Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve) is celebrated on October 31st Samhain and All Saints' Eve. Currently, it's a festive event with macabre themes, where people dress up in costumes and decorate houses, and children go door-to-door trick-or-treating (a tradition more common in the Northern Hemisphere).
The celebration was expanded by the influence of horror films and the aesthetics of rock and metal bands. Many artists use macabre themes in their music, connecting with the energy and aggression of horror films – often becoming as iconic as the films themselves.
To celebrate Halloween, Wikimetal has compiled a list of rock songs that were used in horror movie soundtracks and shouldn't be missing from your celebration.
“Hellraiser” – Motörhead, from the film Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Recorded by Lemmy Kilmister and co-written with Ozzy Osbourne , the track became a symbol of the franchise's visceral horror, with the Cenobites led by Pinhead.
"Pet Sematary" – Ramones, from the movie Pet Sematary (1989)
Written specifically for the Stephen King , this song became a horror anthem in the 80s.
"Sympathy for the Devil" – Guns N' Roses, from the movie Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Rolling Stones classic gets a dark and sensual version from Axl Rose and his band to perfectly close the film.
"Dragula" – Rob Zombie, from the film House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Directed by Rob Zombie himself, who included his industrial hit on the soundtrack. The heavy sound and grotesque visuals created the perfect link between music and aesthetic horror.
“Trick or Treat” – Fastway, from the film Trick or Treat , 1986)
One of the most heavy metal movies of the 80s, Trick or Treat tells the story of a teenage heavy metal fan, Eddie Weinbauer , who befriends the spirit of his idol, rockstar Sammi Curr , after he dies in a fire.
"People Are Strange" – Echo & The Bunnymen, from the movie The Lost Boys (1987)
The Doors ' classic that perfectly matches the vampiric atmosphere of California in the 80s.
“Burn” – The Cure, from the movie The Crow (1994)
Robert Smith composed the song especially for the film starring Brandon Lee . The track portrays tragedy and redemption, with the gothic and emotional tone of the movie.
“My Plague” – Slipknot, from the film Resident Evil (2002)
In the 2000s, the nu-metal craze began to take over horror films, becoming part of the soundtrack of several movies, combining modern and heavy sounds with grotesque horror.
“Cold” – Static-X, from the movie Queen of the Damned (2002)
The original soundtrack was written by music producer and score composer Richard Gibbs in partnership with Jonathan Davis , vocalist of Korn. The film's exclusive songs feature several well-known names from the early 2000s nu-metal scene.
Who Made Who – AC/DC, the movie Overdrive ( 1986)
Stephen King transformed his passion for the band AC/DC into an apocalyptic soundtrack that yielded a full album featuring unreleased tracks such as the title track "Who Made Who," along with previously recorded AC/DC songs like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Hells Bells."
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