Staff Kills: The Brutal Breakdown – Marc’s Top Five Horrifying Music Video’s
by Marc Patterson
I was inspired by a recent article by Drew from B Through Z, where he highlighted his top ten favorite scary music videos, to look at some of what I thought were the most sickening moments in music video mayhem. To be fair – Drew wasn’t necessarily going for “sick and depraved” in his article, more like just good old fashion scary, but we’re “Brutal As Hell” here and if video nasty is the order of the day then I plan on bringing it. So here we go – my personal favorite five disgusting, vile, brutal, and depraved music videos that I love and cherish with all of my blackened soul.
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
I’ll start the list with the one song that I actually share in common with Drew’s list. I was a big fan of Nine Inch Nails when this video came out. Hell, I was doing a short stint playing keyboards in an industrial goth punk band. I first saw this video as a part of a VHS box set (Closure) that packed in concert footage on one tape and videos on the other. The videos spanned from Pretty Hate Machine through to The Downward Spiral. Many nights I drifted off to sleep with the videos from this collection rolling in the background. Trent Reznor dwells in some dark places, but the video for Closer took us further down his warped rabbit hole. And for those of you who never have seen NIN live I’ll just say there’s nothing quite like chanting “I want to fuck you like an animal” with a few thousand other worked up fans.
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
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Rob Zombie – Spookshow Baby
I spend an appropriate amount of time pissing all over Rob Zombie’s films. And should he continue making them I’ll continue pissing. (Someone please pass me another beer.) However, one thing I always give him credit for is his ability to make good music, and good music videos. Movies = Suckage. Music = Good.
While White Zombie was the music project that really launched Zombie’s horror infused metal into the limelight, he came into his own when he branched out with a “solo” career and released Hellbilly Deluxe. This album fused his unique brand of rock n’ roll along with his love of horror in a seamless fashion. Zombie had finally become the monster himself, and not just another stage actor with props. Spookshow Baby is a fun video, because it gives us a taste of the Rob Zombie to come, and while it’s not as soaked with gore as some of these other videos, it’s still fuckin’ nightmarish.
Behemoth – Ov Fire and the Void
I don’t even know what to say about these guys. I’m not a big fan of death metal so I can’t listen to it without some visual stimuli. It’s so loud and angry. But, when it comes to bringing the filth and fury to the screen, Behemoth blows the competition away. This video is wonderfully shot and sickeningly attractive while never squandering a single opportunity for blasphemy in the highest. What else can I say? I love these guys! Here’s the uncensored version, since that’s the only way to watch this one.
Behemoth Ov Fire and the Void uncensored from Nuclear Blast on Vimeo.
Cradle of Filth – Scorched Earth Erotica
Cradle of Filth seems to be one of those bands where you either love them or hate them. They don’t really play an angle that allows you to form anything other than a strong opinion about them. There is no “meh” with Cradle of Filth. Devil knows these guys have an unholy array of sickening videos. Personally, I’ve been watching their videos for many years. And I LOVE them! Some are so nasty that I have to shower myself afterwards. Again, as mentioned above, this isn’t really a style of music I want to just listen to, as good death metal is all about theatricals and visuals – and lots of white powder.
Here’s where things get tricky though. I happen to be partial to Scorched Earth Erotica. Some hardcore fans of the band might mock me for liking the “new stuff” and yeah – COF is not as nasty as when they first broke onto the scene, but this is still a pretty gruesome video and I think you’ll enjoy it.
GWAR – Penguin Attack
This lineup wouldn’t be complete without including GWAR. As a disclaimer, Penguin Attack doesn’t hold any particular value to the list as a standalone song, but GWAR solidifies their rightful place on this list in the way in which they execute a live show. It’s chaotic, loud, frenzied and bizarre. If you don’t know… you shouldn’t even ask. This video captures all the mayhem, immaturity, and gore-tastic fun better than most I could find online.
