From adorable ghosts such as Casper to buckets of empty calories, Halloween often seems at odds with itself. For many, Halloween is more than just a time for candy and cute costumes — it’s a time for grim horror and thrills.
Thankfully, there’s music to make up the difference. The three albums below should more than accommodate any Halloween traditionalists looking for something a bit more
Gravediggaz, “6 Feet Deep”
Odds are that most music fans haven’t heard of Gravediggaz’s cult classic album “6 Feet Deep.” With Halloween just days away, there’s never been a better time to get acquainted.
Back in 1994, the hip-hop quartet released their controversial debut album and gave birth to the sub-genre horrorcore, a subset of hip-hop focused primarily on themes of grim horror and extreme violence.
Lines such as “deep in tha forest, I slay for tha porridge / yet it’s cold, ya die slow like a tortoise / deep in my chorus, ya result Diggamortis” populate the album, lending the music a humorously evil touch.
Gravediggaz’s “6 Feet Deep” is ideal record for a grim, fun Halloween party. There’s enough steady rhythm to keep the party alive yet enough nightmarish lyricism to fit the holiday’s menacing reputation.
Bloodbath, “Nightmares Made Flesh”
Sure, death metal may not be the most accessible genre for average music listeners, but Swedish collective Bloodbath make a convincing case for the October festivities. Brutal and nasty, the album is nothing less than a perfect Halloween soundtrack.
With titles like “Feeding the Undead,” “Draped in Disease” and “Blood Vortex,” the album sets a clear tone for the brutality to come. Guttural vocals surge through the waves of down-tuned guitar riffs as the drums pound away in a maddening dance.
It’s the sound of hell come alive and it’s more fun than you can imagine. Sure, it may not make for a great party album, but “Nightmares Made Flesh” could be fun for a solo listening experience who want a little more “oomph” to their music.
And if that’s not enough, what better way is there to enjoy Halloween festivities than with a song about being eaten alive?
Scott Walker, “The Drift”
Unlike the other albums mentioned in this list, Scott Walker’s “The Drift” is legitimately terrifying. While “6 Feet Deep” and “Nightmares Made Flesh” carry themselves with a tongue-in-cheek sense of self-bemusement, “The Drift” is completely stone-faced in its chilling soundscapes.
Comprised mainly of harrowing synths, eerie strings and Walker’s haunting, operatic vocals, “The Drift” makes for quintessential Halloween listening. Each song feels as if it’s weaving, twisting and turning through blackened corridors with sinister intent.
Walker bemoans “I’m the only one left alive” on the album’s third track, “Jesse,” and it certainly feels that way. The listeners are likely to feel the same as they delve deeper into the record’s murky depths. “The Drift” is not for the faint of heart.
Rather, the album is for those who truly want to feel that special touch of dread that only a Halloween night alone can create. Listen at your own expense.
