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
. Demons and Wizards. Lost Horizon
. Mudvayne. Twilight Odyssey
. BloodDuster. Immolation
. Dokken. Exmortem
. Disturbed. Neck
. Goatwhore. December
. Kataklysm. Commit Suicide
. Fozzy. Ravage
. Dark Moor. Masterplan
. Power of Omens. Carnal Forge
. Brainstorm. Endless Time
. Agony Divine. Catch 22
. Inner Rage of Emotion. Bloodbath
. The Graveyard Boulevard. Runemagick
. Mnemic. Silent Scythe
. Windseeker. Hypocrisy
. Pink Cream 69. Edguy
. Primal Fear. Asperity
. Secret Sphere. Doro
. Hard Echo. F5
. Silver Mountain. Exodus
. Jaw. Ebony Ark
. downBleed. UFO
. Kingcrow. Edge Of Forever
. Cyst. Feinstein
. Krokus. Scorpions
. Skeletonwitch. Metal Church
. Shadows Fall. Wintersun
. Eternal Flight. Annihilator
. Polterchrist. Valume Nob
. GWAR. The Project Hate
. Incantation. The 7 Method
. Tsjuder. Angra
. Avenue F. Creed
. Requiem Aeternam. Loudblast
. Korpiklaani. Quiet Riot
. Necrophagia. Carina Alfie
. Omegalord. Axis Of Perdition
. Frantic Bleep. Chastain
. Ramesses. Burden Of Grief
. Throes of Dawn. Def Leppard
. Biss. Subterranean Masquerade
. Testament. Dark Funeral
. Gemini 5. Sebastian Bach
. Gaia. Alice Cooper
. Widow. Resurrecturis
. Octavia Sperati. Future is Tomorrow
. Redemption. Third Degree
. Algol3. Avenged Sevenfold
. Vinterriket. Phantom X
. Gojira. Vile
. Avulsed. Sinocence
. Torture Killer. End of Level Boss
. From This Day. Craft
. Mental Care Foundation. Across Tundras
. Moonspell. The Ocean
. Vore. Pyramaze
. Ampast. Hirax
. 8th Sin. Stormcrow
. Suzukiton. Bloodbound
. Space Odyssey. Time Requiem
. Agalloch. Vicious Rumors
. The Ruins of Beverast. Twinball
. Audrey Horne. Lecherous Nocturne
. Quest of Aidance. Steve Cone
. Handful of Hate. Throne of Katarsis
. Lord Belial. Merciless Death
. Dezperadoz. Cruachan
. Marc Sasso. Chrome Division
. Mithras. Divine Empire
. Katrina Johansson. Antigama
. Manes. Warner Drive
. Throneum. Fight
. Keldian. Diamond Dogs
. Mongrel. Night Ranger
. I Shalt Become. Gutted With Broken Glass
. Father Befouled. Witchfinder General
. Vulture Industries. Kreator
. Embalming Theatre. Place Of Skulls
. Something Beautiful. Mustasch
. Crown The Lost. DC4
. Uli Jon Roth. Earthen Grave