It’s Halloween time again! The holiday of ghouls and demons provides
many with the chance to celebrate their love of the occult with spooky décor,
costumes and haunting music. But before you put on “Thriller” for the thousandth
time, why not look for something a little more off-beat.
If you haven’t caught our previous Halloween song lists (1,
2
& 3),
Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is back to bring you even more
off-beat horror rock songs to add to your Halloween party playlist. Here are
five sure to up the creepy factor at your next get-together.
1.
My Chemical Romance, “Helena”: The dark,
theatrical nature of “Helena” is haunting. Written by frontman Gerard Way about
the passing of he and bassist Mikey Way’s grandmother, you get this sense of
mourning and anger from it. The combined sadness and anger explode in the big
outbursts of the chorus, while the verses seem internal and head-y. (video)
2.
Ice Nine Kills, “IT Is The End”: If you’re into
horror films, than Ice Nine Kills latest album, ‘The Silver Scream’ would be
right up your alley. Each song is about a classic of the genre and any one would
be perfect for a Halloween playlist. But there’s something about “IT Is The
End,” a spin on the ‘IT’ franchise, that is just special. From the circus theme
woven into the melody to the somewhat unhinged vocals of frontman Spencer
Charnas, this retelling is as disconcerting as the film itself. Also, Charnas’
clown costume in the music video is terrifying. (video) (Note, the video
is the final part of a series. Watch parts
1 to 4 first because otherwise you will spoil the ending for yourself.)
3.
Nine
Inch Nails, “Closer”: One of Nine Inch Nails’ most well-known tracks, “Closer”
is also one of the creepier tunes the band has released. The lyrics are a bit
two-faced, on the one hand they read like a sex offender vocalizing their inner
demons, and on the other crying out for help. Trent Reznor’s slow, almost
spoken vocal delivery is deliberate against the song’s dark, creeping, metallic
instrumental, adding to this cloying unwell feeling you get from the song. (video)
4.
Bauhaus,
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead”: Don’t listen to “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” in a quiet room in
the dark. First off, the song is melodically eerie with its screeching guitars
that feel like mice scurrying around a room and Peter Murphy’s haunting deep
vocals. Then towards the end you have these moments when the song cuts out and
are filled with unsettling noises like knocking on a door or a brass instrument
that sounds like moving furniture. It’s definitely a sensory overload that will
have you questioning your sanity. (video)
5.
AFI, “Miss Murder”: It’s hard to know what “Miss
Murder” is referring to, mostly because AFI frontman Davey Havok won’t say. But
it’s creepy, haunting lyrics have always hinted at something otherworldly, like
an alien or cult waiting to be taken home by their ship or higher power. The
passion with which Havok sings adds to the darkness, evoking points of both
sharp power and deep pain all in one track. (video)
With Halloween right around the corner, you need the right
playlist of creepy songs to get the mood just right. Check out some of the off-beat
unsettling tracks above and let us know what haunting tunes you like to listen
to at this time of year in the comments below.
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Find music for all of your perfect holiday playlists at
Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have
thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres to choose from.
Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs,
memorabilia and more tin store at our Plainview location or online at
vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time,
you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.
