metal soundtracks
[Photos via Ace Ventura: Pet Detective/YouTube, Saw IV/YouTube, The Crow/Miramax Films, Airheads/20th Century Fox]

Top 10 metal soundtracks that took movies to the next level

Soundtracks are an important part of movies, but given they mostly want to appeal to a wide audience, metal is often left out of the film industry. When a heavy band does make it into a movie, it’s something fans celebrate for years to come, even if the majority of the movie’s audience doesn’t always catch on to those small moments.

Check out some of the best movies featuring metal songs on their soundtracks below.

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1. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective


Who could forget the hilarity of Jim Carrey bouncing his way through a Cannibal Corpse mosh pit? This classic 1994 comedy has by far the best scene in any film to feature a metal band because they painted the ’90s death-metal scene exactly as it was.

2. Freddy Vs. Jason


Two of the most iconic horror characters finally faced off in 2003’s Freddy Vs. Jason, and given how brutal the villains are, the film’s soundtrack had to be equally as heavy. The filmmakers made some great selections, including Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, Hatebreed, Slipknot and more. 

3. Saw VI


One of the most violent and gruesome horror series of all time couldn’t go without having one of the most intense soundtracks, too. For the sixth installation of the Saw series, they went all out getting songs from the likes of Suicide Silence, Shadows Fall, Every Time I Die, Hatebreed, Chimaira and more.

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4. Airheads


This 1994 gem featuring Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi as a band taking a radio station hostage to play their music is wildly hilarious, but it also features a killer cameo from White Zombie when a police officer goes to find Fraser’s girlfriend. The fictional band the Lone Rangers’ hit song “Degenerated” is actually a track from hardcore band Reagan Youth, too.

5. Jonah Hex


Many movies sporadically place metal songs on their soundtracks, but Jonah Hex went a step further than most. The film got Mastodon to record an entirely original EP as the soundtrack. After writing, the band had to alter the whole thing because the film went through numerous reshoots, and their previous score didn’t fit the context of the scenes anymore.

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6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre


The 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre brought some heavy tunes in tow which is all too appropriate for its intense story. The soundtrack to this film featured tracks from Pantera, Meshuggah, Morbid Angel, Sworn Enemy and plenty more.

7. The Art Of Self-Defense


This dark comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg trying to become a more masculine version of himself has a surprising appearance from one of the best up-and-coming grindcore bands around, Full Of Hell. Eisenberg had never really been exposed to metal before making the movie, so it’s all too fitting he was given one of the harshest bands to listen to in order to start his journey into the genre.

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8. Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight


Horror comedy cult classic Demon Knight may have been universally panned, but its soundtrack boasted some killer tracks. The film snagged hits from Machine Head, Pantera, Sepultura, Ministry and more right when those bands were in their prime.

9. Hesher


Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dark comedy features an impressive soundtrack almost entirely composed of songs from Metallica and Motörhead, but the actor took the music a step further in the film. According to Gordon-Levitt, the main character is loosely based on late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton.

10. The Crow


No list compiling movie soundtracks with metal bands would be complete without The Crow. The classic film featured an incredible set of songs from Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, the Cure, Helmet and plenty of other ’90s metal and rock staples.

Which movie has your favorite metal soundtrack? Let us know in the comments below!