By BRENDAN TENAN
Contributing Writer
Hello everyone, and welcome to “Bang Your Head with Brendan!” This is a brand new music column, making its grand debut in The Chronicle this week. There have been a number of fine music columns during the time I’ve been a student here at Saint Rose, most recently “Kickin’ It with K.J.” However, as much as I have enjoyed these columns, I feel that a significant portion of the school’s student body has not been properly represented in previous articles about music. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I truly believe that a large percentage of the students here like to get in a mosh pit, bang their heads, crowd surf, and just rock out. That’s where this column comes in. “Bang Your Head with Brendan!” will be a semi-regular music column focusing on hard rock, punk, indie rock, classic rock, metal, and whatever else strikes my fancy at any given moment.
This week’s column has a special theme: Halloween. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t love to go trick or treating as a kid? And now that I’m older, it’s always been a great time of year to get together with friends and have a fun social gathering. There’s just one problem, though. I’ve always been frustrated by the fact that, despite its popularity, Halloween doesn’t have the established musical standards or variety we see with other holidays, like Christmas. The truth is there are a lot of really great songs that are perfect for the Halloween season, yet all anybody seems to constantly play at a Halloween-themed party are “Monster Mash,” Thriller,” and the theme from “Ghostbusters.”
Well, I’m here to fix that. I’ve compiled a list of my twelve favorite songs that are either directly related to Halloween or something within the horror genre of books, television, and movies. Here, dear readers, is my totally subjective, completely unscientific list of the Top 12 songs for Halloween NOT named “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” and the theme from “Ghostbusters.”
12. Theme from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: Yes, it’s incredibly short (barely lasting a minute at most), but there’s no denying that this is a great theme song, from the classic horror film/haunted house opening notes and wolf howl to the terrific guitar lead played throughout the song. Put this on to help set the tone for your shindig.
11. “Tubular Bells”: A great song to use to spook the trick or treaters. Best known for being used as the theme for The Exorcist, the melody to this day conjures up images in my head of Linda Blair being possessed by the devil spinning her head in circles.
10. Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, “Little Red Riding Hood”: One of the few songs that effectively combines romance with terror. The drastic change in tone helps set the mood for a catchy yet unusual tune.
9. Judas Priest, “The Ripper”: How could you possibly go wrong with the metal gods? Short answer: you can’t. This particular song offers a chilling recounting of the infamous crimes committed by Jack the Ripper, one of the most famous serial killers of all time. Glen Tipton and KK Downing bring a relentless but methodical pace to the song, and Rob Halford’s vocals are as powerful as ever. A song every metalhead should have in their collection.
8. Anthrax, “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t”: The legendary thrashers (and member of metal’s Big 4 fraternity) came back in a huge way in the fall of 2011 with the excellent album Worship Music. One of the standout tracks, and an instant crowd favorite at Anthrax concerts, “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t” is about the zombie apocalypse and what one must do to survive. With lyrics like “Cuz there’s no humanity/When the dead come back to feed/You gotta fight’em,” what’s not to like?
7. Koffin Kats, “Chainsaw Massacre”: This marks the first entry on the list of the sub-genre known as psychobilly. For those wondering what this is, picture an early rocker like Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis singing songs about zombies, vampires, and serial killers instead of a nervous first crush and partying in a jailhouse. Koffin Kats are one of the best psychobilly acts around, and lead singer-upright bassist Vic Victor has one of the best voices in this niche scene. The song has a fantastic rockabilly-style swing and a fun sing-along chorus. The lyrics just happen to be based on the events that take place in the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, giving a creepy vibe to an upbeat sounding song.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas, “This is Halloween”: It’s hard to believe this movie is already twenty years old. It hasn’t aged one bit, and neither has the film’s signature song. If you’re looking for something that’s a little out of left field, check out Marilyn Manson’s excellent rendition.
5. Calabrese, “Voices of the Dead”: Calabrese have gained a strong following over the last decade thanks to their constant touring and prolific recording schedule. The self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Horror Rock Band” have perfected the formula of creating power-chord based guitar riffs coupled with pleasant harmonies and memorable melodies that invite the listener to sing along. The brothers Calabrese have rarely sounded better than on this track, off of their album The Traveling Vampire Show.
4. The Creepshow, “Take My Hand,”: The Creepshow are another excellent group from the psychobilly subgenre. This song, off their sophomore effort Run For Your Life, tells the story of a vampire convincing its potential victim to join her for eternity. Once again, the song is full of great riffs, a catchy melody, and a rather morbid subject matter.
3. Alice Cooper, “Welcome to My Nightmare”: A list of the best spooky songs for Halloween wouldn’t be complete without the shock rock icon Alice Cooper. The original rock villain has rarely sounded better than on the title track to the classic 1975 album, as he invites us in for a tour of the demented visions dancing through his head.
2. Theme from Halloween: Arguably one of the greatest themes to one of the greatest horror films ever made. Carpenter made a theme that is simple and memorable, yet haunting at the same time. The song has set the bar for horror movie theme songs for the last 35 years, and very few have been able to top its simple beauty and eerie melody.
1. Misfits, “Astro Zombies”: No self-respecting horror rock fan could create a list without including the godfathers of horror punk, the legendary and influential Misfits. It was a tough call, but for me it’s “Astro Zombies” that makes the cut. It features everything that makes this group so beloved: a fast pace you can dance to, catchy sing-along chorus, and the often imitated but never duplicated baritone howl of Glenn Danzig.
Well, there it is. My top 12 Halloween songs not named “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” or “Theme from Ghostbusters.” What say you, fellow rock enthusiast? Agree? Disagree? Send your thoughts, as well as suggestions for future columns, to tenanb400@strose.edu. Until then, friends, throw up those horns and keep on rocking!
