Halloween Playlist

With Halloween approaching, I thought it would be cool to share some of my favorite albums to listen to that bring spooky  Images of fall and pumpkin spice into my world. With that being said, Welcome to my world bitch.

AFI - All Hallows
Genre: "Horror Punk" FFO: Misfits, The Adicts Crime in Stereo

Of course I'm gonna start with this. Three original Halloween themed songs and a Misfits cover. This album is as spooky as it is nostaglic, Carve that pumpkin and break out that Tony Hawk game.

King Diamond - Abigail + The Fatal Portrait
Genre: Heavy Metal

Get ready for some ghost stories. It's tough to pick a favorite between these two, but I think I personally lean more towards Abigail. Both albums tell haunting ghost stories that will give you chills to read along to. Fatal Portrait also features a song entitled Halloween.

The Banner - Frailty
Genre: Metalcore FFO: Pulling Teeth, Integrity, Cursed

New Jersey hard hitters The Banner come in with a dark atmosphere to metalcore. With shockingly dark riffs into heavy breakdowns and mosh riffs, I'm surprised this band never got jocked like the others. I alwasy get goosebumps hearing the lyrics: I CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER FUCKING FUNERAL!" and then leading into a hard mosh riff.

My Chemical Romance - I Brought you my Bullets, You Brought Me You're Love
Genre:Post-Hardcore/Emo FFO: Beloved, Taking Back Sunday, The Used

While later MCR introduce a more pop punk side, I Brought You My Bullets was actually more on the hardcore side. what makes me this album feel like Halloween is the two main influences: Misfits and The Smiths. MCR combine that punk aggression with sadness perfectly. Someone I met at a show once told his old band opened for them in 2000 and they were a complete Misfits rip off back then, wish I was there because he said MCR sucked back then and I still don't believe him.

Cradle of Filth - Nymphetamine
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal FFO: Dimmu Borgir, Abigail Williams(old)

Gotta give credit to Bam Margera for getting me into this album. Cradle of Filth's Nymphetamine is an orchestral masterpiece perfect for any haunted house trip. The speed of black metal mixed with symphonies and operatic female guest vocals are eerie and haunting. My personal favorite by Cradle of Filth.


Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Genre: Heavy/Doom Metal/Rock n Roll



No words needed. Nobody on this list would exist without this album.

Anaal Nathrakh - Hell is Empty and All the Devils are Here
Genre: Blackened Grindcore FFO: Fukpig, Mistress, 1349

Anaal Nathrakh make music that is absolutely terrifying. The Vocals are a combination of blood curdling screams that sound like someone being tortured and cleans that sound like satanic chants. Hell is Empty will bring you to the nearest church confession booth and stab the priest on the other side.

As I Lay Dying - Shadows are Security
Genre: Melodic Metalcore FFO: It Dies Today, Haste the Day, Zao

Now this album isn't very horror themed or anything I'm aware. However the artwork and atmosphere of it makes you want to listen to at night, and something about the riffs and marching drum parts just makes me think of a sleepy hollow type image. A good album year round, very appropriate for fall.

Energy - Invasions of The Mind
Genre: Melodic Hardcore/"Horror Punk" FFO: Misfits, AFI, My Chemical Romance

Hailing from Stoughton Mass, Energy are a long time favorite who have been breaking the boundaries of hardcore for years. Their sound is hard to describe but a huge influence from the Misfits is very noticeable, with very unique melodic riffs that you can't compare anything to.Invasions of the Mind will send into the forest to wallow in despair while you're haunted by ghosts of past family members.

Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death
Genre: Indie/Neo Folk FFO: Chelsea Wolfe, Petal

Let's take a break for a second. If you want to enjoy the nice weather on a sunny fall day and just walk around the forest watching leaves fall, then Marked for Death is for you. This album made it high on my list for 2016. A soothing melodic indie sound with dark gothic elements sneaked in.

Hypocrisy - The Arrival
Genre: Melodic Death Metal FFO: Kataklysm, God dethroned

Hypocrisy originally started as a blackened death metal band that promoted satanism with the first two releases but later introduced a more melodic sound but still kept the aggressive death metal structure and gave the band a sci fi theme. While ghosts and goblins represent Halloween well, we can't forget about aliens. The Arrival begins with a riff that literally sounds like you are being abducted by aliens and as the album goes on you can piece together an image of alien overlords taking over the world and enslaving mankind. Need a new sci fi thriller? Here you go.

Circle takes the Square - As The Roots Undo
Genre: Progressive Screamo/Chaotic Hardcore/Indie/Emo FFO: Funeral Diner, Hot Cross, I Would Set Myself on Fire For You

Another band that breaks boundaries. Circle takes the Square take a bunch of different genres, throw them in a blender and throw it in you face with passion. The lyrics are poetic and symbolic that actually take a few listens to understand. This is more of a personal fall album for me considering i used to walk to school listening to this when I was 16 and I remember seeing all the halloween decorations and pumpkins on peoples houses and it just stuck to me.

Ho99o9 - United States of Ho99o9
Genre: Experimental/Hip Hop/Rap/Hardcore Punk FFO: Death Grips, Bad Brains

I don't remember how I discovered this album but I'm glad I did. Ho99o9 ( Pronounced Horror) are the type of rap duo that play with metal bands and are literally a combination of Death Grips and Bad Brains in terms of sound. United States of Horror is an album high on my list for 2017 that is a very abrasive rap album involving politics but still with the type of beats that would remind you of a horror movie.

Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Genre: Black Metal FFO: Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal

The legendary Bathory and the iconic sound brought by 80s black metal. This album represents it well. While most of Bathory's music seems more of a winter theme, this album just has that feel that isn't cold. I see the color red a lot listening to this album (despite the "Black Mark") think of it however you want.

Dir En Grey - Dum Spiro Spero
Genre: Progressive J-Rock/Death Metal/Metalcore FFO: Deicide, D'espairsray, Eighteen Visions
  
Leave it to Japan to do some weird stuff. Dir en Grey is a metal band from Japan that are just as visual as they are musical. An anime fan such as myself can highly enjoy this band. Brutal death metal riffs are mixed well with soothing beautiful melodies that could put you to sleep and then wake you right back up with chaotic metalcore breakdowns. And the vocals are all screeching, gutteral, and calming. Be sure to watch videos of this band as well as they also wear costumes they make themselves that actually look monstrous.


Death - Scream Bloody Gore
Genre - Death Metal

Every metalhead should love this album. Personally my favorite Death album. Songs like Zombie Ritual just scream Halloween and will get you into the holiday spirit.

Atreyu - The Curse
Genre: Melodic Metalcore FFO: In Flames, Bullet For My Valentine (old), Indecision

Orange County allstars, Atreyu, come at you with the classic early 2000s metalcore album you grew up on. If you weren't around for this album, just hearing the opening to Bleeding Mascara will rope you in and keep you're attention with dark metal influenced riffs and heavy breakdowns. Break out that year book and reminisce about your ex girlfriend who sucked the life out of you (Vampire reference)

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
Genre: Heavy Metal/Rock n Roll

One of my favorite albums of all time. Also the first Ozzy album I bought as a kid. A mix of rock n roll and creepy eerie songs that are very festive this time of year. I remember hearing the title track as a 10 year old and I thought it was creepy and wouldn't listen to it at night. You Can't Kill Rock n Roll.

Panopticon - Autumn Eternal
Genre: Post-Black Metal/Folk FFO: Falls of Rauros, Lake of Blood, Wolves in the Throne Room

 This is another black metal album that is better when its not winter. While its primarily black metal, it also features a few folk songs. For the full effect, listen to it in an atmosphere like the album cover and the title track will blow you away.

Cursed - II
Genre: Dark/Chaotic Hardcore/ Sludge/Crust FFO: Trap Them, Baptists, Dystopia

If the cover art of the He Goat doesn't spook you enough to listen to it maybe this will. Cursed are a huge influence on the dark side of hardcore with members coming from tons of different bands in Canada. Unfortunately the broke up in 2008. Cursed II Features a good mix of Rock n Roll, Chaos, evil and sludge metal all with a hardcore punk structure.

Candlemass - Nightfall + Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Candlemass are the kings of epic doom metal. These two albums are tough to pick between but both will crush your soul with destructive heavy riffs and operatic vocals will send you to the gates of the underworld filled with despair and begging for your soul.

Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
Genre: Progressive Blackened Death Metal FFO: Agalloch, Novembers Doom

Most fans probably think of Opeth's progressive rock era of albums like Damnation or the earlier Black Water Park when they were still metal but beginning to transition into Damnation.While Opeth is phenomenal all together, My Arms, Your Hearse was part of the era of Opeth that was way more death metal than later opeth. While still progressive, this album is as brutal as it is beatiful. Another one that could put you to sleep and wake you right up.

Amebix - Monoliths
Genre: Heavy Metal/Crust Punk FFO: Motorhead, Discharge

I will never know how this album had such sick artwork at the time it was released. Imagine if Motorhead was darker and evil, that would be Amebix. The fast Motorhead sounding riffs paired up with The Baron's hoarse vocals equal a hell ride into Halloween town.

Danzig - Danzig
Genre: Heavy/Doom Metal

You saw this coming.

Entire Discography:

Misfits

Another one you saw coming. Exclude the Jerry Only fronted trash, and you got a good soundtrack to the spooky season. We could argue for hours between Graves and Danzig but both sides have jams. My personal Favorites would be American Psycho, Walk Among Us, and Static age. Break out that record player and throw on a horror flick and have a good time.

Electric Wizard
Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal FFO: Acid King, Black Sabbath, Bongzilla


I thought I could pick one album but I just can't. Electric Wizard are the one Sabbath worship band that make it their own. Each album shares two themes: drugs and witch hunts.other than those two each have one different main theme like Time to Die being about death, or Black Masses being centered towards occultism. each album is heavy and psychedelic and will force to abandon god.

Type O Negative
Genre: Gothic Doom Metal

You can'y have Halloween with out Type O Negative. Another personal favorite band of mine with a difficult favorite album choice. Bloody kisses is a spooky anthem, October Rust fills you with despair, Life is Killing Me will kill you.Need a laugh? Origin of the Feces. Nobody's too cool for Type O. Insult this band and you're a poser. RIP Peter Steele.

Chelsea Wolfe

If You read my review of Chelsea Wolfe from a few days ago, you would expect to see her on here. This woman makes music like no other. Earlier releases were a more gothic neo folk style while each release would get more metal influenced, heavier, and eviler. Chelsea continues to blow my mind with every release and I highly recommend checking out the new album Hiss Spun. Chelsea wolfe is the Queen.

Marilyn Manson
Genre: Industrial Metal/"Shock Rock"


The Antichrist Superstar is hear destroy your perception of reality and end christian religion for good. You knew he was coming. Whether you like him or hate him, you can't deny Manson is a freak of nature in more ways than one, however he uses that to his advantage and makes heavy industrial music that your parents hate. Keep up with the blog because a review of his show in February at the House of blues will be here.

King Dude
Genre: Neo Folk, Bluegrass

King Dude was originally the vocalist of the satanic death metal band Book of Black Earth. Eventually he began his venture into bluegrass but keeping the theme of Satanism. The atmosphere of his music depending on the album could be rough production thats very echoey making it sound like he recorded in a cave. His music will make you see the world in black and white swear your soul to Lucifer for all eternity.

Bell Witch
Genre: Funeral Doom FFO: Ahab, Skepticism, Shape of Despair


Bell Witch's music will hit you like a shovel and knock you into you're grave and bury you alive. Every Album is filled, with loss and despair and will actually make you feel like someone close to you has died a painful death and you're just left there to mourn.

Cara Neir
Genre: Post-Black Metal/Screamo/Crust/Grindcore FFO:Deafheaven, Cursed, pg.99


In the world of metal, I feel this band is very underrated. I never would've thought all of these style would fit together so well until I heard Cara Neir. They are two piece from Texas that are a black metal force that will make you convert to nihilism and prove your band is inferior. Just when you think the black metal parts end, the crust punk begins and grinds up, then back into black, only to turn skramzy. This band is incredible and will drive your hearse.

Pig Destroyer
Genre: Grindcore FFO: Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Agoraphobic Nosebleed

We'll end it with another favorite of mine. Pig Destroyer have lyrics that are just as terrifying as the rest of the music. Prowler in the yard features a story about a girl, Jennifer, who was playfully wrestling her girlfriend on the beach while others watched in both disgust and pleasure. Eventually Jennifer's girlfriend begins fingering her and gets swallowed into her vagina. There's also the story of Natasha, a girl who died bu the speaker sees her ghost but only to be lead to his own grave in a horrifyingly poetic way. I still remember falling asleep to Terrifyer and hearing the riff in Towering Flesh only to have the worst night terror of my life. If you want chills, read along to an entire Pig Destroyer album and bring a bucket.

Happy Halloween Witche$