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
. Hate Eternal. Into Eternity
. Lost Horizon. Opeth
. The Haunted. Poisonblack
. Dokken. Exmortem
. Deceased. Impellitteri
. Cradle of Filth. December
. Machine Head. Dirty Power
. Ravage. October 31
. Johnny Lokke. Ion Vein
. Runemagick. King Diamond
. Evanesce. Rob Rock
. Krisiun. Primal Fear
. Fraise. Project: Failing Flesh
. Out of the Lair. Iron Savior
. Soul Reaper. Yngwie Malmsteen
. Drowning Pool. Superchrist
. Cryonic Temple. Ebony Ark
. Freakhouse. Leash Law
. Cans. Madison Paige
. Deep Purple. W.A.S.P.
. Amityville Whore. U.D.O.
. Gary Moore. Hatework
. Devil In The Kitchen. Therion
. Goatsnake. Vox Tempus
. Dio. Beaten Back To Pure
. Potential Threat SF. Occult
. Tearabyte. Nashville Pussy
. Otep. Megadeth
. Chris Caffery. Made of Iron
. Behemoth. Napalm Death
. Of Infinity. Crowbar
. Ligeia. Entombed
. Kings X. Necrophagia
. Tarot. Suidakra
. Desire Black. Stormwarrior
. Kaamos. Severe Torture
. Bleed The Sky. Bruce Dickinson
. Drunkard. Swallow The Sun
. Thunderblast. Neil Turbin
. Burden Of Grief. Hatesphere
. Ivory Knight. Groundcrew
. Astarte. Mirador
. God Among Insects. Slough Feg
. Unchained. Circus Maximus
. Prowler Inc.. Dam
. Thor. Resurrecturis
. Sheavy. Mercyful Fate
. Lake Of Tears. Redemption
. Before The Dawn. Monster Magnet
. Evergrey. Blood Thirsty Demons
. Barcode. Balatonizer
. Crystal Ball. Dreamland
. Overmars. Vile
. Skullshifter. Dragonlord
. Absolution. Machina
. Insense. From This Day
. Brother Hawk. Thryfing
. Southern Black Sand. Katatonia
. Ephel Duath. Upwards of Endtime
. Steep. Tris Katone
. Valhalla. Warrant (Amer)
. Imagika. Down Factor
. Dream Or Nightmare. Speed/Kill/Hate
. Ensoph. Cult of Luna
. Bloodbound. She Said Destroy
. War Within. Psycroptic
. Vicious Rumors. Anata
. The Abominable Iron Sloth. The Finals
. Enochian Crescent. Thy Majestie
. Mastodon. Rotting Christ
. E-lane. Lecherous Nocturne
. Threat Signal. Dream Theater
. Necrophobic. The Chronicles of Israfel
. Nagelfar. White Wizzard
. Satariel. Trouble
. Pentacle. Since the Day
. Warner Drive. David Galas
. Architect. Depressed Mode
. Echoes of Eternity. Pathosray
. Night Ranger. Alkemyst
. Father Befouled. Trivium
. Witchfinder General. Vulture Industries
. Puscifer. Moonshine
. Godhead. Intolerant
. Bible Of The Devil. Sin
. Wolfgate. Caliban
. DC4