10 Dark, Creepy Albums For Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite Holidays. As well as affording us the opportunity to wear a costume or dress however we'd like, Halloween offers the chance to explore our darker sides. Most everyone enjoys a good scare, or is curious about the more mysterious, possibly paranormal side of life. Ouija boards, hauntings, and creepy things are the center of attention during October. Today I have compiled a list of albums that I have found to be of a darker nature. They are the perfect soundtrack for this month or an All Hallow's Eve party.

1. Skinny Puppy - Last Rites

Skinny Puppy has always been a band that hinges itself in the dark recesses of the human psyche. They began releasing tracks in the early eighties as an experimental electronic band in the same vein as Severed Heads, but with a much darker slant. Although they are known to be animal rights activists, their music tells a much darker story.

The first really dark song released by Skinny Puppy was Assimilate released in 1985. This track was a gothic EBM dance track that brought their unique style to the dance floor. By the time they released Last Rites, which was supposedly their last album, in 1992, they had perfected their dark, experimental sound.

Often when I would play this album as a teenager, people would freak out and ask to me to turn it off because it scared them. My mom was convinced that it was demonic. For these reasons, and more Last Rites makes it onto the top of my Darkest Albums For Halloween List.

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2. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath

The Mars Volta released their first album in 2003 with a new, and original sound that has been called psychedelic rock meets free jazz. However, during the recording of their 2007 album The Bedlam In Goliath, things took a very dark turn. Just before beginning to record this album, the band purchased a ouija board from a Jerusalem curio shop while on tour. They claim to have communicated with the same spirit, through the ouija board, night after night. These communications inspired the lyrics and sounds that they recorded on this album.

Eventually, strange things began to occur in the studio. Several equipment malfunctions, and a studio flooding lead the band to break the board, and then bury it, in order to finish this album. Many of the sounds and voices that you hear on this album were a result of the "malfunctions" that the band attributed to this ouija board.

When you listen to this album, it does sound as though there is something, or someone, trying to communicate from the other side. For this reason, The Bedlam In Goliath ranks high on my list of Dark Albums For Halloween.

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3. Throbbing Gristle - Throbbing Gristle's Greatest Hits (Entertainment Through Pain)

Throbbing Gristle is a collective of artist and sound engineers who began recording tracks in the seventies. Their use of irreverent electronic noises and samples eventually lead to their sound being coined as Industrial. They were, in fact, the first band to be called Industrial Music.

Some of their music is hard to listen to, and some would argue that it doesn't even qualify as music, but lies more in the realm of noise. Other songs do have a melodic, electronic sound mostly attributed to the band's member Chris Carter.

However, there is one track that appears on this 1981 Greatest Hits compilation, that is absolutely terrifying. It's called Hamburger Lady and is said to be based on the true story of a lunch lady who fell into a pot of boiling grease and was essentially fried to death. When she was found, she looked like a human hamburger. Thus the title of this track is Hamburger Lady. Along with the gory back story of this track, the electronic soundscape is unnerving and terrifying on its own. If you are brave enough to check out this track, you will want to be in a safe space. This song has been responsible for several "bad trips".

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4. Christian Death - Death Mix

Christian Death is a band that has appeared in other lists I have made, but this album is a remix album of their earlier works released on Cleopatra Records in 1996. Of course, a band like Christian Death already has a dark, gothic sound, but this release took some of their dark tracks to a new level. In particular the remix of Cervix Couch (One By One) on this album is especially chilling.

The remixes that appear on Death Mix make many of the band's original tracks into a more danceable version, making this album great for a Halloween party, or just a gothic dance party. This album also features the return of vocals by Rozz Williams who was the original creator of the band and its gothic sound. Death Mix will have you turning in your grave.

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5. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - I See Good Spirits And I See Bad Spirits

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult was a band that originally formed to make B horror movies, but ended up making an album instead. I See Good Spirits And I See Bad Spirits is their first release from 1988. It features tracks with titles such as Do You Fear For Your Child? and Gateway To Hell.

The overall sound of the album is campy, much like a B horror movie, but has strong Satanic overtones. At first glance, it may seem a bit silly, but upon closer inspection, this album is quite scary. The creepy factor is raised by the samples from old horror movies that include invocations of Satanic rituals. You may want to listen to this one with the lights on or at least a strobe light.

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6. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson was a post industrial goth rock band that was popular during the nineties. Antichrist was by far their most popular album, and the tour they did for this album was one of the best live shows to date. This album makes it onto this list because of its incredibly creepy nature with definite Satanic overtones. There are some songs on this album like Wormboy and Kinderfeld that feel and sound like a chant to the Dark Lord.

This album is very dark, and also features samples of an extremely dark nature that reference Satanic imagery. You may think you have heard this album, and I'm sure you heard some of the more popular songs on the radio, but give the whole album another listen during Halloween season, in the dark, and you will be surprised at just how frightening Antichrist Superstar really is.

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7. Bauhaus - Press Eject And Give Me The Tape

Bauhaus was a gothic punk new wave band that released most of their music in the early eighties. They were famously featured in the opening sequence of the vampire horror movie The Hunger starring David Bowie.

Of course, Bauhaus made it onto this list with their most famous track Bela Lugosi's Dead, a gothic dance floor favorite. The song is about vampires and the dead coming back to life, and is incredibly effective at being gothic and dark. No Halloween soundtrack would be complete without featuring Bela Lugosi's Dead, which happens to be the same song featured in the aforementioned David Bowie flick. Other songs on this album are also dark and gothic in nature, as most of their music was, making this album a great addition to your Halloween playlist.

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8. Diamanda Galas - Litanies of Satan

Diamanda Galas is a performance artist and singer/songwriter who is said to be possessed by a demon. I hesitated to put this album on my list because it is SO terrifying. The "music" on this album sounds more like a Satanic incantation than what most would consider music. Her voice seems to have many different entities coming through. It sounds like someone recorded the movie The Exorcist and then performed it as a musical act.

This album is absolutely terrifying. DO NOT listen to it alone. If you do decide to check it out, please remember, you have been warned. I will hold no responsibility for any strange occurrences surrounding listening to this album.

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9. Current 93 - Nature Unveiled

In keeping with the Satanic ceremony theme, here is Nature Unveiled by Current 93. Current 93 is a very dark, gothic band who released their first tracks in the eighties and continued to release material through the nineties. Nature Unveiled was released in 1984, and sounds like someone recorded a dark mass. The ominous dark nature of the album leads the listener to believe that they may have just participated in the conjuring of some evil spirits.

There is absolutely no reason to listen to this album in the dark, unless you want to scare yourself into a catatonic state. Nature Unveiled is so dark, that it's perfect for your Halloween playlist. Again, I will add the disclaimer to listen to this album at your own peril.

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10. Book Of Love - Lullaby

This article got so dark that I decided to end it on a lighter note. Book of Love was an electronic dance music band that released their first tracks in the mid eighties. They often portrayed themselves as a coven of witches, although their music resides on the lighter side of the spectrum.

Lullaby is Book Of Love's second release from 1988, and features the track Tubular Bells which is the song from the movie The Exorcist. Their version of the song is danceable with an electronic beat and includes samples from the movie. Also featured on this album is a light, and not so scary song called Witchcraft that highlights their witchy personas. The title track of this album is also a bit dark, but nothing too scary. Lullaby is the perfect album for a fun Halloween dance party.

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Thanks for checking out my article. I hope you have a dark Halloween. Please, let me know if you have any feedback. However, if you experience any dark or negative energy situations by listening to any of these albums, please do not hold me responsible. Happy Halloween.