As we all know, October is metal month. The main reason being that it’s the month that contains Halloween. Which is without a doubt the most metal of holidays. I mean, c’mon, you dress up (typically) as some sort of penny dreadful horror monster and get free candy? That freakin’ rocks!! And there is no shortage of metal characters. Ranging from KISS to Slipknot. All of which make for a perfect Halloween costume. Here’s the top five Halloween metal costume ideas.
KISS
We’ll just start with the obvious. KISS have been Halloween staples now for nearly 50 years. And it’s easy to see why. The SpaceAce (man), The Demon, The Catman and The Starchild all lend themselves to perfect costumes for all ages. Every Halloween you can count on seeing at least one person dressed as a member of KISS. Sometimes now, it’s a whole family affair. It’s a right of passage in some cases. Either way, you can’t go wrong with KISS. Their kabuki style makeup is fairly easy to mimic. And it’s also easy to create a makeshift, homemade costume. A fun idea that never fails.
Lordi
So, these costumes may be a bit more of a challenge. But if you can master them, they’re totally worth the effort. The unexpected winners of the 2006 Eurovision contest were basically classic shock, hard rock. Old school to the max. The first track on their debut album is entitled ‘Bringin’ the Balls Back to Rock.’ That, along with tracks like ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ tells you all you need to know about the Finnish outfit. They completely rock, but don’t take themselves too seriously. Something greatly lacking in the hard rock/metal world. Their extremely detailed demon and zombie costumes are something to behold. If you have to the time and resources to pull off these outfits, go for it!!
Gwar
The tongue and cheek horror of this band is taken to such an extreme, the only word for it is genius. Their costumes take extravagance to the next level. They even have a whole story. They’re aliens who landed in Antarctica to destroy all the ‘poser’ metal with their metal. Maybe you want to dress up as Blothar, Jizmak Da Gusha. Or possibly the ever alluring Sleazy P. Martini. All of which make for some of the most shocking, hilarious and Halloween themed shows. Their costumes, while big and bold, should be fairly easy to assemble. The materials can be picked up from your local craft shop. And it’s convenient to make affordable. You may get a few raised eyebrows going to Halloween parties or street festivals. But then again, that’s kind of the point.
Slipknot
The shock rockers of the Nu Metal scene did way more than just extend the emerging metal genre of the the time. They injected a passion and showmanship that was unparalleled. Which is obvious when you look at the record sales. Their fanbase has flown the flag for heavy music for the past twenty years. And if you can get a group of eight together, you’re able to pull off all their masks from any era. They’ve changed significantly over the years. But still remain in the domain of which they originated. Numbers zero through eight represent the various characters in the band. Freaky masks are the order of the day. Ranging from creepy human skin wearer to spooky jesters and clowns. It’s basically a circus gone wrong.
Alice Cooper
The originator. The king of shock rock, Alice Cooper, will forever be a Halloween staple. The man invented the concept of the rock villain. His eerie eye make-up and top hat combo. Along with a general, all around evil demeanor made for must see concert footage. Plus, his entire show laid the foundation for what acts like GWAR and Marilyn Manson would do decades later. Plus, it’s an easy and very effective costume to put together. All you need is the eye makeup really. A raggedy blazer and slacks. Maybe some leather. Plus the whip, and you’ve pretty much got the look. Not only that, but his songs are perfect for Halloween. ‘Welcome to My Nightmare,’ ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ and ‘Poison’ all lend themselves to perfect Oct 31’st themed rock and roll. Epic all around. Can’t go wrong with Alice Cooper.
So those are the top five Halloween costumes for this year. What are some of your favorites? Sound off!!
