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. Cave In
. Steel Prophet. The Great Deceiver
. Carpathian Forest. Misery Index
. Tiamat. Solemnity
. Impellitteri. Stratovarius
. Celestial Ode. Circle II Circle
. Usurper. Steel Attack
. Fozzy. Ravage
. Masterplan. Metallica
. God Dethroned. Power of Omens
. Conquest. Pyn Siren
. H.I.M.. The Chainsaw
. Evolution. Exawatt
. Saint. Mnemic
. Thunderstone. Attacker
. Pharaoh. Mother Misery
. Silver Mountain. Superchrist
. Funerus. Scala Mercalli
. Evanescence. Bang The Union
. Bleeding Inc. Amityville Whore
. Low Earth Orbit. Fabrizio Bonanno
. Devil In The Kitchen. Krokus
. Joey Belladonna. Dream Evil
. Wintersun. Beaten Back To Pure
. Unearth. Medusa
. Otep. Eternal Flight
. Annihilator. Internal Bleeding
. Incantation. Acheron
. Behemoth. Avenue F
. Cryme. Tristania
. Triumph. Betrayer
. Motley Crue. Bloody Sign
. Gods Of Fire. Rottweiller
. The Apocalyptic Riders. Entombed
. Blood Red Throne. Requiem Aeternam
. Maze Of Torment. Quiet Riot
. Vicious Circle. Heartcry
. Hellfire. Mechanical Poet
. Suidakra. Car Bomb
. Icarus Witch. Chuck Schuldiner
. Cemetary. Marduk
. Pure Inc. Omegalord
. Drunkard. Holy Moses
. System Of A Down. Shade Empire
. Slumber. Nightrage
. Hatesphere. Ivory Knight
. Astarte. Agents Of Man
. Vicious Art. Brand New Sin
. Ektomorf. Subterranean Masquerade
. Killing Spree. Power Quest
. Devil Lee Rot. Love Forsaken
. Havochate. Clutch
. Lake Of Tears. Illuminatus
. Before The Dawn. 1349
. Damnation. Chain Collector
. Mastermind. Zero Down
. Virgin Steele. Vanquished
. Beecher. Fallen Wisdom
. Southern Black Sand. Naked Beggars
. Nikki Puppet. Clawfinger
. Vore. Warrant (Amer)
. Ampast. Down Factor
. The Sword. Fragments of Unbecoming
. Vengeance. War Within
. Amon Amarth. From the Grave
. Burialmound. Death Breath
. Pump. The Finals
. Lesbian Bed Death. Sathanas
. Darkness Eternal. Deicide
. Celtic Frost. Steve Cone
. Skullflower. Lost Eden
. With Passion. Terry Sullivan
. Throne of Katarsis. Warbringer
. Pantera. Pentacle
. Denial Fiend. Glorior Belli
. Ulcerate. Nation Beyond
. Himsa. Mass Extinction
. Alkemyst. Mortiis
. Puscifer. Embalming Theatre
. Trinacria. The More I See
. Deadsea. End of Man
. Cursed. Luna Mortis
. Nasty Idols. Sotajumala
. Earthen Grave