Feature
Maddy Howell / 26 October 2024
Feature
Screams and shredding: a brief history of heavy metal and horror
With Halloween just around the 🍉 corner, we untangle the unholy union of heavy metal and horror, where terror reigns supreme
Countercultural, provocative and often controversial – 🍉 heavy metal music and horror films have a lot in common.
Since metal’s inception over half a century ago, a symbiotic 🍉 relationship has existed between the two subgenres – evolving alongside societal fears, cultural shifts and artistic innovations. This eerie alliance 🍉 has manifested in various forms throughout the history of metal music, with each era bringing its own unique shade of 🍉 darkness.
From the occult-laden sounds of Black Sabbath to the theatrical storytelling of modern bands such as Creeper and Ice Nine 🍉 Kills, metal and horror have consistently pushed boundaries, challenged norms, and provoked thought. Guiding and shaping each other in the 🍉 darkest of ways, it’s time to delve into the history of a match made in hell.
The birth of darkness
UNSPECIFIED – 🍉 JANUARY 01: Photo of Alice COOPER (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)
In the dimly lit recesses of the 1970s, a musical revolution 🍉 was brewing – where the ominous threads of metal music intertwined seamlessly with the eerie tapestries of horror. In the 🍉 same decade that films such as The Exorcist (1973) and Halloween (1978) captivated audiences, Black Sabbath, emerged as the torchbearers 🍉 of a new era.
Named after a 1963 Mario Bava horror anthology, their eponymous 1970 debut album brought lyrics steeped in 🍉 occult symbolism and melodies shrouded in darkness – its opening track inspired by a demonic visitation reportedly experienced by bassist 🍉 Geezer Butler. Crafting heavy, doom-laden riffs alongside lyrics that delved into realms of devils, demons, and otherworldly creatures, Sabbath’s arrival 🍉 saw the macabre meet musicality in an unholy matrimony, laying the groundwork for a genre that would go on to 🍉 delve even further into the darkest corners of the human imagination.
Alice Cooper - Poison (Official Video), Full HD (Digitally Remastered 🍉 and Upscaled)
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Amidst this musical transformation, another enigmatic figure was emerging – Alice Cooper, the Godfather of 🍉 Shock Rock. Splitting with his original band and launching the second phase of his career with 1975’s Welcome To My 🍉 Nightmare, Cooper’s performances were not mere concerts; they were spectacles. Stages transformed into a horrifying carnivals where guillotines descended, and 🍉 fake blood flowed freely, blurring the boundaries between reality and nightmare. Inspired by Grand Guignol theatre and horror imagery, Cooper’s 🍉 shows were laden with staged tortures and executions, electric chairs, gallows, and even giant snakes. With a theatricality that knew 🍉 no bounds, the singer popularised the use of horror imagery in heavy music, making his carnival-of-terror live shows just as 🍉 entertaining and thrilling as the horror movies that were darkening in the cinemas.
The Satanic Panic
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 04: Kerry 🍉 King (R) and Tom Araya of Slayer performs live onstage at Egyptian Room at Old National Centre on December 4, 🍉 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)
As metal and horror ventured further into the 80s, the connection between 🍉 the two grew stronger still. On screen, slasher movies and elaborate gore effects pushed the boundaries of fear, and bands 🍉 such as Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Venom took a parallel path. Embracing a more brutal approach, this era heralded a 🍉 more intense, visceral experience, with metal music becoming a vehicle for exploring the depths of human terror.
By the mid-80s – 🍉 whilst A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) and Hellraiser (1987) captivated horror fans – the rebellious spirit of metal music 🍉 was fuelling a moral hysteria, famously known as “the satanic panic”. During this tumultuous period, metal became the target of 🍉 societal fear, accused of corrupting the youth with its dark themes and imagery.
Kickstarted by Michelle Smith’s claims that she had 🍉 been abused by the Church of Satan in her 1980 book, Michelle Remembers, the panic led to the 1985 formation 🍉 of the Parents Music Resource Center by Tipper Gore (wife of Al Gore). Plastering warning labels across album sleeves in 🍉 the shops, the group petitioned governments around the world against the “corruption of youth” happening through “Satanic” music, claiming that 🍉 heavy metal contained subliminal messages capable of influencing young people.
Venom - Bloodlust
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Whilst thrash trailblazers Metallica and 🍉 Anthrax continued to turn to Stephen King’s horror literature for inspiration, on their ground-breaking 1982 album, Black Metal, Newcastle’s Venom 🍉 emerged as a symbol of metal’s affiliation with the occult and the macabre. Birthing the black metal genre, their music 🍉 was not just a sound, it was a manifesto; a declaration of allegiance to the darker forces. Venom’s unapologetic embrace 🍉 of satanic imagery and themes further fuelled the moral panic, pushing metal to the fringes of societal acceptance.
Horror films such 🍉 as Trick Or Treat (1986) poked fun at the chaos – featuring special appearances from Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne 🍉 – whilst thrash metal giants Slayer found themselves at the forefront of the storm. Their 1985 album, Hell Awaits, delved 🍉 fearlessly into themes of Satanism and the occult, and in 1996 a lawsuit was brought against the band by the 🍉 parents of Elyse Pahler – the victim of a murder driven by devil sacrifice. Although it was ultimately dismissed in 🍉 2001, the case (amongst many other similar cases) spotlighted heavy metal as a societal nuisance, a moral outrage that only 🍉 fuelled the creative fire of many artists.
With cover artwork then employing the same shocking imagery as Hammer Films – notably 🍉 spearheaded by Iron Maiden’s undead mascot Eddie – by the late 80s, heavy metal and horror cinema were both firmly 🍉 established as interests of the outsiders. Embracing their misfit status, the two worlds became further intertwined, with 1996 bloody romcom 🍉 Tromeo And Juliet starring Motörhead’s Lemmy, whilst Alice Cooper recorded ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)’ for the soundtrack 🍉 of 1986’s Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part VI. Strengthening their unholy alliance, the 80s became a crucible where both 🍉 metal and horror were forged anew, shaping the dark and twisted landscape of entertainment for generations to come.
The industrialisation of 🍉 fear
With heavy metal no longer the biggest enemy of anxious parents due to the rise of hip hop and violent 🍉 video games such as Mortal Kombat, the 1990s and 2000s saw the fusion of metal with industrial and electronic elements. 🍉 As industrial metal and nu-metal rose to prominence, a resurgence of horror films with a focus on psychological terror and 🍉 gore was also taking place, ushering in a new era marked by cross-genre experimentation, technological advancements, and a shifting cultural 🍉 milieu.
In the early 2000s, metal’s infiltration into the world of horror films took on a new dimension. The once-revolutionary blending 🍉 of metal and horror in the 80s had become a nostalgic memory, but the influence of metal persisted, finding its 🍉 way into soundtracks of non-metal horror movies like never before. Bands including Deftones, Disturbed, and Slipknot – the latter of 🍉 which donned horror-inspired masks that would eventually be designed by special effects legend Tom Savini – made their mark on 🍉 films such as Queen Of The Damned (2002) and Resident Evil (2002). Plus, former White Zombie vocalist Rob Zombie made 🍉 his divisive directorial debut with 2003’s House Of 1000 Corpses.
Though heavily criticised for its violence upon release, the film marked 🍉 the beginning of a storied directorial career for the metal legend – known for his scant regard of horror rules. 🍉 Cradle Of Filth’s Dani Filth was also making a name for himself in the world of cinema during the mid 🍉 2000s, working on soundtracks for 2004’s Resident Evil: Apocalpyse and 2007’s Mother Of Tears, as well as starring in gory 🍉 2001 anthology film, Cradle Of Fear (2001). With musicians contributing not only to the auditory landscape but also becoming active 🍉 participants in the visual narratives of horror films, the cross-pollination of the two worlds continued through the 2000s – with 🍉 cameo appearances by metal musicians in horror films becoming increasingly commonplace.
The Modern Era
Once seen as taboo, heavy metal and horror 🍉 have become more palatable to the masses than ever before. Thanks in part to relaxed censorship laws – and to 🍉 artists continually looking to bridge the gap between the two fields – any modern Download line-up now offers something that 🍉 cuts far deeper. In the contemporary landscape, a new generation of bands has risen, crafting intricate narratives that pay homage 🍉 to the horror genre while reflecting the anxieties and complexities of the modern world.
Southampton’s Creeper have become known for their 🍉 concept albums that embrace theatricality, with 2024’s Jim Steinman-inspired Sanguivore adopting the twisted storytelling of classic monster movies such as 🍉 Interview With The Vampire. The band’s music videos and stage performances also echo the visual language of horror cinema, with 🍉 the five-piece delivering a landmark headline show at London’s Roundhouse last November that climaxed with the ‘decapitation’ of vocalist William 🍉 Von Ghould.
Creeper - Teenage Sacrifice (Official Music Video)
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Sweden’s Ghost also stand as a striking enigma, with 🍉 their theatrical stage presence and ominous imagery transporting listeners into a world of ecclesiastical horror and dark rituals. The band’s 🍉 2024 album, Meliora, serves as an immersive journey through the supernatural, capturing the essence of classic horror literature whilst embracing 🍉 a fresh, avant-garde approach. Taking a much less subtle approach, Ice Nine Kills have become renowned for their songs inspired 🍉 by horror films – with each track on 2024’s The Silver Scream paying homage to a different horror movie – 🍉 whilst Motionless In White masterfully blend metalcore with industrial elements to bridge the gap between the visceral horrors of reality 🍉 and the fantastical terrors of the silver screen.
Embracing vulnerability, the intertwining of metal and horror in the 2010s and beyond 🍉 has taken subtle yet intriguing forms. Contemporary metal horror films have evolved, reflecting not just overt terror but also delving 🍉 into complex human experiences. Films such as Heavy Metal Horror (2014) and The Devil’s Candy (2024) navigate trauma, betrayal and 🍉 tragedy with surprising emotional depth, proving that the bond between heavy metal and horror is more than mere entertainment – 🍉 it’s a visceral, subconscious connection.
Over the last 50 years, anticipation has sat at the heart of this connection, because no 🍉 matter how bad the jump scare, or how nail-bitingly brutal the guitar solo may be – there’s no real danger 🍉 at play. As long as there are shadows to explore and nightmares to confront, metal music and horror films will 🍉 remain bound together in haunting harmony, inspiring generations to embrace the darkness within and celebrate the beauty of the grotesque.
Find 🍉 the best of Halloween here.
