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
. The Kovenant. Scanner
. Karaboudjan. Dokken
. Disturbed. Grave Digger
. Neck. Narziß
. Goatwhore. Deranged
. Seven Witches. Circle II Circle
. Majesty. Lamb of God
. Ravage. God Dethroned
. Late Nite Romeo. Dr. Butcher
. Carnal Forge. October 31
. Black Sabbath. Chainsnap
. Curriculum Mortis. Rob Rock
. Sludge!. Duke
. Thunderstone. Murdercycle
. Edguy. Krisiun
. DevilDriver. Defiled
. Probot. Out of the Lair
. Iron Savior. Force Of Evil
. TNA. Construcdead
. Bang The Union. Velvet Revolver
. Iron Angel. Zaius
. Juggernott. Unleashed
. After Forever. Metal Church
. Wintersun. Potential Threat SF
. Division. Necrodemon
. Dark Ruin. Acheron
. Blind Guardian. Anger
. The 7 Method. Hanzel Und Gretyl
. Betrayer. Napalm Death
. Sonata Arctica. Cradle To Grave
. Emerald Sun. Image
. Audiovision. Divine Fire
. Entombed. Corrosion Of Conformity
. Loudblast. Labyrinth
. Shatterpoint. Stormwarrior
. Marduk. Alex Skolnick Trio
. Axis Of Perdition. Magica
. Debris Inc.. Neil Turbin
. Callenish Circle. Grand Magus
. Burden Of Grief. Ivory Knight
. Sothis. Subterranean Masquerade
. Secrets She Kept. Monolithe
. Ritual Killer. Nightvision
. Thor. Love Forsaken
. Clutch. Warchild
. Octavia Sperati. Mercyful Fate
. Lake Of Tears. Peccatum
. Russell Allen. Dirty Americans
. Shattersphere. Arthemis
. Phantom X. Damnation
. Crystal Ball. Asrai
. The Classic Struggle. The Tenth Circle
. God Forbid. Motorhead
. Beecher. Taunusheim
. Pile of Heads. Powerglove
. Naked Beggars. Viron
. Ampast. Vreid
. Down Factor. The Sword
. Apiary. Upon Infliction
. Dawn of Azazel. Destruction
. I. Isis
. Eyes of Ligeia. Biolich
. Lesbian Bed Death. Escape The Fate
. Panzerchrist. The Showdown
. Winger. Cheva
. Steve Cone. Urkraft
. Warmachine. The Gathering
. Diagnose: Lebensgefahr. Terry Sullivan
. Dream Theater. Merciless Death
. Dezperadoz. Nagelfar
. Gotthard. Katrina Johansson
. Wuthering Heights. Trenchfoot
. Lipstick Magazine. Nation Beyond
. Mass Extinction. Pathology
. Glenn Hughes. I Shalt Become
. Bilocate. Jesus Martyr
. SOS. Armory
. Moonshine. Hacksaw Surgery
. Iron Fire. Son of Eric
. Faded Hope. Wolfgate