10 Unexpected Places We Discovered Metal In Pop Culture

With a recent resurgence of metal appearing in and even finding huge success in the mainstream media, between Grammy award winners BRING ME THE HORIZON gracing the cover of Rolling Stone, ARCHITECTS hitting No. 1 on the Official UK Charts with For Those That Wish To Exist, and METALLICA soundtracking the finale to one of the biggest shows on Netflix worldwide we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite picks from pop culture where metal took centre stage.

Stranger Things – METALLICA, Master of Puppets

We’ll start with the most obvious one as of late and single-handedly the reason for mass outrage amongst metalheads everywhere, the now iconic scene from the finale of Stranger Things Season 4 has introduced an entirely new generation to the title track from one of the most famous and genre-defining metal albums in history.

How I Met Your Mother – THE FORESKINS, Murder Train (First introduced in S3 E16: Sandcastles in The Sand)

Whereas traditionally a heavy metal song will be chosen to suit a particular existing scene, in this case it was a scene that inspired the writing of this heavy metal song. THE FORESKINS‘ Murder Train first appeared in the S3E16 (what!) trip back in time for Robin, Sandcastles In The Sand, and has since became a recurring fan favourite in an otherwise predominately PG show – serving as a total palette cleanser for those who prefer some metal with their comedy.

School of Rock – LED ZEPPLIN, Immigrant Song

The 1970 timeless drumbeat rumbles in and hits its full power alongside Jack Black’s perfect facial expressions after the gang celebrate their successful audition for Battle of The Bands and gets the audience fully revved up driving into the film’s final act, providing one of the most hype moments of modern cinema and will leave you feeling ready to take on the world. A-Plus and fifty gold stars for a flawless soundtrack.

ECW RVD – PANTERA, Walk (KILGORE Cover)

 If you’re at all a fan of the Attitude Era of professional wrestling (aka the best one, will accept no substitutes) then you’ll definitely think of this man every time you hear the opening riff for this song. Rob Van Dam himself describes the moment that he first heard the original PANTERA classic on a tv commercial in the lead-up to a Respect Match against fellow ECW star Sabu before – due to copyright laws – it was covered by KILGORE and chosen to go onto become one of the most instantly recognisable entrance themes in all of wrestling to this day, pop culture inception right here but we aren’t complaining.

WWE EDGE – ALTER BRIDGE, Metalingus

There’s a good chance if you’re even a casual wrestling fan then you definitely saw this one coming, an opening intro that inspired too many early YouTube tribute videos and promo packages to count, the 2004 nu-metal epic entrance theme for Edge was the cornerstone of the Ruthless Aggression era and served as the backdrop to matches on the grandest stage of them all such as Edge vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 24.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – LITERALLY ILLITERATE Get Out (S4E12: The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition)

We don’t even know where to begin with this entry, but if you haven’t already visited the gang down at Paddy’s Pub (if not, why not?) then this scene is a perfect way to become acquainted with who each character is and the chaos they cause when together. A stomach-splitting take on the infamous home renovation show, small local band LITERALLY ILLITERATE’s brutal track Get Out is blared from an oversized boombox as the Philly fivesome break into a local Latin family’s home to begin their Saw-esque twisted take on helping people achieve their goals. They say you can’t run from the kindness of strangers, but with this song playing you might just find enough energy to give it a good shot.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – OZZY OSBOURNE, Hellraiser

We’ve all been there: nightfall, picturesque Californian streets, top down in your lowrider. You’re currently on your way across town to save your family whilst you yourself has just been framed for a homicide and the police are on your tail. Radio X is playing and suddenly on comes your favourite song, the rest is history in the biggest selling game of all-time, and for many teens too young to really be playing it the first introduction to The Prince of Darkness’ classic Hellraiser. Replay-ability rating: 10/10.

 

Tony Hawk: Pro Skater 2 – ANTHRAX & PUBLIC ENEMY, Bring The Noise

Pop culture comes in many forms and, depending on how old you are, this one is probably one of the biggest examples of discovering a song that shapes your musical journey – the recently remastered epitome of skater legit cash games and reason we never wanted to go to school on time, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. Gaming theme songs don’t get much better than when thrash metal legends ANTHRAX joined forces with PUBLIC ENEMY, for a special heavier version of the Def Jam 1988 banger that was certain to always get you in the mood to grind some steel.

Kronenbourg 1664 Beer Advert – MÖTORHEAD, Ace of Spaces (Country Style)

It’s true that discovering music where you least expect it is one of the most simple joys in life, but this entry ranks up there as being one of the weirdest instances of finding metal in an unlikely place – a Kronenbourg 1664 Beer Advert from October 2010 featuring not only MOTÖRHEAD themselves, but shows the band performing their re-worked version as onlooking patrons relax in a local French bar with an ice cold one as a stripped back country-style rendition of their most famous track gently croons in the background. Metal for the masses indeed.

Thor: Love & Thunder – Guns N’ Roses, Welcome To The Jungle

The final entry is another recent example, but boy is it a doozy. If you weren’t already familiar with little known band GUNS N’ ROSES  before this film, then you definitely are now as no less than four of their biggest hits are featured (and sometimes even repeated) throughout the newest instalment to the Marvel franchise – the opening fight scene and Thor’s heroic entrance is perfectly scored here to a very fitting Welcome To The Jungle and is sure to be still humming in the ears of kids and adults alike as we speak. True Asgardians will always choose metal to battle to, pass it on.

What did you think of our choices? What are some of your favourite metal inclusions in pop culture? Let us know in the comments below!