Oct. 31, 2007
Over the past week, we here at AMG have wracked our (tasty) brains compiling a list of creepy, crazy tunes to help our readers set the mood for their Halloween celebrations. The creative feedback from our readers inspired us to cap off our series today with one more set of ten songs. (You can find our previous lists here and here.) As always, there's a little something for everyone, but it's far from definitive -- feel free to help out your fellow revelers by leaving your own suggestions in the comments. Have a fun, safe and scary Halloween!
AC/DC, "Hell's Bells". Never let it be said that metal doesn't go deep. This meditation on mortality from one of Australia's most famous bands comes with dreary, dirge-like chords and built-in spooky imagery.
Robert Johnson, "Me and the Devil Blues". Long before concerned parents were analyzing their kids' albums for occult references, blues legend Johnson was singing songs with bizarre, unsettling lyrics. Know many tunes where the Devil himself shows up and drives a man to murder? Didn't think so.
HIM, "Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly". For those looking to add a bit of goth romanticism to their Halloween happenings, the Finnish pioneers of "love metal" are a rather seductive pleasure. It doesn't hurt that lead singer Ville Valo looks like a character out of one of Anne Rice's novels.
Squirrel Nut Zippers, "Hell". Part tent revival, part Mardi Gras, this song about the perils of eternal damnation makes "Down Below" sound almost fun.
Silverchair, "Spawn Again". Back before he was walking in a straight line, Daniel Johns wrote a song decrying animal cruelty -- one whose buzzing guitars and strangled, growling vocals makes your skin crawl. By the time the song's climax of "Death becomes clearer through bloodshot eyes!" is screamed out, you're properly terrified, contemplating vegetarianism, or both.
Sultans of Ping F.C., "Teenrage Rock & Roll Girl". Scary movies are a tradition this time of year, but if you don't have two hours to set aside, this ode to Carrie (which clocks in at under two minutes) may be the next best thing -- you get the basic plot and none of the filler.
The Groovie Ghoulies, "Graceland". Elvis seems to be a favorite costume year after year, but the Groovie Ghoulies up the stakes by adding a new concept: necromancy. Trust us, nothing says Halloween like Zombie Elvis. Nothing.
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear the Reaper". Before its inclusion in one of the most popular Saturday Night Live skits in recent memory, this classic rock anthem played a role in an American independent film that launched the career of Jamie Lee Curtis. Coincidence? We think not.
The Pogues, "Turkish Song of the Damned". Untimely death, unwilling possession and revenge -- what more could you want from a ghost story? While probably best known for the off-beat Christmas tune "Fairytale of New York" (sample), this piece off of If I Should Fall from Grace with God proves that the Pogues are for all seasons.
The Darkness, "Black Shuck". What's more frightening than a ghost story? A true ghost story... sort of. When Justin Hawkins sings of a ferocious, church-desecrating hell hound at the beginning of Permission to Land, he's citing a legendary creature from East Anglia that has been documented for centuries. The band gets bonus points for mentioning the creature clawing the church's door -- the marks are still there today, as evidenced by a quick Google image search.
AC/DC, "Hell's Bells". Never let it be said that metal doesn't go deep. This meditation on mortality from one of Australia's most famous bands comes with dreary, dirge-like chords and built-in spooky imagery.
Robert Johnson, "Me and the Devil Blues". Long before concerned parents were analyzing their kids' albums for occult references, blues legend Johnson was singing songs with bizarre, unsettling lyrics. Know many tunes where the Devil himself shows up and drives a man to murder? Didn't think so.
HIM, "Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly". For those looking to add a bit of goth romanticism to their Halloween happenings, the Finnish pioneers of "love metal" are a rather seductive pleasure. It doesn't hurt that lead singer Ville Valo looks like a character out of one of Anne Rice's novels.
Squirrel Nut Zippers, "Hell". Part tent revival, part Mardi Gras, this song about the perils of eternal damnation makes "Down Below" sound almost fun.
Silverchair, "Spawn Again". Back before he was walking in a straight line, Daniel Johns wrote a song decrying animal cruelty -- one whose buzzing guitars and strangled, growling vocals makes your skin crawl. By the time the song's climax of "Death becomes clearer through bloodshot eyes!" is screamed out, you're properly terrified, contemplating vegetarianism, or both.
Sultans of Ping F.C., "Teenrage Rock & Roll Girl". Scary movies are a tradition this time of year, but if you don't have two hours to set aside, this ode to Carrie (which clocks in at under two minutes) may be the next best thing -- you get the basic plot and none of the filler.
The Groovie Ghoulies, "Graceland". Elvis seems to be a favorite costume year after year, but the Groovie Ghoulies up the stakes by adding a new concept: necromancy. Trust us, nothing says Halloween like Zombie Elvis. Nothing.
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear the Reaper". Before its inclusion in one of the most popular Saturday Night Live skits in recent memory, this classic rock anthem played a role in an American independent film that launched the career of Jamie Lee Curtis. Coincidence? We think not.
The Pogues, "Turkish Song of the Damned". Untimely death, unwilling possession and revenge -- what more could you want from a ghost story? While probably best known for the off-beat Christmas tune "Fairytale of New York" (sample), this piece off of If I Should Fall from Grace with God proves that the Pogues are for all seasons.
The Darkness, "Black Shuck". What's more frightening than a ghost story? A true ghost story... sort of. When Justin Hawkins sings of a ferocious, church-desecrating hell hound at the beginning of Permission to Land, he's citing a legendary creature from East Anglia that has been documented for centuries. The band gets bonus points for mentioning the creature clawing the church's door -- the marks are still there today, as evidenced by a quick Google image search.