Learning the harp - how to take the first steps
New post
Studio 666 / Dream Widow – Welcome To Hell!
Horror movies and heavy metal fit together so well that it is certainly no coincidence that in the history of film and music such pairings have been made many times. For example, the New Zealand horror comedy hit "Deathgasm", in which an aspiring young metal band accidentally unleashes a curse that turns their entire hometown into a mecca for demons and other nasty beasts, potentially ushering in the end of the world.
Dave Grohl, the mastermind behind the Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, seems to have incorporated this and other past tropes, because something must have inspired him to come up with a complete B-Movie story. Filming it with the help of his band and composing a complete Heavy Metal album as a icing on the cake. This album is called "Dream Widow", which refers to the fictional 90s band within the film and represents a merciless mixture of speed, thrash and doom metal.
Dream Widow does not mark the only heavy metal project Dave Grohl has put his skills into: In 2004, the album of the same name "Probot" was released, on which Dave Grohl openly bore his love for heavy metal and some of its subgenres, such as Speed and Groove Metal, and took over the entire instrumentalization, although he has brought in different guest singers on board for every single track.
For this cast, Dave Grohl reaches deep into through the annals of metal history: Cronos and Max Cavalera of the two legendary pioneering bands Venom and Sepultura, Scott "Wino" Weinrich of Saint Vitus and Tom G. Warrior of the Swiss cult formation Celtic Frost belong to the ensemble as well as none other than the inimitable Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister of the legendary Motörhead, an undisputable icon of the Rock´n´Roll lifestyle, are just a few names on the 11 songs spanning list of well-known guest appearances. To capture the film's bloodthirsty atmosphere, Dave Grohl does not take prisoners on a musical level and serves a fun cocktail of the harder sounds, as he has never done like this before.
Studio 666 - A bloodstained homage to B - Movies and rock myths
Back to the film, in which the music of the Foo Fighters brings the embodiment of evil to earth. The Foo Fighters want to create something very special for their tenth studio album and get the opportunity from their record company to record it in an allegedly haunted property in Encino, California. Completely self-ironic, the Foo Fighters portray themselves in this flick and play exaggerated versions of themselves.
The idea for the film has been circulating for some time in the subconscious mind of the charismatic Foo Fighters frontman, because he has a weakness for heavy metal and over-the-top horror films. First of all, it was only to be a funny music video, but eventually it became an official Hollywood film, whose charm soars enormously by the band's deliberate stiff performances, since they all have no acting experience and the bloody movies from a bygone era were never equipped with credible acting performances. The recordings begin, but Dave Grohl and his band members. find an ominous book that quickly transforms the band's head into a blood-thirsty ghoul, who seeks the lives of his fellow band members.
The unyielding evil is disposed of by the musicians in a creative and, above all, fun way, which takes off the impact of the explicit violence and never takes itself too seriously. All members of the band, from Pat Smear to the recently deceased Taylor Hawkins, are participating with a palpable joy in the ever-escalating chaos and constantly poke fun at their own expense. The tragedy of the dwindling glamour of established groups over the course of their careers is treated with a wink, as well as myths about paranormal events in rock history, as the villa in the film clearly parallels places like the Boleskin House, which was inhabited by Aleister Crowley, the notorious English occultist, and in which Led Zeppelin were reportedly terrorized by otherworldly presences. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers also reported eerie phenomena during the studio period at Rick Rubin's sessions at his home for "Blood Sugar Sex Magic," where drummer Chad Smith reportedly couldn't spend a single night there.
Studio 666 / Dream Widow – Praise The Devil´s Music
In particular, the myth that rock´n´roll is in the end the devil´s music makes use of the film and plays with this idea like the movies mentioned above, which plays a fundamental role in the climax of the film. The fictional group Dream Widow turns out to be one of the bands that fell victim to the forces of darkness within Encino Villa before the Foo Fighters. Through the events of the film, which everyone should see for themselves, they step back on the scene and the struggle for the soul of the Foo Fighters goes into the decisive round, which is irrevocably related to the musical work of Dream Widow, because the film is centered around a special song, on which both bands despair and which dictates the ensuing madness. Fortunately, he has been banned in all his violent glory on an actual record and appears as a brilliant finisher on Dream Widow's first and only album.
The self-titled album shines with an ominous cover artwork depicting a blood-stained film reel, with a scarlet hexagram in front. The hexagram is another reference to the work of Aleister Crowley, as it was used in this iteration for his infamous Thelema Order and plays a significant role in the film. Right at the start, no prisoners are made, and Encino roars out of the boxes as a dangerous hybrid of thrash and groove metal and sticks with a minimum run time of less than 2 minutes. Dave Grohl trusts himself to the microphone for this project and contributes solid roars to the infernal whilst having his distinctive voice still being identifiable. The following track Cold could also be a secret Foo Fighters song, if not for the heavy distortion and Grohl's growls. Rock sensitivity cannot be dismissed, which is particularly evident in the catchy melodic chorus.
On March Of The Insane the thrash metal aspect is in the foreground, which makes it a definite banger. The Sweet Abyss is dictated by Groove Metal and Angels With Severed Wings lines up with Cold as another hidden Foo Fighters track within a metal coating. Come All Ye Unfaithful opens with an oriental-sounding guitar run and develops into a fierce sludge fest. This is followed by Becoming, which impresses with a depressing atmosphere and sets a slow pace in the vein of Doom Metal. Inside contains passages reminiscent of Canadian progressive metal legends Voivod, and this is not surprising, as Dave Grohl is an avowed fan and Probot's album cover is a clear reference to the science fiction inspired covers of Voivod. The triumphant conclusion is Lacrimus Die Ebrius, a more than 10-minute long behemoth that seamlessly connects all areas of extreme metal and whose completion is an integral part of the film.
Studio 666 – Heavy Metal Hallelujah
With Studio 666, the Foo Fighters have set an eye-popping film monument, and Dave Grohl is showing his love for heavier sounds as clearly as ever before. The 108 minutes of film length go by in no time, and the band is not afraid of any nasty stunt. In the violent scenes, the filmmakers rely on old school practical effects, and the blood fountains and severed limbs attack the retina. All the carnage is accompanied by a killer soundtrack, for which Dave Grohl composed and arranged his second metal album, and instead of guest vocalists, he himself spits poison and bile and (literally) conjures up demons. A feast for all Foo Fighters, Heavy Metal and horror fans worldwide!
mukken.com – Heaven and Hell
Fancy even more bloody fun, but without excessive bloodshed? Then keep looking at our blog, which is populated by further features about films or documentaries such as the GG Allin documentary and offers much more! Interested in techniques, programs and/or instruments? All of this is conveyed here with knowledge and understanding, and the journey goes on and on, because we continue to work on new themes and categories that inspire the musician's heart to the last chamber. Because music brings people together.
Originally published on February 10, 2023, updated on February 10, 2023
Main topic: Bo Burnham: Inside - A musical comedy documentary for our confused times
Share this post