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
. In Flames. Into Eternity
. Racer X. Scanner
. Sinner. Steel Prophet
. The Haunted. Grave
. Vicious Mary. Immolation
. Karaboudjan. Narziß
. Dirty Power. Gun Barrel
. Seven Witches. Seether
. Usurper. Godflesh
. Advent. Widowmaker
. Firewind. Late Nite Romeo
. Valley's Eve. Black Label Society
. Carnal Forge. Conquest
. H.I.M.. Ion Vein
. Evolution. Supervillain
. Fireball Ministry. Dragonforce
. The Graveyard Boulevard. Mourning Beloveth
. King Diamond. Nordheim
. Sinergy. Tad Morose
. Halloween. Lacuna Coil
. Defiled. Out of the Lair
. Shiva. Lonewolf
. Iron Angel. Hatework
. Spiral Madness. Krokus
. Imp. Shadows Fall
. Dio. Occult
. Katagory V. Megadeth
. Valume Nob. Jungle Rot
. Jamie. St. James. House of Shakira
. Witchburner. The Last Act
. Ironhorse. Negative Creeps
. Made of Iron. Cryme
. Creed. Sonata Arctica
. Mercenary. Feared Creation
. Milkweed. The New Breed
. Crionics. Veni Domine
. Maze Of Torment. Dirt
. Strikelight. Frantic Bleep
. Fire Alley. System Of A Down
. Embraze. Rudra
. Astarte. Amorphis
. Brand New Sin. Ektomorf
. Darkane. Subterranean Masquerade
. Testament. Sentenced
. Dark Funeral. Unchained
. Voyager. Secrets She Kept
. Gaia. The Father Panic Riot Orchestra
. Nightvision. Widow
. Mercyful Fate. Peccatum
. Dragonia. Russell Allen
. Evergrey. Ignarus
. Casus Belli. The Firstborn
. Third Degree. Dechrist
. Doomfoxx. Overmars
. Avulsed. Urizen
. Dragonlord. Bronx Casket Company
. Zero Down. Dogs Of Winter
. Detonation. Motorhead
. Beecher. Decapitated
. Early Man. Cannibal Corpse
. Ephel Duath. Beyond Fear
. The Berzerker. Boris
. Valhalla. Hirax
. Speed/Kill/Hate. TK-421
. Upon Infliction. Royal Hunt
. Gorgoroth. Amon Amarth
. Skid Row. Zero Hour
. Battle Bratt. Oblomov
. Darkness Eternal. Phazm
. Hardcore Superstar. Onslaught
. Omnium Gatherum. Merciless Death
. Cruachan. Cattle Decapitation
. Passion. Chrome Division
. Five Finger Death Punch. Antigama
. Manes. Denial Fiend
. Kruger. JR Ewing
. Funeral. Frosthardr
. Mongrel. Pathology
. Bilocate. The Obsessed
. Straight Line Stitch. SOS
. Vulture Industries. Hacksaw Surgery
. Souls Of We. Mar De Grises
. Kiuas. Luna Mortis
. Battleroar. Sotajumala
. Dark Castle