# Gregorian chants with hard rock...where can I find it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353 "2003-01-13T19:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/1 "2003-01-13T19:47:24Z")
Kinda bored last night, I was playing _Gauntlet: Dark Legacy_ (for the PS2), and went through the Desecrated Temple level. For some reason, the music really caught my attention. The vocals are in the style of a Gregorian chant, and there’s an electric guitar playing hard rock, and what sounds to be a synthesizer. It’s pretty amazing. On the next level (a boss fight), the soundtrack consists of someone rocking out on an organ, with some pretty cool drumming. Does anyone know where I can find more music like this? ---
**Author:** ![Zaphod\_TORC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9de0a6/32.png) [@Zaphod\_TORC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zaphod_TORC)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/2 "2003-01-13T19:53:54Z")
I don’t know about hard rock, but the Beastie Boys had Gregorian chanting on 2 cuts from their “Ill Communication” album. It’s a very good record if you haven’t heard it before. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/3 "2003-01-13T20:03:38Z")
I haven’t played _Gauntlet_ in aaages (I think it’s the same one, it’s been a year or so), but… **Industrial Monk** combines Gregorian chants with industrial rock. Amazon has info on them and sound bytes [here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NTPS/qid=1042487829/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/103-5143783-6099017?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) (this is for “Prophecies”, their last album; they also have “Magnificat” available). I personally really, REALLY like Industrial Monk, relaxing yet energizing at the same time. There’s also **In Extremo** , but it’s probably not what you’re looking for, but I love plugging them at any opportunity I can. 🙂[Here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JPCL/qid=1042487929/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-5143783-6099017) is a link to one of their albums (again with soundbytes). They combine heavy metal with bagpipes and flutes for medieval songs. I LOVE them. Bagpipe rock is a much-overlooked genre. 😃 Let me know if either of these fit the bill. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/4 "2003-01-13T20:22:24Z")
**zweisamkeit** : I’ll definitely check them out. I like the juxtaposition of heavy metal with symphonic and other non-traditional instruments, as well as non-traditional vocals. Have you heard of a band called Therion? ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/5 "2003-01-13T22:55:43Z")
There’s that Pepsi Blue commercial they seem to show every damn time I go to the movies. ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/6 "2003-01-14T07:07:23Z")
Savatage’s “Morphine Child” (with or without a definitive article depending on the source) is, well, it contains hard rock and chanting, though whether the song itself is “hard rock” is hard to say. It changes style a fair bit. Check it out, though, it might be the sort of thing you’re asking about, but it does go for 10+ minutes, and the chanting is only in a couple of them. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/7 "2003-01-14T16:30:45Z")
I couldn’t find any samples of “Morphine Child”, but from looking at the reviews on Amazon, people don’t seem to be unanimously wild. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/8 "2003-01-14T16:32:17Z")
Er, people don’t seem to be unanimously wild about the CD it’s on. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/9 "2003-01-14T19:41:15Z")
I enjoyed Poets and Madmen, actaully quite a bit. I don’t however think it’s what your looking for, there are no real chants in it at least not what you’re looking for. I really can’t think of anything like that, at least not in the stuff that I have. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/10 "2003-01-14T20:16:40Z")
Someone help me out here but didn’t **Therion** do something in this vein? I know it wasn’t _Vovin_, maybe _Deggial_? I know I’ve heard music exactly like this somewhere! OK a quick check at **Therion** ’s site revealed metal with a chior and violins but no Gregorian chants. Check out [The invincible](http://media.megatherion.com/mp3/deggi05h.mp3) or [Via nocturna part I,II](http://media.megatherion.com/mp3/deggi10h.mp3) NP: **The Black League** - _Ichor_ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/11 "2003-01-14T20:48:50Z")
I , too, will be looking into some of this, as the only examples off the top of my head I can think of are the beginnings to two tracks off of _fields of the nephilim’s_ eponymous album, but they are only short clips ☹ (as well as the beginning to SoM’s “This Corrosion” but that is only marginally hard rock) ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/12 "2003-01-14T21:07:29Z")
A google search on “gregorian chants metal” has turned up some promising leads. I’ll let y’all know if I find anything. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/13 "2003-01-15T02:23:52Z")
So far, the only thing I’ve been able to find that might match what I’m looking for is _Cardinal VII_ by Ashes to Ashes. Everyone else seems to use Gregorian chants as a gimmick for one song. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/14 "2003-01-15T03:36:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dumbguy \* > \*\*There’s that Pepsi Blue commercial they seem to show every damn time I go to the movies. \*\* Actually, that commercial uses clips from a full music video. Saw it once on MTV2. Forget the band and song name, tho’. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/15 "2003-01-15T10:58:11Z")
Try the group “Enigma” ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/16 "2003-01-15T10:59:15Z")
Enigma actually has a track called “gregorian chant”. hope that helps ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/17 "2003-01-15T11:04:12Z")
Oooops hard rock… not dance. I think “THe Omen” by the Fantomas sounds kinda like what you are talking 'bout ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/18 "2003-01-15T12:26:33Z")
Perhaps the earliest example of this is **Jethro Tull** ’s song \*\*“Hymn 43” \*\* on the 1971 album _Aqualung_. Gregorian chanting to hard rock, with some flute thrown in for free. There was also _ **Mass in F Minor** _ **Electric Prunes** , sort of Gregorian Chant Acid Rock back in 1968, if I remember correctly their “Kyrie Eleison” from the _Easy Rider_ soundtrack through the mental haze of that era. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/19 "2003-01-15T14:18:31Z")
Damn, so Industrial Monk and In Extremo didn’t fit the bill? Shucks. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353/20 "2003-01-15T14:33:09Z")
Enigma has a number of songs with Gregorian chanting in them. I love 'em 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gregorian-chants-with-hard-rock-where-can-i-find-it/148353.md?page=2)