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
. HammerFall. Into Eternity
. Lost Horizon. Mudvayne
. Nightwish. Grave
. Children Of Bodom. White Skull
. Dokken. Kataklysm
. Commit Suicide. Dirty Power
. Overkill. Circle II Circle
. Sickspeed. Wizard
. Metallica. Black Label Society
. The Chainsaw. Goat Horn
. Ion Vein. Supervillain
. Saint. Iced Earth
. Inner Rage of Emotion. The Graveyard Boulevard
. Steel Preacher. Rob Rock
. Windseeker. Attacker
. Iron Savior. Royal Anguish
. Fairyland. F5
. Volbeat. Exodus
. Jag Panzer. Madison Paige
. Amityville Whore. David Shankle Group
. Disarmonia Mundi. Gamma Ray
. Nova Lex. Jorn
. Gary Moore. Cyst
. House of Lords. Feinstein
. Meliah Rage. After Forever
. Potential Threat SF. Unearth
. Eternal Flight. Valume Nob
. Chris Caffery. Necrodemon
. Neurosis. Tartharia
. Mine. Incantation
. Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Made of Iron
. Dark Tranquillity. Code Black
. Motley Crue. Helgrind
. The New Breed. Seige of Hate
. Hibria. Vicious Circle
. Heartcry. Suidakra
. Desire Black. Apocalyptica
. Wolverine. Bleed The Sky
. Omegalord. Debris Inc.
. Kryoburn. Slumber
. Nightrage. Disbelief
. Unshine. Ritual Killer
. Frameless Scar. Wetwork
. Blitzkrieg. A Lower Deep
. Nuclear Assault. Black Majesty
. Crystal Fate. Winterfell
. Sun O))). 1349
. Arthemis. Dechrist
. Mistress. Akercocke
. Asrai. Chain Collector
. Dismember. Absolution
. Decapitated. Grimfist
. Fallen Wisdom. Thryfing
. Witchery. Katatonia
. Poison. 286
. Beyond Fear. Scum
. Tris Katone. The Smashup
. Pyramaze. Hirax
. Dreams of Damnation. The Furor
. Fragments of Unbecoming. Jotunspor
. Dendura. Paul Bonrud
. Sahg. Time Requiem
. Warface. Zero Hour
. Pump. Anata
. Oblomov. Thy Majestie
. Satyricon. Demise
. Deicide. Urkraft
. Skullflower. Warmachine
. With Passion. Terry Sullivan
. Old Man's Child. Blood of the Black Owl
. Cattle Decapitation. Satariel
. Pantera. Since the Day
. Warner Drive. Trenchfoot
. Throneum. Destynation
. Gutted With Broken Glass. Deceiver
. Demonic Symphony. The Obsessed
. Burzum. Embalming Theatre
. The Lamp of Thoth. Bullet For My Valentine
. Cursed. Winterfylleth
. Caliban