We’ve already done 40 other Halloween Heavy Metal tracks in past editions of Fright-A-Thon. But you know what? Halloween and heavy metal music go together. They both celebrate the darker side of life (and death). They also kick a whole hell of a lot of ass. If this list looks strange and doesn’t include “Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden, that’s because it’s on the other lists! If you’re looking for some new Halloween music to slap on that playlist, this is the list for you.
There aren’t very many rules for the list, it would be incredibly easy to just put every King Diamond song and call it a day, but there’ll only be one song from any given artist. If your definition of Heavy Metal doesn’t match mine, too bad. We’re here to have a good time, to party, and this is 10 More Amazing Halloween Heavy Metal Songs.
The 30 Best Heavy Metal Halloween Songs
10 Amazing Halloween Heavy Metal Songs
10. Scare Force One – Lordi
If you’re into melodic, soaring vocals, you’ll love Lordi. Their most recent album Screem Writers Guild might focus more on the dark and macabre, but their 2014 effort Scare Force One also gives off some spooky vibes that are perfect for Halloween. If you’re making a playlist, you’ve got to include “Scare Force One”.
9. Circle Of Evil – Striker
Complete with a music video shot in a video store and some killer imagery, Striker is the best band that you need to know about. Their blend of classic heavy metal stylings with new-school elements is just what the doctor ordered. “Circle of Evil” is about someone stumbling on an evil being or killer and being chased by a group doing rituals. It’s about as Halloween-coded as it gets.
8. Hunter’s Moon – Ghost
At this point, Ghost is reaching King Diamond levels of just every song being basically about evil or Halloween-adjacent. Their track “Hunter’s Moon” off the album impera was included on the soundtrack for Halloween Kills. So if a song makes the soundtrack for a Michael Myers HALLOWEEN movie, it makes a list of the best Halloween heavy metal songs. And before anyone comes and whines about Ghost not being heavy metal, miss me with that.
7. Creeping Death – Metallica
Now, the actual subject matter of “Creeping Death” might be about the Biblical plague placed on the Egyptians and the aftermath of all of that. But that’s about as frightening a subject matter as it gets. Plus, it doesn’t get much more badass than a track called “Creeping Death”. Metallica aren’t super known for their horrific imagery or Halloween-adjacent lyrics, but this one fits the bill perfectly.
6. The Conjuring – Megadeth
Ask yourself, what is more Halloween and scary than a song that the band refused to play for a long time because it involved black magic and putting curses on people? You get that and then some with “The Conjuring” by Megadeth. With lyrics like “Don’t call the priest” and some insane guitar riffing, you can do much less scary than this track for a Halloween playlist.
5. Devil & Daughter – Black Sabbath
Is this from the Ozzy Osbourne era? No. How about the Dio era? No, again. This is from the criminally underrated Tony Martin era of Black Sabbath and their highlight album Headless Cross. The riffage on “Devil & Daughter” is enough to make your face melt, but then you get to Tony Martin absolutely belting lyrics about Satan and his daughter. Now you can take those to mean it literally, or it could be about Sharon Osbourne, who knows. Either way, it absolutely rocks.
4. Book Of Thel – Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson described this song as a “nightmare” during his recent run of concerts with his solo band. “Book of Thel” is reminiscent of the Necronomicon or the Darkhold from Marvel lore. It’s based on the poem of the same name by William Blake that delves into questions about youth, adolescence, It combines references from across literature, ensuring for a frightening masterpiece.
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
3. The Antichrist – Slayer
Sure, Slayer might delve into the horrors of humanity and reality in their later records, but nothing beats the shrieking vocals and shorter tracks of Show No Mercy. “The Antichrist” is about the titular spawn of Satan that rises up to take over and enslave the world. It’s short, sweet. and knows exactly how to scare you.
2. Prince Of Darkness – Alice Cooper
“Lock Me Up” from the same album features Robert Englund as a guest vocalist, but “Prince Of Darkness” is even more spooky sounding. The entire late-’80s era of Alice Cooper is very horror movie/slasher-coded and features some fun songs that could fit as Halloween songs. But it doesn’t get spookier than talking about the Prince of Darkness.
1. Black Horsemen – King Diamond
Who else could lead a list of the best Halloween heavy metal songs than King Diamond? His entire discography is made of spookiness. It doesn’t get much spookier than the album Abigail. The closing track of that album, “Black Horsemen” finishes up the story of Abigail, Jonathan, and Miriam in horrific fashion, complete with a spirit taking over Miriam, killing Jonathan, and then the Black Horsemen coming in to take Abigail away to the chapel in the forest. It doesn’t get much better than this.
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