Zombie Nightmare was a 1987 Canadian horror film that delivered what it promised: a zombie nightmare. This isn’t peak cinema we’re talking about here, and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast can attest to that. They riffed on this movie in 1994, and according to star Mary Jo Pehl, everyone “thoroughly, intensely, and unequivocally hated this movie.” However, Zombie Nightmare has one redeeming quality: its hardcore metal soundtrack. If you’re a fan of classic 80s hair metal, this soundtrack is for you.
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The movie features Motörhead’s 1980 hit “Ace of Spades” during the opening credits, setting the soundtrack up for success immediately. Furthermore, Jon Mikl Thor, who also has the lead role of the titular zombie, wrote much of the incidental music for the film. His band Thor provided heavy guitar and synthesizer riffs, because would it even be the 80s without too much synth?
Let’s look at it this way—I Know What You Did Last Summer, Night of the Living Dead, and 1980s hair metal walk into a bar in Canada. The result is Zombie Nightmare, a movie about a teenage zombie who stalks and kills the other teens who ran him over with their car one dark and chilly night. The movie is dated even though it takes place in the present (to quote Mystery Science Theater, “This is either America 10 years ago or Canada today”), the medical examiner character talks like the Penguin, the police investigation is led by a milk-drinking choir boy, and Adam West of Batman fame stars as a crooked police chief. It’s nothing short of a B-movie masterpiece.
[RELATED: 4 of the Best British Heavy Metal Bands from the 1970s]
The Zombie Nightmare Soundtrack Makes a Pretty Bad Movie at Least a Little Tolerable
Girlschool is also featured a few times on the soundtrack. The all-girl British heavy metal band provided at least two tracks—“Future Flash” and “C’mon Let’s Go.” Both songs came from the Girlschool’s 1981 album Hit and Run, with “C’mon Let’s Go” as the opening track. “Future Flash” features a heavy guitar riff and a killer solo courtesy of lead guitarist Kelly Johnson. In the film, “C’mon Let’s Go” is featured during a long driving scene, which would be unbearable to watch if it wasn’t for Girlschool’s electric female energy. In this case, it’s only slightly unbearable.
The band Fist also contributed “Danger Zone” from their 1985 album of the same name. Fist was formed in 1978 and is considered one of the first bands to bring about the British heavy metal wave during that time. Lead vocalist Ron Chenier’s voice is notably raspy with a quirky affect, as many 80s metal vocalists were.
Virgin Steele, formed in New York, is one of the 1980s’ signature heavy metal bands, and it comes down to lead vocalist David DeFeis’ low-register, raspy intonations and intermittent yelling. “We Rule The Night,” from their 1985 album Noble Savage, was used on the Zombie Nightmare soundtrack, and its steady beat, wailing guitar solo, and gravelly vocals makes it a rough and rowdy gem of a song.
Jon Mikl Thor, star of Zombie Nightmare, contributed the song “Rebirth” from his 1985 album Recruits—Wild in the Streets. It’s a slightly softer composition than the shred-heavy Girlschool track “Future Flash,” or Virgin Steele’s “We Rule the Night.” Still, it works for the overall themes of the movie and the soundtrack, fitting in nicely.
Featured Image by Fin Costello/Redferns
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