Heavy Metal is one of those genres of music which lends itself well to all mediums, including one of our favourites: cinema. Whether it’s adding that extra bit of creepiness to a horror flick, or lending an incendiary touch to a high-octane action scene, heavy music is the perfect audial accompaniment to our favourite displays of on-screen carnage. Here are just a few of our favourite tracks which feature in movies.
Rammstein - Feuer Frei (Triple X, 2002)
We did mention adding an incendiary touch, and this banger by Rammstein certainly fits the bill. xXx starred Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, an extreme sports athelete recruited by the government to perform a special mission. Although this film suffers a rather low metascore, back in the day it was the epitome of an early 21st century action movie (so basically just a big explosion).
Slipknot - My Plague (Resident Evil, 2002)
Another one from back in the early 2000’s (in fact, quite a few of these are), Slipknot’s track My Plague from their album IOWA got a nod in the closing credits of the first (of many) Resident Evil movie. Starring Mila Jovovic, a secret operative suffering from amnesia, living in a large house, plus a boatload of zombies, Resident Evil was the perfect fit for a track titled My Plague.
Fear Factory - Bite The Hand That Bleeds (Saw, 2004)
Like Resident Evil, Saw was another fantastic horror movie from our formative years which went on to suffer a string of questionable sequels. Let’s just pretend there was only one. Anyway, Fear Factory’s track Bite The Hand That Bleeds from their 2004 album Archetype made its way into the credits, and even got its own super low-fi video!
Marilyn Manson - Rock is Dead (The Matrix, 1999)
Released back in 1999 (can you believe that’s nearly 20 years ago?), The Matrix was the catalyst for pushing a whole new wave of goth fashion into the mainstream, emphasizing trench coats, dorky sunglasses, and guns. Lots of guns. There were some totally killer tracks included in The Matrix soundtrack, including Marilyn Manson’s (somewhat prophetic?) rager Rock Is Dead, which featured in the closing credits.
Rob Zombie - Dragula (Hot Rod Herman Remix) (The Matrix, 1999)
Another awesome example from The Matrix, Rob Zombie classic Dragula received a rather excellent remix for one of the coolest nightclub scenes of the day. Poor Neo should have just stayed home that night, but in his pursuit of the white rabbit he finds himself in a dingy electro goth club with a strange lady whispering in his ear.
Spineshank - Beginning Of The End (Freddy vs. Jason, 2003)
Remember Spineshank? Well we do, and back in 2003 you can bet we watched the entire credits of Freddy vs. Jason to find out what this track was! If you’re down for some cheesy slasher action starring a spooky nightmare man duking it out with a disgruntled goalie, then lock this one in for your evening viewing. Popcorn recommended.
Ministry - Fear (Is Big Business) (The Hurt Locker, 2008)
More than just a cheeky dig at George W. Bush, Ministry’s 2006 album Rio Grande Blood is possibly the perfect soundtrack for any war flick set in the Middle East. In fact, that’s probably what Marco Beltrandi and Buck Sanders thought when they were picking the music for The Hurt Locker, since they included three tracks off the album in the official soundtrack. Whether or not you agree with Staff Sergeant William James (played by Jeremy Renner), his taste in music is impeccable.
Disturbed - Down With The Sickness (Dawn Of The Dead, 2004)
Following the success Resident Evil and 28 Days Later, the 2004 reboot of Dawn Of The Dead was an absolute treat for young Maniacs and their newly discovered passion for blood, gore, and heavy music. Featuring in the epilogue / closing credits, Disturbed’s most recognisable track The Sickness lent itself well to a movie focussed on the dying, dead, and undead! The Sickness also got the Richard Cheese treatment (also included in the film) which you can listen to here. Ooh wah ah ah ah!
Jonathan Davis (Korn) - System (Queen Of The Damned, 2002)
Vampires! Remember the days before they were all sparkly? Well we do too, and Queen Of The Damned is another example of early 2000’s cinema partnering up with metal acts. I think we’ve beginning to discover a theme here… Anyway, Korn frontman Jonathan Davis got on board for this cult classic (along with a truckload of his contemporaries), and there are now 5 tracks out there featuring Jonathan Davis that you can only get on the Queen Of The Damned DVD. If you keep an eye out during the film, you might even catch Jon out front of a certain concert.
Deftones - Change (In The House Of Flies) (Little Nicky, 2000)
Love him or hate him, Adam Sandler's movies helped define the late 90's and early 2000's almost as much as nu-metal, and Little Nicky paid fan-service to heavy music fans all over the world. In this one, Sandler plays the naive son of Satan who is sent to Earth to save his father and stop his brothers from taking over the world.
The soundtrack is full of heavy bangers from the time, including Deftones' 'Change', which was a pretty fresh track considering their album White Pony had only just been released a few months prior!
There's also some pretty surreal footage out there of Adam Sandler joining both Deftones and Incubus for an acoustic rendition of 'Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)' as part of the movie's press tour.
