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
. Bathory. Nightwish
. Grave. Karaboudjan
. Dokken. Kataklysm
. Norma Jean. Helloween
. Seether. Steel Attack
. Lamb of God. Liege Lord
. Ravage. Legend
. Metallica. Vyndykator
. Johnny Lokke. Pyn Siren
. Catch 22. Biomechanical
. Rage. Sludge!
. Stryper. Hypocrisy
. Primal Fear. Project: Failing Flesh
. Soul Reaper. Doro
. Tesla. Volbeat
. Silver Mountain. Yngwie Malmsteen
. Superchrist. Celesty
. Babylon Mystery Orchestra. downBleed
. Cans. Outworld
. Destructor. Chapter VIII
. Lilitu. Images of Eden
. Shadows Fall. Dio
. Polterchrist. Valume Nob
. Necrodemon. Witchburner
. Incantation. Ironhorse
. Agnostic Front. Blind Guardian
. Karmakanic. Betrayer
. Napalm Death. Scenteria
. Motley Crue. Ligeia
. The New Breed. The Apocalyptic Riders
. Miles Beyond. Veni Domine
. Maze Of Torment. Yyrkoon
. Tarot. Carina Alfie
. Ravensthorn. John Sykes
. Wolverine. Kaamos
. Swallow The Sun. Ignitor
. Callenish Circle. Burden Of Grief
. Hatesphere. Defleshed
. Prowler Inc.. Sebastian Bach
. Ritual Killer. Gaia
. Killing Spree. Fates Warning
. Impaled Nazarene. Clutch
. Scar Symmetry. Flotsam & Jetsam
. Painmuseum. Future is Tomorrow
. Loits. The Atomic Bitchwax
. Black Majesty. Eternal Reign
. Before The Dawn. Evergrey
. Even X. Mistress
. Crystal Ball. Dreamland
. Ram-Zet. Motorhead
. Nocturnal Rites. Insense
. Second Shadow. Cannibal Corpse
. Codeon. Beyond Fear
. Tris Katone. Event Horizon
. Vreid. Dreams of Damnation
. Sun Descends. Spawn of Possession
. Fragments of Unbecoming. Unsilent Phenomenon
. Hydrogyn. Fleshgore
. Vicious Rumors. Zero Hour
. Belphegor. Enochian Crescent
. Myon. Wastefall
. Isis. E-lane
. Deicide. Lecherous Nocturne
. Handful of Hate. Melechesh
. Diagnose: Lebensgefahr. Threat Signal
. Terry Sullivan. Static-X
. Mindgrinder. Blood of the Black Owl
. Incrave. White Wizzard
. Pantera. Hacride
. Nation Beyond. Fight
. Ensiferum. Dantesco
. Averse Sefira. Gutted With Broken Glass
. Father Befouled. Demonic Symphony
. Manilla Road. Vulture Industries
. Hacksaw Surgery. Godhead
. Souls Of We. Iron Fire
. Son of Eric. Luna Mortis
. Eighteen Wheels Burning