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
. Scanner. Opeth
. Slipknot. The Haunted
. Chaingunn. Twilight Odyssey
. Big Dumb Face. Deranged
. Twisted Tower Dire. Solace
. Circle II Circle. Majesty
. Ring of Fire. Lamb of God
. Firewind. Abigor
. Cage. Johnny Lokke
. Tungsten. Supervillain
. Saint. Thunderbolt
. Artension. Morbid Angel
. King Diamond. Duke
. Savatage. Thunderstone
. Halloween. Hypocrisy
. Pink Cream 69. Murdercycle
. Krisiun. Primal Fear
. Soul Reaper. F5
. Black Stone Cherry. Funerus
. Celesty. Scala Mercalli
. Babylon Mystery Orchestra. downBleed
. Kingcrow. David Shankle Group
. Skyfire. Cyst
. Hatework. Spiral Madness
. Dimmu Borgir. Devil In The Kitchen
. Insomnium. Bonfire
. Black Destiny. Metal Church
. Rhapsody of Fire. Imp
. Potential Threat SF. Otep
. Division. Z02
. Valume Nob. Internal Bleeding
. Jamie. St. James. Neurosis
. The Last Act. Blind Guardian
. Triumph. Sonata Arctica
. Milkweed. Audiovision
. Blood Red Throne. Kamelot
. Impaled. Maze Of Torment
. Soilwork. Sabaton
. Vicious Circle. Carina Alfie
. Wolverine. Crimson Moonlight
. Stormwarrior. Chaoswave
. Novembers Doom. Omegalord
. Lord Gore. Debris Inc.
. Kryoburn. Neil Turbin
. Pro-Pain. Biss
. Raging Speedhorn. Astarte
. Manntis. Graveworm
. Brand New Sin. Secrets She Kept
. Gemini 5. Ritual Killer
. The Father Panic Riot Orchestra. Power Quest
. Alice Cooper. Cannon
. Devil Lee Rot. Wetwork
. Agents Of The Sun. Blitzkrieg
. To The Bone. Orphaned Land
. Ignarus. Running Wild
. Ewigkeit. Gojira
. Skullshifter. Celebratum
. From This Day. Enforsaken
. End My Sorrow. Katatonia
. Fields Of The Nephilim. Moonspell
. Bludgeon. The Strongest Proof
. TK-421. Black Crucifixion
. Theater of Tragedy. Destruction
. Space Odyssey. Swashbuckle
. Hydrogyn. Psycroptic
. Shadows Within. I
. Setherial. Thy Majestie
. Amputated. E-lane
. The Gathering. Dream Theater
. Manticore. Nagelfar
. Mendeed. Pantera
. Since the Day. Antigama
. Tears. Retrospective
. Blut Aus Nord. Malevolent Creation
. Architect. Hellveto
. Spheric Universe Experience. Mass Extinction
. Gutted With Broken Glass. Deceiver
. Mortiis. Ost Est Ima
. Manilla Road. SOS
. Equilibrium. The Lamp of Thoth
. Mustasch. Sister Sin