It’s no secret that Halloween and Heavy Metal go hand in hand. After all, October is ‘metal month.’ Or, at least it was when VH1 actually gave a crap about music. Like Jack and Coke or pizza and beer, Halloween is the best holiday to crank up some heavy, spooky tracks. Despite your music tastes and interests. Here’s a look at the top five best songs for Halloween.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Sabbath’s horror elements are unquestioned. The band was founded on ‘scaring people.’ At least when they turned from Earth into Black Sabbath. And there’s so many songs from so many eras of the band that would be perfect for this list. But the song that’s gotta go on it has to be the debut track ‘Black Sabbath.’ The horror imagery is so vivid that you can really picture the scene created by the lyrics. ‘Figure in black, that stands before me,’ Ozzy sings in his creepy hard rock brogue. Not only that, but the music fits the lyrics with impeccable accuracy. Sabbath always had a knack for fitting melody and subject together seamlessly. And their debut song is still the best example.
Dream Theater – Dark Eternal Night
It’s for sure one of Dream Theater’s sickest songs musically. Lyrically it kind of falls into the Spinal Tap zone. But that’s okay. Because it’s a perfect heavy track for Halloween. One of Dream Theater’s heaviest tracks, ‘Dark Eternal Night’ covers the tale of a poltergeist demon that’s risen out of the dead. Or something like that. But it’s still perfect Halloween material. And the jamming on the track is unmatched. Everything from the opening riff to the twelve ton heavy as hell breakdown jam. This is a Dream Theater song that owns the metal world.
KISS – God of Thunder
It’s no question that KISS is the quintessential Halloween band. The costumes, the characters and the songs. Although many of them contradict what their image, which may give a false image to those who don’t know the bands music. After all, a demon lizard singing about being the doctor of love isn’t exactly non-contradictory. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t more assuming songs that each character sings. ‘God of Thunder’ from the ‘Destroyer’ album is Gene ‘The Demon’ Simmons’ signature song, despite it being written by Paul Stanley. It’s a corner stone of the live show. With Gene spitting blood during a bass solo that launches him up into the rafters of the stadium. The menacing riff and tribal drum beat give the song an appropriate crawl. And Stanley’s lyrics, written specifically for ‘The Demon,’ are one with the music. ‘I WAS RAISED BY THE DEMONS!’
Alice Cooper – Feed My Frankenstein
This song pretty much speaks for itself. When one thinks of Halloween, Alice Cooper comes to mind often. His character is based out of being some super natural villain. And like Black Sabbath, there are many many choices for a perfect Halloween track. Such as: ‘Welcome to My Nightmare,’ ‘I Love the Dead’ and ‘Love It to Death.’ But the perfect Halloween song from Cooper I believe is from his ‘Hey Stoopid’ album. During the peak of his late 80’s and early 90’s comeback. Featured in Wayne’s World, ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is a fun, funky track that sure to get everyone jumping. And it’s still a staple on many Halloween party playlists. It still remains as one of Cooper’s biggest hits.
Judas Priest – The Ripper
Signature early Judas Priest. A quick heavy metal journey about Jack the Ripper. One of the most metal and halloween oriented eras of humanity was the late Victorian era. The dark, polluted industrial vibe of new technology, fueled by fossil fuels, brought a depressing vibe to the U.K. And that cultural instinct followed for decades to come. All the way up to the beginning of heavy metal. ‘The Ripper’ is obviously about Jack the Ripper. The murderous axe-man that hunted prostitutes. But the folklore of the character has gone beyond the reality. And ‘The Ripper’ is a perfect heavy metal song for Halloween.
