11 Songs to Scare Off Trick-or-Treaters

Black Sabbath’s eponymous song is certainly a familiar tune to many, but the power the song holds has stood the test of time as one of the creepiest song’s in existence. Utilizing “the devil’s fifth,” Tony Iommi conjures the Beast as Ozzy Osbourne’s droning voice evokes a mood of terror and fever as the guitars overtake his hopeless soul. Over the last 40+ years, “Black Sabbath” remains one of the most chilling songs in all of music. This is just the beginning.

The solo darkwave act Sopor Aeturnus & the Ensemble of Shadows incorporates music, poetry, and visual aesthetics into her art. Anna-Varney Cantodea’s music takes on an obvious Christian Death influence, but ventures further into depression. “The Goat” is a somber, but eerie song that raises the hair on your neck with those haunting vocals. This song is downright uncomfortable and would make anyone think twice before ringing your doorbell on Halloween.

Mories is the tortured soul responsible for all of the chaotic symphonies of horror that is Gnaw Their Tongues. The band’s song titles are a direct reflection of the music held within, making for an almost unbearable listen for those unaccustomed to the genre. Gnaw Their Tongues borders on the line of being called “anti-music” because of the level of noise and harsh musical elements that go against the traditional grain. “Broken Fingers Point Upwards in Vein” is sure to send kids running from the door before taking candy from strangers.

The Berzerker meld grindcore with cyber industrial elements to create their sonic hellscapes. The possessed cat shrieks of vocalist Luke Kenny combine with the band’s relentless assault to craft a horrifying atmosphere, which gives way to a series of samples describing gruesome acts of mutilation and murder. “Forever” will make kids think twice about dipping their hands into a bowl of candy in fear of coming away with a severed hand or an eyeball.

Mortuus has one of the filthiest voices in extreme metal, giving off the sense that he is vomiting blood at the beginning of ‘Vanity of Vanities.’ Marduk’s blastbeat-laden black metal attack is a potent outlet for the band’s anti-Christian views. The frontman sputters forth his vitriol, which is given a proper backing by the band’s relentlessness. Some black metal bands lack seriousness, but Marduk are all work and no play.

Sweden’s Silencer released one of the most polarizing black metal albums of the new millennium with Death – Pierce Me. Nattramn’s King Diamond-gone-black-metal shrieks and wails paint a woeful picture of the band. “Sterile Nails and Thunder Bowels” starts off somewhat hopeful, but all hope is lost when the mainman’s voice kicks in. The quiet break in the middle of the song with Nattramn’s whimpered screams is a part that will get under a trick-or-treater’s skin.

In the third installment of Stalaggh’s audio terror, they once again used the screams of patients receiving institutionalized mental care. The collective is infamous for their recordings of primal screams of these patients, as well as using their artwork for Stalaggh albums.

Whether any of this is true is up for debate (the ethics of the recordings, significantly less so), but what we know for sure is that Projekt Misanthropia is an exercise in sonic horror, making it a struggle for the listener to reach the end.

Mikael Akerfeldt has the most monstrous voice in death metal. His ability to attain such a low guttural without losing any bit of intelligibility is remarkable. While he was in the death metal supergroup Bloodbath, he laid waste to the studio with the Unblessing the Purity EP. This EP is the hallmark of his production skills and “Blasting the Virginborn” pulls no punches with its immediate impact. Akerfeldt’s voice is frightening and will turn ghost costumes from white to yellow.

Septicflesh combine orchestral music with death metal, making for one hellacious blend. Guitarist Christos Antoniou composes all of the symphonic elements with a full orchestra playing the music. Their start and stop rhythmic fury combined with Spiros Antoniou’s demonic growl create an unsettling vibe. When writing The Great Mass, the band said they took the approach of writing a horrifying soundtrack and they exceeded their goal with one of the most dynamic and unnerving metal albums to date.

The funeral doom duo Wraith of the Ropes contributed one of the creepiest albums to the genre in 2005. “Final Reflection” is driven by a barren piano melody that oozes sorrow. The bass and guitar provide a buzz-sawing drone as effects-drenched vocals employ a simple cadence to compliment the rigid drumming. Wraith of the Ropes give off the notion of a demonic presence dastardly haunting anyone within ear shot of the music, especially those at your door.