Trent Reznor snuck a metal track into a blockbuster
Johannes Persson, the driving force behind the post-metal behemoth Cult Of Luna, has shared a surprisingly serendipitous story about how a forgotten track from a metal band ended up soundtracking a blockbuster film. It turns out that while working on massive cinematic projects, musical history can collide in the most unexpected ways.
Persson, who typically spends his time walloping audiences with post-metal, was deeply involved in the production of 2011’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. In his role, he was tasked with wrangling extras, but fate intervened when he connected with the legendary Trent Reznor, the mainman of Nine Inch Nails.
The connection was made during the film’s scoring process. Director David Fincher and his team asked Persson to send over his music. It was during this exchange that a moment of pure musical magic occurred. Persson recounted standing by a mountain, and Reznor, in a moment of pure recognition, hit him in the ribs and declared, “I love that song.”
The song in question was The Guillotine, a track from the Swedish band Khoma, released in 2006. Fincher had chosen it for the film’s score. Persson recalled the humorous exchange that followed: the director admitted he had written the song in ten minutes, prompting Reznor’s witty response, “Imagine how good it would have been if you spent 15 on it!” A perfect illustration of how sometimes things just happen.
Cult Of Luna, co-founded by Persson and Fredrik Kihlberg, alongside singer Jan Jämte, carved out an influential space in the post-metal scene. They built a significant catalog with four studio albums between 2004 and 2012, cementing their status among the most influential bands of their genre. Though the band faced challenges maintaining momentum due to the members’ outside interests, their musical impact remains undeniable.
The group continued to build on this foundation, notably with their 2016 collaboration Mariner with American vocalist Julie Christmas, which gained traction across Europe. Now, Cult Of Luna is gearing up for new music, set to release their tenth album, In The Shadow Of Your Shadow, on November 6th, with confirmed tour dates lining up for February and March. It’s a reminder that even amidst the heaviest genres, the connections forged through art continue to echo long after the final note fades.
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