Halloween is the perfect time of year for metal music. Whether you listen to exclusively metal, a bit of everything or nothing but pop and/or country, you should check out some metal albums.
A good metal album is like a haunted house or horror movie for your ears. Halloween is a time to be scared, and these albums are definitely scary. If you don’t like metal or have never checked it out, perfect. These albums are going to scare the socks right off of you.
The following albums are arranged from least scary to most. Listen… if you dare!
Electric Wizard – “Dopethrone”
A certified doom metal masterpiece, “Dopethrone” sounds slow, sludgy and grinding. Full of feedback, movie samples and low-end bass and guitar riffs, it hits like a slow, crushing earthquake. While it’s got plenty of heaviness, it doesn’t come from the same place as a lot of other albums on this list. The songs on this album don’t have big breakdown screams or guitars tuned an octave down, which makes this a less intimidating first metal album, as long as listeners are okay with 10+ minute songs. The heaviness instead comes from its slowness and bassyness. There aren’t many other albums out there that sound like “Dopethrone”. It’s one of the doomiest doom metal albums to exist.
Poppy – “I Disagree”
Some people wouldn’t call this album metal– it’s metalcore, and whether that is metal or not is a subject of constant debate. But no matter its technical classification, it hits hard. Poppy’s story is too complicated to quickly summarize, but the most important thing you should know is that she went from a pop artist, who essentially played the role of a sentient computer, to a breakout metal star who has collaborated with some of the biggest names in modern metal. This album was her first foray into metal, and it retains some of her more pop-oriented instincts. There is a lot of clean singing, which makes her scream vocals stand out more. It’s not in-your-face scary like some of the later albums on the list, but songs like “Don’t Go Outside” and “Bite Your Teeth” are certainly creepy– and the latter song has a truly killer breakdown.
Death – “Leprosy”
If you ever need to impress an old school metal elitist, say that this is your favorite metal album. It’s one of the most important and influential death metal albums out there, and it’s easy to see why– it hits extremely hard. It’s the oldest album on this list, being released in 1988, and it’s a good reminder that the classics are classics for a reason. The guitar work on this album is incredible; catchy, melodic and beautiful while simultaneously being disgusting. The songs keep you on your toes with frequent tempo changes that help them build and release. Be prepared for real death metal lyrics describing violent and deadly situations. The lyrics don’t feel forced for shock value, however– many of them, like those of the song “Left To Die”, use gory language to make a meaningful point. Overall, this album is a perfect product of the early extreme metal movement.
Slipknot – “Slipknot”
Most people have heard of Slipknot, but only a few people are really acquainted with their discography. However, upon listening to this album, you quickly realize why their fans like them and their critics don’t. “Slipknot” is in your face, aggressive and cynical. If you listen to this album, prepare to have expletives screamed at you and listen to dissonant, often confusing sounds mixed in with downtuned, chugging guitars. The lead singer of Slipknot, Corey Taylor’s vocals, while definitely an acquired taste, are an integral part of the band and the album’s unique sound. Another part of their uniqueness is the band’s inclusion of a DJ, which lets them weave new sounds into the mix. This album is definitely scary, but hey– if you listen to it, you can feel superior to everyone who walks around in a Slipknot shirt without knowing the music.
Darkthrone – “A Blaze in the Northern Sky”
The songs on this record are long, abrasive, repetitive and absolutely evil. The vocals on this album are some of the rawest to ever be recorded. The scariness of this album is enhanced by its low recording quality– it feels pulled out of a used record bin. The melodic, choral opening song has one of the most ominous intros in all of metal. This album is maybe for the more experienced metal fans out there. It’s not super accessible to new listeners, but it is a classic of Norwegian black metal, and you might find yourself to be a fan. This album is best enjoyed at a loud volume and in the dark.
Whitechapel – “Hymns in Dissonance”
This album sounds, at times, like it should be illegal. It takes all the heaviest aspects of old school and new school metal and combines them into a sound that hits like a freight train. It uses all the tools of modern heavy music– downtuned, seven string guitars and different scream singing techniques– as well as the classics such as gory, if metaphorical, lyrics and relentless blast beat drumming. It tells a complex, lore-rich story surrounding a cult leader’s quest to destroy the world, but even if you aren’t into immersing yourself in lore, you can still enjoy the often terrifying sounds. There’s enough musical maturity and skill on display that this album can be listened to a few times with new things being discovered. “Hymns in Dissonance,” as a more recent release, proves that modern metal is just as scary as it ever was.
Knocked Loose – “A Tear in the Fabric of Life”
This album is the scariest on this list because the situation it describes is all too plausible. It tells the story of a deadly car crash and the way guilt and grief can crush a survivor. While its body count might not be as high as other albums on the list, the brutal honesty with which it presents its story makes it the most terrifying. The music itself is also objectively insane– frontman Brian Garris’s scream sounds like a panic attack and the center-scooped guitar and bass tones crash into the listener like broken glass. Even scarier than the brutal instrumentation, however, is how samples are used. The victim of the car crash whispers comforting phrases into the listeners ears, radio stations are slowly flipped through and– though this had to be edited out for streaming services– a snippet of a Beach Boys song is repeated, slowed down, sped up and altogether used to freak out the listener. To truly experience this album, watch the animated film that goes along with it– the visuals match the music perfectly, and you get to hear the full Beach Boys sample. This album, overall, is off the rails heavy and perfect for Halloween.
This Halloween, treat yourself to a musical scare, and check out one (or more) of these albums. They won’t disappoint.
