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
. Scanner. Steel Prophet
. Children Of Bodom. Tiamat
. Twisted Tower Dire. Symphorce
. Norma Jean. Celestial Ode
. Solace. Queensryche
. Majesty. Ring of Fire
. Legend. Wizard
. Abigor. God Dethroned
. Dr. Butcher. Led Zeppelin
. Conquest. Johnny Lokke
. H.I.M.. Ion Vein
. Supervillain. Paragon
. Inner Rage of Emotion. Sevendust
. Thunderbolt. Duke
. DevilDriver. Probot
. Dreamaker. Killik
. Construcdead. Riot
. Jaw. Leash Law
. Deep Purple. Bleeding Inc
. Graveland. Zaius
. Joe Stump. House of Lords
. Fabrizio Bonanno. Krokus
. Final Dawn. Shadows Fall
. Occult. Annihilator
. Marshall Law. Internal Bleeding
. Dark Ruin. Six Feet Under
. Haunted By Angels. Agnostic Front
. Twisted Sister. Betrayer
. Napalm Death. Azrael's Bane
. Legion. Crowbar
. Necrophagia. Astral Doors
. Hibria. Mechanical Poet
. Suidakra. Icarus Witch
. Crimson Moonlight. Chaoswave
. Boomerang. Pure Inc
. Axis Of Perdition. Strapping Young Lad
. Callenish Circle. Fastkill
. Biss. Disbelief
. Groundcrew. Embraze
. Defleshed. Brand New Sin
. Ektomorf. Goddess Of Desire
. Unchained. Circus Maximus
. Slik Helvetika. Prowler Inc.
. Gemini 5. Leaves Eyes
. Killing Spree. Power Quest
. Sheavy. Flotsam & Jetsam
. The Scourger. To The Bone
. Peccatum. V:28
. Violent Storm. ASG
. Overloaded. Casus Belli
. Barcode. Mabon
. Dechrist. Even X
. Ram-Zet. Sinocence
. Torture Killer. Gorefest
. Motorhead. Vanquished
. Taunusheim. Enforsaken
. Craft. Fallen Wisdom
. Thryfing. Witchery
. Nikki Puppet. Scum
. Steep. The Ocean
. Vore. Manngard
. Elvenking. Vreid
. Imagika. Nicodemus
. TK-421. Abysmal Dawn
. Ensoph. Upon Infliction
. Theater of Tragedy. Space Odyssey
. War Within. Amon Amarth
. Fleshgore. Hurt
. Anata. Venom
. Sathanas. Escape The Fate
. The Showdown. Urkraft
. Melechesh. Mindgrinder
. Dezperadoz. Textures
. Nominon. Rob Zombie
. Funeral. Himsa
. Hellveto. Keep of Kalessin
. Frosthardr. Heresi
. Alkemyst. Averse Sefira
. Shining Star. 40 Below Summer
. Last Stone Cast. Burzum
. To-Mera. Moonshine
. Godhead. The Lamp of Thoth
. Bullet For My Valentine. Medieval Steel
. Winterfylleth. My Dying Bride
. Dark Castle