Randy Ellefson
. Architect. Frosthardr
. Pathology. Glenn Hughes
. Bilocate. Witchfinder General
. Burzum. The Lamp of Thoth
. Medieval Steel. The More I See
. Wolfgate. Caliban
. Suffocation