Various Artists

Atlantic

Interestingly, a promo copy of the Demon Knight soundtrack didn’t arrive in Washington City Paper‘s mailbox until well after the flick died a speedy death at local moviehouses. But perhaps that’s just as well: This reasonably satisfying grab-bag of hard-edged tunes wasn’t likely to benefit from association with its doomed celluloid brother anyway. As soundtracks go, Demon Knight includes fewer losers than usual (here, Pantera’s 4-year-old “Cemetery Gates” and Megadeth’s new-but-uninteresting “Diadems” are the snoozers), and actually features several engaging tracks. Ministry gives a clue of its new direction with the austere, creepy “Tonight We Murder”; Filter’s effects-heavy approach energizes the grim “Hey Man Nice Shot”; and Melvins’ “Instant Larry” has an enjoyably murky stutter. Amid all this headbanging, a rap song seems somewhat out of place, but at least Gravediggaz’s “1-800-Suicide” explores appropriately funereal subject matter.