Rob Zombie and Spider One make them, and their peers occasionally star in them. Here are five instances of nu metal artists making appearances in horror flicks.
The Crow: City of Angels (1996) - Deftones as Deftones
The first Crow movie was really great for its time–a cult classic, if you will. However, like many successful franchises, this one couldn’t avoid the sophomore slump. The Crow: City of Angels tries to recapture the dark magic of the original but falls short in many ways. Visually, it’s striking, and Vincent Perez deserves credit for his effort to conceal his Swiss French accent. But stunning visuals and a respectable vocal effort can’t save the sequel from its stiff acting, predictable storyline, and, honestly, a certain dullness that runs throughout. Of course, the film leans more toward the superhero genre than horror; Google calls it horror, so I’ll let it slide.
One thing about mediocre movies, though, is that they often have great soundtracks, and City of Angels is no exception. Deftones’ aggro-banger “Teething” perfectly captures the band’s transition from Adrenaline to Around The Fur. It might be one of their most powerful singles, even though it didn’t make it onto any of their albums. And it’s not just on the soundtrack—Chino Moreno and the boys actually appear in the film, performing the track. That said, you’d be forgiven if you missed them; by that point, many viewers might already be snoozing. Still, seeing Deftones on screen, even in this unexpected cameo, is nothing short of rad. I guess getting signed by Madonna means Hollywood after all.
Check out the clip below to catch Deftones performing the song. With Moreno still rocking the dreads and Stephen Carpenter wearing pants instead of jorts, it truly is a sight to behold. I agree with the top comment by the way, it does remind me of Dia De Los Deftones.
Queen of the Damned (2002) - Jonathan Davis as “Scalper”
Korn’s Jonathan Davis, once a mortuary assistant and avid collector of serial killer memorabilia, seemed tailor-made to compose the darkly seductive soundtrack for Queen of the Damned, a film about a centuries-old vampire rock star. Directed by Michael Rymer and based on Anne Rice’s 1988 novel, the 2002 film starred Stuart Townsend as Lestat, the undead rocker, and R&B icon Aaliyah as Akasha, the powerful Queen of the Damned. To achieve a soundtrack that matched the grandeur and ferocity of Lestat’s persona, Rymer enlisted Davis and his songwriting partner, film composer Richard Gibbs, to create Lestat's songs. But they quickly pitched something grander: writing the score as well.
JD called upon his inner goth child to dive into the project, even channeling the mindset of Lestat as he composed, creating songs from the perspective of “a 400-year-old vampire” with a dark hunger and otherworldly allure. Working late nights on the road with Gibbs, Davis recorded eight songs, of which Rymer selected five for the film, including “Not Meant for Me,” “Forsaken,” and “Redeemer.” Davis’s bandmates Head and Munky, as well as Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers and virtuoso violinist Shankar, also contributed to the haunting soundscape. However, record label restrictions blocked Davis’s voice from being included on the official soundtrack album, leading to a re-recording with vocalists like Wayne Static, Chester Bennington and Jay Gordon — a decision that deeply frustrated him (though I'm not complaining). The soundtrack also features “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones, a song whose inclusion in the movie probably kickstarted their reputation as “the sex band"—a label that social media would later cement.
So, Davis was already “pissed” that his vocals couldn’t be used, and to make things worse, Anne Rice later urged her fans to “simply forget” the film altogether. Ironically, the Korn singer’s cameo as a scalper may have been one of the few elements that kept the movie's reputation alive—apart from the music, of course.
Saw 3D (2010) - Chester Bennington as “Evan”
Chester Bennington’s appearance in Saw 3D is one of the more memorable crossovers between nu metal and horror, with the musician making a cameo as Evan, a neo-Nazi skinhead who finds himself trapped in what is perhaps one of Jigsaw’s most grotesque torture devices. Bennington and his wife were such fans of the series that when producer Mark Burg moved next door to one of Bennington's bandmates, he quickly extended the invitation to appear in the film. The Linkin Park singer accepted readily, saying he’d have shown up just to watch the movie being shot if they had asked. His cameo became even more noteworthy with the inclusion of “Condemned,” a song from his side project Dead by Sunrise, on the film’s soundtrack.
In Saw 3D, Evan finds himself chained to the seat of a car rigged to set off a deadly sequence. As the engine roars to life, it threatens the lives of his equally despicable friends, who are similarly trapped in ways that only the twisted minds in the Saw writers' room could envision. Bennington’s portrayal of Evan’s visceral struggle, his skin tearing as he desperately attempts to escape, is–for a variety of obvious reasons–difficult to watch. Originally, Evan was intended to survive the trap, but because of the singer’s prior commitments, the storyline was altered, leaving his character to meet a gruesome end instead. It ultimately makes the scene a macabre intersection of his art and life. One that lends a little too much of a haunting quality to the viewing experience.
Though Saw 3D itself is often remembered as one of the weaker installments, Bennington’s performance makes it worthwhile, both for horrorheads and for Linkin Park fans who appreciate seeing him do what he did best: scream his fucking lungs out.
Fear Clinic (2014) - Corey Taylor as “Bauer”
Corey Taylor’s cameo as Bauer in Fear Clinic was more than just a fun side project for the Slipknot frontman—it marked his first full foray into acting, something he’d wanted to pursue for years. Interestingly, he almost missed this opportunity too; the role of Bauer was initially offered to Robert Trujillo from Metallica, but when Trujillo’s schedule didn’t allow it, the film’s director, Rob Hall, reached out to Taylor as his next choice. Less than two weeks after receiving the script, he found himself on set.
#8 embraced the creepy, unsettling persona of Bauer with a commitment that surprised even himself. In the script, Bauer is described as having a “rapey” vibe—a note Taylor ran with by growing a ‘70s porn stache and giving himself a “strange haircut” to amplify the character’s menacing appearance. “I want people to leave the movie theater going “I’m so glad whatever happened to him, happened to him”,"said Taylor of portraying his character. Taylor shared that being on set with the legendary Freddy Kreuger actor Robert Englund, who he met on the first day of shooting, made it easier to settle into the role, transforming the initial awkwardness into an “enjoyable” experience.
While the “Neck” found the pressures of acting different from his usual comfort zone on stage, where he can hide behind a mask, his on-screen performance tells me he took on the challenge with enthusiasm. Although he’s not a “classically trained actor” as he puts it, Taylor embraced the chance to get uncomfortable and dive into a role that wasn’t just a version of himself, for once. His performance does add a sinister edge to what is once again deemed an underwhelming film and cemented his reputation as a horror fan willing to explore the genre beyond cosplaying as Jack Torrance.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024) - Fred Durst as “Frank”
Every year, indie film nerds can count on unforeseen delights—new filmmakers, rising stars, and surprising turns from famous actors who throw themselves into unexpected roles. But even with this anticipation of the unpredictable, few could have guessed that 2024 would feature our favorite chocolate starfish in of the most captivating A24 films of the year.
While Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst has always dabbled in film, his screen presence has been more of an occasional cameo than a fixture. Most notably, his time behind the camera was… memorable, thanks to his 2019 cult thriller The Fanatic, where John Travolta stars as an obsessive fan in a rather controversial role.
This year, however, Durst emerged in a whole new light, taking on the character of Frank in I Saw the TV Glow. Frank is the intimidating, largely silent stepfather of Justice Smith’s character, Owen, who is obsessed with a network YA show called The Pink Opaque. His disapproving, unspoken dominance makes Owen feel as though he’s treading on eggshells every second he's in the house. Durst’s character utters only a few lines—his main one being a skeptical “Isn’t that a show for girls?”—yet his silence shapes the atmosphere of the entire household, intensifying Owen’s anxiety and driving him to use the show as his sole emotional outlet.
With I Saw the TV Glow, director Jane Schoenbrun and producer Emma Stone craft a dreamlike homage to ’90s media. Durst’s presence kind of works like a meta nod to that, grounding this nostalgic reverie of a film with his unmistakable hot dog fueled energy. What’s funny is that he could have easily been just another piece of retro casting, a callback to the era that shaped Schoenbrun’s vision. Instead, Durst delivers a noteworthy and respectable performance that doesn’t feel out of place in this heartbreaking film. And sheesh, if that Mr. Melancholy scene wasn’t one of the darkest bits of cinema I’ve seen in a while.
So, while many film geeks will always know him for his questionable work on The Fanatic, it’s clear to me that the Red Cap has acting chops that no one really saw coming. Except for me. You see, when I saw this CarMax commercial for the first time, I just knew our boy had it in him. You’re in time for Fred Durst Fall, so check out I Saw the TV Glow if you haven’t already.
