Here is my second annual Halloween playlist. While my family and friends will attest to the fact that this is just everyday listening for me, those of you whose clothes are not eternally marked with the smell of cloves will find it sets the tone for the best night of the year. This once again will steer away from the obvious choices, since we already know Bela Lugosi is dead, so there is no need to release the bats for the thousandth time, but I have stuck a few Cvlt classics in here and there, along with throwing in a few artists who might not get a ton of lip service on this site as well – a mix of traditional goth, death rock, dark wave industrial, and even metal for your hallowed eve listening.
[youtube id=”LsLTjOkk0as”]
Type O Negative- “Wolf Moon”
This song comes from what I see as one of the most underrated albums ever. Anything off of October Rust would work, but I think this ode to a lycanthropic hunger for menstrual blood is the most fitting.
[youtube id=”FT9lwMakwv8″]
Pink Turns Blue – “Your Master’s Calling”
This would have been a great song to tag onto the closing credits of The Witch. This little gem from one of Goth’s often overlooked bands slipped my mind last year, so it certainly deserves a spot on this year’s play list.
[youtube id=”0_NH7DodtoA”]
Mater Suspiria Vision – “Séance Infernale”
Remember when “witch house” almost became a thing? This is one of the few projects from that time who kept their heads above water and continued to progress on and forge their own path outside of that brief band wagon to create some haunting electronic music that adds the needed chill to the autumn air.
[youtube id=”bmkY_44kUFY”]
Switch Blade Symphony – “Witches”
As I recall the late 90s, I seem to remember rarely sparking up a bowl in October without one of this band’s album’s playing. They took what the Cocteau Twins started in the previous decade and added a darker edge to it.
[youtube id=”I6n3sZlqrCs”]
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult- “…And This is What the Devil Does”
If you thought all these guys did was make disco for suburban Satanists then you only have half the picture. Their first album, I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits, was almost as dark as what Skinny Puppy was doing at the time. This creepy classic needs to be played on repeat.
[youtube id=”WPw7nlluRdc”]
Lebanon Hanover – “Gallowdance”
Here is the new school paying homage to the classic sounds of yesterday while striking ahead into the shadows on their own. The bass line alone is enough to give you chills in the night.
[youtube id=”DAJkSs4H6_0″]
Evil Mothers- “Spider Sex and Car Wrecks”
If you are going out Halloween night, here’s a reminder to watch out for all the amateurs behind the wheel. “Never Trust a John” might be their best song, but this one is darker so more deserving on it’s spot here.
[youtube id=”6Po_v17fIPc”]
Velvet Acid Christ – “Blood”
This project heralded in a new age of industrial. One that would see the genre merge into EBM. This song shows that this transition could work if it was done with enough of a taste for darkness.It might not hammer you in the head like Ministry, but it takes you down a dark enough hole.
[youtube id=”JUQwqAEEuVI”]
Samael – “I Love the Dead”
Another metal moment, that certainly crosses over into goth with their cover of one of my favorite Alice Cooper songs. I mean come on, if you don’t have a song about necrophilia on your Halloween play list, then what kind of pussy are you?
[youtube id=”UrfFHzqGBZI”]
Peter Murphy- “Cuts You Up”
Ok, Bauhaus; and it ends things on a much lighter note, but if you are drunk enough by the time you get to this song then you’ll dance to this one like you do when you are not trying to look cool for your friend from the art gallery. If you are going to do pop music, this is the way to do it. I view the Deep album in the same light as I see Bowie’s Let’s Dance; they certainly handled radio fare better than Toad the Wet Sprocket. One day I dream of finding a karaoke bar with this song on their menu – until that day I’ll keep singing it to my wife and daughter when I hear it.
