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Vampiric Metal?


Pavlos

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Greetings, 

I am looking for something specific, but first, a confession: I love the soundtrack to "Queen of the Damned" (yeah, I know, I am a terrible person).  Since first hearing it over a decade ago, I have been searching for something similar not only in sound, but in theme as well.  Of course, many popular bands were involved in the soundtrack: Disturbed, Korn, Marilyn Manson, etc.  However, the tracks themselves are not exactly representative of the music of their performers, but are meant to represent the music of the fictional band "The Vampire Lestat."  This band is characterized by heavy, moderately paced instrumentation, a male lead vocalist with clear but masculine vocals (some growling, etc. but very minimal), and a very strong theme of vampirism, horror, darkness, etc.  

When I have looked around for "vampire metal" or just "vampire music" in general, I find quite a bit of Emo, some Power Metal, Doom Metal, and, of course, Gothic Metal, but the vocals all seem to be either shrieking or operatic female vocals (Theatres des Vampires) or heavily growling male vocals (Cradle of Filth).  Some bands have specific tracks that fit the style (Type O Negative, "Black No. 1"), but I can't seem to find a band that is more focused on the themes.  Does such a band exist, one with clear male vocals, heavy instrumentation, and a clear overall theme of vampirism, horror, etc.?  I am not a goth or a fanboy of any contemporary vampire show, I just like the concept and am rather surprised that with all of the recent vampire media, more bands have not embraced the theme.  Songs like "Forsaken," "Slept so Long," and "Cold," from the soundtrack seem like they would have inspired bands to try more like them.

Thank you

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44 minutes ago, natassja7 said:

I like that film. Check out Sopor Aeternus. I get that vibe off her.

Hm, well Sopor Aeternus sounds interesting, and I thank you for the suggestion, but I don't think it is anywhere near what I am looking for, other than their apparent horror vibe.  I am looking more for a band with clear male vocals, heavy instrumentation, and a strong overall theme of vampirism, horror, etc.

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4 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

Perhaps after a "decade" of searching you are looking for something that just doesn't exist?

Yeah, I have considered that.  Its not like I have been on a non-stop quest since 2004, though.  Whenever my metal-bone itches and I start looking around, I just think that there just HAS to be some band who saw "Queen of the Damned" and said 'I like that sound.  Let's give it a try.'  

Here is an example of what I am talking about, probably more nu-metal (written by Jonathan Davis) than anything else, but gothic in theme:

And here is another one, with a great "in universe" music video from the fictional group "The Vampire Lestat."

 

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The perfect band you're looking for is called The 69 Eyes. Check out their 'Devils' and 'Back in Blood' albums. Another good place to start is their recent double disk best of: 'Best of Helsinki Vampires'. 

also

HIM - 'Greatest Lovesongs Vol 666' and 'Razorblade Romance'

To/Die/For - 'Epilogue' and 'Jaded'

Moonspell - 'Irrelgious' 

And of course Type O Negative - 'October Rust'

Otherwise just listen to Korn and Disturbed because they have plenty of dark songs, albeit not about vampires. Maybe you just like the commercial rock sound?

 

On 09/03/2017 at 7:06 AM, Pavlos said:

Greetings, 

I am looking for something specific, but first, a confession: I love the soundtrack to "Queen of the Damned" (yeah, I know, I am a terrible person).  Since first hearing it over a decade ago, I have been searching for something similar not only in sound, but in theme as well.  Of course, many popular bands were involved in the soundtrack: Disturbed, Korn, Marilyn Manson, etc.  However, the tracks themselves are not exactly representative of the music of their performers, but are meant to represent the music of the fictional band "The Vampire Lestat."  This band is characterized by heavy, moderately paced instrumentation, a male lead vocalist with clear but masculine vocals (some growling, etc. but very minimal), and a very strong theme of vampirism, horror, darkness, etc.  

When I have looked around for "vampire metal" or just "vampire music" in general, I find quite a bit of Emo, some Power Metal, Doom Metal, and, of course, Gothic Metal, but the vocals all seem to be either shrieking or operatic female vocals (Theatres des Vampires) or heavily growling male vocals (Cradle of Filth).  Some bands have specific tracks that fit the style (Type O Negative, "Black No. 1"), but I can't seem to find a band that is more focused on the themes.  Does such a band exist, one with clear male vocals, heavy instrumentation, and a clear overall theme of vampirism, horror, etc.?  I am not a goth or a fanboy of any contemporary vampire show, I just like the concept and am rather surprised that with all of the recent vampire media, more bands have not embraced the theme.  Songs like "Forsaken," "Slept so Long," and "Cold," from the soundtrack seem like they would have inspired bands to try more like them.

Thank you

See my post above, but here's a track by The 69 Eyes from the 'Devils' album. Is this the sort of thing you're looking for? 

 

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22 hours ago, Requiem said:

The perfect band you're looking for is called The 69 Eyes. Check out their 'Devils' and 'Back in Blood' albums. Another good place to start is their recent double disk best of: 'Best of Helsinki Vampires'. 

Oh wow, thank you so much!  These guys are great!  I am stunned that I had not come across them before.  Actually, I think It did years back, but the track I heard was not anything like the one you posted.  I will definitely be looking deep into their discography, and the others you mentioned (of course, I love Type O as well.  RIP Pete).   

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4 minutes ago, Pavlos said:

Oh wow, thank you so much!  These guys are great!  I am stunned that I had not come across them before.  Actually, I think It did years back, but the track I heard was not anything like the one you posted.  I will definitely be looking deep into their discography, and the others you mentioned (of course, I love Type O as well.  RIP Pete).   

Good to hear. The 69 Eyes are one of my favourite bands, but probably not super popular amongst the mouth breathing knuckleheads who inhabit this forum (joke guys!).

Thy didn't start out as the Helsinki vampires though. I recommend:

Blessed Be

Paris Kills

Devils 

Angels

Back in Blood 

and their great album from last year: Universal Monsters.

Like I mentioned earlier though, their double disk release 'The Best of Helsinki Vampires' does a great job of capturing their best songs.

Are you into HIM as well? I seriously recommend you check out their first two albums 'Greatest Lovesongs Vol 666' and 'Razorblade Romance'. 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Checkout Christian Death's 1994 album Sexy Death God. It isn't metal but deathrock; a close cousin of goth rock. Nevertheless, I believe it may be along the lines of what you're looking for, especially the middle portion of the album. I've always thought that some of these songs would be suitable for a soundtrack to Queen of the Damned.   

R-1128373-1390749069-6763.jpeg.jpg

 

 

Perhaps also Nosferatu's 1993 album Rise. Goth rock. 

 

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While we are on the topic of vampiric metal, I should also probably point to less rocked based but quite vampiric albums like:

Cradle of Filth - 'V Empire'

Cradle of Filth - 'Dusk and Her Embrace'

Abyssos - 'Together We Summon the Dark'

And I know I mentioned them before but the ultimate expression of erotic musical vampirism in the absolutely untouchable Type O Negavtive tracks: 'Wolf Moon' (which I guess is technically about werewolves but it's so damn vampiric), 'Haunted', and 'Suspended in Dusk'. I get shivers just thinking about these songs, especially the first two.

 

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17 hours ago, Requiem said:

While we are on the topic of vampiric metal, I should also probably point to less rocked based but quite vampiric albums like:

Cradle of Filth - 'V Empire'

Cradle of Filth - 'Dusk and Her Embrace'

Abyssos - 'Together We Summon the Dark'

And I know I mentioned them before but the ultimate expression of erotic musical vampirism in the absolutely untouchable Type O Negavtive tracks: 'Wolf Moon' (which I guess is technically about werewolves but it's so damn vampiric), 'Haunted', and 'Suspended in Dusk'. I get shivers just thinking about these songs, especially the first two.

 

I would have figured you for an Ancient and Siebenburgen fan based on this, but I haven't seen you mention them yet. They're very much in the same vein (no pun intended) as the bands above, though I don't think they're as good as prime CoF. Anorexia Nervosa is similar as well, especially in the keyboard department, but they're much more aggressive. Several USBM bands seem to be big into the vampyric theme as well, but are musically quite different and aren't gothic at all.

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Ancient is a great but very misunderstood band. They never took themselves too seriously and carry the Halloween spirit well. They culled from many influences and yet were able to create their own distinct sound and style. I appreciate their theatricality in the same way I do with King Diamond; whom are an obvious influence on Ancient. Their much maligned 1997 album Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends, despite its flaws, features some of their best work. 

 

In my view, the pinnacle of vampiric metal is Darkness of Blood's only album A Dream of Vampires in Astral Dementia. Theatres des Vampires' work in the early 00s as well. And of course, early Cradle of Filth. 

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8 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

Ancient is a great but very misunderstood band. They never took themselves too seriously and carry the Halloween spirit well. They culled from many influences and yet were able to create their own distinct sound and style. I appreciate their theatricality in the same way I do with King Diamond; whom are an obvious influence on Ancient. Their much maligned 1997 album Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends, despite its flaws, features some of their best work. 

 

In my view, the pinnacle of vampiric metal is Darkness of Blood's only album A Dream of Vampires in Astral Dementia. Theatres des Vampires' work in the early 00s as well. And of course, early Cradle of Filth. 

I don't like Mad Grandiose Blood Fiends or anything from after their first two albums at all, but I get what you're saying. The Cainian Chronicle is the only album of their vampyric themed stuff that I enjoy, despite Kim Goss's atrocious vocals, but even then it's just okay. 

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46 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I don't like Mad Grandiose Blood Fiends or anything from after their first two albums at all, but I get what you're saying. The Cainian Chronicle is the only album of their vampyric themed stuff that I enjoy, despite Kim Goss's atrocious vocals, but even then it's just okay. 

I really like their debut. It has a strong atmosphere; one that I would describe as very cold. They clearly wore their influences on their sleeve (Bathory, Darkthrone, etc.) yet were able to make something interesting. It isn't too surprising that a lot of Ancient detractors still hold this album in high regard, if nothing else. 

I think The Cainian Chronicle is alright. It does have some good moments but it strikes me as being rather generic in its approach, perhaps too straight-forward a delivery of melodic black metal that it lacks the atmosphere of their other albums. Even moreso I would say this about their most recent album. 

Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends has a 'haunting' quality, best exemplified in songs like these:

 

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3 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I really like their debut. It has a strong atmosphere; one that I would describe as very cold. They clearly wore their influences on their sleeve (Bathory, Darkthrone, etc.) yet were able to make something interesting. It isn't too surprising that a lot of Ancient detractors still hold this album in high regard, if nothing else. 

I think The Cainian Chronicle is alright. It does have some good moments but it strikes me as being rather generic in its approach, perhaps too straight-forward a delivery of melodic black metal that it lacks the atmosphere of their other albums. Even moreso I would say this about their most recent album. 

Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends has a 'haunting' quality, best exemplified in songs like these:

 

The debut is really Bathory oriented, so it's no wonder why most would regard it as their best. I would concur with that, but most people write them off after that, and The Cainian Chronicle isn't bad. Mad Grandiose Blood Fiends and Halls of Eternity are though, I traded those in a while back. 

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5 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I really like their debut. It has a strong atmosphere; one that I would describe as very cold. They clearly wore their influences on their sleeve (Bathory, Darkthrone, etc.) yet were able to make something interesting. It isn't too surprising that a lot of Ancient detractors still hold this album in high regard, if nothing else. 

I think The Cainian Chronicle is alright. It does have some good moments but it strikes me as being rather generic in its approach, perhaps too straight-forward a delivery of melodic black metal that it lacks the atmosphere of their other albums. Even moreso I would say this about their most recent album. 

Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends has a 'haunting' quality, best exemplified in songs like these:

 

Wow, I have to love that mid-90s video quality. I remember when 'Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends' came out, and even then that cover art was almost a bridge too far for me. And yep, 1997 really does seem to be the year that vacuumed a lot of bands into the gothic metal genre. I really like these songs. This band, Hecate Enthroned and Anorexia Nervosa really need to send 'Principle...' era Cradle some cheques. 

This is great fun and for me a really cool era in music. 

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52 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Wow, I have to love that mid-90s video quality. I remember when 'Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends' came out, and even then that cover art was almost a bridge too far for me. And yep, 1997 really does seem to be the year that vacuumed a lot of bands into the gothic metal genre. I really like these songs. This band, Hecate Enthroned and Anorexia Nervosa really need to send 'Principle...' era Cradle some cheques. 

This is great fun and for me a really cool era in music. 

Anorexia Nervosa has a lot more to offer than Hecate Enthroned for my money though. Hecate Enthroned is alright, but their whole sound is basically Principle/Vempire with no variation or dynamics. 

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7 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Anorexia Nervosa has a lot more to offer than Hecate Enthroned for my money though. Hecate Enthroned is alright, but their whole sound is basically Principle/Vempire with no variation or dynamics. 

I knew some people who called them "Hecate Encloned". Definitely lost interest in them quickly after a few listens, it's probably been nearly 20 years since I heard them last.

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41 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Anorexia Nervosa has a lot more to offer than Hecate Enthroned for my money though. Hecate Enthroned is alright, but their whole sound is basically Principle/Vempire with no variation or dynamics. 

Hecate Enthroned's first three releases certainly do strongly resemble old Cradle of Filth. For that reason I'm a fan. 

Have you heard their Miasma EP? It's quite different. Reminds me more of Anathema. 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

Hecate Enthroned's first three releases certainly do strongly resemble old Cradle of Filth. For that reason I'm a fan. 

Have you heard their Miasma EP? It's quite different. Reminds me more of Anathema. 

 

 

The Miasma EP is different, but it's also worse IMO. I don't like it at all, but I do like Redimus.

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8 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

The Miasma EP is different, but it's also worse IMO. I don't like it at all, but I do like Redimus.

Redimus is great. I enjoy all of their stuff. I prefer the style of their early albums but there is something to it, be it the production, or as you have suggested, lack of variation and dynamics, that makes it less appealing to me than Cradle of Filth. 

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On 13/08/2017 at 9:25 AM, Vampyrique said:

Hecate Enthroned's first three releases certainly do strongly resemble old Cradle of Filth. For that reason I'm a fan. 

Have you heard their Miasma EP? It's quite different. Reminds me more of Anathema. 

 

 

I've got this one and 'Upon Promethean Shores'. I think that's all I own from these guys. They're ok but don't really have staying power. The cover artwork of 'Upon...' is beautiful though.

Regarding Anorexia Nervosa my collection is pretty thin....

 I only have the 'September EP' and of that I really love the 'Sister September' song. I'm guessing these titles cause I'm in my phone and can't be bothered looking them up.

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10 hours ago, Requiem said:

I've got this one and 'Upon Promethean Shores'. I think that's all I own from these guys. They're ok but don't really have staying power. The cover artwork of 'Upon...' is beautiful though.

Regarding Anorexia Nervosa my collection is pretty thin....

 I only have the 'September EP' and of that I really love the 'Sister September' song. I'm guessing these titles cause I'm in my phone and can't be bothered looking them up.

They're worth exploring beyond that. I like all of their albums, but The Redemption Process is probably my favorite.

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