Halloween Literature and Music

For Halloween this year, I thought I'd create a blog post celebrating horror and supernatural themed books and music that I own and enjoy, kicking off with a selection of books first:

This is a very enjoyable collection of tales from the Welsh author Arthur Machen, featuring his most famous weird, sinister tale 'The White People', which I highly recommend.

I first wrote about Laird Barron on this blog in 2016. He writes in the type of weird supernatural realms that I enjoy and he is one of my favourite authors. The Croning is a very disturbing tale of cosmic horror.

I also wrote about Thomas Ligotti in 2016. This particular collection is very strong and has some of my favourite stories by Ligotti, 'Les Fleurs'; 'Dreams of a Manikin'; 'Dr Voke and Mr Leech'; 'The Sect of the Idiot'; 'The Music of the Moon'; 'Flowers of the Abyss'; 'In the Shadow of another World'; 'The Cocoons'; 'The Glamour' and 'Miss Plarr'.

I recently bought this copy of Algernon Blackwood, Ancient Sorceries and other Tales. This collection features his classic ghost stories 'The Willows'; 'The Insanity of Jones'; 'Ancient Sorceries'; 'The Man Who Found Out'; 'The Wendigo'; 'The Glamour of the Snow'; 'The Man Whom the Trees Loved' and 'Sand'.

H.P Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos requires no introduction.

Neither does Edgar Allan Poe. This volume contains all his classic tales such as 'The Gold Bug'; 'The Tell-Tale Heart'; 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. This leads neatly to the vast amount of music I'd like to suggest with a Halloween theme. First up, an album with a Poe connection...

British progressive rock band the Alan Parsons Project recorded this record, their debut album, in 1976. For this album the band created their musical interpretations of Poe's stories.

This is British heavy metal band Angel Witch's debut from 1980. There are horror/supernatural and occult themes throughout.

'Among the Living' is American thrash metal band Anthrax's third studio album, released in 1987. The cover art reminds me of the evil preacher in Poltergeist 2, but the main reason I selected this album is that a few of the songs are based on Stephen King's work, the title track and 'A Skeleton in the Closet'.

Black Sabbath's debut album from 1970, included for obvious reasons! The ominous, heavy, doomy title track of this album sets a Halloween mood and is hugely influential on rock and metal music.

The debut album by German speed/power metal band Blind Guardian, 'Battalions of Fear', released in 1987. There are evil themes on this and my copy has a bonus track, 'Halloween (The Wizard's Crown)'.

One of US classic rock/hard rock legends Blue Oyster Cult's later albums (their thirteenth), 'Heaven Forbid' (released in 1998) has a striking cover art and retains the gothic and occult themes that BOC have had throughout their career, mainly due to the 'Imaginos Mythos' created by their late former manager Sandy Pearlman. American SF and horror author John Shirley wrote lyrics to most of the songs on this album.

David Bowie's 1974 album Diamond Dogs is a worthy addition to Halloween-themed music, I think. There's something weird and sinister about this album and the opening track 'Future Legend' describes Bowie's vision of a bizarre dystopian future.

A seminal debut album by Swedish doom metal legends Candlemass: 'Epicus Doomicus Metallicus' was released in 1986 and is exactly what the title implies- Epic Doom Metal. It is a doom metal classic and perfectly Halloween-themed.

British doom metal band Cathedral's 'The Carnival Bizarre' was their third album and was released in 1995, featuring lots of Halloween-themed songs including 'Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)'.

Swiss metal band Celtic Frost's fifth and final album 'Monotheist', released in 2006, is a dark and sinister classic. My favourite song is 'A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh'.

American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol's third studio album 'One Foot in Hell' was released in 1986 and has numerous dark and supernatural fantasy themes.

R.I.P is the debut album released by the Swiss thrash/progressive metal band Coroner in 1987. Heavy thrash album with nice gothic touches.

'Scream Bloody Gore' is the hugely influential debut album by the US death metal band Death, released in 1987 and credited with inventing the death metal genre. Heavy and brutal with shock horror/zombie themes throughout. My favourite song on this is 'Denial of Life'- fantastic guitar riffing combined with Chuck Schuldiner's growls and blood curdling shrieks.

Power metal supergroup Demons and Wizards were formed by Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kursch and Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer. 'Touched by the Crimson King' is their second album with Halloween-themed songs such as 'Wicked Witch'.

'Tyranny of Souls' is a 2005 heavy/progressive metal solo record from Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden's vocalist/frontman. Lots of supernatural and science fiction themes.

Ronnie James Dio's classic US metal band released 'Dream Evil' in 1987. The title track is a classic Halloween-themed song about the supernatural.

German power/symphonic metal band Edguy released this album 'Hellfire Club' in 2004, it's their sixth album.

'In the Nightside Eclipse' is a Black Metal classic by Norwegian black metal legends Emperor, released in 1994. It sounds like a gurgling and shrieking demon choir in a vast underground cathedral, deep within the bowels of the earth.

'Hell Unleashed' is the fifth studio album by British thrash metal band Evile, released this year.

I'm including 'The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall', released in 1984 by British post-punk/alternative rock band The Fall. Mainly for the occult chanting and ominous feel of the opening track 'Lay of the Land'.

'The Spectre Within' is the second studio album by US progressive metal band Fates Warning, released in 1985.

'Forbidden Evil' is the debut album by US thrash metal band Forbidden, released in 1987.

Swedish rock band Ghost are the perfect Halloween band. This is their debut album released in 2010.

The self titled debut album by another Swedish hard rock band, Graveyard; released in 2007.

'Beautiful Distraction' is the 2021 album by US heavy metal band Haunt.

No list of Halloween music would be complete without German heavy/power metal legends Helloween. This album 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1' was released in 1987 and contains the epic song 'Halloween'.

US heavy metal band Helstar's classic horror-themed album 'Nosferatu', released in 1989.

US heavy/power metal band Iced Earth released this horror-themed album 'Horror Show' in 2001.

Any Iron Maiden album or single could have made this Halloween blog article. I selected the single 'Purgatory' (from their 1981 album 'Killers') for the striking cover art.

No Halloween themed music list would be complete without Danish metal legend King Diamond. Any album by King Diamond would have been suitable but I chose their fourth album 'Conspiracy', released in 1989.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are an Australian psychedelic rock band, this is their 2014 release 'I'm in Your Mind Fuzz'.

Kiss are difficult to take seriously but their costumes and make-up fit the Halloween theme. I chose to feature their second album 'Hotter than Hell', released in 1974, as Gene Simmons looks impressively sinister on the cover.

Coma of Souls is the fifth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in 1990. 

'Twilight of the Idols' is US metal band Lord Weird Slough Feg's second album, released in 1999.

'Mystification' by US metal band Manilla Road was originally released in 1987. This is another album based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

US alternative rock, the second album by Marilyn Manson released in 1996. Lots of occult/supernatural themes.

US metal band Mastodon released 'Once More Round the Sun', their sixth studio album, in 2014. It also contains a song titled 'Halloween'.

'Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?' is the second album of US thrash metal band Megadeth, released in 1986. A few songs with Halloween-related themes such as 'The Conjuring', Bad Omen'.

Danish metal band Mercyful Fate are the original band of King Diamond, who already featured on this list. This album '9' was released in 1999.

This is the 2021 release by US rock band The Offspring, lots of dark themes.

This list would not be complete without an Opeth album, I chose 'Still Life' by the Swedish progressive-death metal legends.

US thrash metal legends Overkill released this album 'Horrorscope' in 1991, complete with their cover of the Edgar Winter song 'Frankenstein'.

Another natural choice for a Halloween music list, rock legend Ozzy Osbourne experimenting with lycanthropy on his third studio album released in 1983, 'Bark at the Moon'.

'Obsidian' is the 16th studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released in 2020.

A 'blackened thrash' classic by thrash metal pioneers Possessed, released in 1985. The album begins with a sample of the Mike Oldfield music from Tubular Bells which was used for The Exorcist movie.

German power/pirate metal band Running Wild released this, their seventh studio album 'Pile of Skulls', in 1992.

US thrash metal legends Slayer need no introduction. 'Hell Awaits' was their second studio album released in 1985 and containing satanic and demonic themes.

This is a sinister and creepy-sounding album by the German progressive rock/electronica band Tangerine Dream, released in 1974.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats are a British stoner/psychedelic rock band. 'Blood Lust' is their second studio album from 2011. They use plenty of gothic and occult themes in their music.

'Very Eavy, Very Umble' is the debut album by British hard rock/progressive rock legends Uriah Heep, released in 1970. The album has an eerie, atmospheric feel emphasised by the cover art and 'Dreammare' is a good example of the best song to fit the Halloween theme.

US heavy metal band Wraith released this, their second full length studio album, in 2019.

British thrash metal band Xentrix released this album 'Bury the Pain' in 2019.

Finally, this is an extreme metal compilation that I own. The cover art is a perfect piece of Halloween cover art. I decided to quickly run through these but I hope you enjoying looking through this list of books and records- I would encourage you to check them all out, not just at Halloween but all year round. Admittedly, this is perfect reading and listening for autumn and winter!