Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:42 am 
 

I was thinking of this the other night while I was listening to some Lovecraft audio books while laying in the bed. The man is obviously well known for his awe-inspiring literature and perhaps his greatest achievement is the extremely influential "Cthulhu Mythos". What makes his stories so powerful is the sheer scope of the cosmos it is set in, and the completely inhuman nature of the terrors that the characters face.

However this is really only one way too approach the horror genre, and I thought about different films and musical compositions that have a similar effect. Session 9 is a psychological horror film about a crew of laborers who clear out asbestos from an abandoned mental asylum, and one of them slowly slips into insanity from stress, and perhaps other reasons. The reason this film is effective in inducing horror is from a combination of things. The setting, I believe is perhaps where most of the feeling come from, as the sheer atmosphere the building creates is thick enough to cut.

And when I think of terror in music, I don't think of Satanic black metal or extremely gory death metal. One artists never fails to provide me with a genuine scare everytime I listen, and that is Lustmord. It's all about atmosphere here once again, and whether you agree with me or not, I think it is incredibly more effective in illiciting a fearful response with this sort of ambience than most traditional forms of music.

So my question is, what makes you scared? One would imagine that the extremely terrifying situation such as a zombie plague would be among the most intense and incredibly scary things you could ever be placed in, but for some reason this feeling doesn't translate too well when listening to music, watching films or reading stories about them. On the other hand, something as (relatively) simple as dealing with stress of your marriage (as in the case of Session 9) would never seem to me to be something I'd be afraid of, at least in the traditional meaning of the word. So I wonder, what is the key to creating a true and genuinely "horrific" piece of art?
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
caspian
Old Man Yells at Car Park

Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:29 pm
Posts: 6414
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:53 am 
 

My opinion would be quite similiar to yours- I really don't like gore, but that doesn't scare me. I personally think it's some a malevolent atmosphere- and an atmosphere that builds very slowly, as well- a good example would be Lovecraft's "A Colour out of Space" where the tension just builds and builds until it's unbearable. The same with music, although I would substitute Khanate for Lustmord.

But having said that, I still get fairly dominated by quick, cheap shocks. The part where the zombie grabs the protagonist's arm, or the monster/demon/what have you jumps out in front of the actor. These get me pretty bad, but it's not really anything I'd remember later on.

You have a good point, though- a zombie plague would indeed be quite terrifying in real life. I guess one main reason why it's never as scary in film is that those zombie films are almost always shot in the 3rd person- never from a 1st person view. It would be interesting to see a zombie film shot from a 1st person perspective- it would be a lot scarier, in my opinion.

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:57 am 
 

That is a very good observation. This is part of the reason the film Cloverfield genuinely terrified me. It was completely believeable in my opinion, and the film places you, the viewer, directly in the city. Utterly loved. However that being said, I don't think every film should be done in first person hand held camera view... but perhaps there are some genres that really would benefit from it.

Horror is all about tension, to me. In some films(and music and literature) the tension is broken, or simply nonexistent for reasons I've yet to point out, while in others it is very real. Maybe someone can offer other observations.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 2327
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:59 am 
 

Fear always plays on the deep seated taboos one does not want to accept as existing. For example, take the film Cannibal Holocaust. Not necessarily a frightening film for many on this site probably, but show it to a born again Christian and they will probably have nightmares for a long time - even if you don't mention the animals were really sacrificed. One of the most frightening things about a movie like this is the fact that for many, they could not imagine such a thing existing, even for pure shock value.

Lovecraft was correct when he wrote that the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.
_________________
CONTAMINATED TONES - BLOG/LABEL/DISTRO
Facebook

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:00 am 
 

orionmetalhead wrote:
Fear always plays on the deep seated taboos one does not want to accept as existing.


While this is prominent in horror, I wouldn't say always by a long shot. Example would be the film I already mentioned, Session 9.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
pseudodraconis
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:34 pm
Posts: 261
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:05 am 
 

caspian wrote:
My opinion would be quite similiar to yours- I really don't like gore, but that doesn't scare me. I personally think it's some a malevolent atmosphere- and an atmosphere that builds very slowly, as well- a good example would be Lovecraft's "A Colour out of Space" where the tension just builds and builds until it's unbearable. The same with music, although I would substitute Khanate for Lustmord.

I agree with a lot of what you say. Gore isn't at all frightening. At most it just has that "gross out" factor, but it doesn't really stay with you. A good scare should keep you up at night, not just give you the willies for a few seconds. That's why it's all about atmosphere and building up tension. The longer it builds up, the more it will effect you.

Quote:
But having said that, I still get fairly dominated by quick, cheap shocks. The part where the zombie grabs the protagonist's arm, or the monster/demon/what have you jumps out in front of the actor. These get me pretty bad, but it's not really anything I'd remember later on.

I have to admit to that too. They don't keep you scared, but it's just a cheap scare. Still almost always works on me if it isn't real obvious.
_________________
Death before a living hell.

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:06 am 
 

And that really marks the difference between what scares us in real life, and what scares us in art. Because I can promise you I'd probably be scarred psychologically if I witnessed half of the things that happen in these gore movies... but I guess in art it doesn't translate so well.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 62838
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:04 am
Posts: 1745
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:08 am 
 

Any fan of Lovecraft's work should really play Half-Life and it's sequels. In fact, I really am starting to think the creators of the game took heavy inspiration from his works.

Top
 Profile  
failsafeman
Digital Dictator

Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:45 am
Posts: 11852
Location: In the Arena
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:09 am 
 

Good post, I was actually thinking about making one in here specifically about serious horror film, but that could easily just be discussed in here.

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
However this is really only one way too approach the horror genre, and I thought about different films and musical compositions that have a similar effect. Session 9 is a psychological horror film about a crew of laborers who clear out asbestos from an abandoned mental asylum, and one of them slowly slips into insanity from stress, and perhaps other reasons. The reason this film is effective in inducing horror is from a combination of things. The setting, I believe is perhaps where most of the feeling come from, as the sheer atmosphere the building creates is thick enough to cut.


Session 9 is definitely one of the movies that comes to mind when I think of a good horror movie. Also, the fact that it's almost completely mundane, yet still so scary, just adds to the accomplishment. There aren't any ghosts going "boo", or any special effects to speak of, or excessive gore, but just sheer atmosphere. And yet it still manages to be frightening.

Another movie that I would certainly consider "serious" horror would be Jacob's Ladder, though for different reasons than Session 9. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but it's just so nightmarish with familiar things suddenly becoming horrifying, and then quickly going back to being familiar, that by the end of the movie you simply don't know what to trust. Also, the settings were just fantastic; the infamous "hospital scene" was such an influence on the makes of Silent Hill, for example, that similar hospitals have appeared in every game in the series.

In the Mouth of Madness is also excellent, though perhaps a bit corny at points (though it's corny for completely understandable reasons, plot-wise). I won't ruin anything, but I have to say it has perhaps the darkest, most chilling ending of any horror movie I've seen.

Of course that isn't every movie I'd consider "serious horror", but I was wondering: what other movies do you folks feel fit into this category? For me, corniness generally kills any real fear I feel in movies, so I'm always looking for more like this.

Quote:
And when I think of terror in music, I don't think of Satanic black metal or extremely gory death metal. One artists never fails to provide me with a genuine scare everytime I listen, and that is Lustmord. It's all about atmosphere here once again, and whether you agree with me or not, I think it is incredibly more effective in illiciting a fearful response with this sort of ambience than most traditional forms of music.


I would agree with that; though I certainly enjoy my share of death and black, I don't really find it "scary". For the "scariest" song I've heard, I would probably have to point to High Power's "Offrande Charnelle" from their first album. Many bands in the 80's French heavy metal scene were good at coming up with dark, occult atmospheres (I'd even say that's what the scene is best known for), but that particular song is one of the earliest (1983) and still one of the best. The singer especially screams, laughs, whispers, gurgles, moans, and snarls his way through, giving a spectacular performance, and the riffs and everything are just amazing. Just listen to that opening part where it's just that riff by itself with the keyboard in the background, and then the twisted lead/solo comes in...simply fantastic. Surely one of the best moments of heavy metal.
_________________
MorbidBlood wrote:
So the winner is Destruction and Infernal Overkill is the motherfucking skullcrushing poserkilling satan-worshiping 666 FUCK YOU greatest german thrash record.

Top
 Profile  
pseudodraconis
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:34 pm
Posts: 261
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:11 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
And that really marks the difference between what scares us in real life, and what scares us in art. Because I can promise you I'd probably be scarred psychologically if I witnessed half of the things that happen in these gore movies... but I guess in art it doesn't translate so well.

Because no matter how good of a job a film does at drawing you into the story, you'll know that what you're seeing on the screen is fake. That's how it works for me anyway. I think real gore videos would effect people a lot more. Like that decapitation video. I've never seen it, but when it gets brought up, it's obvious how much more that effects people than one they might see in a movie.
_________________
Death before a living hell.

Top
 Profile  
orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 2327
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:12 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
orionmetalhead wrote:
Fear always plays on the deep seated taboos one does not want to accept as existing.


While this is prominent in horror, I wouldn't say always by a long shot. Example would be the film I already mentioned, Session 9.


Yeah, always is probably a bit too... exacting...
_________________
CONTAMINATED TONES - BLOG/LABEL/DISTRO
Facebook

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:13 am 
 

pseudodraconis wrote:
Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
And that really marks the difference between what scares us in real life, and what scares us in art. Because I can promise you I'd probably be scarred psychologically if I witnessed half of the things that happen in these gore movies... but I guess in art it doesn't translate so well.

Because no matter how good of a job a film does at drawing you into the story, you'll know that what you're seeing on the screen is fake. That's how it works for me anyway. I think real gore videos would effect people a lot more. Like that decapitation video. I've never seen it, but when it gets brought up, it's obvious how much more that effects people than one they might see in a movie.


Well, when I've seen August Underground (and the sequels) I went into it knowing it was fake as well, except the effects and design of the film makes it very believable. That isn't so much as a pure fear as it is extreme disgust, though.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 2327
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:14 am 
 

pseudodraconis wrote:
Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
And that really marks the difference between what scares us in real life, and what scares us in art. Because I can promise you I'd probably be scarred psychologically if I witnessed half of the things that happen in these gore movies... but I guess in art it doesn't translate so well.

Because no matter how good of a job a film does at drawing you into the story, you'll know that what you're seeing on the screen is fake. That's how it works for me anyway. I think real gore videos would effect people a lot more. Like that decapitation video. I've never seen it, but when it gets brought up, it's obvious how much more that effects people than one they might see in a movie.


The video was pretty visually and mentally stimulating.
_________________
CONTAMINATED TONES - BLOG/LABEL/DISTRO
Facebook

Top
 Profile  
caspian
Old Man Yells at Car Park

Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:29 pm
Posts: 6414
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:19 am 
 

orionmetalhead wrote:
Fear always plays on the deep seated taboos one does not want to accept as existing. For example, take the film Cannibal Holocaust. Not necessarily a frightening film for many on this site probably, but show it to a born again Christian and they will probably have nightmares for a long time - even if you don't mention the animals were really sacrificed.


What? I think everyone born again christian knows that animals are sacrificed. it's called the entire old testament :P

Comments like this are typically epic fail.

Top
 Profile  
thecorpsetree
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 30
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:21 am 
 

orionmetalhead wrote:
Lovecraft was correct when he wrote that the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.


I think it's this fear of the unknown that makes me more scared of what I DON"T see in movies, rather than what I do.

I can watch gore and slasher movies day in and day out and feel a bit scared, but never truly horrified. I find it much more terrifying when the "monster" is left up to your own imagination, or is something very real and familar. "The Blair Witch Project", as cheesy as it is, is a good example of how what is left out of the film is what makes it scary. I think movies like "Sunshine" and "Event Horizon" work in the same way, they never show the viewer exactly what the "evil" is, it's not spelled out so you can go away knowing the cause of the terror. And because you don't know for sure you can never feel as settled about it.
_________________
FBC Forever!!

EternalEnemy wrote:
"My god carries a hammer, your god died nailed to a cross"

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:23 am 
 

So we've gone over film somewhat, what about music? That I think is a medium that is far more difficult to objectify and analyze than film or literature. Music is a very cognitive form of art, and I think perhaps the most subjective of all. What sort of music really scares you. I mean actually causes fearful emotions, here.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
Kuja
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:53 am
Posts: 6
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:25 am 
 

I agree that always isn't really quite correct to apply to everyone. We all see things differently, after all. I am very atmosphere-oriented when it comes to music, movies, books, and art. But above all, I'm really auditory-sensitive to 'spooky' things.

Sounds get me worse than gory images or frightening concepts ever will, for whatever the reason. So I'm usually more geared towards movies/music. An odd and otherwordly weeping, odd breathing, or even simple things like fingernails scraping something (have had nightmares revolving around that) in movies or music will never fail to chill my spine.

Divine Empire and Vital Remains have both used creepy elements in music that I feel really work when lacking visual stimulation, which goes to say a lot about the simple power of aural stimulation.

I've even found some video games with a suitably eerie atmosphere that was fairly well pulled off. Exmortis is a simple flash game, and while not terrifying by any means, kind of had some freaky elements with the sound bytes they used in conjunction with their abandoned building scenes.
_________________
Do not click this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fbGkxcY7YFU

Trust me, you don't want to do it.

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 62838
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:04 am
Posts: 1745
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:29 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
So we've gone over film somewhat, what about music? That I think is a medium that is far more difficult to objectify and analyze than film or literature. Music is a very cognitive form of art, and I think perhaps the most subjective of all. What sort of music really scares you. I mean actually causes fearful emotions, here.

No music scares me. Same with movies. Video games though...very much so. I guess it's because since you're in control of the character and can manipulate his/her actions, it feels like you're actually in place of him/her and would suffer the ramifications of the decisions you make. Whereas movies and music...all you're really doing is listening and/or watching. No real thought comes into it. I'm probably alone on this one.

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:32 am 
 

Nah I don't think that's too uncommon. I mean it takes a bit of effort to really immerse yourself within those things. For instance, when I want Lustmord to have a very true effect, I have to listen in complete darkness with nothing else happening. Otherwise it is spoiled for me.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 62838
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:04 am
Posts: 1745
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:36 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
Nah I don't think that's too uncommon. I mean it takes a bit of effort to really immerse yourself within those things. For instance, when I want Lustmord to have a very true effect, I have to listen in complete darkness with nothing else happening. Otherwise it is spoiled for me.

Indeed. One time I was playing Doom 3 with the lights off and no one else was in the house. The game at that point was getting really intense and horrifying to the point where I started panicking. I paused the game, but that only intensified my fear because I was no longer distracted by the game and felt I was surrounded by some unknown presence in my house. I eventually passed and was found by my mom lying unconscious on the floor. After that night, I didn't bother attempting to finish the game for a month until I mustered up the courage to do so again.

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:40 am 
 

Oh, no doubt. Despite the shortcomings of DooM 3, I will say this of it: it has a genuinely intense atmosphere, and I love playing that game alone with the lights of. It's quite an experience.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
Insolent_Heretic
Torus Map Coloring Theorem

Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:53 am
Posts: 117
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:46 am 
 

Does anyone know of some really good horror artists? If anyone's already posted about this then I'm really sorry.
I'm looking for anything violent. It's for my folio.

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 62838
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:04 am
Posts: 1745
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:48 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
Oh, no doubt. Despite the shortcomings of DooM 3, I will say this of it: it has a genuinely intense atmosphere, and I love playing that game alone with the lights of. It's quite an experience.

The first Half-Life game takes the cake for me though. The sheer size of Black Mesa is mind-boggling. Also add the cold, metallic appearance of the place combined with a seemingly endless horde of foes to defeat...each with their own deadly abilities.

A lot of my fears are agoraphobic in nature. The fear of vast spaces and such. I guess it comes into play with some people in this thread have stated before...the fear of the unknown. Or in my case, the fear of exploring uncharted territories that don't promise any hope for those who are crazy enough to venture into them.

Top
 Profile  
Nahsil
Clerical Sturmgeschütz

Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:06 pm
Posts: 4577
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:48 am 
 

Zdzislaw Beksinski depicts true "horrors", but not all that "scary" or shocking.
_________________
and we are born
from the same womb
and hewn from
the same stone - Primordial, "Heathen Tribes"

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:51 am 
 

Viral wrote:
Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
Oh, no doubt. Despite the shortcomings of DooM 3, I will say this of it: it has a genuinely intense atmosphere, and I love playing that game alone with the lights of. It's quite an experience.

The first Half-Life game takes the cake for me though. The sheer size of Black Mesa is mind-boggling. Also add the cold, metallic appearance of the place combined with a seemingly endless horde of foes to defeat...each with their own deadly abilities.

A lot of my fears are agoraphobic in nature. The fear of vast spaces and such. I guess it comes into play with some people in this thread have stated before...the fear of the unknown. Or in my case, the fear of exploring uncharted territories that don't promise any hope for those who are crazy enough to venture into them.


Hah, that sounds a lot like my favorite type of horror as well. This is the reason I find Demilich so be so unsettling, and also why it is a huge inspiration on my own music (in my signature if you hadn't checked).

Oh yeah, the first Half-Life was a special sort of eerie. It isn't really outright scary, but there is a sublte... almost lurking finger of horror that just pokes at you throughout, and I find that since this isn't overpowering or forced at all, it's much more effective. Everything just seems...dead in Black Mesa.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
Insolent_Heretic
Torus Map Coloring Theorem

Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:53 am
Posts: 117
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:02 am 
 

Nahsil wrote:
Zdzislaw Beksinski depicts true "horrors", but not all that "scary" or shocking.

I like it. Not exactly what I was looking for but I like it :).
I'm looking for domestic violence kind of stuff.

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 62838
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:04 am
Posts: 1745
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:07 am 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
Hah, that sounds a lot like my favorite type of horror as well. This is the reason I find Demilich so be so unsettling, and also why it is a huge inspiration on my own music (in my signature if you hadn't checked).

I can see where you and bands like Demilich come from in terms of concepts and such when it comes to music, but I have a pathetic imagination (I have television to thank for that) and find it difficult to apply my mind into comprehending the correlation between music and literature to the point where these intended emotions may be invoked. I guess that's something I should work on improving. But you know, I'm just like you in the sense that the proper atmosphere needs to be established in order to feel these intense emotions of horror. I find the best forms of fear are brought about through unintentional methods (like the story I mentioned a post or two back). It was just a coincidence that I was playing Doom 3 with the lights off (I was too lazy to get up and turn them on) and when no one else was home.

By the way, the vocalist of your band sounds a lot like the Nathan Explosion's. :D

Quote:
Oh yeah, the first Half-Life was a special sort of eerie. It isn't really outright scary, but there is a sublte... almost lurking finger of horror that just pokes at you throughout, and I find that since this isn't overpowering or forced at all, it's much more effective. Everything just seems...dead in Black Mesa.

Yup. The fear of just waiting for something out of that void to just pop out and attack you and then wondering where to go from there in this huge complex that indirectly behaves like a world of its own.

Top
 Profile  
The_Saberfool
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:54 pm
Posts: 68
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:05 am 
 

Viral mentioned that the only form of media that can truly "scare" him is video games. I would say that this is mostly true for me as well. The main reason is the player's total immersion into that world. With music or movies, they go on with or without your attention. If things get too intense, you can "back out" into the real world and make yourself aware that the real world and the movie/music/book are completely separate.

On the other hand, in a video game you are an entity within the game; your input changes the way things in that world happen and on some level makes it harder to distinguish real from virtual. That being said, the scariest game I have ever played was System Shock 2.

**Possible spoilers for an old game**

There were several things that were extremely scary about that game. The atmosphere was superb; there wasn't an overwhelming body count and that made it all the more disturbing when you would round a corner and find a crew member who had hung/shot himself rather than face the horrors on board. Hearing zombies roaming the halls in an attempt to "silence the dischord" was very unsettling. The fact that your ultimate enemy was the ship's computer system - in essence, any part of your environment might be used against you. And, of course, your weapons were always breaking down and your ammo running low.

The environment was claustrophobic to begin with, but it was made all the more overwhelming by the fact that your enemy was basically omnipresent - an intangible evil that is watching your every move. The icing on the cake being the terrific voice acting for basically every character, particularly in the audio logs that you find that provide you with the game's backstory.

**End spoilers**

Well, after what turned into a mini-review... I would say that the most terrifying concept in any art-form is that of being constantly watched, with or without knowledge of who or what is doing the watching.
_________________
On Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk's production, Woolie_Wool wrote:
You're locked in a small bathroom with Ihsahn standing on the toilet, Trym and his kit in the bathtub, Samoth sitting on the counter, and Alver in the cabinet, and the fan is running.

Top
 Profile  
Vrede
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:07 pm
Posts: 676
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:17 am 
 

Nahsil wrote:
Zdzislaw Beksinski depicts true "horrors", but not all that "scary" or shocking.

Yeah indeed, his works are awesome. I especially like this one:
http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=28684
(ofc without the bandlogo)

EDIT: image removed my myself due to new board rules
_________________
rexxz wrote:
Crick wrote:
Except, y'know, people don't just go around jerking off and rubbing random erogenous zones of their bodies in public.

Speak for yourself.

Top
 Profile  
carpforest
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:20 pm
Posts: 25
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:46 am 
 

Some of his works are cool like this one
http://expresionminima.files.wordpress. ... sinski.jpg

But others are just plain weird-
http://www.majic12.com/lj_ZdzislawBeksinski035.jpg &
http://hometown.aol.com/awriterslife/im ... sinski.jpg
_________________
ikuturiso wrote:
FROST, SPIKES, SKIN, WAR PAINT, CORPSE PAINT - THE PURE BLACK METAL!

Black Metal from Norway.. that's COLD, WOODS, SPIKES! and all that. FROST! ..and Blashyrkh!

Top
 Profile  
vondskapens_makt
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:23 pm
Posts: 432
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:23 pm 
 

I'm going to agree with the previous posts; to me, gore alone has little to no frightening effects on me. More factors other than a severed head are at play when it comes down to scaring me. The atmosphere, the scenario itself, the themes and the plot do much better in sending a chill down my spine.

Visually speaking, a movie such as Begotten would suffice in instilling fear in me. True, it may be a bit gorey, but the atmosphere the movie produces does much more in scaring me.
_________________
{:d:}

The eye can outstare neither the sun, nor death... if I sought God it was in delirium and in the delight of temptation.

Top
 Profile  
Deucalion
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:29 pm
Posts: 1101
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:52 pm 
 

What are some scary pieces of music by Lustmord?

I downloaded "Heresy 1". I'll probably end up trying to download the whole album.

Oh yeah, Thorgrim, how much influence has Demilich had on your music? I can't listen to anything off myspace or anything like that. My computer doesn't stream music for some reason.

I'm quite interested in Demilich.

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:54 pm 
 

Putrefying Fire and Carbon/Core are the two albums that I think invoke the most fearful imagery and feelings. The former is more spacious and agoraphobic, while the latter is the opposite, very suffocating and claustrophobic.

Demilich is the prime influence of the music writing for my band, as well as the lyrical themes.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
Deucalion
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:29 pm
Posts: 1101
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:00 pm 
 

Thorgrim_Honkronte wrote:
Demilich is the prime influence of the music writing for my band, as well as the lyrical themes.


Can the vocalist do the Demilich vocals?

Top
 Profile  
Thorgrim_Honkronte
Imperius Rexxz

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:40 pm
Posts: 638
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:01 pm 
 

Heh, ok I won't try to derail my own thread here but I'll answer anyway... last question concerning my band!

The vocalist can't go as utterly low and inhuman as Antti can, but the style is very consistent, as he restrains from using a lot of force and power to keep it as ethereal and alien sounding as possible.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/atrophyhouston

Strange Death Metal

Top
 Profile  
Thrashedtofuck
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:56 pm
Posts: 289
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:15 pm 
 

The only time I´ve felt utterly horrified is when I was younger and had watched The X-files, the episode with that weird indian cripple that manipulated peoples minds.

I went to bed and fell asleep instantly, in fact so fast that I didn´t notice that I had started dreaming instead of being awake. Anyway, in my dream I hear my rooms door slowly opening but I can´t fully turn my head because somehow I´ve become paralysed from the neck down and can only move my eyes.

I start to really freak out when I hear a creaking very similar to that of the x-files weird indian. The creaking becomes louder and louder and after what felt like a really long while I think I can see something in the corner of my eye but then the creaking stops.

Then it feels like something is jumping at me and I wake up almost screaming and it takes me probably 5minutes to figure out that it was just a dream.

My only scares (pretty much) is having my body tampered with and twisted/strange humans/animals so those kinds of movies scare me.

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

 
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group