Getting into the music business almost seems easy these days. Just by appearing on American Idol one can land a record deal.
But some bands have gone the extra mile not only to make it in the music business, but to make a lasting impression on audiences as well.
A few glorious bands have created an entire theme to base their musical existence on. Whether it’s the songs they sing or the overall personality of the band, these bands have captured fans worldwide just by tapping into quirky interests and making a music career out of them.
While many musical artists compose albums featuring various subjects and human emotions, the bands Austrian Death Machine and Macabre choose to only sing about one subject.
Austrian Death Machine, a side project for As I Lay Dying front man Tim Lambesis, only writes songs about Arnold Schwarzenegger. Each song title is a direct quote from an Arnold movie such as, “Get to the Choppa” and fan favorite, “Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers.”
Their sound is fast, pissed, brutal and full of testosterone — just like many of the characters Arnold has portrayed over the years.
The band even has an Arnold creation (thanks to Gwar, a band known for its impressive and grotesque stage creations) on stage singing. Some may find the band’s brutal sound and topic choice odd, but musicians singing about something they love is not such an unusual idea in music. It just happens that Austrian Death Machine really, really loves Arnold.
“The more underlying theme, the more fun,” J.P. Gericke, guitar player for Austrian Death Machine, says.
Macabre also focuses on one subject, but their subject may be a bit harder to swallow. For the last 24 years, Macabre has played music around the theme of murderers and madmen, earning them the right to be classified as murder metal.
Every song tells a tale, whether it be of Peter Stump, the werewolf who roamed the German countryside over 400 years ago ripping apart innocent victims and eating their hearts, or the devious Dr. H.H. Holmes, who built a dark hotel with trap doors and secret rooms to capture his prey.
Their lyrics are based on historic facts and legends, but despite its morbidity, Macabre has captivated audiences around the world and continues to find killers to write about.
Having a reccurring theme may seem boring to many music lovers out there, but Austrian Death Machine and Macabre continue to have a growing fan base giving musicians everywhere something new to try with their own careers.
Reach the reporter at theresa.dillon@asu.edu.
