Instruments of evil
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Screw Santa's birthday, Halloween remains the #1 holiday in our household, and as much as I've let this blog slide while real life's taken over, I refuse to skimp on the celebration.
For the past five years, Entartete Kunst has presented a playlist for your Halloween pleasure, and the selections often dabble in the ongoing kinship of horror movies and heavy metal. Although these are probably my two favorite things ever, I've intentionally stayed away from centering the entire playlist on their unholy union. This year, I asked myself, "Why would I do that?" I'm not harboring any delusions that this site is visited by anyone aside from an occasional personal friend (hi!) or sickos who Googled the phrase "Scarlett Johansson in granny panties" (hi as well!). Y'all know my steez. I think about this kinda shit a lot. I am exactly the person who should make an all-heavy-metal-horror-movie-song playlist for Halloween.
I must admit that this was actually tougher than I imagined it would be. Sure, heavy metal and horror cinema have gone hand-in-hoof ever since the very first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, took their name from a famous Mario Bava shocker. They, like many followers since, often decorated their lyrics with the imagery of horror: Satan, black magic, madness, torment, death. However, Black Sabbath never really wrote any songs about horror movies, and an examination of horror-themed metal in general proves this to be the case across most subgenres. If you want metal songs about the devil or murder, I can pull a hundred from my shelves right now. If you want metal songs about "The Exorcist" or "Bloody Pit of Horror," though, the choices shrink considerably. For instance, GWAR, who you'd think would be a natural, named their most recent album after the latter title, but the songs have nothing to do with the movie. (And, yes, I know they covered the theme from "Zombi 2" on that Fulci tribute album, but I've featured the original in the past, and I do not abide repeats.) What about King Diamond? Cannibal Corpse? Cradle of Filth? Ghoul? Death SS? Halloween? All of them are steeped in horror trappings, but none have a single song about a particular horror movie.
The exceptions are naturally found in the thrash metal, death metal and goregrind scenes, which all arose in the wake of the '80s horror movie boom and thus offer thousands of potential choices. There's definitely a dominance by the more extreme types of metal here, but I did my best to mix it up a little, and structured the list to ease in listeners of a more delicate disposition. Since it's frequently tough for even the most dedicated maniac to make out death metal lyrics just by listening, feel free to click a song title to read what these lunatics are howling about. Let's kick off with a bona fide classic.
1. Iron Maiden, "Phantom of the Opera" (Iron Maiden, 1980, EMI) - Iron Maiden has always aimed for a more highbrow image than most of their classic metal peers, naming countless songs after historical figures and works of literature ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Run Silent Run Deep," "The Man Who Would Be King"). Even back when they were a scrappy young pub band, they were devising intricate mini-epics such as this one, which became a highlight of their debut album. However, as with many of these Maiden tracks, you get the feeling it was less inspired by the Gaston Leroux novel than by a late-night showing of a "Phantom of the Opera" movie, probably the 1962 Hammer studios one with Herbert Lom.
2. Cathedral, "La Noche del Buque Maldito (aka Ghost Ship of the Blind Dead)" (The Guessing Game, Nuclear Blast, 2010) - The aged nutjobs of Cathedral sure love their Eurohorror films, and throughout their career have paid tribute to such cult items as "Captain Clegg," "Witchfinder General" and "Nightmare Castle." The British doom icons' most recent album wandered back to weirdo stoner rock territory, not for the first time in their storied career, and continued their fascination with Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" films, in this case taking on the third and weakest entry of the series, which you may also know as "The Ghost Galleon" or "Horror of the Zombies."
3. Meliah Rage, "Swallow Your Soul" (Solitary Solitude, Epic, 1990) - Representing the Boston thrash scene, Meliah Rage never made a huge splash despite having major label distribution. Maybe this was due to being relative latecomers (their debut, a cassette of which I somehow got for free back in the day, came out in 1988), but was more likely due to their material not being unique enough to separate them from all the other middle-of-the-road thrash acts. I always kinda liked Meliah Rage's early albums, not enough to keep up with them as they've soldiered on through the decades, but enough to immediately remember this jaunty rocker about "Evil Dead II" when I started compiling this list.
4. Iced Earth, "Damien" (Horror Show, Century Media, 2001) - Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer is a concept album kind of guy, having given us platters about everything from wars in which America was involved to Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" comic. Horror Show, which still boasts the best Iced Earth lineup ever assembled, was his love letter to horror movies, and I naturally mined it for a previous Halloween playlist. This track is the monster epic of the album, quoting Jerry Goldsmith's iconic score to "The Omen" and utilizing the film's central prophecy as its chorus. In retrospect, "The Omen" was obviously a huge influence on Schaffer's own ongoing "Something Wicked" mythology.
5. Misfits, "Shining" (American Psycho, Geffen. 1997) - Perennial favorites of most people who like loud rock and monster movies, the Misfits were never strictly a punk band, and since their late-'90s revival have greatly played up their metal aspects to the dismay of traditionalist fools across the globe. It bears repeating that I enjoy all iterations of the Misfits, even the current one, and have zero tolerance for chumps who only swear by the formative Danzig era. This juiced-up neck wrecker is from their excellent first comeback album, and is so damn catchy you have to forgive them for misleading listeners by naming a song about "Poltergeist" and/or its worm-vomiting first sequel after another legendary early '80s fright flick.
6. Rigor Mortis, "Demons" (Rigor Mortis, Capitol, 1988) - Unknown to all but the most faithful metalheads, Texas' Rigor Mortis (featuring future members of Ministry and GWAR) were born at the crossroads of thrash and death metal, a tightly-wound whirlwind of punk exhuberance and heads-down speed with a lyrical fixation on mortality and bloodshed. Back in '88, they were the most intense band that had ever been signed to a major label, although they were still on the tame side compared to the grisly stuff that had been bubbling up in Tampa. Here, they sing the praises of Lamberto Bava's beloved gorefest "Demons," to which I was serendipitously introduced by a local UHF station one long-ago October evening, back when we had such channels and they would show a different horror movie every weeknight during Halloween season.
7. Deceased, "It's Alive!" (Behind the Mourner's Veil, Relapse, 2001) - Veteran Virginia act Deceased's style is not a million miles away from Rigor Mortis', although founding drummer/vocalist (he used to do it simultaneously) King Fowley eventually took a more holistic approach to pre-1990 metal styles by injecting lots of old-school anthemic guitar into his roiling death/thrash. Deceased was famously the first band ever signed to Relapse Records, and this opening number from the horror geeks' final release for the distinguished death/grind/doom/hipster metal label harks back to their more vicious early sound while remembering Larry Cohen's monster baby classic.
8. Denial Fiend, "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" (They Rise, Ibex Moon, 2007) - Comprised of dudes who had been in such well-known outfits as Death, Six Feet Under, Massacre and Nasty Savage, the lineup on Denial Fiend's debut had the pedigree to make a minor classic, but I have to admit their ramshackle death/thrash really doesn't move me. They have more of an '80s Misfits approach to horror movie lyrics than a dedicated genre fan's, mainly using oblique references to half-remembered titles (like the groovy Bob Clark/Alan Ormsby flick about a hippie theater troupe fending off zombies) as a jump-off point. I ripped this agreeably goofy track a few years ago, right before divesting myself of my promo copy of They Rise, with the express purpose of featuring it in one of these Halloween playlists. So, here ya go.
9. Possessed, "The Exorcist" (Seven Churches, Combat, 1985) - The question of who was the first death metal band is often answered by Possessed, as much for their rabid extremity as for founding vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra's claim to have coined the genre's name. Nowadays. it's easy to see them as a seminal bridge between thrash and death, still falling on the side of the former but obviously presaging the latter. Casual observers may be surprised to learn that the lead guitarist is Larry LaLonde, later of funk metal-turned-jam band heroes Primus. Possessed lyrics were more about general occult stuff, but they evidently liked "The Exorcist" enough for it to have inspired the lead track on their crucial debut.
10. Death, "Scream Bloody Gore" (Scream Bloody Gore, Combat, 1987) - While some, myself included, would argue against strictly classifying Possessed as a death metal band, there is no doubt that Death emerged from vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner's mind as anything but. As a young headbanger, Death was the first death metal band I ever heard, and I was a little freaked out in the beginning. Barking out tales of decay, disease and dismemberment, "Evil Chuck" lead a ferocious charge into prodigious, gratuitous audio violence that remains infectious in spite of its intentionally harsh qualities. While not strictly about "Re-Animator," the opening lines alone make it clear that Stuart Gordon's immortal Lovecraft horror-comedy had a profound influence on the title track of the band's splattery debut.
11. Entombed, "Hellraiser" (Hollowman, Earache/Columbia, 1993) - One of the early cornerstones of the Swedish death metal elite, Entombed's gritty, fuzzed-out, darkly melodic grooves eventually morphed into what was termed "death n' roll," denoting a looser, usually more punk-inspired take on pummeling aggression. Though it may reveal my untrue colors and/or age, I must say I enjoy that period of their career, and in fact was initially turned on to Entombed via their major label-distributed transition album, Wolverine Blues. This medley of cues from Christopher Young's "Hellraiser" score is from an EP released to preview that album, and contains no vocals except dialog from Clive Barker's directorial debut.
12. Revolting, "Hell in Dunwich" (In Grisly Rapture, F.D.A. Rekotz, 2011) - Roger "Rogga" Johansson is one of many modern disciples of Entombed and their Stockholm contemporaries, juggling many bands (Paganizer, Demiurg, Ribspreader, erc.) that more or less recreate their formative style. While they're not outstanding among "Sunlight sound" revivalists, Revolting is unique in that their songs are exclusively about horror movies, paying homage to cult classics (""House By the Cemetery," "The Brood") and beloved schlock ("Grizzly," "Slugs," "Blood Beach") alike. While I sadly could not find lyrics for this one, it certainly concerns Lucio Fulci's awesome "City of the Living Dead," aka "The Gates of Hell," which was my auspicious introduction to the late gore maestro's sloppy oeuvre.
13. God Dethroned, "Ravenous" (Ravenous, Metal Blade, 2001) - A once-great melodic death/black metal band that was horribly undervalued at their peak, God Dethroned recently hung it up after toiling for many years in semi-obscurity. While their lyrics could wander into silly territory, the Dutch masters at least worked from a variety of subjects, from violent European history to blasphemous twists on Bible stories. Ravenous was probably their best album, diverse in tempo and atmosphere while remaining extremely catchy throughout, even weaving in two cover songs that fit snugly alongside their originals. The title track, saluting the then-recent period cannibal black comedy, is a great example of what these dudes could do.
14. Necrophagia, "Zé Do Caixão" (The Divine Art of Torture, Season of Mist, 2003) - Although active in the mid-'80s as one of those death/thrash cusp bands, Necrophagia was little more than a footnote until founding vocalist Killjoy regrouped in the late '90s with a strict horror movie focus and a moonlighting temporary guitarist who was more famous for fronting Pantera. I've never been a huge fan of their rudimentary rumblings, but I can hang with the '00s Necrophagia lineup that featured freaky keyboards by Sigh's Mirai Kawashima. I especially appreciate this tribute to José Mojica Marins' evil undertaker known on these shores as Coffin Joe, who debuted as the villain of 1964's "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" and remains Brazil's biggest horror icon.
15. Engorged, "The Thing from Another World" (Where Monsters Dwell, Razorback, 2004) - With their moshy, grindy death assault and cheeky enthusiasm for cult horror cinema, Portland's Engorged perfectly embody the gore-caked early aesthetic of Kentucky-based boutique Razorback Recordings. In the past eight years, the label's focus has broadened and the band hasn't released anything else, but back in '04, they were natural bedfellows. Case in point, this catchy number, which begins with a sample from the 1951 film of the title but is more concerned with John Carpenter's awesome 1982 remake, thereby covering all versions of "The Thing" up to that point.
16. Frightmare, "By Sword, By Pick, By Axe, Bye Bye" (Bringing Back the Bloodshed, Razorback, 2006) - Another long-dormant group of Razorback alumni (their last recording lineup included a few Engorged members), Frightmare took the opposite approach of many horror-inspired bands by composing extremely faithful, lyrically detailed tributes to specific slasher movies. Sure, Jason Voorhees was featured on both of their albums, but they dug deeper for fellow splatter devotees and included tributes to the murderous maniacs from cult flicks like "The Burning," "My Bloody Valentine," "Don't Go in the House" and "Last House on Dead End Street." This mega(dethy) thrasher recaps the 1985 also-ran "The Mutilator," using its unforgettable tagline as the song's title.
17. Hooded Menace, "Terror Castle" (Never Cross the Dead, Profound Lore, 2010) - Discovered by Razorback Recordings, Finland's Hooded Menace trudge and stomp with just enough mournful melody to appease fans of all types of creepy crawling doom/death. The trio is really into classic Eurohorror, being most notably obsessed with the "Blind Dead" flicks, as the skeletal Templars were all over their first two albums. Because Lasse Pyykkö's zombie grunt is too deep to discern his words, it wasn't until I looked the lyrics up that I learned "Terror Castle" was an alternate title for the obscure '70s sleazefest "Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks."
18. Impetigo, "Bloody Pit of Horror" (Faceless, Wild Rags, 1991) - Not being a big goregrind guy, or really into grindcore in general, I am not too familiar with the small catalog from downstate Illinois pioneers Impetigo. I do know that they helped start a goregrind tradition by beginning their brief, bludgeoning blasts of frantic noise with horror movie samples. This tune (in an alternate version from the one on their 1990 debut) is a fitting tribute to Massimo Pupillo's "Bloody Pit of Horror": fast, cheap, greasy and garish.
19. Taake, "Der Todesking" (Nordens Doedsengel, Perverted Taste, 2004) - Now, this is interesting... do you realize how hard it was to come up with a horror movie-related song from the devil-and-death-obsessed realm of black metal? As far as I'm aware, there really aren't many. Literally, the best I could come up with was either Carpathian Forest's atmospheric, saxophone-laced celebration of Peter Walker's bleak "House of Whipcord," or Taake's eerie guitar take on the music from Jörg Buttgereit's even bleaker "Der Todesking," from their vinyl-only split with Amok. In the interest of remaining both trve and kvlt, I took Taake.
20. Dokken, "Dream Warriors" (Dream Warriors, Elektra, 1986) - Finally, the scariest song on this list! In their mid-'80s heyday, Dokken occupied a unique corner of the heavy metal universe. While obviously a commercially minded act with major label support, airy, radio-friendly vocal harmonies and lots of lyrics about love and relationships, guitarist George Lynch boasted genuine technical chops that he only occasionally got to expose. For all their retail ambitions, which actually garnered several million U.S. album sales, Dokken never got the promotional push that might have made them spandex superstars of top 40 radio during the late '80s hair metal era. They were, at least, considered bankable enough to record the theme song for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors," the best-loved of all of Freddy's sequels.
For those who stuck around, here are an assortment of trailers, film clips and music videos bearing further evidence of the commingling of headbanging and horror cinema. Upon viewing this as a whole, I'm left with the observation that most movies depicting "heavy metal" in the '80s were as guilty as anything else for perpetuating the non-fan's concept of the music as a cartoonish parade of ugly, ridiculously adorned men mugging, posturing and tunelessly wailing through obnoxious guitar pop songs. A lot of people still think that, but misconceptions are the spice of life. Enjoy this lucky 13, and happy damn Halloween!
1. "Terror on Tour" (trailer for what is assumed to be the first hard rock/horror film)
2. Megadeth, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (Alice Cooper cover, from Wes Craven's "Shocker")
3. Amazing clip from "The Dungeonmaster," aka "Ragewar," featuring W.A.S.P. performing "Tormentor"
4. "Trick or Treat" (trailer for the 1986 cheese masterpiece )
5. Clip from "Black Roses" featuring the titular demon band lip-synching Lizzy Borden's "Me Against the World"
6. "Hard Rock Zombies" (trailer for the goofy 1988 zombie band vs. Hitler flick)
7. Clip from "Rocktober Blood," featuring the fictional Headmistress (with members of Sorcery) performing "Killer on the Loose"
8. Motörhead, "Hellraiser" (from "Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth," originally recorded by Ozzy Osbourne)
9. "Shock 'Em Dead" (trailer for the Traci Lords vehicle, released early in her post-porn career)
10. Clip from "Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" featuring heroic Canadian bodybuilding metal legend Jon Mikl Thor
11. "Slaughterhouse Rock" (trailer for the Toni Basil vehicle, released 6 long years after "Mickey")
12. Lääz Rockit, "Leatherface" (from the infamous MPAA victim "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III")
13. "Hack-O-Lantern" aka "Halloween Night" in 3½ minutes, courtesy of Everything is Terrible!
For the past five years, Entartete Kunst has presented a playlist for your Halloween pleasure, and the selections often dabble in the ongoing kinship of horror movies and heavy metal. Although these are probably my two favorite things ever, I've intentionally stayed away from centering the entire playlist on their unholy union. This year, I asked myself, "Why would I do that?" I'm not harboring any delusions that this site is visited by anyone aside from an occasional personal friend (hi!) or sickos who Googled the phrase "Scarlett Johansson in granny panties" (hi as well!). Y'all know my steez. I think about this kinda shit a lot. I am exactly the person who should make an all-heavy-metal-horror-movie-song playlist for Halloween.
I must admit that this was actually tougher than I imagined it would be. Sure, heavy metal and horror cinema have gone hand-in-hoof ever since the very first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, took their name from a famous Mario Bava shocker. They, like many followers since, often decorated their lyrics with the imagery of horror: Satan, black magic, madness, torment, death. However, Black Sabbath never really wrote any songs about horror movies, and an examination of horror-themed metal in general proves this to be the case across most subgenres. If you want metal songs about the devil or murder, I can pull a hundred from my shelves right now. If you want metal songs about "The Exorcist" or "Bloody Pit of Horror," though, the choices shrink considerably. For instance, GWAR, who you'd think would be a natural, named their most recent album after the latter title, but the songs have nothing to do with the movie. (And, yes, I know they covered the theme from "Zombi 2" on that Fulci tribute album, but I've featured the original in the past, and I do not abide repeats.) What about King Diamond? Cannibal Corpse? Cradle of Filth? Ghoul? Death SS? Halloween? All of them are steeped in horror trappings, but none have a single song about a particular horror movie.
The exceptions are naturally found in the thrash metal, death metal and goregrind scenes, which all arose in the wake of the '80s horror movie boom and thus offer thousands of potential choices. There's definitely a dominance by the more extreme types of metal here, but I did my best to mix it up a little, and structured the list to ease in listeners of a more delicate disposition. Since it's frequently tough for even the most dedicated maniac to make out death metal lyrics just by listening, feel free to click a song title to read what these lunatics are howling about. Let's kick off with a bona fide classic.
1. Iron Maiden, "Phantom of the Opera" (Iron Maiden, 1980, EMI) - Iron Maiden has always aimed for a more highbrow image than most of their classic metal peers, naming countless songs after historical figures and works of literature ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Run Silent Run Deep," "The Man Who Would Be King"). Even back when they were a scrappy young pub band, they were devising intricate mini-epics such as this one, which became a highlight of their debut album. However, as with many of these Maiden tracks, you get the feeling it was less inspired by the Gaston Leroux novel than by a late-night showing of a "Phantom of the Opera" movie, probably the 1962 Hammer studios one with Herbert Lom.
2. Cathedral, "La Noche del Buque Maldito (aka Ghost Ship of the Blind Dead)" (The Guessing Game, Nuclear Blast, 2010) - The aged nutjobs of Cathedral sure love their Eurohorror films, and throughout their career have paid tribute to such cult items as "Captain Clegg," "Witchfinder General" and "Nightmare Castle." The British doom icons' most recent album wandered back to weirdo stoner rock territory, not for the first time in their storied career, and continued their fascination with Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" films, in this case taking on the third and weakest entry of the series, which you may also know as "The Ghost Galleon" or "Horror of the Zombies."
3. Meliah Rage, "Swallow Your Soul" (Solitary Solitude, Epic, 1990) - Representing the Boston thrash scene, Meliah Rage never made a huge splash despite having major label distribution. Maybe this was due to being relative latecomers (their debut, a cassette of which I somehow got for free back in the day, came out in 1988), but was more likely due to their material not being unique enough to separate them from all the other middle-of-the-road thrash acts. I always kinda liked Meliah Rage's early albums, not enough to keep up with them as they've soldiered on through the decades, but enough to immediately remember this jaunty rocker about "Evil Dead II" when I started compiling this list.
4. Iced Earth, "Damien" (Horror Show, Century Media, 2001) - Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer is a concept album kind of guy, having given us platters about everything from wars in which America was involved to Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" comic. Horror Show, which still boasts the best Iced Earth lineup ever assembled, was his love letter to horror movies, and I naturally mined it for a previous Halloween playlist. This track is the monster epic of the album, quoting Jerry Goldsmith's iconic score to "The Omen" and utilizing the film's central prophecy as its chorus. In retrospect, "The Omen" was obviously a huge influence on Schaffer's own ongoing "Something Wicked" mythology.
5. Misfits, "Shining" (American Psycho, Geffen. 1997) - Perennial favorites of most people who like loud rock and monster movies, the Misfits were never strictly a punk band, and since their late-'90s revival have greatly played up their metal aspects to the dismay of traditionalist fools across the globe. It bears repeating that I enjoy all iterations of the Misfits, even the current one, and have zero tolerance for chumps who only swear by the formative Danzig era. This juiced-up neck wrecker is from their excellent first comeback album, and is so damn catchy you have to forgive them for misleading listeners by naming a song about "Poltergeist" and/or its worm-vomiting first sequel after another legendary early '80s fright flick.
6. Rigor Mortis, "Demons" (Rigor Mortis, Capitol, 1988) - Unknown to all but the most faithful metalheads, Texas' Rigor Mortis (featuring future members of Ministry and GWAR) were born at the crossroads of thrash and death metal, a tightly-wound whirlwind of punk exhuberance and heads-down speed with a lyrical fixation on mortality and bloodshed. Back in '88, they were the most intense band that had ever been signed to a major label, although they were still on the tame side compared to the grisly stuff that had been bubbling up in Tampa. Here, they sing the praises of Lamberto Bava's beloved gorefest "Demons," to which I was serendipitously introduced by a local UHF station one long-ago October evening, back when we had such channels and they would show a different horror movie every weeknight during Halloween season.
7. Deceased, "It's Alive!" (Behind the Mourner's Veil, Relapse, 2001) - Veteran Virginia act Deceased's style is not a million miles away from Rigor Mortis', although founding drummer/vocalist (he used to do it simultaneously) King Fowley eventually took a more holistic approach to pre-1990 metal styles by injecting lots of old-school anthemic guitar into his roiling death/thrash. Deceased was famously the first band ever signed to Relapse Records, and this opening number from the horror geeks' final release for the distinguished death/grind/doom/hipster metal label harks back to their more vicious early sound while remembering Larry Cohen's monster baby classic.
8. Denial Fiend, "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" (They Rise, Ibex Moon, 2007) - Comprised of dudes who had been in such well-known outfits as Death, Six Feet Under, Massacre and Nasty Savage, the lineup on Denial Fiend's debut had the pedigree to make a minor classic, but I have to admit their ramshackle death/thrash really doesn't move me. They have more of an '80s Misfits approach to horror movie lyrics than a dedicated genre fan's, mainly using oblique references to half-remembered titles (like the groovy Bob Clark/Alan Ormsby flick about a hippie theater troupe fending off zombies) as a jump-off point. I ripped this agreeably goofy track a few years ago, right before divesting myself of my promo copy of They Rise, with the express purpose of featuring it in one of these Halloween playlists. So, here ya go.
9. Possessed, "The Exorcist" (Seven Churches, Combat, 1985) - The question of who was the first death metal band is often answered by Possessed, as much for their rabid extremity as for founding vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra's claim to have coined the genre's name. Nowadays. it's easy to see them as a seminal bridge between thrash and death, still falling on the side of the former but obviously presaging the latter. Casual observers may be surprised to learn that the lead guitarist is Larry LaLonde, later of funk metal-turned-jam band heroes Primus. Possessed lyrics were more about general occult stuff, but they evidently liked "The Exorcist" enough for it to have inspired the lead track on their crucial debut.
10. Death, "Scream Bloody Gore" (Scream Bloody Gore, Combat, 1987) - While some, myself included, would argue against strictly classifying Possessed as a death metal band, there is no doubt that Death emerged from vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner's mind as anything but. As a young headbanger, Death was the first death metal band I ever heard, and I was a little freaked out in the beginning. Barking out tales of decay, disease and dismemberment, "Evil Chuck" lead a ferocious charge into prodigious, gratuitous audio violence that remains infectious in spite of its intentionally harsh qualities. While not strictly about "Re-Animator," the opening lines alone make it clear that Stuart Gordon's immortal Lovecraft horror-comedy had a profound influence on the title track of the band's splattery debut.
11. Entombed, "Hellraiser" (Hollowman, Earache/Columbia, 1993) - One of the early cornerstones of the Swedish death metal elite, Entombed's gritty, fuzzed-out, darkly melodic grooves eventually morphed into what was termed "death n' roll," denoting a looser, usually more punk-inspired take on pummeling aggression. Though it may reveal my untrue colors and/or age, I must say I enjoy that period of their career, and in fact was initially turned on to Entombed via their major label-distributed transition album, Wolverine Blues. This medley of cues from Christopher Young's "Hellraiser" score is from an EP released to preview that album, and contains no vocals except dialog from Clive Barker's directorial debut.
12. Revolting, "Hell in Dunwich" (In Grisly Rapture, F.D.A. Rekotz, 2011) - Roger "Rogga" Johansson is one of many modern disciples of Entombed and their Stockholm contemporaries, juggling many bands (Paganizer, Demiurg, Ribspreader, erc.) that more or less recreate their formative style. While they're not outstanding among "Sunlight sound" revivalists, Revolting is unique in that their songs are exclusively about horror movies, paying homage to cult classics (""House By the Cemetery," "The Brood") and beloved schlock ("Grizzly," "Slugs," "Blood Beach") alike. While I sadly could not find lyrics for this one, it certainly concerns Lucio Fulci's awesome "City of the Living Dead," aka "The Gates of Hell," which was my auspicious introduction to the late gore maestro's sloppy oeuvre.
13. God Dethroned, "Ravenous" (Ravenous, Metal Blade, 2001) - A once-great melodic death/black metal band that was horribly undervalued at their peak, God Dethroned recently hung it up after toiling for many years in semi-obscurity. While their lyrics could wander into silly territory, the Dutch masters at least worked from a variety of subjects, from violent European history to blasphemous twists on Bible stories. Ravenous was probably their best album, diverse in tempo and atmosphere while remaining extremely catchy throughout, even weaving in two cover songs that fit snugly alongside their originals. The title track, saluting the then-recent period cannibal black comedy, is a great example of what these dudes could do.
14. Necrophagia, "Zé Do Caixão" (The Divine Art of Torture, Season of Mist, 2003) - Although active in the mid-'80s as one of those death/thrash cusp bands, Necrophagia was little more than a footnote until founding vocalist Killjoy regrouped in the late '90s with a strict horror movie focus and a moonlighting temporary guitarist who was more famous for fronting Pantera. I've never been a huge fan of their rudimentary rumblings, but I can hang with the '00s Necrophagia lineup that featured freaky keyboards by Sigh's Mirai Kawashima. I especially appreciate this tribute to José Mojica Marins' evil undertaker known on these shores as Coffin Joe, who debuted as the villain of 1964's "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" and remains Brazil's biggest horror icon.
15. Engorged, "The Thing from Another World" (Where Monsters Dwell, Razorback, 2004) - With their moshy, grindy death assault and cheeky enthusiasm for cult horror cinema, Portland's Engorged perfectly embody the gore-caked early aesthetic of Kentucky-based boutique Razorback Recordings. In the past eight years, the label's focus has broadened and the band hasn't released anything else, but back in '04, they were natural bedfellows. Case in point, this catchy number, which begins with a sample from the 1951 film of the title but is more concerned with John Carpenter's awesome 1982 remake, thereby covering all versions of "The Thing" up to that point.
16. Frightmare, "By Sword, By Pick, By Axe, Bye Bye" (Bringing Back the Bloodshed, Razorback, 2006) - Another long-dormant group of Razorback alumni (their last recording lineup included a few Engorged members), Frightmare took the opposite approach of many horror-inspired bands by composing extremely faithful, lyrically detailed tributes to specific slasher movies. Sure, Jason Voorhees was featured on both of their albums, but they dug deeper for fellow splatter devotees and included tributes to the murderous maniacs from cult flicks like "The Burning," "My Bloody Valentine," "Don't Go in the House" and "Last House on Dead End Street." This mega(dethy) thrasher recaps the 1985 also-ran "The Mutilator," using its unforgettable tagline as the song's title.
17. Hooded Menace, "Terror Castle" (Never Cross the Dead, Profound Lore, 2010) - Discovered by Razorback Recordings, Finland's Hooded Menace trudge and stomp with just enough mournful melody to appease fans of all types of creepy crawling doom/death. The trio is really into classic Eurohorror, being most notably obsessed with the "Blind Dead" flicks, as the skeletal Templars were all over their first two albums. Because Lasse Pyykkö's zombie grunt is too deep to discern his words, it wasn't until I looked the lyrics up that I learned "Terror Castle" was an alternate title for the obscure '70s sleazefest "Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks."
18. Impetigo, "Bloody Pit of Horror" (Faceless, Wild Rags, 1991) - Not being a big goregrind guy, or really into grindcore in general, I am not too familiar with the small catalog from downstate Illinois pioneers Impetigo. I do know that they helped start a goregrind tradition by beginning their brief, bludgeoning blasts of frantic noise with horror movie samples. This tune (in an alternate version from the one on their 1990 debut) is a fitting tribute to Massimo Pupillo's "Bloody Pit of Horror": fast, cheap, greasy and garish.
19. Taake, "Der Todesking" (Nordens Doedsengel, Perverted Taste, 2004) - Now, this is interesting... do you realize how hard it was to come up with a horror movie-related song from the devil-and-death-obsessed realm of black metal? As far as I'm aware, there really aren't many. Literally, the best I could come up with was either Carpathian Forest's atmospheric, saxophone-laced celebration of Peter Walker's bleak "House of Whipcord," or Taake's eerie guitar take on the music from Jörg Buttgereit's even bleaker "Der Todesking," from their vinyl-only split with Amok. In the interest of remaining both trve and kvlt, I took Taake.
20. Dokken, "Dream Warriors" (Dream Warriors, Elektra, 1986) - Finally, the scariest song on this list! In their mid-'80s heyday, Dokken occupied a unique corner of the heavy metal universe. While obviously a commercially minded act with major label support, airy, radio-friendly vocal harmonies and lots of lyrics about love and relationships, guitarist George Lynch boasted genuine technical chops that he only occasionally got to expose. For all their retail ambitions, which actually garnered several million U.S. album sales, Dokken never got the promotional push that might have made them spandex superstars of top 40 radio during the late '80s hair metal era. They were, at least, considered bankable enough to record the theme song for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors," the best-loved of all of Freddy's sequels.
For those who stuck around, here are an assortment of trailers, film clips and music videos bearing further evidence of the commingling of headbanging and horror cinema. Upon viewing this as a whole, I'm left with the observation that most movies depicting "heavy metal" in the '80s were as guilty as anything else for perpetuating the non-fan's concept of the music as a cartoonish parade of ugly, ridiculously adorned men mugging, posturing and tunelessly wailing through obnoxious guitar pop songs. A lot of people still think that, but misconceptions are the spice of life. Enjoy this lucky 13, and happy damn Halloween!
1. "Terror on Tour" (trailer for what is assumed to be the first hard rock/horror film)
2. Megadeth, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (Alice Cooper cover, from Wes Craven's "Shocker")
3. Amazing clip from "The Dungeonmaster," aka "Ragewar," featuring W.A.S.P. performing "Tormentor"
4. "Trick or Treat" (trailer for the 1986 cheese masterpiece )
5. Clip from "Black Roses" featuring the titular demon band lip-synching Lizzy Borden's "Me Against the World"
6. "Hard Rock Zombies" (trailer for the goofy 1988 zombie band vs. Hitler flick)
7. Clip from "Rocktober Blood," featuring the fictional Headmistress (with members of Sorcery) performing "Killer on the Loose"
8. Motörhead, "Hellraiser" (from "Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth," originally recorded by Ozzy Osbourne)
9. "Shock 'Em Dead" (trailer for the Traci Lords vehicle, released early in her post-porn career)
10. Clip from "Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" featuring heroic Canadian bodybuilding metal legend Jon Mikl Thor
11. "Slaughterhouse Rock" (trailer for the Toni Basil vehicle, released 6 long years after "Mickey")
12. Lääz Rockit, "Leatherface" (from the infamous MPAA victim "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III")
13. "Hack-O-Lantern" aka "Halloween Night" in 3½ minutes, courtesy of Everything is Terrible!
posted by SoulReaper at 11:15 PM
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