The leaves are changing colors, pumpkins are on every corner, and haunted houses make their return. Possibly my favorite season of the year, Halloween is full of jump scares, ghosts, and the perfect weather for any occasion if the Midwest is lucky.
With Halloween around the corner, I have my "fall essentials" for spooky season when it comes to music. The albums that add the perfect element of suspense, chills, and enough darkness to make you feel like you're preparing for something sinister.
Though albums may not explicitly state that the theme is Halloween, the grim elements of the music are enough to take you there. From the album cover, sound, and lyrical content, here are my top albums just in time for Halloween that can give you grim goosebumps!
Three perfect albums for Halloween
Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath (1970)
Known as their first album as a band, when it comes to horror in music, without a doubt, Black Sabbath always makes the conversation. As someone who may always find a way to talk about Sabbath, their connections to "darkness" and that grim feeling from lyrics and heavy doom metal sound, their first album was the start of horror in bands.
Black Sabbath released in early 1970 and "creeped" out any new listener based on the album cover alone. There stands a black, shadow-like figure in front of an abandoned home surrounded by outgrown trees and bushes. The color scheme? Well, a mixture of black, red, and purple that makes the photo appear to be lost in time and taken out of a haunted film.
The music? Possibly unsettling at first, making it appear sinister. The start of metal music also blends beautifully with the scenes of Halloween. Track No.1 starts with "Black Sabbath" off the album Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath. Quite clever to be fair.
An album that almost feels deathly in sound, as Tony Iommi's guitar rhythm sounds immortal. However, being one of the best albums rock has ever seen, it is perfect for that grim feeling one may feel while watching a horror film. It's almost too perfect, that thriller feeling of spooky suspense, Black Sabbath delivers it all.
The album's third track, "Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.," is enough to feel chilling, yet enduring suspense. The distorted base of Geezer Butler mixed with Iommi's guitar is enough to feel grim. As for Osbourne's voice, and Bill Ward on drums? Chef's kiss and enough said.
As one of the most perfect songs to exist, it's forbidden, spooky, and enough to give you goosebumps down your spine. As a band that was inspired for their name by the horror film, Black Sabbath (1963), without a doubt, the band too would become equally as ominous in nature.
Alice in Chains, Facelift (1990)
Within the season of fall comes the sound of grunge. One of the pioneers of the genre is Alice in Chains with their iconic album, Facelift.
Their menacing sound throughout this album is enough to have a headbanging good time around a campfire. With their heroic second track, "Man in the Box," the band's lyrics are both thought-provoking and dark in nature. Powered by Layne Staley's voice, they were practically unstoppable.
With a heavier sound that differs greatly compared to metal, this band took grunge to a whole new perspective, adding levels of despair and raw vulnerability.
Down to the music video, watchers are confused, but enchanted by the Chains. They are timeless and perfectly mix with the season of fall and all things Halloween. From a mysterious figure seen walking around an abandoned barn, the Chains were different.
When you have Layne Staley as your vocalist, you're automatically winning, and his "crooning wail" was a haunting characteristic specifically linked to the band and still is of course, irreplaceable.
Part of the reason I adore them so much is that their sound was so distinctive and powerful. That though the lyrics make have some level of horror, Staley's delivery was beautiful and relatable. As a one of a kind gem vocally, I always make sure his music is turned up just a bit louder during Halloween so everyone else gets the same goosebumps I once felt.
Metallica, Ride The Lightning (1984)
A band that took metal to a whole other level while maintaining a level of doom goes to Metallica. A heroic album that sounds even more electrifying on vinyl is a cult classic.
From start to finish, it's doom, creepy in lyrical content, and heavy enough to make you headbang until a headache. It's everything and perfect for all things horror. With lyrics dealing with nightmares and dread, the bass of the late Cliff Burton makes it all worthwhile.
Notably, one of their most well-known tracks, "For Whom The Bell Tolls," is enchanting with heavy distortion and fast tempos; it was created to ultimate perfection.
The reasoning behind this choice is far deeper than just the music, but also where the band decided to create the album. Metallica actually had to stay in a "haunted" apartment for the recording of Ride the Lightning, and not by choice.
Weird, right? The band claimed to have experienced unexplained locked doors, child-sized fingerprints on mirrors, and growling, according to King Diamond. Those experiences alone add to the suspense felt throughout the album, yet the mixing is perfect for that element of horror found during the Halloween season.
So, ironically enough, their haunted experience in an apartment could be found within the sounds of distorted guitar, and the voice of James Hetfield talking about his ultimate doom is enough to make sure your next apartment stay has no ghosts included in your lease.
Though many songs and albums could make the list, my top three are based on personal feelings, experiences, and understanding behind the album's creation. All three are beautiful in their own ways of production, but all contribute to the level of doom, suspense, and grimness we find specific to Halloween time.
As my favorite season, I could list so many perfect albums that are made for the best season of suspense. Yet, these three are essential in sound, lyrical content, and giving the feeling that doom is near.