Match: Kevin Steen vs. El Generico-Ring of Honor Final Battle 2010

Album: Integrity-Howling, for the Nightmare Shall Consume

In the tradition of the famous Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon mashup, allow me to present a combination of music and wrestling that enjoys its own set of synchronicities. To experience it, play the Integrity album and Steen vs. Generico (starting at the eight-second mark to skip the ROH intro) at the same time. Watch the match as the songs play in the background. Enjoy.

1. Fallen to Destroy

Steen and El Generico stand across from each other, swaying, glaring, soaking up the intensity of this moment as the last of the streamers tumble down to the mat.

The two former friends seem to still be settling into this new space they now occupy: the heart of a blood feud. Behind them, the guitar—sharp, swift, screeching—builds toward something menacing. A demonic voice recites an unintelligible prayer. It is all a harbinger of the violence and anguish to come.

As Steen grins and mock his masked rival, Dwid Hellion’s booming, grave voice bellows lyrics that speak to these men’s ongoing descent into hatred: “From the heavens/we have fallen/to destroy.”

2. Blood Sermon

The soundtrack to this Fight Without Honor speeds up, suddenly frantic and furious, just as El Generico goes on a blitzkrieg of an attack.

He cracks Steen in the face with his boot. He leaps over the top rope and crashes into his enemy. He attacks him with a chair. Fists tightened, chest heaving with big breathing, El Generico is charged up with all the animosity surging through him.

The bass and drums create a breakneck heartbeat beating over all of it.

As the opening lyrics point out, “The great reckoning is upon us.” This is El Generico’s revenge unfolding, the hurt and betrayed hero now smashing a man with a chain around his fist, insistent on taking that pound of flesh he is owed.

3. Hymn for the Children of the Black Flame

Generico’s wrath has staggered Steen and split his forehead open. Blood drips from Steen’s mouth and face. It fills his eyes. It stains his wrist tape.

A stampede of guitar and drums heightens the violence. This is a song born of rage. Its fury matches that of the men brawling at ringside.

When Steen is able to battle back and soon celebrate by writing on his arm with blood, it looks as if he is transcribing the music notes on his flesh.

4. I am the Spell

Steen, now in control, uses every bit of his surroundings to lay waste to El Generico.

As he crushes his old friend under a ROH sign, the bass is thunderous and the guitar grinds. It is a punishing sound, fitting for what we see unfold. Steen hurls a table at his foe. He flings him into a ladder and leaves him convulsing on the mat.

And lord, does Steen love the destruction he’s handing out. He looks up to the heavens, admires the blood blanketing his face, delighted. He seems to be taking the lyrics “sacrifice is serenity” to heart.

5. Die with Your Boots On

The guitar begins to gallop. The drums pulse. Just as Steen cranks up the violence, the music ups it’s pace.

The bloodied sadist presses his boot to Generico’s neck. While holding his squirming foe to the mat, Steen writes on his back with blood. It’s long moved away from a sporting contest and become Steen’s own personal tortuous performance art piece.

The audience is left to ask the question Hellion is posing in a Lemmy Kilmister-esque growl: “Where will it end?”

6. Serpent of the Crossroads

El Generico lies bent in the corner. Steen has choked him, crushed him, and scraped the hope from his heart.

As we watch this babyface suffer, the music shifts into a ballad. Guitar harmonies echo. Cymbals rattle. Perhaps we are hearing the goodbye song for our masked hero.

Steen is a cat toying with a half-dead mouse; ripping a chunk out of Generico’s face, and slapping a body handprint onto his back.

Absolutely battered, El Generico dredges up enough strength to slam Steen onto a ladder, and everything shifts from there. As a guitar solo sears, Generico fights back, raging, screaming, and transformed.

7. Unholy Salvation of the Sabbatai Zevi

The sounds of an eerie church organ combine with lyrics that belong in some necromancer’s dark sermon. This is the backdrop to two wobbly, weary men looking to finish each other off. They set up a ladder between the apron and the barricade and position a table atop that.

 Are we set to watch a violent ritual begin?

Death toll bells and stout drums play as Generico embraces his worst instincts. He fires off hard shots, suplexes and throws Steen through a table in the midst of a frenetic comeback.

When Steve Corino interferes, preventing Generico from getting a three-count, the song speeds up. The match shifts into chaos; the guitar claws. Colt Cabana leaps into the fray, referees get clobbered, and chair shots clang throughout the Manhattan Center.

8. 7 Reece Mews

As the match’s final visceral, emotional moments play out, we move to the sounds of spurs clinking, to massive pounding drums. This is a sinister lullaby saying goodnight and goodbye to whoever cannot survive this last fit of violence.

Generico withstands Steen’s assault and then has the chance to crack him in the head with a chair in an act of poetic vengeance. He hesitates. Steen holds up the scrap of mask he tore away, a reminder of what used to be.

No matter. Generico fires the final chair shot.

The soundtrack to all this, meanwhile, feels tailor-made for this moment.

This is the End that shall destroy everything.

This is the night that shall forever reign.

This is the darkness that shall be your cage.

This is the chaos which shall never fade.

Those last words hint at what’s to come in Steen and Generico’s story—a rivalry that would travel with them to NXT, to WWE, to forever; hatred clinging to their very beings, infused into their blood for all time.